Open and Distance Learning is a way of learning that focus on releasing learners from constraints of time and place whilst offering flexible learning opportunities. For a lot of married and working adults, Open and Distance Learning (ODL) is a way of combining work and family responsibilities with educational opportunities.

The first challenge faced by online distance learners is in balancing the combination of work and education. Most of the Open and Distance education students are older, have jobs and families. Job responsibility is already intimidating, let alone the family and the learning. The task of balancing all of the above responsibility is truly challenging for most of them.

The second issue is in acquiring go online distance study habits. The students’ everyday environment is very distracting for most of the students. Unlike traditional university students who are always in their learning community which supports them most of the time, online distance students are not. Distractions such as friends asking for night supper and wife demanding to go shopping at the mall every weekend are among other distractions faced by students. Acquiring some time in a day to study is quite a hard task to complete.

Online distance learners also have a hard time in being independent and responsible to their own self. Most of the time, there is no one around to monitor the students learning process. The openness of the online distance program gives students the freedom to do their learning process whenever they like but most of the time, procrastination is the culprit. Unfocused view of their learning goals also will make the students act irresponsibly towards their learning.

Online distance learners also face problems in recognizing and mastering strengths and skills. In online distance learning, technology is the main conduit which information and communication flow. A computer with internet access is usually needed for this process and its application will need the user to master certain level of acquirement. The students will also need to have some basic writing skills and a go online distance command of English language. Unfortunately, not all of the students possess the above-said skills.

The fifth challenge is in motivating themselves as well as maintaining and increasing self-esteem. In online distance education, learners are usually isolated from peers and tutors. The motivational factors are absent due to lack of contact and competition with other students. The lacks of immediate support of a teacher who is able to motivate will also affects the learners. In the long run, students might feel uneasy with their teacher and uncomfortable with their learning situation and environment.

Online distance learners also face some problems in relating and interacting with peers. Most of the time, learners will learn most effectively when they have the opportunity to interact with other students. Sadly, forming of the study group is not easy. This is caused by the difference in the usage of time between students. One particular student may have some free time for meeting with peers at 10am every Saturday, but another student who works in the government sector may still be at work at the exact time.

The next one is in coping with distance learning strategies apart from printed material package the students are familiar with. There might be audio/video tape material, television-aided learning, overhead projectors, computer referencing and computer-assisted instruction using the internet. Some students might feel uncomfortable with these learning strategies due to lack of skills and knowledge in using those strategies.

The second last challenge is in preparing for and taking examinations. In order to excel in examination, learners have to start early in understanding the course content and preparing and revising the content. However, not all students do start early in their learning process. Do not have enough time, lazy, too many works to be done are among other reasons given by this type of students in order to avoid studying for exams.

The final challenge faced by online distance learners is in using library facilities to access information and references. Most of the library only opens during office hour and the learners would not be able to go to the library during office hour due to demanding works at the office. This will definitely cause problems to students who want to gain access to the reference material. Library database program such as the OPAC will also require the students to have proper training and skills in order to maximize the usage.

The Open and Distance Learning courses are very different from a traditional classroom setting. Due to a number of challenges and obstacles, it often requires a high degree of commitment on the part of the learner.

In order to overcome these online distance challenges, learners must first plan and manage themselves effectively in order to balancing work, family and study. They have to apply smart time management. Avoiding procrastinating is a must. They must be more responsible and have a focused view towards learning. They must also learn to improve themselves in areas they are lacking (such as writing skills, note taking skills, computer skills and English language skills) because not all skills will be taught by the tutor. They need to motivate their own self by setting achievable goals and have a positive attitude. Due to lack of meeting time with peers, they have to make an effort to interact with peers and tutors frequently.

Mathew Simond is a journalist and copywriter. He is also a webmaster of many websites including http://www.psychologycolleges.net and http://www.religiousstudiesonline.org He aims to provide healthy information and advice on academic degrees.

So you’re busy working toward that next promotion, but you know the boss is seeking someone with a graduate degree in hand. But quitting your job so you can go back to college full time is out of the question; you’ve got bills to pay and a family to feed - you need the money.

If you have access to a computer, a phone line and a modem, you may be closer than you think to that master’s degree. Welcome to the world of virtual education, or as those not so technically savvy call it, distance learning. With more dotcom sites than ever popping up on the Internet, colleges and universities are jumping at the chance to get their share of the action.
According to a 1999 U.S. News and World Report, the number of accredited two- and four-year institutions with distance learning programs large enough to merit administrators has jumped 127 percent to 682 schools since 1994. A third of all colleges, including Harvard and Stanford, offer some form of distance learning.

Online instruction varies from one degree program to the next. Some classrooms are constructed through message boards, while other instructors prefer the use of videotaped lectures or teleconferencing. So without leaving the comfort of your living room, you could be on the path to earning a degree. But unfortunately, for many unsuspecting students there are plenty of shams in the world of virtual education.

According to Vicky Phillips, a distance education counselor who publishes the Virtual University Gazette, the key to finding a reputable online college is accreditation. Accreditation, explained Phillips, is important if you hope to have a public record of your learning that will be widely accepted.

If you find the college of your choice doesn’t offer online degrees, don’t give up pursuing an education from that school. Many colleges and universities offer virtual certification programs which let students earn certificates through distance learning. For example, students can receive a certificate in systems engineering and apply the credits toward a master of engineering degree.

Mathew Simond is a journalist and copywriter. He is also a webmaster of many websites including http://www.paralegal-degree.org and http://www.humanservicesdegree.net He aims to provide healthy information and advice on academic degrees.

Introduction

Nursing is a well respected and noble profession. Candidates undergo the long and arduous test of nursing school, gain experience through trained professionals, and must constantly learn of new developments in the field while nurturing patients and vigilantly watching their health. Nursing appears to grant those working in the field a job that is both challenging and rewarding. So, where are all the males in the profession?

Men in the profession

The proportion of men to women nurses remains to be very unbalanced. In 1980, 2.7% of RNs were men and that percent rose to only 5.4% by 2000. The medical field has seen the increase in women doctors, yet the number of male nurses does not come close to that of women.

This was not always the case. Up until the 20th century, more than half of the people providing nursing services to the ill and injured were male. A dramatic shift occurred during the course of the early 20th century making the percentage of male RNs to be below 1% by the 1930s.

Flawed perceptions

Many laypeople and those with experience in the field attribute the lack of men in the field to the public image and misconceptions of being a nurse. Billboards, commercials, textbooks, and the gender of nursing teachers all aid in promoting “feminine” image. Add fallacies about salaries, poor working conditions, and a limited amount of male role models, and we begin to see where the root of the diversion lies. The lexicon even seems to ameliorate the lopsidedness: A women is referred to as a “nurse,” but a man is a “male nurse.”

A new image?

The answer may be to reconstruct the image of a “nurse.” People view nurses as caring, nurturing, and sensitive. These are exceptional attributes, but are generally referred to as being feminine. Some suggest altering the public perception with advertisements and suggestions that nursing is challenging, action-oriented, and fast-paced.

Still, others suggest that the compassionate, sensitive, and caring traits should be embraced by all people and not be misconstrued to describe one gender. Proponents believe it does take a certain person to become a nurse, but developing and exhibiting the nurturing side of one’s personality should not deter men from the field. Some feel these characteristics are “positive” and to be revered, and not stereotyped as being “feminine.”

Conclusion

Nurses (women and men alike) state nursing affords them a flexible schedule, good pay and benefits, job security, and an intrinsically rewarding feeling that you can not place a price upon. Those in the field believe that projecting all of the positive aspects of being a nurse should be more than enough to attract all people to the profession. Education and training to become a nurse is now more convenient than ever with classes available online. It is not the profession that needs to change, but the outside perception of how important and noble the position is for everyone.

With over 25 years of experience in the Nursing Education field, Western Schools has now sold over 1 million ANCC accredited courses to nursing students across America. All courses are held up to strict, professional standards.

Introduction

Are you a person who is educationally driven? Do you enjoy being challenged and constantly helping others? If you answered in the affirmative to these questions, then becoming a nurse practitioner may be a great career option for you.

Nurse Practitioners (NPs) provide individualized health care to those that may not otherwise be able to afford proficient medical attention. Nurse Practitioners are most needed in locales where economic levels do not meet the normal standards, yet medical attention is required as much as anywhere else. One of the more rewarding aspects of being a NP is the close, individualized relationship fostered with patients and their families.

Making a difference

The more-closely-involved relationships NPs have with patients result in fewer prescription needs, less expensive treatments, and more options for patients. NPs edify patients and their families about life behaviors and self-care skills in order for them to live healthier lives which will not warrant many hospital and office visits. Patients range from the young to the elderly with the most prevalent work encompassing pediatrics, family practice, women’s health, and gerontology (elderly care).

Nurse Practitioners are as qualified to treat patients as physicians. It is very common for NPs to have close working relationships with doctors in providing referrals depending on patient’s needs. In fact, NPs job requirements are very closely tied to that of doctors in treating illnesses, injuries, infections, diagnosing, and inspecting medical histories. NPs often give X-rays, lab tests, and EKGs as well as implementing rehabilitation and physical therapy treatments. In most states, Nurse Practitioners can prescribe medication.

How it’s done

Becoming a Nurse Practitioner is possible by getting a Master’s Degree online. Doing coursework online enables one to still keep the commitments of job and family while dedicating time to school when it is most convenient. Online students have access to counselors, forums, and others in their situation to provide guidance and supplement information.

The need for nurses of all fields is constantly increasing and the ability to educate oneself has never been more diversified and convenient. Becoming a Nurse Practitioner is an excellent professional decision for those who enjoy making a difference, continuously learning, and serving humanity.

With over 25 years of experience in the Nursing Education field, Western Schools has now sold over 1 million ANCC accredited courses to nursing students across America. All courses are held up to strict, professional standards.

There has never been a time with more pressure on teachers to gain additional teachers training qualifications. From government initiates like “No Child Left Behind”, to the greater use of technology in the classroom, teachers are under pressure to know more, be better-qualified, and more valuable as educators. Better qualifications also mean better prospects and pay.

Yet, for teacher, the practicality of getting a further education while working, presents a real scheduling challenge. Teachers are working harder than ever. Increasing demands are made on school teaching staff, yet fewer and fewer teachers employed, and expected to meet these.

The question is, if you’re a teacher and your schedule is packed with activities during the school day and follow-up activities after work hours, how do you fit in an enhanced education?

Well certain teachers are turning to online teachers training courses as the answer. But do these courses really measure up to their hype? Are these courses a genuine way to get a recognized qualification? In this article we’ll explore some of the current issues around online teachers training.

The promise of online teachers training courses is that you’ll obtain your BA, Masters or Doctorate in education without leaving your house. The hope is that when you’ve done this, your qualification from an online university will be looked on favourably by school administrators and future employers. Is this truly possible, or are online teachers training courses a waste of time and money?

In fact this promise is a reality. Long established universities are moving many more teachers training courses online. And specialist online teachers training universities like Walden University and Phoenix University are becoming more prominent and established in online course delivery.

Importantly for teachers, courses offered by online universities are often accredited with important teaching standards bodies. Accreditation is probably the number one thing to look for in an online degree course. After all, will a degree be any use if no one respects it? Apart from gaining a quality degree, the next thing that makes online teachers training appealing is the ability to study entirely from home. Does this claim measure up with the reality?

Again, this promise is met with real life experience. Although some schools have a period where they may expect you to attend offline class, which seems reasonable, many online teachers training courses are indeed, nearly 100% online.

This does not mean that your class schedule will be 100% flexible though. Courses have periods set aside for online discussion and during these, all students are required to attend. You need to leave your schedule open - they can sometimes be arranged as short notice by course professors.

You’ll learn more about online teachers training courses by visiting http://www.teacherstraininghelp.com - the place to go for all teacher education issues: Teachers Training

The kindergarten through 8th grade virtual school was created in the Florida schools in 2003. It was sold to lawmakers as a great way to save money, offering coursework to replace on-campus teachers and classrooms at a savings of $700 per student. Only students who had attended the Florida schools the previous year were eligible to participate at a cost to the Florida schools of $4,800 per student. The savings over physical classroom instruction for the Florida schools was expected to be $700,000 with a 1,000 student enrollment in the virtual school program.

Though in theory the money saved by the Florida schools was substantial, someone forgot to tell the rules to Jim Horne (then education commissioner). He allowed kindergarten and first grade students, who had never attended the Florida schools previously, to enroll in the virtual school. These newly eligible students accounted for 27 percent of all students enrolled at a taxpayer cost of $4,800 per student. All projected savings were lost, and it ended up costing the Florida schools an additional $653,000, according to a March 14th article in the Palm Beach Post.

The Florida schools have found the virtual school a success, even though a costly one in the beginning. All participating students must meet the Florida Sunshine State Standards and must take the state-required Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT).

In March, the House education committee approved HB 799, which expands the K-8 virtual school program. If passed by the Senate, all home and privately schooled children in Florida will be allowed to participate in the virtual school program with no cap on the number of students enrolled.

Currently, the virtual program is limited to 1,384 students at a $5,200 per student cost for a total of $7.2 million funding cost to the Florida schools. Though few privately schooled children are expected to enroll (a parent must be present during use of the program), there are currently 52,000 children in Florida being home schooled. The expanded program, which provides parents with a computer, books, software and online access to teachers, could easily cost the Florida schools about $312 million with a per student cost increase to almost $6,000.

Such a cost to the taxpayers and the Florida schools may force lawmakers to place an enrollment cap on the virtual school program. Backers believe the Senate will insist upon it, since they expect a tight budget this year.

The bill also requires all program providers to be nonprofit. Current contracted providers are the Virginia-based K12 and Maryland-based Connections Academy. The Florida subsidiaries of these two firms are currently making a transition to nonprofit status in compliance with HB 799. Though the subsidiaries will be nonprofit, they will be allowed to continue purchasing supplies and equipment for the virtual school program from their for-profit parent companies. The bill does not require competitive bidding by these providers.

The expanded virtual school bill, HB 799, is sponsored by Representative Will Weatherford (R-Wesley Chapel). He believes that the parents of home and privately schooled children pay taxes, and their children should have equal opportunity to participate in this state-paid program of the Florida schools, too.

Patricia Hawke is an expert researcher and writer on real estate topics such as economics, credit improvement tips, home selling advice and home buying preparations and education for relocating families. For more information please Florida Schools

Background checks can be a pain if you have anything in you past that may be a little grey. Now a days, most companies use them to make sure that they are not hiring anyone that can be a detriment to their corporation. Companies, such as TYSY, AFLAC and government jobs will all be sure to check to ensure that you are the right person for the job.

If there is anything in your past, do not wait for the company to find out on its own. Make sure that you are honest and sincere. If the company does discover information about you that you have not divulged, not only will it look bad on your part, there is almost a hundred percent chance that you will not land the job that you are looking for.

Depending on how old your offense was, you can contact a lawyer and possibly get your record expunged, this involves the court pardoning you for your offense and wiping your record clean. You offense will still be in the FBI database but will not be present in the local and state databases that background checks are pulled from. If you’re still trying to get a government position then they may pull from the FBI database, just make sure that you are honest and cooperative when asked to explain. The longer time has past since the initial offense the better. Companies, law school and medical schools, want to see reformed behavior. Having this can result in great opportunities.

The key is to try. Yes, it may be a little harder to get the perfect job, and you may have to sacrifice a little in the beginning, but a slow, steady approach towards work and life will reap great benefits in the working world. If you do not land the job that you want, take a small step down, create a great resume, and apply for the job while you are still employed at your current position. This tactic is something that most people do not follow. Trying to get a position of great value while unemployed while greatly reduce anyone’s chances of landing the perfect career, remember a slow and steady approach always win out and honest IS the best policy when dealing with a jaded past that you have broken away from.

Background checks are nothing to be afraid of as long as you explain and past offenses and remain honest with any employer about your intentions. And when you are hired, they may put you on a longer evaluation period, but this is ok. With a good work history things will pan out wonderful.

If your looking for more information on Back Ground Check you may want to check out http://backgroundcheck.free-search-com.info before you apply for a your next job.