Overview Of Online Education

We live in the information age. We have grown so accustomed to information at the speed of light that the prospect of not having immediate access to countless numbers of facts and figures with the mere click of a few buttons for many of us is simply disconcerting. For this reason, it only makes sense that there are many people across the nation and around the world that are embracing the idea of online learning and educational opportunities with every ounce of enthusiasm they can muster.

At the same time there are equal numbers of people around the world who are trying desperately to hold on to traditional methods of dealing with certain things. In fact, some people actually still play solitaire with a deck of playing cards. For people who feel that the information age has left them behind to some degree the chances are quite good that online learning may not be the best available option for you.

Below you will find a few questions that can help you narrow down whether or not you would truly benefit by taking some of the many online courses that are being offered in today's information age of learning.

1. 
   
   Are you disciplined? This may seem like such an innocuous question because we would all like to think that we are disciplined to some degree. The problem is that when you are in the driver's seat for your own education you need to have a little more than some small degree of discipline. You need to be able to meet deadlines, take the tests, and hold yourself responsible for actually learning the information that you need to learn in order to pass the course. There is no one to blame but yourself if you do not manage to do well in your online classes and some people simply do not like being in the drivers seat when it comes to motivating and pacing themselves and their learning practices.


2. 
   
   How do you learn best? We all have different methods of learning for which we retain information better than others. Online courses are reading intensive. If you have difficulties retaining the information you read you may need to find an alternate learning method or seek solutions with the assistance of the course instructor before moving forward in an online learning environment.


3. 
   
   Do you have a true desire to succeed? The answer to this question is quite important in determining whether or not online learning is in your best interest. There are many paths you can take in order to achieve the education and degree you desire. This is not the path of the masses, at least not yet. This type of learning, more than any other is easy to give up on through apathy. If you aren't determined to do the assignments, to study the notes, and to really learn the material that is presented to you then you really do not need to waste your time or the instructor's time by continually making up excuses. Online courses are largely self-paced but you do have a limited amount of time in which to learn the material before you need to move on. The teacher is responsible for providing you the information and material but you are responsible for everything that happens from that moment on. Are you ready for that responsibility?

Whether you are a first time college student or a professional that is returning to school after a long absence online learning can open new doors of opportunity for your learning pleasure. You must be willing to walk through those doors and take the information that is presented to you however in order to be successful. My sincere hope is that everyone reading this will carefully consider whether or not the lack of structure that many online courses provides is going to be conducive to your specific learning and educational needs before taking the plunge.

5 Fun Activities Ideas for Your Nursery School

Children under five have active minds that require constant attention. To help you keep your nursery school children occupied, learning and having fun, here are five activities ideas for you to try out at your nursery school.

1. Make your own festive decorations

This is a good example of multi-tasking. Have a decoration making session with your children. You can choose how you'd like to decorate your nursery for the festive season and then as a group make all the decorations using art and craft materials. This is a fun, educational activity that might also save you some money on decorations. A tip for this activity is to plan exactly who does what, so that your decorations have coherence.

2. Go out into the wilderness to explore nature

It's important that children understand nature and start to gain an understanding of science, ready for when they go to school in a few years. Why not go on an expedition into the playground or garden if you have one, to see what creatures your children can identify and what animal groups they belong to. For example, is a spider an insect or an arachnid? And is it dangerous? Do some people react differently to wasp stings than others?

3. Roll Play

Society is a huge and complex system. Children often learn about complicated things more easily when they copy. Role playing can be an effective way for children to learn about work, emergency services, school and family life. So why not try dressing up and building a simple cardboard set to role play different activities.

4. Learn to ride

Some of your children might not have ridden a bike or trike before. One of the easiest ways to learn to ride is with a 'balance bike'. These don't have pedals or chains. Children use their feet to adjust their weight. This way they learn to balance naturally. They can be riding normal bikes within weeks of practicing on a balance bike. It might be worth investing in a few in your next nursery school supplies order.

5. Build bridges

This is a great activity. Split your nursery into groups and ask them to build a bridge between two tables or other pieces of furniture. You could use paper, Lego, building blocks, the choice is yours. This can be a very challenging task but children are very creative and imaginative. It's good to challenge them and see what they can do. Maybe some of the children at your nursery school will be future architects.

Knowledge on Online Computer Forensic Course technology

Tech savvy and tech savvy wannabes alike can now learn more and more even at the comforts of their homes and couches. Those who already have a bachelor's degree in computer or Information Technology related courses can further expand their expertise with an ease through a higher computer course online. Similarly, non-IT professionals or career people who are in need of basic or advance IT training constrained by distance or busy schedule can opt for the online education option.

Working in an IT-based or IT-intertwined company means continuous upgrading, learning, and exposure to the latest trends and knowledge on computer technology and all its related facets. In the IT world, innovation, competency, and modernity are essential for survival and longevity. With the advent of more sophisticated internet, expanding skills and competencies in information technology has become easier and more constraints-sensitive. An online computer course is now just clicks of a computer away.

For those who have just stepped inside the world of information technology, a number of beginner's courses are available. Starters usually have to begin learning various computer programs and applications. Many software and computer companies, like Linux, are now offering online computer training and programming courses. For *Microsoft applications*, training courses on Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows 2000, MS Project, MS Office 97, MS Office 2000, Windows operating systems basic, and Windows NT Workstation are mostly taken up by beginners. MAC OS9 and MAC troubleshooting training courses are the ones mostly sought by MAC starters. These online training courses mostly come in packages priced based on extensiveness and promotions campaign by the manufacturers.

Web design, web development, web management, web graphics and animation training, HTML courses, and many others are available for people already equipped with basic computer applications training. For more advanced IT enthusiasts, online training and full-blown computer courses are also abundant. There are online courses on telecommunications, technology and security, search engine positioning, wireless technology, networking, systems design, and systems management.

In a more complex note, there is already an online course on computer forensics. The high-tech Crime Network now has an online training center providing computer forensic training. The training program is especially intended and designed for professionals in the field of network administration, IS and MIS specialization, auditing, investigation, and fraud examinations. The program trains them in handling computer sources that potentially contain pieces of evidence and pertinent data pertinent to the cases they are handling.

The computer forensic training course trains a forensic person in recovering, retrieving, and analyzing data from disk operating systems, Windows operating system (with concentration on Windows 9.x), and even from NTFS structures used by Windows NT, 2000, and XP operating systems. Data gathered from these sources are then studied for their potential use in legal investigations or even court hearings and other investigative proceedings.

The program is very time-flexible, giving its students enough time to fully comprehend the principles and procedures of modern forensics method. It is also lenient in terms of workshops and practical applications, allowing the trainer and trainee to have more time in digesting the data at hand. The program allows the students to proceed to the next level of training in the time most convenient for their schedules.

The program employs advance methodologies in forensic investigation like recovery of pieces of evidence from a magnetic source and transforming these raw data into accurate translations. This is followed by practical exercises on data presentation and analysis. These exercises are aimed at training the students in conducting sterile examination on various media, creation of forensic boot storage devices, replication of various media into forensic forms, and recovery of erased, altered, hidden, and even lost data. The exercises prepare a student to learn unlocking passwords, formatting data, accessing mail, and other private web-based information storage media, collating internet related files and cookies.

For about four months or so, a student in this program will be able to formulate sound analysis on technology-based pieces of evidence. Graduates of this program are expected to aid in more expedient and accurate investigations of hard-to-solve frauds and felonies. This program boasts of a partnership with Kennesaw State University.

You Should Get A Student Loans If You Really Need It

Student loans are both a blessing and a curse to college students all across the country. On one hand, student loans allow you to have the money you need in many cases to attend college at all. On the other hand, most college students, particularly those entering college for the first time have inflated opinions of their starting salaries upon graduation and the bills they will face while living in the real world. In fact, most freshmen college students have no real concept of the limits of money in which to base their decisions as to whether or not they can realistically expect to repay those funds once they've graduated college.

The sad truth is that many college graduates find that for the first 10-15 years after they have graduated college, they are essentially indentured servants to their student loan debts. There are many reasons for this and different college graduates will find different things about their student loans when the appropriate time comes. First of all, those taking out student loans need to understand that a college degree does not guarantee a high starting salary. Beyond that, a college degree is no guarantee that there will be employers lining up to take your name and number upon graduation. The truth is that most college grads take anywhere from 6 months to a year to find a job in their fields and even then the starting salaries are often far less than anticipated.

Part of the blame for over-inflated expectations is the fault of universities attempting to validate their high tuition rates by displaying average starting salaries of only those that have successful offers in the field of study immediately upon graduation (which usually indicates a history of working with the company or another company as an intern prior to being hired) and not those students who have no prior work experience in their chosen fields. Part of the expectations is students reading job advertisements for experienced workers in a field and assuming that an education will provide the experience that employers require. Regardless of the reason, most starting salary expectations are not realistic in light of the current market.

The problem is that for many students a student loan is the difference in receiving a college education or not receiving one. For these students, there is no option. The price they will pay (with interest) for having student loans in order to get through the educational process will repay itself over the course of a lifetime if they are wise about making the necessary payments and stay on top of things such as consolidation loans and making payments on time.

Student loans are a great tool for those who have no other options when it comes to attending and affording to attend a university. On the other hand, for those who do not have an absolute need for the funds a student loan can provide they can prove to be problematic when trying to establish your career and your lifestyle upon graduation. This is a tool for education that should be used sparingly at best.

Whether or not you choose to take out student loans in order to fund your college education it is a good idea if you exhaust all other available resources first. Check out your options for grants, scholarships, and work-study programs before leaping into student loans to pay for your education.

3 Things Every Parent Should Know About Education

Every parent wants the best for his or her child. However, they do not always know the best way to go about getting the best education for their child. The public school system is really a very good system for achieving a great education if you know how to work the system. Unfortunately, that is a very big IF.

Contact Your Child's Teacher on a Weekly Basis

This will do two things. First, this will put you on a short list of parents that are highly interested in their student's academic success. Since teachers are overwhelmed as it is, you will want to make sure your child is on the list of student's that need to be watched and not fall through the cracks.

The other thing is this will make you known to the staff of the school. Teachers do talk and you will be passed along to the next teacher. The next year your name will be passed along for the next teacher to be aware of. This way everyone knows that you will be watching out for your child. In addition, your child will be placed with better teachers who won't make careless mistakes because everyone knows you will catch it.

Insist that the Teacher Sign the School Planner

Nowadays, every school including kindergartens has a daily planner. Insist that every teacher sign the planner on a daily basis and so should you. This way you and the teacher can know what homework is assigned and when it is due. There is no mistaking a missed assignment when it is clearly written and signed by the teacher and the parent. (The same can be done for misbehavior.)

Ask about SnapGrades

Many schools have SnapGrades. SnapGrades is an online grading system where teacher input the grades into the computer and parents can access the grades instantly. (I have absolutely no affiliation to the system. I get no money from promoting the system at all. I simply love the system as it helps promote accountability to students.) If your school does not have SnapGrades, ask the teachers how you can get a copy of the grades on a regular basis.

These three secrets may not make you the most popular with your kids but they will get you on the short list with the teachers. As a former teacher, when the teachers know who you are, your child will be watched and everything will go smoother. Of course, you still need to take action once you receive information but your child won't fall through the cracks if your follow these three steps.