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 have taken classes for a job, for military advancement, or for another purpose, you may be eligible to receive credit for experience. This is sometimes known as life experience or work experience. If you’ve ever wondered whether your life experiences could offer you credit toward a college degree, perhaps it’s time to find out.

Let’s face it, whether you are planning to attend a traditional college degree program, or attend an online university degree program, college tuition is expensive. No one wants to take unnecessary courses or spend more money than is necessary to earn a college degree. Credit for life or work experience is a valid way to meet requirements for some basic or core courses.

Sometimes, universities allow students to test out of basic or intermediate level classes. For example, if you are fluent in more than one language, you may be about to test out of a foreign language. This can be particularly helpful in fulfilling humanities or language requirements for most university degree programs.

Another option is available for students who took advanced placement courses in math, science, or English at the high school level. Sometimes colleges allow students to test out of core classes, often saving the expense of 12 or more credit hours. These tests are referred to variably as CLEP tests or placement tests.

If you have taken course work for another purpose without being enrolled in a traditional or distance learning university, contact an evaluator to determine whether you are able to receive credit for this work. You may find that you are much closer to a Bachelor Degree in a related field than you could have imagined! Wouldn’t it be great to complete your degree in half the time that it otherwise would require?

If you’ve decided to go back to school and earn a college degree at home, you may experience a brief culture shock at first. Students who get a degree online often find studying and exams more convenient, but there are challenges unique to distance learning degree programs as well. If you have decided to finish your college degree program through an online university, you should be aware of the unique challenges you may face.

You may often find that deadlines are more flexible than in traditional degree programs. However, you have little recourse if you miss a fixed deadline, such as an online submission or post. Although you can argue that your internet service was down (which can and does occasionally happen), you aren’t going to be able to get away with this excuse very often. So, although the program is flexible, you are expected to take responsibility for your own education.

Furthermore, you are expected to be able to use a computer and email, as well as to take responsibility for learning any other computer applications used by the online degree courses you have chosen. While this may sometimes mean a large learning curve, you must be motivated and determined enough to meet this small challenge, or distance education degree programs aren’t right for you.

Some students also argue that nontraditional education offered by online degree university programs doesn’t offer the “full college experience.” While you can’t play college sports, pledge to a sorority, or go to a homecoming dance, distance learning certainly offers a full range of educational opportunities. Only you can decide which is more important for you; education or socialization.

After finishing a Bachelor Degree program, most people are ready to leave college for a while and start the rest of their lives. Many find entry-level positions in their fields, get married, and purchase a home. Children arrive, and they settle into a routine of work, school activities, and family nights.

What happens when that entry-level job becomes stifling? When you feel you just have to get out and try something new? Suddenly your education isn’t enough, and you find that you need a Master Degree to advance to the next level in your profession, or to try something new and challenging. Are you ready to leave your family behind and return to a traditional university campus to get a graduate degree?

Before you give up your daily routine, take a moment to consider the benefits of online degree schools. Earn an online management degree, or get an advanced degree in nursing, computer technology, accounting, or education. With distance degree programs, you can study in your spare time, after everyone has gone to bed, or during weekends.

Don’t decide that you have to put your career to sleep while you’re raising your family. Grow in your profession while your family is growing, and take advantage of the excellent opportunities offered by distance learning degree programs. Today is never to late to start your future!

Fact and Fantasy: What is Distance Learning?

You have probably watched hundreds of television or internet commercials urging you to get a degree from home. Mail flyers advertise online correspondence courses, claiming that you can get an instant degree with only a quick application and little effort. Do you really know the facts about what online degree completion really requires? Check your information and determine how much of the truth you actually know!

A number of different technologies are used in distance learning degree programs. Online undergraduate degree programs, for example, are held over the Internet. Most online learning experiences take place individually, as the student checks in, receives the assignment, and posts messages on the chatboard or interacts with classmates through email. At least one of these online degree courses, however, was held live in the virtual community of Second Life, a popular online website. Perhaps this will be the future wave of online education!

Other students have worked to earn their degrees by taking classes broadcast over television or pre-recorded on videotape. CD-Rom, cassette tapes, and FM radio have also been used to distribute education information. Before the arrival of the Internet, however, most people who wanted to earn a degree at home used old-fashioned mail to receive and return correspondence course materials. There was, of course, a much longer turnaround time. This process involved mailing the completed assignment to the professor, having it graded and approved, and receiving and completing the next assignment.  Although dated, this option is still available through some universities.

The Internet has made continuing education, as well as earning an undergraduate degree or graduate degree, much more convenient and feasible. Unfortunately, however, it has also resulted in the spread of many unaccredited universities claiming to offer their students fast degree completion with little effort. The degrees from these universities are worthless, and people spend large amounts of money for a meaningless piece of paper.

A number of accredited online university programs offer excellent education to their students. Moreover, employers are beginning to recognize the value of online education. In many cases, they will accept a degree from an online program as readily as one from a traditional college.

If you are interested in obtaining a distance learning degree, do your homework and find an accredited online university. Don’t allow the fantasy of getting a college degree in a few months to cloud your vision. The fact is, a bachelor’s degree takes three to four years to complete, whether you are doing it online or on a college campus. Stay smart, and don’t let a dream of pie in the sky disrupt your educational career.