Education

English is the most widely spoken language for communication in the whole world.  Though it is not the mother tongue of all but majority of human beings prefer this language as their means of communication. This is due to the fact that English is a very easy yet sophisticated for being selected as an official language of a state. As a result English Tutors are much in demand all over the world.

If you take the instance of East Asia, you will find that there is a huge demand for good English tutors who can teach the language perfectly to the students. Starting from Japan, South Korea, Phillipines to Thailand, English Teachers are much preferred for tutoring the language. The people of these countries are even ready to appoint you for their children though you are not having any university degree or training experience certificates.

Let’s take the scenario of English teaching in Thailand. If you are in Bangkok, you will find that it recruits a large number of English teachers, trained as well as inexperienced in their educational institutions. Whereas the recruitment processes of English teacher are slow for other cities like Chiang Mai, Hat Yai, Songkhla, etc due to lesser work competition. English teaching is not much in vogue in the outer stretches of Thailand. But the existing opportunities inside Thailand are sufficient enough for English teachers who can teach in recognized educational institutions and also as private tutors.

Again if you opt for an expert English teacher online, you will find that English is becoming more interesting to you. Taking the guidance of an English tutor can actually help you to know the subject in a much better way. If you are having a strong grasp over English you can improve your learning on several other subjects.

So whenever you are selecting English tutors online, don’t forget to see that the tutoring encompasses every facet of English like reading, writing, grammar, comprehension, literature, proofreading, etc. The one-to-one consideration of the students many be lost at the schools or colleges. But it can’t go missing at the comforts of their own place and more specifically when the students are availing online tutors.

Now where will you get proficient English Tutors online if you are in Thailand? You can log on to www.myprivatetutor-thailand.com and can choose some of the best English Tutors online. You can rely on this online educational bureau as it is one of the largest online communities of students, teachers and other educational service providers. Having thousands of registered users it offers a simple way for students and teachers to find each other.

Are you considering advanced education, but are a little apprehensive of online education? Below are the top ten myths about online degree programs- disproved! After reading this, you won’t want to wait to find the best online program that’s right for you.

• They’re the same as a textbook

Online degree programs tend to be more comprehensive than a textbook. Most textbooks are usually written by one or two professionals, and are not always updated each year. With online degree programs, you have the opportunity to work with professors, many of whom are still working in the field as well as teaching. A textbook course only provides one point of view and expects the student to accept that view as the correct one.

Fact: Online professors offer variety of viewpoints on the subject, and are able to communicate with you on these topics through e-mails and papers submitted online.

• They require constant attachment to your computer

Online programs require quite the opposite! In fact, once you have enrolled in a program, you are able to work at your own pace – unlike a campus university where class schedules are predetermined by the professor and availability of a classroom. When learning through online programs, your classroom can be wherever you are – home, work, vacation, it’s up to you!

Fact: You no longer need to stick to a set schedule; log on whenever you have time!

• Employers won’t accept online degrees

According to Careerbuilder.com, “This may once have been the case, but online degree programs are now rightly perceived to be topical, challenging and highly relevant. They are designed with the needs of working adult learners in mind and are developed in consultation with experienced professionals in industry and business to ensure that students learn concepts and methods that are immediately applicable in their work environment.”

Fact: A study conducted by Vault.com says 61% of employers accept online degrees.

• Online = faster, easier & less credible

Online degrees can be faster to earn, but for the most part, they take almost as much time as on-campus degrees; when you factor in the work schedules of most students, this prevents students from devoting the entire day towards their online degree. This in no way makes an online degree less credible than an on-campus degree.

Fact: Careerbuilder.com says, “Employers are impressed by the initiative, ambition and self-motivation demonstrated by an employee who takes advantage of the Internet to develop their knowledge and their career.”

• All accredited schools are created equal

It may seem that all online schools have been accredited or are accredited equally. But beware; it’s important to ensure that the online school you are enrolled in has been accredited by a proper institution. LearnSource.com reveals if your school has been accredited. Though accreditation process is difficult and costly, most schools will cough up the dough because it classifies a school on a higher tier than non-accredited institutions.

Fact: Be sure that you’ve chosen a school with proper credentials to ensure your hard work towards a degree is not wasted.

• No personal attention in the virtual classroom

Just because you’re not in a classroom with other students and a teacher, it does not mean that you have to sacrifice personal attention. Many teachers of online courses leave a questions and comments section at the end of a lesson and provide their email addresses for students to contact them.

Fact: Virtual classrooms provide quicker, more direct communication and eliminate noisy distractions.

• Credits don’t transfer to traditional colleges

Every on-campus college and university has its own policies regarding credit transfers. If you are planning to transfer to a traditional school after completing an online degree program, be sure to contact administration officials before beginning the course to ensure that all of your new credits will transfer.

Fact: Be sure to send your official transcript to the desired school for approval of credits.

• Online is always cheaper

Online programs may be less expensive than a private institution, especially one that’s located in another state or country than the once in which you reside. But not all schools are created equal. Some online schools may cost more than others, or may include hidden fees. Be sure to select a school that fits your budget.

Fact: Research multiples schools and their costs to ensure you’ve found the best, most affordable program.

• No supplementary resources for the online student

Online courses don’t always depend on the internet; some online schools will include textbooks as additional resources. If you are looking for additional information, be sure to ask the professor or school for extra information, books and resources that will help you in your studies.

Fact: Before you spend, check your local library for relevant resources.

• You must be computer-savvy

Online courses do not require previous technical knowledge, or be able to understand how a computer works (unless, of course, that’s your degree!). In fact, most schools generally only require the ability to access the internet, your email, and additionally resources that you’d like to use throughout the courses.

Aside from earning a degree, online programs help the student to become more comfortable with many computer programs and emerging technologies.

Fact: Daily online use will only increase your familiarity with the computers and their capabilities.

Now that we’ve uncovered the truth about online colleges and degree programs, enroll in an online degree today!

On the need for an individualistic educational psychology emphasizing on the central role of the learner

Education and psychology are related in more than just one way and the psychology of education could be related to educational principles in psychology or how education as a discipline is taught within psychology as a subject and how these two disciplines merge. This is primarily the focus of educational psychology which studies how human learning occurs, what ways of teaching are most effective, what different methods should be used to teach gifted or disabled children and how principles of psychology could help in the study of schools as social systems.

Psychological education would be completely focused on learning methods as structured or imparted according to psychological and individual needs of the students. Education would differ according to culture, values, attitudes, social systems, mindset and all these factors are important in the study of education in psychology.

Educational psychology is the application of psychological objectives within educational systems and psychological education as I distinguish here is application of educational objectives in psychological processes. The first focus of using psychology in education is more general and the second approach of using education in psychology is more individualistic. However as far as present study of educational approach to psychology is concerned, there is no difference between individualistic educational psychology and general educational psychology and all interrelationships between psychology and education are considered within the broad discipline of educational psychology.

However a distinction between the more general educational psychology and more specific psychological or individualistic education could help in understanding the nuances of individualistic study and give a subjective dimension to the study of psychology in education. This could also help in making learning systems more student based and according to the needs of culture, society, individual or personal factors. This sort of study with a focus on personal/psychological aspects of learning is not just about social objectives and objectives within educational systems but also about personal goals and objectives and the psychological processes involved in learning. There has to be a clearer demarcation between education in psychology as a general study and individualistic education in psychology as a more specific and subjective discipline.

As of now educational psychology encompasses a wide range of issues and topics including the use of technology and its relation to psychology, learning techniques and instructional design. It also considers the social, cognitive, behavioural dimensions of learning but it would be necessary to make education more personal and individualistic through a special branch with a psychological focus on education so that individual needs are considered. There could be two ways in which this branch of knowledge could evolve – either by strengthening psychological education or individualistic approach to the psychology of education or by having two distinct branches of general educational psychology and individualistic educational psychology.

As in client centered approach to psychology, a psychology of education should also include further research that would highlight the need for individualistic dimensions in learning. Learning psychology is the use of psychological theories for example that of Jean Piaget and Kohler in the study of learning techniques, especially among children. I have already discussed Piaget but briefly Piaget’s theory higlights different stages of learning in children and Kohler suggested that learning occurs by sudden comprehension or understanding, however I will not go further into learning theories here. Whereas the focus of educational psychology is on learning techniques per se and the role of the learner is considered only secondary, a branch of individualistic psychology in education could help in emphasizing the role of the learner considering not just their disabilities or giftedness but also their personality patterns. This focus on personality patterns brings out the central role of understanding psychology in educational systems.

Educational psychology studies both the personal approaches to education as in giftedness, disability, learning theories applied to children and adults, and the more general objective approaches to learning as the role of schools as social or cultural systems.

The psychology of education could include the following branches:

General Educational Psychology

1. Learning Systems – As studied from individualistic learning perspectives and generalized learning perspectives, a discussion of the different theories, practices and systems or techniques of learning is an integral part of educational psychology and especially central to general educational psychology.

2. Social Systems – The use of education in social, cultural and economic systems could be considered within the psychological context and this relates to the role of education in society.

Individualistic Educational Psychology

1. Learning Systems – Learning techniques and systems or methods will have to be in accordance with the needs of the children or adult participants and according to skills of the teachers. Needs vary according to personal traits and abilities and individual needs will have to be considered during the learning process.

2. Social Systems – Individual learning psychology will have to be studied according to specific social and cultural backgrounds of the learners and thus a more subjective study of learning approaches and centralized role of the individual in the learning process considering their social, cultural or intellectual background will have to be considered. 

Chances are you know someone who is working toward a college or post-college degree via the Internet. Perhaps you yourself have attended online classes to continue your education, obtain a certification, or to improve you chances for advancement in your job.

More and more people are finding they can earn their degree from an accredited online university which offers the same challenge and quality of a traditional classroom in an environment which allows them to fit education into a life that might be too busy for a more conventional method of instruction.

According to a recent government study, about 127,400 distance education courses were offered in 2001-02, and there were about 3.1 million enrollments in distance education. Over one-half of all postsecondary education institutions offered distance education, and another 12 percent planned to offer distance education in the next 3 years.

Distance education is defined as education or training courses delivered to a remote (off-campus) location via audio, video, or computer technologies. Courses conducted exclusively on campus, as well as classes conducted exclusively via written correspondence, are not included in this definition of distance.

It is increasingly clear that technology has expanded the ability of students to participate in postsecondary education. Virtually every type of learner can benefit from some form of online education. In addition to the rapid proliferation of new courses and programs, colleges and universities are taking advantage of the Internet to enhance the admissions process and give potential students the opportunity to apply online.

Online education enables you to learn without causing a major upheaval in your life. You can access online class rooms using any Internet connection, anytime and practically anywhere. This round-the-clock access allows you to download assignments, read and participate in class discussions, review faculty feedback, and much more, all at times which are convenient to your professional and personal schedule. Many students find that this added flexibility, which does not sacrifice quality, helps keep them on track toward their goals more readily than with the rigid scheduling of a traditional learning environment.

There is also evidence that a portion of those students who participate in postsecondary education in their homes or workplace would not otherwise enroll in postsecondary education. Thus, it appears that technology is opening up new markets of potential students without significantly diminishing the number of students who would enroll in traditional colleges and universities, many of which also are offering technology-mediated distance education.

Distance learners are also generally happy with their online learning experience. A large-scale national study of student participation in distance education addressed student satisfaction of distance education classes and, when asked how satisfied they were with their distance education classes compared to their regular classes, a majority of both undergraduate and graduate students were at least as satisfied or more satisfied with the quality of teaching in their distance education classes compared with their regular classes.

Perhaps it is time to focus attention on the more basic question of how students learn, regardless of the delivery system. Technology-mediated distance learning is evolving so quickly it’s difficult for education experts to set standards that adequately address the current status and the future potential of the online learning experience.

Because experimental studies comparing distance education courses with campus-based courses have been based upon the premise that campus-based courses are the "gold standard," which may be open to question, it may be advisable to abandon these studies. It appears that addressing how students learn and focusing on outcomes assessment would be more productive.

Several organizations have developed standards and guidelines to ensure quality distance education, including the Southern Regional Electronic Campus, the National Education Association, and the Western Cooperative for Educational Telecommunications. These guidelines cover areas such as course development, evaluation and assessment, faculty support, and institutional support. Among the benchmarks, interactivity–between student and faculty, student and student, and student and information–is the single most essential element for effectiveness in distance education.

It is clear that online learning and distance education are here to stay. The benefits are  compelling, especially to those who have succeeded in completing their education or adding a much needed certification to their credentials through an online educational experience.
By E. A. Edwards

Introduction

In our “Pedagogical Leadership” class, we were assigned a group task to review any book related to leadership. The book our group selected was “Towards Schooling for the 21st Century” written by Per Dalin and Val Dean Rust. It’s published in 1996 by Redwood books. It is a book series of school development whose series editors were David Reynolds and David Hopkins.

Rationale of Selecting the Book

For selecting the book for review, we (all group members) set some criteria. The very first thing came into our consideration was the relevance of the book with our PL course. Secondly, we searched the book which gives the education vision for future generation. We selected above mentioned book. This book points-out the flaws in current educational policies and teaching and learning practices at school level, it also highlights the future trends and demands of the schooling. We all members considered it valuable for our future roles of educational leader and teacher educator; because it will guide us to be equipped with relevant resources, before entering in the classroom.

All about the Book This book is one of few educational books that looks in future rather talking about the past, and at the same time, it locates the schooling within a broader societal context. In this visionary book the authors present a comprehensive view of the challenges facing society, realities of work and the leisure of the children, and the implications of these analysis and predictions for schools today as they prepare children for the future. The authors consider that the schooling and learning would be influenced and would face fundamental changes due to revolutions in the economy, technology, ecology, society, politics and values.

This book talks all about planning for the 21st century, children and youth in future society, paradigm shift, vision for future, educational needs of youth, contemporary educational models and characteristics of good schools. Authors argue that societies have changed very rapidly in past and would be changing drastically in future, so we should think from now for our future generation. The authors also argue that children and youth should be taught according the needs and expectations of 21st century rather following old-fashioned methods of teaching and learning. We should provide them with an environment where they can think, analyze, discover, apply and create something new. Schooling must be based on the needs of new industries and the changing requirements of the labor force. Youth must be prepared for the coming world of work through the development of appropriate knowledge, attitudes and behaviors. In order to strengthen the socialization of the youth schools must work in collaboration with all influential elements (home, family, religious institutes, peer groups, pluralistic society and media). The book raises the question that does curriculum and school meet the needs of a youth/student? The authors define good school as a place where the students learning is focused through child-friendly curriculum framework, clear standards, interventions, clear instructions, relevant teaching and learning resources and fair assessment mechanism.

Overall, this book serves as a pioneer of exploring our thinking about our role and responsibilities towards changing future societies. It draws attention of teachers, heads, educationists, policy makers and community at large towards the needs and expectations of new century and guides them to bring creativeness and innovation in educational system through giving the lead to youth of the day.

My Key Learning from Book

Though, this book is written in western context and mainly highlights the emerging issues from the specific regions of the world, even then, all the described challenges are the part and parcel of our own educational system. Through this book, I have got deep insight in the issues of education in 21st century. This book has drawn a holistic picture of the current educational system through unearthing the bitter truths of the day. I came to know that how different factors help or impede the learning of the youth. While reading this book, my mind was totally dejected and started querying many questions. What does this mean for schooling today and tomorrow? What are the basic learning needs of students and are we capable enough to provide them need-based education? What do we mean by good or excellent school? Are we preparing our youth for changing future society?

I learnt through this book that to meet the dire needs of future society, we have to do pre-planning. There should be the clear vision, because it forms the basis of any planning process. Planning of anything should be 30 to 40 years prior to the implementation phase, so that, it can be well piloted before experimenting in a real setting. Teaching, learning and engagement of the youth should be in accordance with the needs and interests of the youth. Here, needs and opportunities in future society should be kept in consideration. I believe that, until and unless the indifferent and passive attitude of people, out-dated ways of planning and implementing and an unclear vision/mission exist, we will not be able to bring positive change in education system.  By Salima Sewani