Sunday, September 30, 2012

Advantages of Online Education

Online education is defined as learning, training, degree program or credit-granting course, which is mainly delivered via the Internet or an Intranet. It is a method of redefining the method of study where people can educate themselves without boundaries of timing, attendance and travel difficulties. In online courses, the students and teachers can meet once or periodically in a physical setting for lectures, labs and exams. Overall, online education gives more emphasis on global interaction and the concept of latest knowledge expansion.

Advantages of Online Education

For online education, one needs a standard personal computer with an Internet connection. Many people with family and job responsibilities don't have time to attend the regular classroom studies and find online education beneficial. Online education includes many online courses and online degrees. Let's discuss some of the advantages of online education.

People can opt for many online courses, in universities where the facility of online education is available. It is very helpful for students residing in remote places. One can study any course of his/her own choice offered by universities around the world, without the physical presence for that course. There is no need for relocation and hence, is cost saving.

Physically handicapped students can go for higher studies without worrying about traveling or being physically present for studies. Also, one can continue education at any stage and update himself with the latest knowledge through online education.

At present, many of the online universities are accredited by recognized educational bodies. Hence, the degrees offered by these universities are accepted all over the world and one can enroll in a top university within the comfort of home.

If somebody is looking for additional training for a better career prospect or promotion, then online education is the best option. It is the most convenient and flexible way of learning and updating one's knowledge without disturbing the current job.

People can study at their own pace without any strict regulations; there are no class schedule and fixed timings and assignments. Only the quality of work is evaluated, not the speed or the appearance of the student. Even, people can interact online and discuss with the students, scholars, researchers, subject-matter experts and professors for any type of query or problems.

Another advantage of online education is that all the learning and training materials of the online course are archived. One can retrieve and use it anytime via mail or from the school's website. If somebody has a doubt, he/she can communicate with the college or university through e-mail.

In addition to the above advantages, there are some disadvantages of online education. Student assessment and feedback is limited as compared to the traditional classroom programs. There may be problems about the validity of the degree assigned after completion of the course. In this case, one has to produce certain proofs such as copies of the course assignments and syllabi and most importantly, proof of the college or university's accreditation. Since, most of the interaction of the teacher and student takes place via mail, sometimes, there may be chances that the student misses the instructor's advice. Another disadvantage is non-availability of the course of study. Also, one should take care while choosing the online universities, as certain universities are better than the others.
By Ningthoujam Sandhyarani

Saturday, September 29, 2012

Exploring Madrid on a School Tour

As the capital and largest city in the Mediterranean country of Spain, Madrid is a perfect place to go on a school tour for a varied and exciting look at Spanish culture, history and art. Madrid is the third largest city in the European Union and sits in the centre of the country along the Manzanares River. One of the interesting aspects of Madrid that makes it an ideal place to visit on a school tour, is the way that it continues to progress and modernise while still maintaining the authentic look and feel of many of its ancient streets and neighbourhoods. While you are in the city, take time to visit some of the best-known and impressive landmarks such as the Royal Palace of Madrid, Almudena cathedral and the Teatro Real.

The Royal Palace of Madrid

Any school tour to the city of Madrid will take students to the Royal Palace of Madrid; it is the official home of the Spanish royal family, but is actually only used for state affairs, and the family lives in the smaller Palacio de la Zarzuela near the outskirts of the city. The palace sits on the site of a 9th century fortress and the old palace was built on the spot in the 16th century, but burned down. The current palace was built between 1738 and 1755 and is 135,000 square metres in size. A visit to the palace will take students into a fraction of its 3,418 rooms to see works of art by famous artists such as Velázquez, Goya, and Caravaggio, just to mention a few.

Almudena Cathedral

Facing the Royal Palace from across the Plaza de la Armería, is the Almudena Cathedral. When the capital of Spain moved from Toledo to Madrid in 1561, the seat of the church did not move with it and for a while Madrid was a rare capital city without a cathedral. This changed when plans for a cathedral were drawn up in the 16th century, but the building did not actually begin until 1879. The Marquis of Cubas designed and built the cathedral in a Gothic Revival style but work ceased before it was completed. In 1950, the original plans were adapted for a Baroque exterior and made to match the Royal Palace opposite. It wasn't completed until 1993, when the Pope came to Spain to consecrate it.

Friday, September 28, 2012

How Students And Schools Benefit From Class Management Software

The number of people using class management software is certainly rising these days. Students are the primary users of it for many reasons. This actually helps them go through their daily lives at school in a very smooth manner - they avoid missing any of their classes and important dates like deadlines of certain tasks.

Such application is helpful for the teachers and educational institutions as well. Its use makes them exert fewer efforts and cut the expenses when it comes to booking venues for their courses, utilization of varied devices that aid in the learning of the students and ensuring that all the classes are well-attended.

Moving forward, the class management software has introduced a different way of learning and teaching at the same time. Although chalkboard and visual aids are still available, tablet PCs and electronic boards make both processes more interactive and enjoyable. Lessons are now discussed in a virtual manner which learners find easier to relate to since the influence of the internet is rampant. This is further enhanced by the use of other medium of communication.

Registration processes for students have never been easier since this kind of software was created. They are free to choose the courses they need anytime and anywhere they want to do it. The same convenience is experienced by the school staff or training instructors. They can simply provide information about the courses or trainings that they offer. In connection to that, they can simply create online forms by which interested students can sign up for their preferred classes. Payments would be easy as well because course or training fees may be shared or viewed with just one click. Besides instilling the best time management skills among its users, it helps them promote their classes to a wider audience.

When the time comes that students need to know their exam scores or card grades, there would be no need for administrators to gather all students around just for the setting of the distribution dates. They can simply update the software calendar for quicker information dissemination. Additional resources for the students and teachers may also be uploaded for quick reference. In fact, social media sites like Facebook can also be used hand in hand with these updates.

Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Finding the Best Schools for Your Children

Schools are places where children learn, and attending one is a necessity. If you are a parent, you may be interested in learning all of your options before choosing one that is right for your kids. In some towns, there are not a lot of choices. Other towns and areas give several options to parents. If you live in certain areas, you may have to pay extra if you send your kids to one that is in a different district than you live in. This extra fee may be worthwhile to you if the children will get a better education and have more opportunities.

One thing to look at in schools is their accreditation. This is an important feature and these organizations must work hard to earn accreditation. Accreditation is something that is done to check the education and other factors of a place of education. If the organization passes all of the requirements, they will be considered accredited. You may also want to look into class sizes. This is a factor that can have a big impact on a child's education. If you find one that has 20 children per classroom and another that has 30 kids, you may be pulled slightly to the first one. This will mean that your child will get more personalized attention because the teacher will not have as many students to work with.

Learning about the education and curriculum is another important thing to look at. Find out where they rank in terms of standardized testing too. All of these things will help you find schools that are in the top for educational standards. By doing this, you will know that the education your child receives is the best around. You can ask to see the curriculum they use, and you can ask any other questions regarding the education.

Opportunities offered by schools may also play a role in your decision. Some schools offer many different activities, sports and programs for kids to join, while others do not. If there is a particular sport that your child is exceptionally good at, you might use this factor as one that helps you decide what to do. Other opportunities include things such as field trips, plays, clubs and student council.