Saturday, January 28, 2012

5 Essential Tips for Success in Online Classrooms


Online classrooms offer you the flexibility and convenience that traditional classrooms can't. On campus, you cannot expect to see a student roaming around campus, attending classes at the time that suits him/her best. There is a fixed time to do every activity ranging from attending classes to completing assignments and giving tests as scheduled by the educational administrators.

Online classrooms encourage communication and interaction between the teacher and the students and amongst students themselves. Classrooms conducted over the internet are extremely dynamic in nature and is evolving through new innovations with each passing day. With online classes in place, teachers have got the advantage of communicating with the learners anytime they feel like. Learners can also converse with the teacher, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, even after the end of a class or before the beginning of the next one.

Let's look at tips that lead to success in online classrooms.

Be Comfortable Communicating Online

Web-based learning calls for a better communication level. It means you have to be comfortable enough talking with instructors and other students in a virtual environment. Often, a student confronts problems when attending online classes since most of them are habituated with a face-to-face, onsite classroom setup.

Be Tech-savvy

One of the vital aspects of attending online classrooms is that people have to be a little tech-savvy to browse through the course catalogs, examination details, and so on. They should know how to download learning materials from the website as well as share text books with other fellow classmates.

Be Proactive

Students need to be that much proactive in a virtual class just like they happen to be when attending a regular class in schools and colleges. Students should ask questions to the instructor when in doubt and should also regularly participate in online forum to discuss about any learning material with the fellow classmates.

Stay in Contact with Your Teacher

In online classrooms where you cannot see your instructor physically, you should make it a point to stay in constant touch with your teacher to get things right. You should always contact your teacher to know when to submit a specific assignment or a project and clear doubts regarding any learning documents or coursework.

Be Realistic About Budgeting Your Time

In online classrooms, the courses are available, 24x7. Hence, students get the freedom to access study materials at their own convenient time. However, it is always better to complete a semester on time and for that purpose one needs to set aside a specific time for studying, finishing the projects, and giving the examinations. Online classrooms include completing homework as well as discussions with the teacher, and submitting work as per the instructions of the teacher. Developing the mentality of finishing work on or rather before time is always good for your educational career.



Friday, January 20, 2012

Online Examination Software - Making the Life Of Students Easier


If you want to keep up with the latest trends in the education sector, Online Examination Software is a significant technological advancement that every school should configure in their examination system. A remarkable technology, online examination software has revolutionized the whole examination system. This technology is very popular among universities abroad and is an important tool for the schools that wish to be included in the list of best schools in the world. Using this technology, Instead of traditional paper based written tests; exams are conducted on computer which ultimately helps in saving time and most importantly, paper. Due to the easy availability of computers and internet, this modern method of examination is widely accepted in almost all academic institutions.

Online exam creator abridges the whole exam process and also simplifies the evaluation process. Using this amazing tool, colleges can get rid of lengthy examination formalities such as question paper creation, populating candidate's registration details and further evaluating the answer sheets to send out the result. Online Examination software is carefully crafted by industry experts to bring efficiency in complete competitive exam process. Safe and convenient, this online exam manager lessens the probability of errors during the evaluation and makes results available in a few clicks.

With the help of online exam creator, multiple set of question papers of every subject can be created without putting in much effort and time. These practice tests boost confidence in students and make them comfortable with the typically perceived fearful examination atmosphere and eventually help them to perform well in their actual exams. This computer-based exam software is a boon for teachers and school management who spend hours on making question papers, checking answer sheets, evaluating results and preparing progress-cards of thousands of students. Colleges can also carry out weekly or monthly chapter-wise online exams and assess the overall class performance. Teachers who learn to operate online examination creator can teach more effectively and give special attention to students in their day-to-day learning process.

Online examination management solution is an economic way to assess and improve the students' academic performance as they can also take up multiple mock tests prior to appearing for any major competitive exam. This advanced IT tool will give your students an edge over others and allows them to appear for any state-level, national-level or even international level competitive exams in distant locations without being physically present at the exam location. This online exam creator can be customized according to individual school or college needs and ensures effectiveness in the performance of schools as well as their students.

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Cyber School During Elementary Years

My younger cousin, who is in fourth grade now, will be going into virtual school soon. I'm interested to see how he does in online school because I think it would be harder for younger grades.
Cyber school needs more patience and self-discipline than public school. I mean think about it, you have to create your own schedule, and spread out your work in a specific amount of time. Just waiting to do all of your work on the last week is pretty tempting. I don't know if kids who have only been in school for a few years could easily control themselves.
This is why I personally wouldn't suggest virtual school for anybody under the age of about 13.
Also I do find public school important growing up. In public school you do learn really important things like how to manage your time and get homework done. Along with that you learn how to interact with people, how to handle different situations, how to respect teachers and students and making friends.
You can see how without all of these traits it can be hard for a kid later in life. So if you don't do public school you have to find another way to learn these things like my friends the O'Wells. They have always been cyber and home schooled, and their way of coping with that is getting involved with community things like church and their local fire hall.
Another reason I wouldn't recommend cyber school to younger kids is because having real teachers in a classroom setting is important. During those years most of the subjects are reading, writing, basic math and logical thinking. All of these subjects are very important foundation lessons that you need to really grasp well before moving on.
In virtual school it could be hard to spend a lot of time on one subject, instead of just barely grasping the concept then doing the test and just completely forgetting about it. Also it would be frustrating to learn those subjects that are so complex at that age, and not have a teacher next to you to answer your questions. Not to mention it would be tough to learn reading if you can barely read the instructions.
Home schooling is a little bit better than cyber school in lower grades, but even though it eliminates the whole idea of grasping a subject and having somebody with you, it doesn't really eliminate the first problems of less developed social skills.
With all of that said, I do think there is a way to do virtual school and home schooling the right way like the O'Wells and have the children turn out absolutely fine, but I still don't recommend it.

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Hebrew Words That Starts With the Letter Gimmel


Here are some words that start with the letter Gimmel of the Hebrew Alphabet and also their English translations:

Gan is garden; it's to lift up life, on the right side of the word Gan you will see the Gimmel, on the left you will see the letter Nun which means life. So what does garden mean? To lift up life! Doesn't that just makes sense? That's what gardens do, you put seeds in there, and you water it with the Holy Spirit or the Ruach and up come life in the Garden of Eden which was the garden of life.

Ga ah, it is a Gimmel, an Aleph, and a He. This is the word for pride and go figure what does it mean. To lift up the head of the leader above or revealed, to lift up the head that is revealed. That is what pride is, Pride lifts the head above everyone else. That's what pride is, Ga ah. How many knew that the word gay was a Hebrew word? It means proud. You'll never look at that word the same again.

Golgotha is the place that was lifted up when the Messiah gave His life; He was the richest man on earth, was He not? He was the richest man in the universe and He was also the most generous man because He's connected to Gimmel. Gimmel is the third letter of the Hebrew Alphabet which means it is connected to the number three. That is why Golgotha starts with the Gimmel and not any other letter; it is the place of giving and by the way the place of the skull was not a place of rock that look like a skull. It is a place where they counted people for the census.

Gavah means majesty, pride, or to rise up there's a royal connection to it. Reward or Recompense.

Gamal is a benefactor, one who bestows gifts on people. You see Gimmel is connected to generosity; it's connected to the one who sits in the camel for one purpose and one purpose only, it's to bestow and to bring gifts. Who sat on the camel to bring gifts to the most powerful man in the universe? The wise men did!

Do you see the prophetic significance? The camels are connected to the rich men who bring gifts and bestow upon people the sense of being proud. It is all connected to the letter Gimmel.



Thursday, January 5, 2012

Five Secret Tricks to Boast of Your Degrees Earned Online on Facebook


Facebook has surfaced as an alternative and virtual social platform where we can mix and mingle with each other and go social without hampering our working life. Have you ever envied your friends who have completed their graduation or higher studies from a regular college and posted that status update on Facebook? Have you ever cursed your hectic working life for not giving you that time space for pursuing a degree or diploma that you have long aspired for? If so, here is a chance for you to brag about your own achievements too. A lot of colleges and universities are offering now online degrees. Many of these degrees are accelerated and low-cost in nature and if you can earn a degree online (and that too within 8-9 months) that is equivalent to those on-campus degrees; you can also ignite envy of others on Facebook. Here are some secret tips to do that.

Educational Status Update: You have noticed the Education and Work subsection in the Info section of your Facebook profile. While you start pursuing an online degree, update that section and see what happens next. Your friends and acquaintances would start asking you the cost and other aspects of that course. Now is your turn to let them know the advantages of the e-degree, the low-cost compared to the on-campus degree etc.

Celebrate Your Achievements: Facebook is the best place in the virtual world to show your friends and acquaintances whenever you reach a new milestone. Online colleges do not confer certificates to the successful students amidst hundreds of people who are nonchalant about that matter. After completing your online criminal justice degree or something, just post status update like, 'I have just passed XYZ course from XYZ online college'. Take pleasure in getting flooded with congratulatory messages and wishes. It's your time for rejoicing.

Guerilla Boasting: Just go to a friend's photo album where he or she has shared pictures of his university convocation seminar. Congratulate your friend and add that you have also earned a degree online and you know what it feels like. However, if you can get a scope for mentioning the low-cost and the flexibility of the course, do that. You will find many people are trying to know more about these online degree programs which is in a way enriching your profile status.

Add Honorific: When you get post-graduated from an online college or something, add an honorific before your name such as 'Master' or 'PhD'. This will automatically reflect your achievements and you will find people suddenly getting inquisitive about you. Is this what you have craved for long?

Take Part in Discussions: However, you should not blatantly brag but be modest in your tone and approach. Take part in active discussions and show them how you have benefitted from the virtual degree. Encourage others to ask you questions and patiently answer each and every question and get social. Remember, barefaced bragging would reach you nowhere. Learn to become a part of the online community.

If you are still dreaming about pursuing higher studies, it's time to wake up. Online degrees can be easily pursued online without impeding your working life. Just go on the web and find out more. Alternatively, log in to your FB account and you will surely discover someone in your friend list who is either pursuing or has already completed this higher studies online and who is just like you, working somewhere.


Sunday, January 1, 2012

All About Virtual Learning Environments


With rapid developments in the field of technology, the Learning and Development industry has incorporated dynamic changes in the process of learning. The World-wide Web has now become the newest platform for conducting classes and training sessions. With web-based learning becoming the rage, virtual learning environment is gradually gaining ground. Following the virtual environment, the Learning Management System (LMS) and Learning Content Management System (LCMS) is turning out to be the most popularly used learning platforms.

Normally, a virtual learning environment involves an integrated set of computer software tools to support learning. Here is a brief description of how virtual learning environment streamlines the process of learning.

•A virtual environment gives unlimited access to the course content and study material as and when required, no matter where you may be located.

•The system offers an organized and steadfast repository of content, and thus streamlines the entire content management system. It helps instructors to upload and organize study materials via a Web-based platform even without using technical tools such as File Transfer Protocol or FTP.

•Virtually users can create a private community and can carry out important conversations using a range of synchronized communication tools, like bulletin boards, real-time chat rooms, discussion forums, and so on. It helps in expanding their knowledge base.

•Learners can be divided into small sub-groups depending on the subject they are studying. With the help of communication tools, students can access tutorial support and enhance peer-to-peer interaction.

•Virtual environment offers a host of reporting tools that allows a learner to evaluate their day-to-day performance. Besides, instructors can efficiently administer the assessed tests.

•There is a number of tracking tools available, which enables users to keep detailed information about the students and class schedules.

The virtual learning platforms come with ready-to-use course materials, such as content according to the curriculum, interactive, multimedia components and so on. The new age virtual environments are integrated with Web 2.0 features such as Wikis and blogs in order to accentuate the interactive aspects in the process of learning.

At present, academic and corporate training organizations are increasingly using virtual learning environments to ensure flexibility in the process of imparting knowledge. Both on-campus and distance learners can access its benefits. On-campus students can get the access to study materials beforehand and can have an idea about the curriculum. In case of distance learning, it breaks the geographical barriers thereby enabling students to get access to course content and online classes instantly.