Join me, as we explore these 7 Myth Busters of Distance Learning and open the doors of opportunity and empowerment that are waiting as close as your laptop, cell phone, and iPod.

1. You need to be connected at the same time in order to participate in distance learning. Many people have this idea because they may have participated in workplace webinars: lectures or seminars delivered live over the web. However, webinars are only one of many ways to provide distance learning. A more popular format is to use non-simultaneous deliver (or asynchronous as we call it). This format enables participants to sign in over the Internet to do their work whenever it fits it into their day. Wouldn’t you like to pick the time when you learn? Another great benefit of non-simultaneous learning is that it overcomes time-zone conflicts when you worldwide groups.

2. Distance learning is boring and usually canned. This statement might be the case if you are only reading test, or watching video, but haven’t you been to a boring lecture? Too much of any one instructional mode can make it hard to keep people’s interest. Today well-designed distance learning courses include not only video, text, graphics, audio, and pictures, but also user created materials in all the same formats. A great course will not only provide learning in a varied format addressing multiple learning styles and learning intelligences, but it will also engage learners in active participation! Student podcasts, videos and online role playing are just a few examples. Learners also post or lead subject focused discussion boards and solve group simulations. Distance learning can provide a dimension of making learning meaningful and active.

3. I don’t like this “at your own pace stuff” of distance learning. Again, distance learning comes in so many modes now that you can have a completely instructor-led course, or one that includes partial independence combined with direct oversight. In some content areas, participants might also be in private learning sessions, just you and the teacher, or with groups. Although usually more expensive, if private learning or tutoring or a specific time frames fits you best, a private vs. group class might be a real perk and incentive.

4. Distance learning is much easier than traditional classes. This concern is raised mostly in relation to academic degrees and cannot be more wrong. In fact, students need to work harder, especially at first, with online courses. They need to shift to being responsible for their learning and invest more time in being self-disciplined, scheduling their outside classroom study (there is no IN classroom time!), and tracking their deadlines. For certain people it is a breeze to adjust, for other people they have to focus on developing strategies for online learning success. But once they do make the effort, learners taking responsibility may begin to soar with the possibilities ahead. Now, doesn’t that lesson have a lot of good cross-benefits to it? Hmmmmm.

5. Distance learning creates greater social isolation. I think most people who state this myth, do not use social media. Otherwise they would have a better idea of the extensive interactions in distance classes. The discussion boards, peer emailing and dialogue, and group projects stampede over the amount of interaction in a traditional classroom. I always say face to face classes by necessity are required to play “Beat the Clock”; therefore, time for student interaction is limited. In contrast, distance classes can expand as much as the students want to invest in them. Isolating? Not in our experience- we have to sometimes hold them back!

6. Teachers do not need new class preparation: Teaching distance learning is just like teaching traditional classes. This is a very dangerous myth, because teachers and learners will be disappointed with the results if it is followed. While distance learning will build upon principles of great teaching practice, many specific issues have to be addressed that are different or new. For instance, because of being part of a global classroom, cross-cultural communication may be prominently required than usual. Also whether classes are delivered in same time or not, a distance audience means different dynamics. It can be powerful and lively, or fraught with problems, but don’t try to head into this format without preparation.

7. No student orientation is needed. Students use the same skills as a traditional class, just plug n play! Many organizations have struggled by following this approach, and so have their participants! From technical support, to study skills, time management to registration, needs to processes, people need to break away from their assumptions and rethink the needs of the distance learner. When they are addressed, the approach unleashes a vibrant, global classroom.

Next Steps. Hopefully, this brief article has raised some new questions for you and challenged some of your assumptions or prior opinions. Consider signing up for a distance learning course which has developed a good reputation. Give virtual learning a try for yourself and reflect on how this experience can be helpful for you, your family and colleagues to meet personal and professional learning needs. From academic degree completion, to language learning to prepare for your next trip to Spain, or strategies to restart your dream career, the opportunities may be as close as that computer, iPod or cell phone, if you give it a chance and follow the tips above.

A PharmD (Doctor of Pharmacy) degree is a 4-year professional degree. Prior to acceptance into a PharmD school, you are usually required to complete two years of pre-pharmacy classes. There are also transition programs that allow a pharmacist with an older BS in pharmacy to advance to a PharmD level.

The American Council on Pharmaceutical Education does the accreditation of colleges and universities that offer online pharmacy degree education programs. Make sure that the school you select carries this seal of approval.

The job market for a pharmacist is wide open. You can work in a clinical setting, pharmacy management, pharmaceutical sales, in a hospital or retail pharmacy, mail-in pharmacy or participate in research.

With a potential annual salary of $88,000, a career in pharmacy is definitely an area you should explore if you like science. You will need to complete your degree and internship, and then pass the state exam (NAPLEX) in order to obtain your license to practice as a pharmacist.

Family obligations or work related obligations do not need to prevent you from entering into this robust job market. Online college degree programs allow you to complete your course work at your own schedule in your own home. Internships can be arranged in your geographical location. There is no need to move across the country to obtain your degree.

An online college degree education website will provide you with the information you need to decide what school to attend. You can apply to the schools of your choice right at the online website. You can even find out about financial aid, and talk to a counselor if you need to.

Computers are now become the most valuable machine of the world. Today, almost more than 70% work is rely on the computers. It is also playing role in the world economy. There are many business are running on the basis of just a computer software. As online learning is depend on the internet .So, if person takes course related to IT, it becomes easy for the person to understand it. They don’t want to give much time to their study and can easily clear the exams There are actually many different specialties available when you get an online based degree in computer technologies. You can study computer science, software engineering, computer repair and maintenance, database programming, and a wide variety of other specialties within the realm of a degree in computer technologies at the internet. While learning they can easily apply their study in their current work. If a person is working in a IT company and wants its promotion. They can take a online degree course and can increase its impression on the boss.

A computer science student doesn’t need to get training of basics of internet such as creating new account on the websites, visiting websites, checking the e-mail, sending e-mail, downloading documents or course material from e-mails which will be provided by institute at regular intervals, uploading documents and sending it by attaching files, searching any topic by using search engines, about popular websites providing material for the education, chatting software’s for the live discussions, downloading software’s etc. They should choose the better course which provide them some knowledge of new technologies of programming and platforms such as .Net , Visual basic etc. Almost every type of online course is available for the computer students because they are well acquainted about the internet.

In the IT sector, the technology is increasing very fast. As new soft ware’s releases in the market new virus come out to break the software and hardware also. So, the companies need competent experts in computer technologies to fix computer problems and help employees make transitions. Companies are also hiring employers online and giving them work on the contract basis. So, the online degrees can work to show the profile in the online jobs.

Mainstreaming Students in Long Island Schools

On the face of it, mainstreaming special needs students attending Long Island schools into a regular classroom as much as possible makes sense. If the special-needs student can attend classes with his or her peers, there is a cost savings for the board of education. No matter what we want for our children attending Long Island schools, there are only so many dollars available for education.

For too long, children who were “different” were kept away from the mainstream. Students in the regular education stream didn’t have a lot of opportunities to get to know them or interact with them. Special Education students were the object of suspicion and/or ridicule, simply because other students didn’t understand them; all they knew was that these other children were different. Being different was not something to be celebrated at that point.

Any measure that helps students attending Long Island schools learn to be tolerant of others can only be for the good. Humans tend to be suspicious of things (and people) they don’t understand. With time, mainstreaming can help to reinforce the idea that there is no “Us” and “Them” at Long Island schools. All students are in the environment to learn together and to learn from each other.

Long Island Schools Need to Ensure Students Don’t Fall Through the Cracks

It would be most unfortunate if, in the interest of saving a few dollars, students who need to be in a different learning environment to do their best work were denied access to Special Education programs. We shouldn’t be too quick to either segregate students from their peers or to push them into the mainstream learning environment in Long Island schools.

Instead, we need to take the time and allocate the appropriate resources so that a thorough investigation is conducted when a student is having trouble learning at Long Island schools. Only with a proper diagnosis of a difficulty, can a plan be implemented in Long Island schools to address that student’s needs.

Our children are our most valuable resource. When they don’t get the support they need to become effective learners, we are setting them up to fail in life. It would be far better for teachers and administrators at Long Island schools to find out what the students’ needs are and find the resources to meet them, whether in the regular classroom or an alternate one.

The very structure of Mathematics is based on patterns formed in and around Man’s own existence. Mathematics is its earliest forms is equivalent to Logic and Reasoning and the concept of quantity is not the obvious, but is the only way that Man has been able to make a strong case for Logical Statements and Reasons why things are the way they are. Strange is it? But it is true the concept of Numbers has opened the senses of Man to interpret, predict, encapsulate, simulate and demonstrate almost all forms of Nature. Art on the other hand is by no means inferior, since the natural expression that comes from Artistic sculpting, painting, writing, dreaming and imagination can never be reproduced or encapsulated by Science and specifically the Science of Numbers. It gives us a timely reminder that Man is definitely unique and lord of his domain as far as his environment is concerned. And yet with the advances of the Pattern Finding Tool he can come really close to doing so.

Computer Science is linked to Mathematics through basic pattern of counting. This system that has help the computer conquer some of the most complicated phenomenon such sounds, artistic printed designs and evolved to include animations (a mass improvement to Technicolor give what we know as Computer Generated Images), receiving these sounds, pictures (advanced scanning and machine reading in character recognition or machine sight), texture to in detail analyzing movement and position. The use of the basic “Black and White” Binary Number Pattern is the crux of the whole matter that allows us to see color of our computer screen. Binary is also pattern that Man used to conquer Reasoning where the 1 and 0 became equated with “True” or “False”. Computer Science is based on the whole Mathematical Logic along with the advances in Silicon Chemistry and other semiconductor designs extend that functionality to include millions, billions and even Trillions of Bits of information to be considered thus enhancing the picture so to speak. The advances in Nuclear Technologies have been interestingly merged with the Computer’s Analytical Reasoning capabilities to produce very precise Actuators and Sensors in the discipline of Robotics and Automated Theory. All this analysis, accuracy and acceleration seen in a computer system is basically attributed to the Binary Number Pattern platform. We take each number of this system to recognize one of two states: “On” or “Off”. And from this rationale, we got basic components of computing called switches. Electronics also took a path of its own to further tame electricity with the use of relays. However the ultimate training of the natural phenomenon of flowing electrons came which the discovery of the Transistor. This has since then gave over the Silicon Age and we have much fast and more capable machines being able of processing Trillions of pieces of information of one particular subject.

But my appreciation of Mathematics as in the form of Computer Science Advances is not based on the academic success that I have had but on that of my own physical limitations. What fascinates me most and I hope I have also drawn your attention to it as well, is how remarkably well our own brains work on this concept of Black or White. I believe that what Man has only been able to do quite recently with the computer has been hard-wired into humans from the beginning. Being male, not that personally feel there is any correlation, I have some difficulty distinguishing, remembering and naming colors. Contrastingly so, I am gifted with most immaculate photographic memory! I can recall strings of numbers, from phone numbers, ATM PINs, ID numbers to just random numbers I see I can recall them. I can do the same with words, positional directions (eg. if I go on a bus ride, I would be able to drive back the way we came in the bus without using the map and from only being on the route one time) and colors believe it or not. I recognized my deficiencies as motivation to prove how well our brains work and at the same time show how impossible it would be to mimic even though based on the same basics we use in Mathematics and Computer Science.

Color is a fascinating concept that has meaning to us only because of the receptacles of the eyes and the processing power of our brains. Without our eyes and brains we have no idea how this world would look. Our eyes are the sensors of our bodies and our brains the computer. We know from science that white light reflects differently and is refracted when passing back through certain molecules of matter however the many different spectrums of light that can be seen can be encapsulated by the theory of Black and White. I love to always relate this classical experience I had (several times might I add), that motivated me to prove this using Machine Sight specifically identify certain colors. The first time I realized this phenomenon I was at a conference where two of my colleagues whose specialization was in Computerized Learning tested my ability to observe color changes. It was the then Windows Vista logo of the flag in the screen saver. When they asked me what color is square of the flag had I honestly could not see any differences between any of the frames. But when they started to point out each color was different the color seemingly looked dissimilar. I recognized then that my problem was not observing color but distinguishing it. To my eye color is not as fancy as many artistic types may make it with all the several naming schemes like light, dark, off, etc., etc. not to mention special names that mean the same thing like purple and violet. But these naming schemes are useful for Machine Learning of colors, but confuse the appreciation of colors in reality. When I look at a color I tend to classify it based on the Black or White Principle or as one would say a Light Color or a Dark Color and that is it! If someone asks me what color it is unless it is from the basic set of White-Black+RBG and subsequent combinations that we are taught in elementary school and up: Yellow, Green, Brown; I say I do not know. If some gives me a ‘heads-up’ I remember. So I say am not color-blind just color-lazy. But aspect of Color-Laziness where one does not implement color sorting faculties other than the basic Binary of colors, to implement and improve on this laziness using Computer Storage and Processing Power. My second and all other noticeable experiences of motivation further brings me to another aspect I will use to implement Computer Color Awareness, that is off Relative Color. For instance, when asked to borrow a pen that had a blue casing, I automatically assumed that the pen was also a blue-inked pen, also I asked for a blue-inked pen, I wrote with the pen assuming it was blue. However looking further back in what I was writing I noticed that the ink changed color from when I started to write with the new pen. I was totally unaware that the pen indeed was a black-inked pen in a blue casing only until I compared it with previous writing. Still, my Color-Lazy brain still needed convincing and it was only when I compared both colors on the White Paper (we usually write on). You may ask what is so special about the White Paper comparison, I will say it is necessary for a color-lazy brain where even the simplest of colors are skimmed over, they can only compare colors when they have a base-background and they compare colors by focusing on the base either white or black or for less lazy brains a contrasting color. My postulation is a computer who only has its database is Color-Lazy when its subroutine for color recognition is not running. It has the ability to have the wavelengths of light to be sensed by its sensor but without analysis it has not comprehension of that color.

So my plan of implementation gives us hope to process this life of fancy assorted cashews to make sense of how we observe color. I plan to do the same for Texture awareness. How you say? Go Figure!

Mathematics is the Power being physically aware and reasoning by taking record of what is and what is not as far you can be aware with respect to sight, sound, smell, touch and taste.

I Taught Mathematics at University and College level for over 5 years. My interests are in Computer Technologies that merge Mathematics and Computer Science, viz. Systems Science, Pattern Recognition and Machine Learning. My areas of specialization are Object Oriented Programming, Statistics and Systems Science. Mathematical Pattern Recognition is also a natural ability that I possess. I spent also a brief time enrolled in a Master’s Program for Electrical and Computer Engineering with focus on Mathematical Modeling and Optimization of Analytical Transducers for the Oil and Gas Industry. My next project will include a Systems Science focus on Machine Sight. A pet programming project that is based on my photographic memory is to code a WordFinder Object that can solve all the possible word combinations: uses, phrases, colloquialisms, grammar structures and elements for different languages and disciplines based on missing and misplaced letters.

Online Education Courses are Just as ‘Real’ as ‘Real’ College

For some reason, many students that are beginning a distance learning education get the idea that it’s not “real” college, so it doesn’t matter if they do the coursework on time, pass the exams, etc. This is just as common in adults who are returning to school after a lapse in education as it is in young students who are fresh out of high school. This type of attitude is a recipe for failure in any educational program. Remember that it is your time and your money that is going into this; you want to be sure that you get everything you can out of it.

School Supplies are Your Responsibility

If you were attending a traditional university you’d expect to pay for your books, pens, paper, and other products necessary for your education. It is no different when attending online education courses. The supplies are different; you’ll need a computer, internet access (preferably broadband), email, and specific software to complete your online courses. In most cases these are all things that you’ll be required to supply yourself. If you do find a college that is offering to give you a PC, you’ll probably want to double check their accreditation or start having your email sent to sucker@borneveryminute.com because you’ve found yourself a fly-by-night university.

Financial Aid is Available for Those Who Qualify

Many students miss out on college because they believe they can’t afford it. Perhaps their parents were unwilling or unable to pay for college yet they made too much money for the student to qualify for aid. Then, as older adults, they do not continue their education because they still believe they can’t afford it. Remember that students in online education programs from accredited schools can qualify for many of the same grants that they would in on-campus programs. Don’t miss your opportunity because you think you can’t afford to pay for your online education.

As the number of people who look for ways to complete their education or improve their skills becomes too large, it is inevitable that a large number of colleges and universities take the necessary steps towards filling that need. But jobs, childcare and other family obligations limit the amount of time people can devote to their education, and thus, alternative arrangements are created. Online education has started gaining popularity and has now completely changed the way we approach education today.

Online degrees are now widely accepted and recognized as authentic educational qualifications. As long as the institution offering the degree is accredited by an accreditation agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education, there should be no problem in the degree being accepted and acknowledged anywhere. Fully accredited online degree programs are now available in nearly every field. From management to medicine, law to accounting, there is a wide variety of choices on offer. Even obscure subjects and fields of study have found their place on the Internet. With degrees such as healthcare, students are even given the option of combining the practical aspect of their training at local hospitals or clinics along with virtual classes and studying online.

The flexibility of online education has opened up the doors of education to people from all walks of life. Stay at home moms and dads can now study from their own houses and employees can complete their assignments around their work schedules. There is 24 hour accessibility to the study material allowing for all night study sessions as well as the possibility of returning to subject matter again and again if necessary. And as universities continue to expand their options, the flexibility of online education will only increase. Students will be offered more options with the possibility of a custom created curriculum that suits their individual requirements and interests.

Distance learning also allows people hundreds of miles away to graduate with degrees from the college of their choice. Without spending a penny on gas or transport, students can make the most of a world class education with resources and faculty from all over the world. Through pre-recorded lectures, worksheets, assignments, e-classes, online forums, and tests, students can view, interact, and study from the comfort of their own space.

With a more flexible attendance policy, students can choose to tackle their workload as quickly or as slowly as they need to (all within a larger pre-determined schedule, of program). While this freedom may prove to be a little daunting to a new student, after completing a few programs, it becomes easier to get used to this new way of studying. To be successful in an online program, a large amount of self discipline and motivation is imperative. Without which it is all too easy to take advantage of the flexibility of the program and not achieve much. And while online education is definitely less expensive than a traditional degree program, to spend time, money and effort on something that is not taken seriously will not accomplish anything in the long run.

Online education in short offers every individual the right information in the right format at the right time for the best chances of success. Once upon a time online schools were considered the next wave of education and that future is finally here – ready to change the way we look at education way beyond the boundaries of any classroom.

Many online degree programs at the graduate level are focused on furthering business or information technology skills. Both disciplines lend themselves quite well to distance learning methodologies, and provide adequate learning vehicles for the motivated student. As with any graduate degree-program, the challenges facing the student are significantly greater than those facing undergraduate students. Some schools have expanded program offerings to include nursing, educational, and even law-enforcement disciplines. One California law school allows students to pursue a law degree completely through online technology.

Acceptance into graduate-level online degree programs is on par with the entrance requirements of traditional schools, at least for the most part. Some schools have waived the requirement to submit results from a graduate entrance exam (the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) is the most widely used), and this may diminish the reputability of the school and program. Still, the relaxed entrance requirements can provide more students with the opportunity to pursue graduate-level studies, many of whom might not have such an opportunity in the past.

Regardless of which program and venue is selected, a graduate student can expect to face a tremendous workload and extreme strains on time and effort, certainly far more than those found in undergraduate coursework. Most graduate programs are designed to teach theory versus tangible skills, development of research techniques, critical thinking and problem solving abilities, and mastery of discipline-related literature. The difference between online and traditional degree programs at the graduate level diminishes greatly because of these goals, and a typical student can expect to spend a great amount of time reading, researching, and preparation of advanced written assignments.

Graduate level programs rarely allow for the transfer of outside credits or substitution of classes with comparable coursework or student experience. Most schools, online or traditional, require that a specific amount of graduate credits are earned at the degree-issuing school. By most accounts, this requirement varies from 60-80%, depending on the specific school.

Online students face a greater challenge in the pursuit of their graduate degree in that they lose the live interaction and debate (to some degree) found in traditional classroom environments. Many schools offering online degree programs have met this deficiency by creating more interactive forums and establishing online learning teams that are essential to the completion of complex projects. If you are seeking a graduate degree

The origin of distance education can be traced back to the 19th century (1840) when Sir Issac Pitman, the inventor of shorthand, came up with an idea of offering courses through mail. In the 1900s, a department for correspondence courses was started at the University of Chicago. In the later years, a number of universities also started such departments. Until 1969, distance education remained an important means of education in only a few countries. In 1969, the establishment of the United Kingdom’s Open University brought about a significant change in the field of distance education. A number of other open universities followed suit.

In modern distance education, educational materials are given to the students through various means such as tutorials, audiotapes, videos, satellite broadcasts and CD-ROMs. Remote databases, e-mail, and video conferencing using broadband network are also used. Interactive videoconferencing helps a teacher deliver lectures to different groups in other classrooms, known as a virtual classroom. The various facilities and services available through the network include online registration, availability of online video materials, dissemination of course materials and constant communication with tutors, instructors and fellow students through e-mail

A majority of universities in the United States have distance-learning programs. There are a number of non-profit and profit institutions both in private and public sectors offering them. One of the disadvantages of these programs is their high cost. In spite of this, the possibilities of distance education are increasing day by day. Beyond doubt, in the near future, distance education will make a tremendous impact on the institutions of higher education.