Education Blog

Our Future in Technology

Published on November 21st, 2011.

Article by Bernice Ly

The word ‘technology’ is often associated with ideologies about the future and the advancement of society. Although this statement may be true to a limited extent in that technology is about foreseeing the future, technology and advancements in technology are also largely about the present. For example, younger generations are now more skilled in the use of Internet as well as there being an increase in the popularity of computer games. Hence, although there are some negative impacts associated with spending too much time on the Internet and using the Internet as a primary source of research, the present level of encouragement for using technology in schools has helped us as a society prepare for the demands of the future.

Firstly, in an extract from a survey about Internet and schools, it was found that a “recent informal census conducted via voluntary reporting over the Internet estimates the number of teachers and students (individual and classroom accounts) in the U.S. using the Internet, either directly or indirectly, at almost 250,000.” (Parker, 1992, p 22-24). Hence, the increased usage in Internet services has ensured that school-aged children are better adapted to meet the challenges of technology. Although use of the Internet has increased due to both growth in research and uses for entertainment purposes, there are some negative impacts associated with school-age children relying on the Internet as their primary source of research.

Becoming over reliant on the Internet for research due to the level of convenience may result in a lesser range of reference materials used for essays and academic arguments. Also, it creates a bias in terms of the amount of information found. For example, authors in societies that do not have access to the Internet may be marginalized due to the lack of this skill. Also, most Internet sites usually have advertising, and this may cause distractions to the student’s concentration. Therefore, though it can be argued that the Internet has provided access to a larger range of resources and has ensured that communication is a lot more effective, it can become ineffective if people become too reliant on this source of information as their main medium for communication.

The debates involving the Internet are extremely contentious, depending upon the various views and interpretations of different members of society. However, one thing is certain, and that is today’s generation are better able to adapt to the changes and demands of technology. For example, Washington Reuters stated that “nearly one-third of American Internet users surveyed said they go online just for fun rather than to check e-mail, read News, or use a search engine, a sharp increase from a year ago,” (Reuters, 2006, p 1). Hence, this means that as a society, although there has been an increase in software engineering of games and programs, society has kept up in terms of spending time on the computer in order to use these software and programs.

In conclusion, today’s generation has an increased ability to enjoy the benefits of technology and Internet due to the increased usage and reliance on technology. Although the issue is still debatable, as negative effects such as over-reliance on the Internet can affect the functioning of society, benefits also exist, and when used appropriately the Internet can ensure a higher standard of lifestyle.

Bibliography:California Department of Education, Far West Laboratory for Educational Research and Development, California Education and Data Processing Association, “California Student Information System: A Study of the Feasibility of Implementing a Statewide Process for Electronically Sharing Student Information,” Sacramento, CA.: California Department of Education, October 1992. LaQuey, Tracy and Connie Stout, “High Tech Highway,” America’s Agenda: Schools for the 21st Century, pp. 26-30. New York, NY: Scholastic, Spring 1993. LaQuey, Tracy, with Jeanne C. Ryer, The Internet Companion. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley, 1993. Lipinski, Michael (1998) ‘Some thoughts on the use of the Internet in schools.’ http://www.fi.edu/fellows/fellow3/oct98/ (Accessed: 16th February, 2006).Parker, Tracy LaQuey, “Cisco Routers Contribute to the Global Schoolhouse Project,” The Packet, pp. 22-24. Mountain View, CA.: Cisco Systems, Inc., Fall 1993. Parker, Tracy LaQuey, “The Internet – K12 Connection: How Students and Teachers Are Using The Internet,” ConneXions: The Interoperability Report. Foster City, CA.: Interop, Inc. April 1994. Washington Reuters (2006) Thirty pct Internet users go online just for fun, http://today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=InternetNews&storyID=2006-02-15T233907Z_01_N15241681_RTRUKOC_0_US-INTERNET-CONSUMERS.xml (Accessed; 17th February, 2006).Weston, Rachel, “Networks: Where Have You Been All My Life?” Proceedings, Connecting with the Future Today: NASA and the Center for Educational Statistics, February 1994.

About the Author

By Bernice Ly http://www.m6.net Bernice Ly is an academic writer working at M6.Net: ‘The web-hosting company for humans.’ M6.Net is working hard to help humanity experience the power and freedom to develop their own part of the Internet, to share their information and connect with anyone, anywhere, anytime.

Filled under Public Education. No Comments.

Effective Lesson Plans for Reading

Published on November 20th, 2011.

Article by Morgan Hamilton

As an instructor of English (reading, writing, lit, creative writing, etc.) and as an online course developer, I have found many valuable teacher resources for linguistic, literary, and rhetorical disciplines. Specifically for education and none for teaching in general, and a great many more with lesson plans for reading. Many of the lesson plans for reading are laid out so well that they will include peer work suggestions, interactive games and quizzes and maps, and dynamic and thorough strategies for cross-referencing studies.

As an example I used THE TIME MACHINE one semester. After a few decent lesson plans for reading, I found an incredible sight that was an invaluable resource that told me everything I needed to know about the author and his motivation for his work this was a wonderful resource, doing great justice to the writer, the work, and to students who are offered pre-reading, reading, and post-reading tasks and activities (as well as writing ideas/prompts). Here it is: The Time Machine High School Teacher’s Resource Page(s) – Http://www.sff.net/people/ james.van.pelt/wells/ timemachine.htm.

Yet another great example is for Harper Lee’s classic. For lesson plans for reading TO KILL a MOCKINGBIRD, I started at EdHelper.com; and went on with the incredible chapter-by-chapter synopsis of vocabulary words with The Student Survival Guide which is located here at this URL: http://www.lausd.k12.ca.us/Belmont_HS/tkm/; and concluded by taking advantage of some outstanding lesson plans for reading found at SCORE, the site designed and run by Schools of California Online Resources for Educators.

For lesson plans for reading Achebe’s THINGS FALL APART, I was able to locate a fantastic pre-reading historical, anthropological, and cartological exercises at the following location http://www.sdcoe.k12.ca.us/score/things/thingstg.html. This resource is broken down in a five-part cyber guide is basically set up as an informative piece for weeks and weeks of pre-, during-, and post-reading work.

And for lesson plans for reading, pre-reading, interim reading, and post-reading tasks, experiments, peer-work, and quizzes and tests, I found such sites as those sponsored, designed, and maintained by educators at all levels–at Proteacher.net; Teachers.net; TeacherOz.com; Webenglishteacher.com; sheboyganfalls.k12.wi.us/ staff/dehogue/AP/teachers/main.htm; readwritethink.org; teachersfirst.com; Awesomelibrary.org; mrscassel.com; and Teachnet.com to be absolutely exquisite resources that were extremely helpful.

A great advantage of the Internet is the fact that there are so many outstanding lesson plans for reading, writing, and any other discipline. Usually designed, written, and submitted by fellow instructors, these materials lend themselves to professional development, and our excellent for stimulating thought and discussion inside the classroom, or virtual classroom if that’s the case is outstanding as an aid to learning of concepts, strategies, methodologies, and skills. Hopefully these resources that I’ve shared for you will not only help you find lesson plans for reading but also many other valuable resources.

About the Author

Morgan Hamilton offers his findings and insights regarding the world of education. You can get interesting and informative information here at lesson plans for reading

Filled under Public Education. No Comments.

Internet Edification Guide

Published on November 18th, 2011.

Article by Samara Crystal

Now- a -days, there are a number of instructive learning programs and courses easily accessible online for teachers or persons who want to go further than the conventional degrees. These web courses help a person integrate technical tools in the training syllabus and help him or her gain the expertise required in the modern day educational field. Also, as per the statistics and facts stated by the U.S. Bureau of Labor, the edification and health segment is going to grow by 30.6 percent by the year 2014-more rapidly than compared to any other segments.

These online learning degrees are very idyllic and present a whole lot of employment opportunities for persons functioning in an educational setup and for people who like to work with children and youth. These programs are mainly focused on training and teaching young people, thus augmenting your awareness in the same.

Bearing in mind the heartening intensification and rise in the education segment, learning and getting an online educational degree will take you a step forward towards a bright future.To get started and begin an online study program in the educational stream, you firstly have to find out the available courses offered for the same.

You must note that there are numerous prominent and esteemed online colleges and universities that recommend a degree in education, tutoring and teaching. Amongst the most commonly appearing online academia which offers a variety of online education degree curriculum consist of:

* University of Phoenix’s edification master degrees chiefly center on education leadership and administration as well as education technology dedicated in computer education.

* The Capella University Master of Science in Education hub on sections in primary classroom teaching, secondary classroom teaching, advanced instruction in mathematics and science, teacher leadership, and virtual school teaching.

* Walden University’s online courses comprise of topics like education leadership, Grades K-6 Elementary Reading & Mathematics, Grades 6-8 and K-5 mathematics.

* Master of Science in Education with deliberation in Curriculum and Instruction is a specific master degree offered to those certified K12 teachers who are looking forward to add key proficiency all the way through hypothetical learning and association with experienced practitioners.

* Master of Science in Education with attentiveness in Leadership in Educational Administration is offered to those K12 teachers who are looking for educational profession progression in school management and administration.

If you are fascinated and concerned with before time youth edification, then you ought to glance online for education courses that are offered by the Lehigh Valley College, Sullivan University, Rasmussen College, Hesser College.

With the opening up of notion like Education Start from Age 0; the childhood education and child care management courses are a blooming development.A few of the additional vocation possibilities that you might want to consider consist of: Child Psychiatrist, Children Youth and Family Counselor, Doula, Pediatric Rehabilitation Counselor, and Play Therapist.

About the Author

online education degree for teaching. Learn about how you can your degree online and get it accredited. More about online college courses.

Filled under Public Education. No Comments.

Need help for math homework? Turn to India!

Published on November 17th, 2011.

Article by Peter Jones

It is around quarter past 5 in the morning when Ms. Anjali Maini is all ready to start. She swivels her chair hurriedly to face the computer. She puts on her headset and says in a slightly American accent “hello Maria, how are you?” the response appears in real time “I am fine Anjali, what about you?” Anjali is a 26 year old girl who has been appointed to teach extra lessons for maths to Maria, who is in the 6th grade, the only point to be noted here is that these lessons happen over an internet enabled computer. The reason is that while Maria is based at Malibu, California her online tutor Anjali is placed at New Delhi, India.

It’s the latest form of outsourcing: tutors in India providing math help to American children over the Internet. Many companies like TransWebTutors (www.transwebtutors.com), Brain Fuse, TransTutors and Growing stars are into this ever growing online tutoring model. The market has stretched tremendously since the No Child Left Behind Act. The law requires schools identified as “failing” to offer private tutoring which has meant more business for these online tutoring companies.

“I was very worried when Maria was not performing well in her studies, some of my friends suggested private tuitions but then we could not afford one.” Says Kimble Jackson, mother of Maria. “All this was until I learned about tutors from India; I thought of giving it a try and the results are in front of you. From C’s and B’s Maria has moved to A’s today. All this thanks to online tutoring!”

The teachers are well selected with good academic and teaching records and are trained well enough to handle the American teenager. So an Indian teacher would not be surprised when her student calls her by the first name! That’s the modern day education outsourcing.

Tutoring is a huge business, and is expanding. Millions of students in both private and public schools are using private, one on one tutors as well as education hubs like Kaplan, Kumon and Princeton Review for supplementary educational needs of education starved America. What was once linked only to the upper class has now become a pervasive part of everyday education for everybody.

By means of a simulated whiteboard on their internet enabled computers, and a copy of the American textbook for the subject to be taught the online tutor guides the American teenager through the intricacies of subjects like maths, science, English and what not. And the guidance is not just restricted to K12 studies but also to pre college level and college level subjects and curriculum. These online tutors also prepare students for various exams like SAT, GRE, TOEFL, etc.

Homework outsourcing as this is popularly known as these days is driven by cost like all types of outsourcing models. Companies like TransWebTutors in India charge American students an hour for private tutoring, contrast this with or more that their American counterparts charge and you know the reason why online tutoring is such a huge hit! Online tutoring has risen very much in the recent past and is a tremendous weapon in the hands of education starved America. It would certainly emerge as a success and silence everything its critics have to say against it.

About the Author

Peter JonesEducationalist,Info-Resource Communications.Email: PJones0001@gmail.comFor More Info about this news, please visit :http://www.transwebtutors.com

Filled under Public Education. No Comments.

The next wave of outsourcing: Online tutoring

Published on November 15th, 2011.

Article by Lisa Mendal

For 12 year old Katherine the computer is her maths teacher! That in essence means that Katherine is being taught math lessons by an online tutor. Simply speaking it is just another new age techno version of one to one teaching. A person who is qualified enough on a particular subject takes the task to teach a student who is physically separated from the teacher. This separation may be of a city, state, country or even continent. The whole point is that it’s done via internet, through specifically designed softwares, chat rooms, and websites. All that it needs is the student and the teacher with computers enabled with internet.

“I was simply surprised when some one told me to arrange an online tutor for Katherine to help her in the subjects she was weak in.” says Mrs. Jones, mother of Katherine. She further adds “I thought of giving it a try and it did work in our case. In addition I saved my hard earned money too!”

The model of online tutoring is working wonders for a gamut of children who are not very confident in the real classroom environment. The online model gives the student advantages like convenience, easy access, and cost effectiveness. The student has the flexibility to study at his own time and his own place. “There are many students who are shy, they are hesitant to talk or ask questions in front of the class for the fear of being ridiculed, and these are the students that can be dealt with very well with this online tutoring model.” These are the words of Dr. John Ontario, a leading child psychologist based at USA. “Moreover online tutoring offers the advantage of individual attention at the cost of classroom tutoring.” He adds.

The No child left behind act has been a sure engine for the online tutoring train! Since the law came into force the segment has seen tremendous growth. Schools are enrolling in bulk to these online education services providers. Most of the online tutoring work is being outsourced today to countries like India, China, and Malaysia where cheap and well qualified workforce is available. Companies like TransWebTutors (www.transwebtutors.com), growing stars, tutor vista, TransTutors.com etc. are already established names in this online tutoring industry. They hire qualified professionals from countries like India and then train them according to American curriculum, culture and accent and their tutoring workforce is ready to go! Moreover they are not just offering tuitions to K12 students but to pre-college and college level students also. They are also offering services for various test preparations like SAT, GRE, TOEFL, GMAT etc, all this online at much reduced prices than their American counterparts. Companies like TransWebTutors are giving unlimited tutoring option for as low as $ 99 per month. What more can one asks for?

The online tutoring industry has revolutionized the American educational system and it’s just the beginning. Outsourcing the business to Asian countries has helped these businesses offer good quality at the least costs. The industry will lead the future for education starved American students. It will be a boon for people who can not afford the services of a costly private tutor but yet desire a good quality education for their child. Online tutoring is there is to help!

About the Author

Lisa MendalEducationalist,Email: Lisamendal@gmail.comFor More Info about this news, please visit :http://www.transwebtutors.com

Filled under Public Education. No Comments.

Why Online Tutoring Systems?

Published on November 12th, 2011.

Article by Vince Austin

Filled under Public Education. No Comments.

River Hill High Chooses Noventri To Provide Cutting Edge Digital Signage

Published on November 11th, 2011.

Article by Judy L. Hoffman

River Hill High School, in striving for excellence, gives the Hawks community cutting edge digital communications system provided by Maryland firm.

Smithsburg, MD, May 21, 2008 -For River Hill High in Clarksville, Maryland, it was a big goal. They wanted a custom signage network that would easily conform to the changing dynamics of parents and students alike. And they wanted a system that would also fit into their budget.

It was an obvious answer as the Hawks’ administration tapped Noventri Digital Signage with their proprietary communications system and network for the school.

With the custom digital signage solution from Noventri, River Hill is able to dynamically communicate with the school’s students and parents with easy access to current events, PTA meetings, sporting events, school menus, and more. Also, River Hill is capable of broadcasting emergency bulletins as well as live video feeds of the school’s sports events.

Noventri is a leader in the digital signage industry and offers turnkey solutions that are developed and manufactured exclusively by Noventri and, as it has for many other Mid-Atlantic and national firms, offers proprietary solutions for businesses and organizations for many varied markets.

If you would like more information about Noventri Digital Signage Solutions, or would like to schedule an interview, call Judy L. Hoffman, Public Relations & Marketing at 301-790-0103 or 1-800-359-1858, ext. 211 or email Judy at: judyh@noventri.com

###

Noventri- a Division of Specialized Communications Corp. Noventri has been a leader in sales, service, and installation of Dynamic Digital Signage since 2004 and its parent company, Specialized Communications Corp., has served the broadcast and professional video industry since 1985. David Linetsky is President, Andrew Hoffman, Vice President and Wil Conklin, Director of Sales and Marketing. Noventri is located at: 20940 Twin Springs Dr., Smithsburg, MD 21783-1510. URL: http://www.noventri.com

River Hill High School – provides a comprehensive program with offerings in college preparatory, business, technological and special programs for learning disabled students. Student performance on the high school assessments placed River Hill among the highest in the state of Maryland. River Hill High School is located at: 12101 Rt. 108, Clarksville, Maryland 21029. URL: http://www.howard.k12.md.us/RHHS.

About the Author

Marketing and PR Manager, Noventri

Filled under Public Education. No Comments.

Becoming a Social Worker by Getting a Degree

Published on May 21st, 2011.

Are you a person who loves to help everyone around you? If you are, maybe become the social worker can be the best job for you to be. Before you get to know how to start to be the social worker, you must be known about what the social worker is. Social worker is the professional activity to help other people or maybe the community to improving their life better. Besides that, social worker is a professional job related to the giving services to the people who need the help. We know that we are the humanity people that need other people to help and support our life well.

That is why, being a social worker is a worth job for people, it is affordable to do. But now, before you do becoming a social worker, you must get a degree related to the subject you want to work later. Now, you do not have to worry about that anymore, because you can get a degree if you want to be a professional social worker in your country. You can open the website Becomeasocialworker.com to get some offering to get a degree in social work. There are some major that is offering for you ranging from the counseling field until the child psychology.

You can easily earn your master degree and it is designed to preparing you are ready to face the reality of work field. You do not have to go anywhere to get a degree, because you can just easily done it in your own place. There are also some financial aids if you full the term of the receiver of financial aid. Now you are ready to help people around you, especially, woman and children. Let’s check the website over there and get the best offering to the easier get the degree for your social worker future, get a best job with the best offering.

Filled under Education, Education News, Public Education. No Comments.

Options for Homeschool Biology Courses

Published on April 16th, 2011.

Article by Jeanette Steiner

Homeschool Biology Courses

Teaching biology to your homeschool student can be a lot of fun; however, some parents don’t enjoy the subject and the upper grades can be a bit more challenging. If you are the latter, there are many good options for teaching your child homeschool biology.

Drawbacks and benefits of a computer-based biology course

Benefits:No planning involved and easy for the busy/working parent.Most are self-grading.Usually includes a visually-appealing multimedia component.Self-directed and gives the student a sense of autonomy.

Drawbacks:If many textbook selections are included in the course, it can be a bit tedious reading from the computer screen.

May not be a good choice for a kinesthetic learner or a child with a lot of energy. However, an easy way to remedy this would be by combining it with a nature study program, which would get your active learner out of the house for some fresh air and observation.

A sampling of biology course options: (Biology courses are usually only available at the high school level and the elementary grade biology is included in more general science classes).

Switched On Schoolhouse: This program is on cd-roms and involves a combination of on- and off-computer assignments including experiments. Grades 3-9 observe each area of science on an individual survey basis, usually unit by unit. Grades 10-12 focus on specific areas of science– Life Science (Plants and Animals, Human Anatomy and Personal Care, Biology), Space and Earth Science (Geology, Weather, Space), Physical Science (Chemistry, Physics), Nature of Science (Scientific Method, Experimentation, Technology).

E-Tutor: This program offers indepent and guided programs (with the guided program, the assign the student a certified tutor). Single course are available.

K12: K12 offers a public school option (free in some states) and a private school option. They use a mix of internet courses and traditional textbook courses. It is rigorous program but they offer many options to the homeschooler, including indivdual highschool courses. K12 is a well-done high-quality program, but is not for parents who prefer a more gentle Charlotte Mason type method.

Keystone Highschool: Keystone is highschool only and offers a full highschool program as well as individual courses. Their curriculum is more in line with a traditional public school.

About the Author

Jeanette Steiner is a single homeschooling mother of 7 who has 11 years of experience. Read more tips and advice like on homeschooling at http:/www.homeschoolbiology.com

Filled under Public Education. No Comments.

New Orleans Residents Facing Education Crisis Due to Hurricane Season

Published on April 13th, 2011.

Article by Dr Stephen Jones

Hurricane season is kicking in with a nightmare storm in New Orleans. A city that has barely recovered from Hurricane Katrina is being affected by Hurricane Gustav. One group that is greatly overlooked is the K12 students who will be missing school. The schools in New Orleans are still recovering from Katrina. and making attempts to implement changes that improve student performance. Any slowdown in each K12 student’s education is a dagger in the heart of what’s been described as very unstable communities. The New Orleans Gustav Hurricane is easily reminding residents of how slowly school was restored after Hurricane Katrina. In fact some neighborhood schools could not be reopened after Katrina. The parents and teachers in the city need to join hands in developing an education plan for these crisis situations. Increasing opportunities to read and do home work may be one great way to keep students intellectually active. Nearly 2 million people have fled the Louisiana coast including residents from New Orleans. There are thousands of disappointed students who need to keep their minds stimulated. Too many of their schools are faced with changing principals and teachers. Some of the teachers who are frustrated with the unstable weather like Gustav may be leaving the area permanently. If New Orleans is like many school systems where the teachers are retiring class sizes may increase until new teachers are hired. The New Orleans School District needs to diligently work toward developing attractive incentives that motivate teachers to stay.

The students who live in New Orleans deserve the best education possible. Public schools always need more financial support than what they are receiving. It takes substantial dollars to run an inner city school. Many of these schools face underfunding and a storm like Gustav has catastrophic impact on their budget. Teachers already take money out of their own pockets to purchase classroom supplies to keep their classes moving in the right direction.

Hurricane Gustav and other storms should not stop the education process. Parents do play a major role in keeping their children’s mind active. The local school and parents must come up with a strategy that includes homework assignments like writing about their experiences for the time that they are moving out of New Orleans. Students need to know that there are learning opportunities all around them. The affects of hurricanes are felt through a student’s attitude toward the learning process that their parent creates. It is very difficult times for students who want to learn and to pursue a dream to attend college. A big consideration is how all of these students can get caught up after they return to school to complete assignments.

If we fail to educate students we fail to prepare for our future. Students need to learn how to think independently. They don’t realize that information is retained better when it is fun. Each season hurricanes will come but New Orleans will be prepared with lessons and assignments that students can complete. These students are in need a stable learning experience and maintaining a focus on education helps.

About the Author

For twenty-six years, Dr. Jones has delivered presentations on numerous topics including how to study, leadership, effective communication, and innovative management practices. Hi website is ww.sevenbooks.net.

Filled under Public Education. No Comments.