Online Education Tip: How To Compare Online Universities

In order to select the best online university from so many good universities that offer online degree programs, you have to compare them. But, comparing these online universities can be a challenges. You may know the degree you are looking for, but it is not an easy task to narrow down the list to the best online degree program that meets your requirements. Below are the five considerations that you can use to compare the online universities before you select the best one among them.

1. Compare The Accreditation

It is your responsibility to make sure the online degree you earn is worth the value. Don't fall into the trap of diploma mill and earn a fake degree. Therefore, accreditation is the most important factor to consider when comparing online universities. Besides avoiding the scams, the consideration of accreditation is important to make sure you have a smooth start in your future career. For example, if you pursue an online degree program from a regional accredited university, you have an easier time finding jobs, using the degree to further your study or transferring your credits to other schools. Besides the regional accreditation, degrees from online universities that are accredited by DETC (Distance Education and Training Council) are widely accepted by employers.

2. Compare The Admission Requirements

Each school has the admission requirements for online students. It will be a waste of time if you are trying to apply for the online degree program that you are not qualified for. You should compare the admission requirements of online universities for the course you are interested in pursuing. Make sure you can meet the requirements before you submit your application.

3. Compare The Residency Requirements

When comparing the online degree programs offered by different online universities, it is important to compare the residency requirements and make sure you select the one that fits your lifestyle. The education programs may be offered entirely through the internet or require you to attend some hours of physical classroom sessions or face-to-face discussions at a brick-and-mortar university. If there is residency requirements, you may want to consider the online degree programs with physical facilities near your home or workplace.

4. Compare Online Class Schedules

Flexibility is a feature and the advantage of online education. Many online education programs allow students to learn based on their pace of study. But, it may not apply for some programs as they need the online students to meet strict deadlines for every subject they sign up in a semester. Depending on the time you can allocate on online study, you should compare the class schedule for the courses offered by online universities. If you are a working individual and your job requires you to travel frequently from one place to another, you may want to consider the online degree program that gives the maximum flexibility so that you can plan your own schedule to fit your times.

5. Compare The Examination Requirements

Almost all online degree programs require students to complete the examination in order to earn the degree. Each online university will have its examination requirements. Many of the universities have specific examination centers for their online students to sit for the exams. You will need to compare the examination requirements from each online university to make sure you can meet the requirements. There are also online examinations allowed in some degree programs, you can choose this type of examination if it is your preferred method.

Summary

You should compare the online universities in order to select the best online degree program that fits the best for you. The above considerations are the comparison of universities in choosing the best education program.

Visit Amelia Turner at http://www.your-online-degree.info for more online education information and resources. Learn how to find the best online degree program that meets your education goals.

Tutoring For Success

As students progress to high school, subjects can be very tough and daunting. They might need help of a tutor to take them through the course. A tutor's responsibility is not just to help them with their homework and get done. A tutor should work on building the student's concepts so that they no longer lag behind in their high school classes. They should offer positive feedback to boost their confidence.

Here are some tips a high school chemistry tutor can follow:

1. Know more about the student

Do not jump into explaining Chemistry concepts the very first day. Ask the student what they are doing wrong in Chemistry. Also ask them about any concepts that they are confused about. Put the student at ease regarding coursework.

2. Set Deadlines

Develop a timetable of the assignments, quizzes and reports that the student has to submit in class and then facilitate the student. Keep track of his/her performance.

3. Ask them to review last class' concepts

Many times, students understand a concept but later forget or confuse it again unless it is reviewed. Ask your student to state the last session's teachings. Then relate them to the next lesson i.e. the lesson you will be teaching today. Create a mental flowchart, relating each chemistry concept to the other. Start each session with review of the previous one.

4. Do not show haste

Go slowly and try not to jump from one concept to another. Before moving to a new concept, ask the person to recount what they have understood from the current concept. For instance if Chemistry equations confuse the student, work slowly through each time before stringing the equation and telling them about the equation products.

5. Adapt to learning needs of the student

If the student is more of a visual person, show them videos or give them molecular models when explaining organic chemistry.

6. Give positive feedback

Students might feel it reflects poorly on their intelligence if they have to depend on tutoring. Positive feedback can boost their morale and push them forward to learn. Give them specific positive feedback. For instance, if the student is working very hard and his thesis idea is a strong one, say: "Your thesis topic is very unique. Your teacher will appreciate you going out of the way to do your thesis".

With these methods and techniques applied, a high school chemistry tutor can make sure the student scores high in chemistry tests.

Founded by Cornel Chemistry graduate Kathleen Rodriguez, Chemin10 is an online chemistry tutoring service. It offers high school chemistry tutor help and preparation for the AP Chemistry Exam, SAT II Chemistry, MCAT, NY State Regents and State Tests. To now more about their services, visit http://chemin10.com/.

Free Online Courses Can Supplement And Enhance Education

Why Bother With Free Online Courses?

Free online courses do not provide learners with college credit, and many people may wonder what the point is. The high quality learning resources that are becoming available to people all over the world through the internet are giving unseen before access to high quality lessons and materials, so many independently driven learners find this opportunity fantastic.

Being able to understand the benefits of education beyond your degree and credit will benefit humans in the long-run. Learning for the sake of learning is often overlooked in a culture that is accomplishment driven, but interest in free online courses reveals that many individuals are actually taking advantage of what free online learning has to offer. Keeping your brain active is believed to prevent certain neural conditions that result for a variety of reasons, including stagnancy.

Supplementing Your College Education

For students earning a degree, paying for course credits is expensive. There may be a class that you think would be valuable to your success in your field, but that is not required for your major.

Finding classes on the internet free will help people who want to enhance their education at no cost. High quality material is becoming increasingly more available, and taking the initiative to go above and beyond will benefit you educationally and also help you to develop healthy study habits.

Researching Areas of Study

Committing to a major in college is a big deal because it will impact the rest of your life. Knowing if you want to seriously pursue a subject is important before taking the plunge, and one way to ensure that you are heading down the right road is to get some experience through free online courses. These programs allow you to study virtually any topic and to identify areas you are interested in focusing on throughout your time in college and potentially your career.

Hobbyists

Some people simply enjoy giving their brain the food it loves-information. It's easy to forget that our brains love good clean knowledge and exploration, but that is the fuel that keeps it fresh. Free online courses give us the chance to let our mind run free through worlds of poetry, astronomy, calculus, world history, and so on.

Available Material

So what does an online course look like? Well, it's full of all the good ideas and facts that would be delivered in a lecture, but at no cost. You can find these courses in all shapes in sizes, from the mediocre to the Ivy League level. Audio and video clips are often accessible, as well as assignments and ways to challenge yourself and solidify your understanding of the material.

There's no pressure to complete any of the programs you start online, because they exist solely for your benefit. So if you're worried you don't have time, there's no need. You can do everything at a pace that works for you. The benefits and uses of these free courses are numerous, so the only question you need to ask yourself is why you haven't taken advantage of this resource. Perhaps you can acquire enough information online to earn student scholarships.

Language Learning - A Review of Popular Methods

Today's technology has made the world much smaller and many people have become interested in learning foreign languages. Some want to learn for fun, many for business reasons, but it is your desire and passion to learn that will make you successful. No one can give you that.

I have discovered that many popular language-learning methods are not what they say they are and you can waste a lot of money quickly on them. Here is my homework on some of them.

Rossetta Stone - online - $299 for 12 months

I tested the free demo online at the Rossetta Stone site. The demo seems to brag that there are no written translations, you learn from looking at pictures only. The first lesson for Spanish shows pictures of a woman (una mujer) and man (un hombre). By clicking the pictures you learn the words woman and man. The next lesson shows a boy (un nino) or girl (una nina). So now you have learned words for boy, girl, man and woman. The next pictures are of people drinking and eating. You learn all of this from pictures only. There are no written translations. This is where I had a few questions. What if I wanted to know who is this woman? (in the picture) What is her name? Where is she from? What kind of pictures can they make to teach me the words who, what, where, her and name? Also what do the words is, this, and from look like? I had to use Google translate to find that (una) and (un) are the word "a" in Spanish. I urge you to take the free Rossetta Stone demo online before you purchase it.

Pimsleur - software - $119.95

The site started by teaching me phrases. I think it makes more sense to build a vocabulary first than to start with phrases because then you will know what each word means. From their free half hour lesson of repeating phrases I learned the Spanish words for pardon, understand, English, miss, speak, sir, no, yes, a little, North American, you, and are. Twelve words. I was a bit puzzled because they taught me "entendo" and "entende" for the word "understand" then told me I was saying "I understand" and "you understand." "Yo" is I in Spanish and "usted" is you. "Yo" was never spoken with understand and "usted" was used only at the end of the lesson and not spoken with the words for understand.

The lesson is audio only. Nothing is written. I like to see the words because for me it is easier to remember them. I completely agree with their statement - "Probably no aspect of learning a foreign language is more important than memory." Word memory is the key. Repetition is good for this reason. I think you could learn from their approach but it will be slow and impossible to learn phrases of your own choice.

Transparent Language - software - $179.95

I like the philosophy of the site. I could not test it because they offer no free trial or way to see how they teach so I Googled the site for reviews. I have found if reviews talk only how great the method is but not how you are taught or why you will learn fast they are most likely written by the people selling the product. No trial lesson and no review with content? You decide.

World Word Exchange - online - 2 lessons $12 - 4 lessons $20 - 8 lessons $32

This is a new site. Their philosophy seemed sound so I signed up and got a free lesson. The site has seventy-six lessons of twenty words each. The first lesson had the words: who, what, where, when, why and how among others. These are helpful one-word question words. I clicked the words to hear a native speaker say them. What surprised me was that they spelled the English word first, next to it the word was spelled phonetically in English, and then they have the native text. I listened and studied for a while then went to their memory test. It's a multiple-choice word game which challenges you to match the question word to eight other choices. This is an excellent way to remember the words in my opinion. Repetition is how we remember.

The site also has a grammar section that explains how to use the words and there is a page to practice spelling. For people who already know some words there is a user lesson page where you can choose the words you want to learn. The site has some great tools. The most impressive feature is the organization of the words you learn. Learning the most common words first is a feature no other language method I could find has. The only down side to the site is they teach only Mandarin Chinese, Spanish and Thai. Hopefully more languages will be added soon.

Online Management Courses - A Glance

Online management courses have come as a blessing to those who want to pursue education in management but do not have the resources to do so. Resources here could be time or money. There are a range of training programs available for groups and individuals who wish to develop or enhance key skills and knowledge that can be used in a wide variety of business contexts. Needless to say, these skills in turn help them in their professional lives.

A certification or diploma is not essential for entering into the business world. You can always find alternative activities like operating a home based web business that does not require you to possess a degree under normal circumstances. Many self made millionaires went from rags to riches after dropping out. It is enough to make a connection, however untrue it may be. Moreover, people harm themselves if they figure that dropping out is the requisite to wealth.

Furthermore, if you are among the general public who wants a good job and career to come after a qualification, then for all this to fall into place, certifications are needed badly. The courses themselves, if accredited, have not been found to be lacking for content or structure. Though, what changes is the mode of delivery.

Online Management courses hold great promise because of the world of opportunity they open for candidates.
Every organization needs talent that they can nurture so that the organization can have a bright future. Training facilitators assist you to complete your study from home and take advantage of your work experience to accelerate your progress. Learning and assessment activities can also be tailored to suit individual needs and while being focused on assisting you to achieve new milestones in your current employment.

So it is up to you to decide which course you want to pursue and in what specialization. Many well known colleges recognizing the advantages of this type of learning have started their own online programs which grow in size and variety every year. Furthermore, their takers are also continually on the rise.

Finally, management training is best learnt if it can be implemented in the corporate world and this practical application of the education only comes about if the students implement what they learn in the workplace. So, industrial training or working simultaneously while studying can prove to be a boon to the students. These are most easily implemented in the online mode of study. So one should do one's homework thoroughly and go where one's interest lies.

Quick Information About WHMIS and Certification

Do you have an idea about WHMIS? Well, it stands for Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System. Today, WHMIS testing is highly important for WHMIS certification. It is done to determine the knowledge of a person in response to the various regulations as well as practices of WHMIS. It is highly important for every employer to ensure that their employees have a complete knowledge of the domain, including that of key aspects, like WHMIS symbols, workplace labels, material safety data sheets and controlled products in workplace. On the completion of training, the employee would be deemed a certified in WHMIS.

Now, as far as WHMIS testing is concerned, it is done to administer formal testing, or re testing to refresh the memories of employees every 3 years. In case you are preparing for the formal WHMIS and Certification training, you can decide to go with the traditional classroom style setting or even online training. You can opt for online training, if you have a shoestring budget. It is certainly an amazing method to complete training within a specified time and that it can be done without having to spend a lot of money.

While looking for a test online, it is highly important for you to choose the WHMIS testing class, which regularly gets updated and maintains a pace with the changing legislation. WHMIS training is not given immediately. However, it must be done only after the employee has a very good knowledge of hazardous materials and is ready for the training. Before the training, they will be provided with in-depth knowledge about the use of hazardous materials. During the certification program, it is important to watch the slideshow carefully before attempting the test. Finally, you will have to answer 40 multiple choice questions based on the WHMIS training. In the event you pass the exam, you would be provided with a certificate card immediately that will be directly sent to your management account. The online tests are simply amazing as they can be given according to your convenience, from work or from the comfort of your home at a very affordable fee.

In case you are already certified for WHMIS and would like to gain knowledge about recertification, then it can be gained by checking out the sites offering WHMIS certification and training. However, it is mandatory to go for re-certification every three years. In fact, it is advised to check out the course content in advance so that you can get a better idea about the kind of questions that are usually asked. Thus, later you can answer the 40 questions correctly and pass the test. In case you do not pass the test on the first attempt, it is possible to retake the test by buying another key. So what are you waiting for? Well, you can also improve your employment opportunities by undergoing the WHMIS training. Do not waste this golden opportunity to get certified in WHMIS by the way of online training.

Bruce Russell is the author of this article on WHMIS.
Find more information on A Test Online here

High Demand Medical Professionals

EMTs (Emergency Medical Technicians) provide intensive medical care to critical accident victims especially to those who are fighting for life. For those who are in extremely critical conditions, these professionals have to perform CPR (Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation) and many other treatment methods. In addition to various complications of the patient, one should have the required skills and also a strong mind to carry out the job properly and effectively in highly disturbing situations. CPR skills can be learnt online at affordable costs. In CPR training classes the skills to perform resuscitation for grown up people, children and newborn babies are taught. It is a very useful course and those who practice these skills will get the opportunity to save the life of those who are between life and death. Those who cannot find time to attend the classes can learn these skills from online courses. These online courses are of very short duration and on completion of the program certificates will be issued. Those who are desirous of learning such skills can browse through the websites of these institutions and select the courses of their interest.

Those who are not from the healthcare field but, desirous of learning such skills and acquire knowledge about these treatment methods can also get enrolled for the CPR training classes. Those who join courses in EMT can learn all necessary skills to save life. Those who join the EMT training online get the opportunity to learn the most advanced skills and lessons. The course programs are blends of theory and practical training. Those who are holders of certificates in basic EMT can get enrolled for advanced courses of EMT training online. Those who aim for career advancement in EMS education can choose the EMS Instructor courses. The students who have completed the online courses will be eligible to appear for the certification examinations at national level. For trained EMTs and other Paramedical professionals, the demand is very high.

The CPR courses are considered as alternatives to practical learning. Those who attend such courses can enable more cardiac arrest patients to survive. Those who attend the courses in EMT can learn the skills to deal with the worst situations. The EMTs are expected to attend emergency calls, provide CPR and provide pre-hospital medical service to patients etc. In medical field, three types of EMTs are working - basic, intermediate and paramedical. Ample job opportunities are available for EMTs all over the country. Also, part-time as well as full time jobs are available for the qualified professionals.

Emstraininginstitute is the best place for online education in emt training california. It offers a host of features that enhance comfort including all types of services like emt, cpr, practice test and also refresher course online training. Want to know more about emt training california. check out our website.

Tips For Standing Out In Your Business Degree Program

If you are earning a business degree, you likely already know the importance of standing out to your professors. After all, being a stand-out student will not just help your grades, but it can lead to great opportunities down the road. If you are attending a large business program, however, it can be hard to be heard above the crowd. Some tips can help you to be a star student even when your classes are huge.

Many students select their business degree program for reasons other than size. After all, there are factors that are more important when it comes to choosing the degree program that is right for you. The size of your program can have an impact on your success, however. In a small program, your instructors will get to know you quite well, while in a large program, you risk being just a number. If you are enrolled in a larger program, you'll have to work extra hard to build relationships with your professors.

In a large business program, lecture classes with several hundred students may not be uncommon. While you probably can't avoid taking classes like this, you may be able to opt for more intimate seminar-style classes. Choose your courses wisely during your degree program if it is your intent to stand out. Take the size of a class, as well as the setting, into consideration when picking your courses each semester. Your academic advisor can help you to choose courses that best suit your goals.

In a large class, the key to doing well is regular participation. Yes, it can be intimidating to participate in a class of several hundred people, but your professor likely welcomes students' input. If you participate consistently and truly have something to contribute, your professor will remember you. Don't monopolize classroom conversation, however. Make sure you contribute when you have an interesting point to bring up.

Keep in mind that a large part of building faculty relationships in a large program is what takes place in between classes. Your interaction with your professors outside of the classroom is important. Your professor has open office hours one or more times a week, but how many of the several hundred students in your class actually show up to these?

Making a point to discuss your questions and concerns with your professors during office hours always pays off. You'll not only become friendly with your professors, but you'll be clued in on upcoming opportunities, such as course offerings you may be interested in or even internships.

But what if you are earning your business degree online, and you don't have direct contact with your professors? You can make a good impression by ensuring that everything you submit to discussion boards and forums associated with the online class is of the highest professional quality. All papers and assignments should be your best work. Finally, you can communicate with your professors regularly and effectively through email.

Whether you are going to an online college or in a large lecture hall where hundreds of students compete for attention, it is possible to stand out in your classes. You don't have to resign yourself to being just a number. Business degrees are only successful if you put forth the effort.

Online Games Provide Interactive Math Help

Math can be a difficult subject to grasp, especially for young children who are trying to piece together basic concepts. Though some kids have a knack for numbers, many need a little extra math help to achieve the best possible performance at their grade level. One way you can offer that help is through the use of interactive online math games.

Making Learning Fun

Perhaps the biggest benefit of using games to supplement traditional education is that they make learning fun. When your child is engaged in a bright, supportive learning environment, he or she is more likely to pay attention. Interactive math games use this type of setup to build upon previously learned concepts, introduce new ideas and challenge children in positive ways. Even kids who claim to hate math may find themselves enjoying this type of math help as they come to a greater understanding of how to work with numbers.

Clarifying Difficult Concepts

No matter how good your child's academic performance is, there can be some math concepts that are hard to understand. Addition, subtraction and basic multiplication may seem like simple things, but for kids, each new skill is uncharted territory. It can be very frustrating to watch your child struggle with homework or tests as he or she progresses through different levels of math. The math help offered by online games takes textbooks and worksheets out of the equation and gives kids a learning tool that adapts to their own pace of learning. Unlike a classroom setting, educational online games are tailored to individual players. This means that your child will be able to go over a subject as many times as he or she needs in order to master it. And if some ideas come more easily, he or she can move right on to the next lesson.

Bringing Kids and Parents Together

Parental involvement is essential to a good education, and using interactive math games can help get you engaged in your child's learning process. Instead of just sitting your child down in front of the computer and letting a game give all the math help, you can share the experience by joining in with helpful tips, encouraging comments and positive reinforcement. Showing your child that you are proud of his or her accomplishments gives an added incentive when it comes to learning. Kids like sharing their achievements, and knowing that you're paying attention to their studies puts difficult things like math in a new perspective. When you get involved, your kids are no longer simply working towards a good grade or a high test score. Parental involvement gives them an incentive to work hard because someone cares about how well they're doing, which in turn makes for a more positive learning experience overall.

Offering kids extra math help through online learning games can give them the help they need to gain a better understanding of concepts they'll use throughout their lives. By putting an otherwise difficult subject in a positive light, you can give your child important tools that will allow him or her to become more proficient when it comes to all kinds of math.

Jim Wheelin writes about many different educational topics for parents, kids and teachers. While looking for math help online for his kids, he has come across different games and lesson plans. Jim strongly encourages other parents and teachers to test educational games such as the ones offered at http://www.dreambox.com/.

Guide to Getting Executive Assistant Training

Executive assistant training is important for anyone who aspires to be a personal assistant. As an executive assistant you will be in charge of achieving the goals and visions of your organization or boss. With this amount of expectation on your shoulders then you will require proper training. One mistake could cause the organization a whole lot and cost you your job as well. As such, you need to take extra care by getting the right people to train you. The proper kind of training makes all the difference in your level of professionalism.

Most companies will insist that you have a high school diploma for you to qualify as an executive assistant. Many of them will even insist that you have executive assistant training to make it as their personal assistant. There are instances where you will be asked if you have a bachelor degree or an associate. Some bosses are willing to trade professional experience for academic qualifications as long as you can convince them that you are good at what you do. If you have practical experience in the operation of standard equipment in the office, you will certainly stand a high chance of landing the big job.

You will require minute taking courses to make it as a good executive assistant. A company will want to know whether you can get all the minutes in a meeting without missing a thing. As such, attention to detail is one quality that you have to possess in good measure. In addition to good minute taking abilities, you will be needed to have great communication skill so that there are no issues resulting from miscommunication. Certain posts will also require that you have a high typing speed.

You may need to attend an executive assistant workshop, as this will help you acquire the skills that you need. From such a workshop you will be able to acquire the most important skills for this trade. You will also be able to network with other executive secretaries and learn a thing or two from them. You will be trained on the basics of work ethics and loyalty which are some of the qualities that are important for your success as a personal assistant. Apart from a degree certificate it will add more value to your career if you attended a workshop or conference for other personal assistants.

Finally, you should take good care where you get your executive assistant training. There are many training schools out there that will claim to provide quality training but this is not always guaranteed. You should do your own research to find out what will work for you. Ask your friends for recommendations on a good training school. Ensure that the school is registered by the relevant authorities to avoid having a certificate that no one recognizes. You may want to get a short term education that lasts only a year. The other option is to take a bachelor degree in business administration. This will definitely put you ahead of the rest and get you short listed for that interview that you want.

Aman Saxena think that Souters is the best Legal and Secretarial training center, it known as executive assistant workshop, and institute of executive secretary training.

Online Games Help Kids Learn First Grade Math

Math is a subject that many kids have trouble with as they progress through school. It's essential that math basic skills be mastered early on, as these skills build the foundation for understanding harder concepts introduced in higher grades. First grade math contains quite a few important skills, and using online games may be able to give students the help they need in order to become fluent in working with numbers.

Building on Basic Concepts

In kindergarten, kids learn simple math skills like number recognition and counting. They're able to begin to recognize that higher numbers are bigger numbers and can understand concepts like counting by twos and tens. Using online games with these children when they reach first grade can help them transition between beginning math skills and more complex numerical concepts. Providing a wide variety of different games in an entertaining online environment gets kids excited about tackling new ideas and puts math in a positive context. Once the foundation has been laid for basic comprehension and computational skills, children can use these games to progress even further.

Mastering New Skills

By the time they're learning first grade math, kids should be ready to tackle things like the relationship between addition and subtraction, the concept of adding and subtracting two-digit numbers and learning to count beyond 100. Being able to compare numbers as larger, smaller or equal to each other is also important, as it provides the basis for recognizing whether or not the answer to a computation problem is the correct one.

Children need to be allowed to master these and other essential math skills before being asked to move on to new ideas, but the modern classroom setting doesn't always allow for this. As focus on core curriculum begins to push complex ideas into lower grade levels, kids are expected to learn more at a younger age. First grade math still contains lany fundamental concepts essential for understanding higher math, and therefore shouldn't be rushed through. By letting a child try and re-try each new thing as it comes, online math games can give the extra time and practice that struggling students need to achieve success.

Taking it One Step at a Time

Every child learns at a different rate, but it's important to remember that all children should be able to grasp similar concepts once they've completed first grade math. Without the ability to count, add, subtract and understand basic relationships between all three, progression to higher math becomes difficult. Though online math games can't be used to teach everything a child needs to know, they can be an invaluable tool when it comes to augmenting what is learned in the classroom. Games supply a different context and more interactive setting than worksheets and are also more dynamic, which gives kids a new way to think about the concepts they're learning and can shed light on things they may be having trouble with.

The interactive world of online games makes first grade math enjoyable for young children and allows them to practice new math concepts outside of school. Both parents and teachers can use these tools to enhance traditional learning, thereby giving kids a unique and entertaining way to hone necessary math skills.

Jim Wheelin writes about many different educational topics for parents, kids and teachers. In his latest project, he worked with elementary teachers to find fun first grade math lessons and other classroom activities. Jim strongly encourages other parents and teachers to test educational games such as the ones offered at http://www.dreambox.com/first-grade-math-games.

Math Games Are Effective Tools for Adaptive Learning

Adaptive learning recognizes that each student learns at her own pace and in her own way. The role of the teacher is to support the student's efforts so that all are able to reach their potential. This is a complex and challenging task, and the teacher in today's classroom needs appropriate tools to accomplish the goal. One tool that is effective in helping students meet the requirements of the common core state standards in mathematics is an online system of math games that continuously assesses the child's progress and adjusts tasks accordingly.

"Learning Trajectories in Mathematics," a January 2011 research paper published by the Consortium for Policy Research in Education, asserts that instruction must adapt to the student's needs and learning style in order to produce desirable results. Authors Phil Daro, Frederic A. Mosher, and Tom Corcoran emphasize that, instead of selecting able students for success, educators in a standards-based system must constantly assess progress and adjust instruction so that each student experiences success. This is adaptive learning.

The researchers further write that no system or tool can "replace careful attention and timely interventions by a well-trained teacher who understands how children learn mathematics." The alert teacher assesses how well students understand the concepts and processes being studied and provides instruction that helps them to thoroughly master each step before moving on to the next.

The common core state standards provide a useful framework for adaptive learning. The teacher is the person who interprets to students what those standards mean and provides appropriate learning activities. In order to do this, the teacher must understand how children learn math concepts and processes, what points they may struggle with, and interventions that can help them to find successful solutions.

Learning trajectories are attempts to describe the varying paths children may follow to develop mathematics understanding. They have their roots in developmental psychology and developmental neuroscience. The teacher needs to be familiar with these processes in order to provide the kind of help each child needs. A well-informed teacher is able to use technology to reinforce the concepts that have been taught in class.

Combining classroom instruction and a variety of learning experiences with an effective computer-based learning program will help the teacher reach each student at his or her optimal learning level. No teacher can be everywhere at once. With a good system of reinforcing games that provides real-time feedback, the teacher can pinpoint trouble areas and provide support to those children who are having difficulty understanding the concepts being taught.

An advantage of online math game systems is that students are able to continue their mathematics practice at home. In this way, they can reinforce and expand on the lessons they have learned so that they come back to class ready to go on to the next step. The games also help students to develop fluency in the basic math processes.

Fluency in the basic math facts and processes is an essential foundation for higher mathematics learning. In order for students to become fluent, they must practice in a variety of ways to thoroughly master addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. Using math games keeps children engaged and interested so that math becomes an exciting adventure. In the hands of an experienced and well-informed teacher, math games are a very effective teaching tool for adaptive learning.

Jim Wheelin writes about many different educational topics for parents and kids. Recently he has been researching for a math game that can incorporate adaptive learning. In the future, Jim plans to test out an educational resource such the one offered at http://www.dreambox.com/adaptive-learning.

Finding the Right Correspondence Courses

These days, correspondence courses exist in almost every discipline under the sun. It is never easy choosing one course over the other because you never know which one in the end will benefit your career more. However, if you make your choice based certain factors, then you will definitely end up with the best distance education program, which is the most important thing.

Here are the factors that you need to consider when searching for the right correspondence courses.

Accreditation
The best correspondence courses must be accredited. As a rule of thumb, it is important that you find out whether the institution offering a particular program that is certified to offer the courses that you are interested in. Find out the institutions offering the correspondence course, and then search for their accreditation information. With the number of distance education scams on the rise, it is important that you look up the accrediting body the institution claims to be accredited by in order to be sure that it is a recognized accrediting body. You may still opt to take courses from an institution that is not accredited; however, your courses will not count for anything but the completion certificate awarded to you.

Comprehensive
The best correspondence courses are those that are highly comprehensive. Be sure to look at the course's description before signing up. Look for information that shows the details of the course as well as the content of the course to be sure that it fits your career goals. It is important that you gain as much knowledge as possible from the course. General overview courses might be a good start. However, more comprehensive courses will give you an in depth knowledge about your subject of interest.

Transferable
Good distance education programs should come with transferable credits. To find such programs, consider looking around for institutions that you may be interested in attending in the future. Find out if such schools accept correspondence course's credits. If they do not, then the knowledge you acquire from your correspondence course may not count towards your diploma or degree program at all.

Incorporates communication from instructors
Good correspondence courses should include communication from your instructor. Courses that only come with a sheet of instructions without the instructor's information are never the best because should you fail to understand something, you may not be able to figure it out. Sign up for courses that include your instructor's contact information, websites or online study materials as well online access to your tutors.

Corresponding courses are increasingly popular because of the suppleness that comes with these programs. You can advance your studies and grow your career without having to drop your job. Better still, you can study at your own convenience, location and pace. However, you have to find the right correspondence program in order to enjoy these benefits and more. Be sure to keep these factors in mind in order to find a distance education program that suits your career goals and objectives.