The person behind the development of the Montessori method had the basic ideal that children need to develop at their own speed. This is one of the inherent flaws with the public school system, the fact that the entire group moves through the curriculum together. No consideration is taken for the fact that some children are going to develop in certain areas faster than others. This can really hinder a child as far as their current education is considered and can harm their development for the long term as well.

This is the reason that the Montessori home schooling system can really be considered an aide to life rather than a mainstream educational system. By allowing the child to move ahead at their own speed and to make choices that will affect them throughout their entire life, you generally end up with someone who is balanced and healthy, even as an adult. Giving them this kind of education in a home schooling setting is the perfect way for you to make sure that your child is well taken care of.

a. very simple; or b. very hard; or c. both I think it is possible to apply a simple formula to the selection process. Following this formula will greatly improve the possibility of choosing the right online high school for you. This formula amounts to a ten point plan for success.

Point 1: Is the school accredited or recognized by a governmental agency? At one point, I used to say that the only acceptable choices for online high schools were those that were regionally accredited. I have now expanded my thinking on the topic (but only for high schools; colleges do not get this option). Some states do have a reasonable authorization process. Likewise, some school districts are offering real programs. It may be that neither is currently accredited. They are still reputable. Where you need to be careful is places like Florida that has its share of online high schools, but the approval process is non-existent. It amounts to a license to do business. By the way, there are almost as many fake accreditors as fake online high schools. Real accreditors are CITA and those accreditors listed at CHEA.org and the Department of Education website.

Point 2: Does the school have a reasonable length of operation? This point is difficult to measure. What is reasonable? You do have some leeway here. There are some “schools” that have been around a long time that are fake. If it is a newer school, what is the experience of those running the school. Reputable schools will either have this on the website or will be happy to tell you.

Point 3: Is it listed at a reputable source? With some humility, is it listed in the book below and/or the website below? While I will leave it to others to decide if those resources are valid, they have both had many readers.

Point 4: Is the school reasonably priced? Here’s an oddity for you: Reasonably priced schools are either free or are in the couple thousands of dollars (more or less). Not reasonable are programs that are $295 (with a discount for cash) or something similar. Clearly, there is no doubt this is a fake school. A number of states now have programs which are free. That is a reasonable price. Likewise, there are the commercial programs like Laurel Springs School, Penn Foster High School, or Keystone National High School that are also reasonably priced.

Point 5: Does the instructional methodology match your preferred method? Some online programs are still very much tailored to an independent study format. Other online programs are very much tailored to a more traditional classroom setting. Both are acceptable and it is a matter of personal preference. You will want to know which a particular school does before paying any money! Analyze yourself and decide which is best for you.

Point 6: Does the instructional scheduling match your preferred method? Aligned with Point 5, some schools schedule course times and others have you work on your own. Both are acceptable and it is a matter of personal preference.

Point 7: Does it have a believable website? You absolutely cannot get a real diploma in seven days. Or seventeen days. Or one month. No, you absolutely cannot get a high school diploma for $300. Any site that is making amazing claims is not a good source of information on online high schools.

Point 8: Does it have a professionally-made website? Professionally-made sites look nice; they have a professional appearance. They list staff members. They offer complete contact information. Take a look at the website for Laurel Springs Academy for the Gifted & Talented as an example.

Point 9: Does the curriculum appear to be similar to what you would experience in a traditional school? Absolutely, there should be some room for innovation. Having said that, you really do need to have some courses that look like World History or Algebra (and that probably use those names). Remember that part of the deal is that you want to use this diploma for other purposes like college or employment. Confusing those folks is not a good idea.

Point 10: Are you able to contact the school in multiple ways? A real school will have telephone access. A real school will have a fax number. They will not be the same number. A real school will have an email address and a website.

Should a reputable school hit all ten of these points? Yes. These are minimum standards. Schools should feel free to exceed these points, but potential students should be wary when schools do not live up to them.

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.

Some of the colleges and schools online programs developed from campus based programs, and others like the University of Phoenix only offer online classes. Clinical experiences and internships can be arranged locally. Typically, there are no out of state charges. Because you can do the course work at home on your own time there is no travel costs, and because course work is online, the cost of books is significantly decreased. If you are already working as an RN, your employer will often offer reimbursement for continuing your education. More and more scholarships and grants are being offered for nursing students as the government recognizes what a nursing shortage will do to the overall health needs of the country.

An online nursing degree education program is a great way to pursue higher education if you already have your RN license. You can advance from entry-level education to bachelors, masters or doctoral degrees in nursing science. And you can do it in the comfort of your own home at your own pace. You can continue to work and complete your education.

Advancing your education opens doors for you in your nursing career. Advanced degrees allow greater versatility, increased salaries, and opportunities for job advancement. Higher degrees allow you to expand your options. You can work in rehab, occupational health, home care, public health nursing, management or research. You can work in pharmaceutical sales, become a consultant, or become a Nurse Practitioner. And you can obtain all this through an affordable online nursing degree program.

There is never any reason to be bored, or suffer burnout in a nursing career, because there are so many different things you can do. Having an advanced degree in nursing provides you with one of the most versatile, rewarding, stimulating and portable careers there is.

Check out all the opportunities for an affordable online nursing degree education program at one of the many online college education websites to find the perfect program for you.

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.

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.

Broad Horizons

Thanks to distance learning, one can now broaden one’s horizons and the doors to greater success have also opened, mainly because a distance learning college allows you to achieve degrees that are as good or better than the traditional institutions of learning. You also don’t need to find time from your other duties to pursue your education further. You get to acquire the same skills as you would with a traditional college and there is also no shortage of subjects to choose from with an accredited distance learning college.

Thanks to distance learning colleges there is no need for you to go and spend your evenings at an night school. There is also no need to compromise your family or work responsibilities and they allow you to learn at a pace of your own choosing. However, before you choose an accredited distance learning college, you should try and choose one that is located in your own neighborhood since it will give you a better chance of getting personalized attention. Though, there is no disadvantage to choosing a college that lies far away from your home.

You will give a boost to your chances of landing a better job by enrolling at an accredited distance learning college. You also may improve your current employment status since your resume will look better when you mention the name of an accredited college on it.

There are in fact a number of advantages that enrolling in an accredited distance learning college will give to you since a degree enhances your skill levels considerably, even more than is the case after attending regular colleges.

In addition, an accredited distance learning college degree also imparts necessary skills which can then be put to use at your workplace. Learning new ways of communicating online with programs like Excel, PowerPoint and other similar programs is a good example of such skills.

In fact, online accredited distance learning degrees are also wonderful because you get an introduction to new industries and so you can pursue your career along a given path. You may even be asked to pursue research as well as learn how to find pertinent information for yourself and this in turn, will lead to making new findings and coming into contact with more interesting ideas that will stand you in good stead further down the line.

Online associate nursing degree is meant for new aspirants who wish enter into the profession and be a certified nurse . Online associate nursing degree school offers such courses and also provide continuing learning opportunity for any nurse who wish to update knowledge and clinical competency in order to meet the professional continuing education requirement for renewal of license.

Online nursing continuing education has also been found to be beneficial for even those licensed registered nurses who have been inactive for sometime and would like to return to clinical practice once again. Such nurses generally find professional inactivity to be a deterrent in their re-employment, as such, need to take refresher courses to update their knowledge.

The most attractive feature about online nursing continuing education is that you are getting an online nursing education where there is no age limit to obtain a nursing degree course but you need to select accredited courses from an affiliated online nursing schools.

On account of constantly growing opportunities for nurses, one with a online associate nursing degree can easily get work in hospitals, private clinics, and nursing homes, rehabilitation centers and even as health educator in college or university. The work opportunities for a nurse with nursing degree are definitely very promising and challenging.

The obvious arguments for a private education is the quality of that education itself, or at least so the supporters say. Supposedly, a child who goes to a private school gets better teachers, newer books, individualized attention, smaller classes and the so called better class of person to share his pencil case with. The person who goes to a private school doesn’t have to worry about being picked on by bullies. Private schools are simply the ideal utopia for your young child.

The arguments for public education are not as obvious, especially with all the bad press that most public schools get. But one thing that most people don’t realize about public schools that is not true about private schools is that a teacher must be certified by the local educational association. This is not true about private schools. So while the general theory is that you will get a better quality of teacher in a private school simply because of the nature of the school itself, this is not necessarily true.

But the biggest argument for public education really comes down to money and the community. Unfortunately, the money that is allocated to a public school is based on the attendance of that school. If that majority of students in the area go to private schools then the attendance at public schools drops which causes a drop in their funding. This doesn’t just affect the school system itself but the community as well. The less money the schools get, the less money the community gets. What then happens is that the children who go to the public schools don’t get the education that they are entitled to because they don’t have enough money.

This leaves the parents of the child about to attend school with a difficult decision to make and that’s only if they are even aware of this problem. And that is where the problem itself begins. Parents are not informed. They think that sending their children to private schools doesn’t affect them any more than just the money they have to pay for their education itself. In the process of doing this they are taking money away from their community and ultimately lowering the standard of living in the community.

For everything in life there is always a trade off. The debate between public and private education will continue, with both sides fighting hard to get their share of the pie; public schools fighting for more funding and private schools fighting for vouchers so that more kids can afford to go to private schools. The truth is, until these two institutions can find a way to coexist with each other, there will be no winner in this war.