It may seem like comparing the Montessori Method with distance education degrees is comparing apples to oranges. In reality, though, there are more similarities than you might think. For example, both stress student autonomy and involvement in learning.

The Montessori Method primarily focuses on preschool and early elementary education, although some high schools also use this approach. While it is not really a method used by most online college degree programs, most professors who teach through online degree universities act as facilitators in much the same way that Montessori teachers do. 

Likewise, both approaches encourage a hands-on, practical approach to learning. Both Montessori teachers and online university degree instructors encourage students to be actively involved in their own learning. Finally, both types of education have demonstrated great success with their graduates. While this speaks well of both methods, it also underscores the importance of diversity in educational methods. After all, we don’t all look or talk the same; why would we learn the same?

Likewise, both educational systems focus on peer interaction and support. While Montessori schools encourage children to learn to interact cooperatively in the classroom and on the playground, most distalnce learning degree programs also focus on encouraging students to interact and learn together. In fact, peer support is a primary component of online degree education.

If you graduated with a Bachelor of Education Degree and are planning to teach, chances are high that your school system or state requires you to get a Master’s Degree in Education. If you’ve been wondering how you are ever going to meet the needs of the students in your classroom and complete your own education at the same time, stop worrying. Distance education degree programs can help you complete an advanced degree while beginning your new career.

Although you may find it hard to believe, it really is possible to complete a graduate degree program in less than a year. A few distance learning Master’s Degree programs are designed to be completed in only ten months. Now, teachers can meet their graduate education requirements only a month after surviving their first year in the classroom!

Distance degree alternatives allow dedicated professionals to complete their degree requirements without spending hours each week commuting to and from classes at the end of a busy day. They can complete online degree course requirements in the comfort and privacy of their own homes, during times that work best for them. Online degree universities are rapidly becoming the economical alternative to traditional college degree programs.

If you know you what it takes to finish your degree in less than a year, investigate these affordable alternatives to traditional two-year Master’s Degree programs. Complete your employment requirements, and start earning a higher salary, in a fraction of the time. Get more information about distance learning degree programs in education today!

Get Your College Certificate in Paralegal Studies Online!

Have you always been fascinated by the intricacies of the law? Do you already have an Associate’s Degree or Bachelor’s Degree in a professional field? Many professionals find that taking paralegal courses significantly enhances their marketability to potential employers.

The majority of people who decide to pursue a paralegal program are either currently working in their career field or actively seeking positions within that field. They simply do not have time to attend courses at a traditional college campus. For this reason, distance education degree programs are an attractive alternative approach to taking paralegal courses.

Distance learning certificate programs are a useful, convenient way to become a paralegal professional with expertise in marketing, business, or technology-related fields. Individuals who choose this career path usually find that their professional opportunities suddenly widen. They are able to consider career choices that before would never have been possible. Through distance learning, they can broaden their horizons without spending huge quantities of time and energy accomplishing their goals at traditional brick and mortar universities.

If you have always been interested in legal aspects of your career, perhaps an on line degree through one of the many available paralegal programs would work for you. Find an accredited online university that offers a program that interests you, and send for more information. This information may lead to a new turn in your career path!

Believe it or not, online degree universities  struggle with certain ethical issues that are uniqe to online college degree programs. The ethical concerns voiced by both students and professors alike involve issues related to cheating, privacy, and the publication of educational materials online. Furthermore, top online schools have made the admirable commitment to making their distance education degrees universally accessible to all individuals, including those who are physically or cognitively challenged.

Cheating is often rampant among college students attending a traditional college or university. Students are so anxious to earn their college degrees that they often stoop to plagiarism or cheating on tests. Some online universities have attempted to address this problem through the use of open book testing, while others require students to be monitored. While neither of these suggestions is optimal, a more effective solution remains to be found.

Another difficulty faced by students taking online degree courses is the issue of privacy. Most distance learning degree programs use software that makes course content, such as outlines, student postings, and discussions private. Occasionally, however, information is made available to anyone searching. One of the problems with this is that many employers have taken to searching the internet to “dig up dirt” about prospective employees, and an unfortunate comment made while taking an online course could come back to haunt a student.

One other problem with online learning is the publication of education materials on the Internet. This can lead to copyright issues and disagreements between universities, professors, and students concerning who owns the rights to the information produced during an online degree course. While the Digital Millenium Copyright Act, which became law in 1998, has offered some protection, this remains a concern.

Students who plan to earn a college degree at home need to be aware of these issues and be cautious about their use of the internet for sending and receiving information. Academic integrity is still important, and it may fall primarily upon the student to maintain this difficult standard. While universities work to extend their course offerings to meet the needs of a wide variety of challenged students, the students themselves should remain aware of these current ethical issues in distance learning.

Sudbury Schools: Learning by Teaching

Imagine sending a child off to elementary school so that they can learn exactly what they want to learn – when they want to learn it. You, as a parent, have no say in your child’s education. Your opinion does not matter – and will not be solicited.

Does this sound difficult to imagine? The fact is, exactly this form of alternative education is practiced by those institutions that label themselves Sudbury Schools. Students learn independence and self-motivation in learning to be responsible for their own actions.

Although it may be at first strange to think that this type of educational system could really work, more than 80 percent of the students who graduated from the original Sudbury School in Massachusetts have gone on to complete college degree programs. Further, these students continue on and experience success in many professional disciplines and career fields.

The independence and self-structured learning taught by the Sudbury system is highly compatible with distance education degree programs. Students learn to organize their time effectively to provide themselves with optimal learning experiences, and look to their teachers only to facilitate their learning process.

Many business and online liberal arts degree programs offer Sudbury graduates an ideal opportunity to earn a college degree at home. From a parent’s perspective, the Sudbury system may be hard to accept; after all, parents like to have a say in their child’s education, even after they begin working toward a college degree. The evidence is in, however; this system of education offers exciting possibilities for young students with lots of potential!

Get Your College Certificate in Paralegal Studies Online!

Have you always been fascinated by the intricacies of the law? Do you already have an Associate’s Degree or Bachelor’s Degree in a professional field? Many professionals find that taking paralegal courses significantly enhances their marketability to potential employers.

The majority of people who decide to pursue a paralegal program are either currently working in their career field or actively seeking positions within that field. They simply do not have time to attend courses at a traditional college campus. For this reason, distance education degree programs are an attractive alternative approach to taking paralegal courses.

Distance learning certificate programs are a useful, convenient way to become a paralegal professional with expertise in marketing, business, or technology-related fields. Individuals who choose this career path usually find that their professional opportunities suddenly widen. They are able to consider career choices that before would never have been possible. Through distance learning, they can broaden their horizons without spending huge quantities of time and energy accomplishing their goals at traditional brick and mortar universities. 

If you have always been interested in legal aspects of your career, perhaps an on line degree through one of the many available paralegal programs would work for you. Find an accredited online university that offers a program that interests you, and send for more information. This information may lead to a new turn in your career path!

Distance Degree Programs offer New Opportunities for Chronically Ill Students

Have you struggled with a debilitating illness or disease for years? Did you think that frequently hospitalizations placed your dreams of an undergraduate degree hopelessly out of reach? Through distance learning degree programs, you can achieve your dreams of getting a professional degree from a fully accredited college or university!

Often, students with chronic illnesses are stigmatized because people do not really understand their health condition. Uninformed people may believe that the disease is contagious, that they may become infected simply by sharing a classroom with someone who is ill. This kind of ignorance has caused people with AIDS, Multiple Sclerosis (MS), or even spina bifida to be shunned and feared.

Frequently, however, these students are bright young people who desire to obtain a social work degree, psychology degree, or other accredited degree. Many desire to help other students who have health problems that are the same as, or similar to, their own. Having been through the struggles with pain, fear, and ignorance, they desire to impart their survival skills to future students.

A distance education degree offers excellent opportunities for these students. They do not have to leave the comfort of their own homes to walk into a hostile classroom and take an exam. If they are hospitalized or not feeling well, the flexibility provided by on line degree programs allows them to catch up on coursework when they feel better. Furthermore, students aren’t visibly reminded of their “differences.” They are more able to interact with peers and professors naturally and without inhibitions, fears of cruel comments, or uncivil behavior.

Chronically ill students can choose from a wide variety of distance degree programs that meet their interests. These learning opportunities are ideally suited to students with unique physical and personal challenges. They have the chance to achieve the educational goals they have long desired - when they are well enough to achieve them.

Minority Students Seek Distance Degrees
 
Minority students are turning to online degree programs in record numbers. Traditional colleges are reporting decreasing enrollment figures for African American and Hispanic minority students. Ninety percent of Latino and African American minority parents, however, report that they find a university degree as critical to success as a high school diploma. If this is true, where are all of these students?

The answer may surprise many educators. Minority students are turning to distance education degree programs in record numbers. These distance degree programs are becoming so popular, in fact, that they rank among the highest in graduating black and Latino students. In fact, some on line degree universities report that their enrollment figures for minority students have climbed by as much as 500 percent in the last five years!

Two of the reasons reported by students working to complete degree requirements through online education are flexibility and convenience. According to minority leadership organizations, however, there is another, less frequently discussed reason why many students prefer to attend colleges online instead of on traditional campuses. This reason was discussed by Nancy Greer-Greer-Williams, who found that many minority students experienced some degree of racial discomfort while attending traditional on-campus programs, a perception corroborated by many minority students as well.

Whether racism is or is not a factor, the facts are clear: increasing numbers of minority students are electing to pursue their education through accredited degree programs online. Furthermore, these students are graduating and making the most of their educations. Online universities have made huge strides toward providing minority students equal acceptance, convenience, and flexibility in their pursuit of academic excellence!