Distance Learning Education Degree – for Career Advancement
12:32 PM
A distance learning education degree is the most convenient and efficient way to higher income and greater career opportunities in the field of education. Employed teaching professionals desirous of advancing their careers to leadership roles, such as superintendent, principal or dean, prefer distance learning education courses. Such courses expand their knowledge and provide exposure to diverse educational settings.
A number of distance learning education degree courses are available with various specialization options. Some of the specialization options offered by various universities are administration and supervision specialization, curriculum and instruction specialization, specialization in early childhood education, specialization in special education, teacher education specialization, educational leadership programs, etc.
Different Levels of Distance Learning Education Degree Courses
A certificate course in education is an entry level program. It teaches elementary skill sets to enhance your professional effectiveness. Certificate credits may be applied towards degree programs.
Bachelor’s degree programs lead to elementary and secondary teacher licensure. The students gain the pedagogical skills and knowledge helpful in becoming competent and effective educators.
Master’s degree specializations help students to develop new competencies and enhance skills and abilities to teach more effectively or advance to administration or leadership roles.
PhD or EdD specializations strengthen critical thinking, research, and problem solving skills. It prepares learners to become transformational leaders who will strategically manage and lead complex educational organizations. It enables the participants to meet the challenges in the field of education confidently and competently.
Reviewing Available Resources
The College of Education at the University of Phoenix Online offers over 80 individual professional growth courses. Some of these graduate level courses may lead to endorsement in a specialty area such as bilingual education or reading. These courses are available 100% online and are offered in a concentrated and intensive format.
The School of Education at Capella University offers many programs to educators to advance their careers. More than 2,400 educators have chosen this institution for their online education degree and certificate programs in K-12, higher education, and continuing and adult education.
The University of Scranton has been mentioned by US News and World Report’s “America’s Best Colleges” survey as one of the 10 finest Master’s Universities in the North for the past 11 years. This university offers master’s degree programs in curriculum and instruction, and in educational administration.
Distance learning education degree programs are designed for educators interested in gaining knowledge and expertise in their chosen fields. Educators, as an integral part of the school community, facilitate the development of students who are the future of the nation and productive citizens in a changing society.
Summer Job Ideas for Budget Travelers
10:36 PM
1. You could become an au pair or nanny. There are many opportunities to look after people’s other kids while traveling. Try England, South Africa or Australia for starters.
2. You could teach English. In a number of countries there are opportunities for English teachers. If you are bilingual you’ll have a much better chance of scoring one of these jobs in places like Japan.
3. How about working in a pub? In England there are opportunities for free board in pubs where you are prepared to pull a beer. Hospitality jobs are relatively easy to come by in Australia.
4. Have you ever considered working at children’s holiday camps in the USA or Russia as a camp counselor?
5. You could become a fruit picker! Get to work in the fields all over the world.
6. What about a winter holiday job? Can you ski? You can get jobs as ski or snowboard instructors in many ski resorts all over the globe.
7. How about becoming a Jack or Jillaroo on an outback station in Australia? Immerse yourself in the culture of the outback.
8. Is there work available at the hostel you are staying at? It won’t hurt to ask. Sometimes you can exchange work for free food and board or at least a reduction in the price.
Apart from paid positions, you can also get volunteer work in many places. Volunteering your services can get you free food and board. How about volunteering on a farm? Or being a hike trail or tourist guide volunteer? You’ll get to see the sights for free.
For those of you who may be looking for a more serious work/travel experience there are other opportunities. For example, can you get a transfer with your current job to an overseas position? Or do you want to do something worthwhile in your gap year? Programs are available for students to travel in their gap year and get involved in some amazing projects all over the world. You could work in the publishing industry in India or teach children with special needs. There are many organizations set up to help place people who want to broaden their horizons by volunteering their services in foreign countries.
If you think working or volunteering while you are traveling would be a possibility for you, make sure you find out if you need work permits to do so. Using your skills while traveling is a great way to save money and meet people. You’ll be rewarded in many ways.
Great Guides to Help You Plan Your Travel Budget
10:34 PM
Online bookstores have sections on travel guides. Try Amazon or specialty travel book stores like the Globe Corner Bookstores. They have an amazing array of guide books for the traveler on a budget. The most important thing to keep in mind about published guidebooks is that once the information is printed, it is probably out of date. Although most of them are updated annually, you cannot take what is written as set in stone. Internet guides are preferable in this area because their information is updated sometimes on a daily basis so all the deals on offer are available when you see them.
The best guides seem to be the ones that give you specific information on either your choice of destination or the type of holiday you will be taking (family vacation, backpacking, students, seniors, etc). There are the well known guide books/web sites like The Lonely Planet that will give you information on just about every destination you can think of. Or you can contact the embassy of the place you want to visit or go to the library to find out more about your choice of destination. Most web sites will also have links to travel deals that are from the site sponsors. Some of the deals look great but research them. Compare to other sites to get the best deal for you.
Some guides worth having a look at for the budget traveler are:
* ‘The World’s Cheapest Destinations’ by Tim Leffel
* ‘Europe on $70 a Day’ by Arthur Frommer
* Any guidebook from the Lonely Planet ‘Shoestring’ series
* Any guidebook from the ‘Cheap Eats and Sleeps’ series
If you are backpacking, getting a guide on hostels in the area you are traveling to is a good idea. There are many sites dedicated to finding hostels. You will be able to get prices and make bookings in advance.
Once you know where you are traveling you’ll be able to find a guide on just about anything. How to get there, where to sleep, where to eat, what to visit and how to travel around are all going to be available in a travel guide. And once you get to your destination go to the local tourist information stand and look at what other helpful guides are available.
Where to Shop to Save Money?
10:31 PM
You may not think much of thrift shops and surplus stores, but may be you are not aware that these places sell branded stuff for very cheap. In fact, these establishments are full of top quality goods. If you are used to the convenience of big stores, then you may find the going a bit tough in these establishments because of the effort involved in finding the right stuff you need. You may have to spend some extra time, but you do get the stuff you require at very cheap prices. The saving you make is worth all the trouble. If you are looking for some outstanding bargains, you are in for a surprise.
Look around for such a store and chances are that you will find one near your locality. If you do not know where to begin, take the help of an online search engine. Go through the list of thrift shops and surplus stores provided by the search engine. Most likely, you will find a store near your home. Can you imagine that you will find big labels going for as cheap as under $6. 00 or under $20. 00? Designer clothes, which you may only dream of owning, can be yours for next to nothing.
2. Clearance Sales
If you have the patience and time, then wait for clearance sales that are normally announced with much fanfare. Clearance sales are places where you can find great bargains. It is true that some times you do have to make that extra effort to find the goodies that you are looking for, but it is worth all your time and effort.
The savings that you make on such deals are fantastic. You come home satisfied on two accounts. One, that you got the stuff you wanted; two, you did not have to dig deep into your pocket. The money you save on such deals can go to your bank or help you buy goods you have been waiting to buy for long.
3. Reusable Goods
When you go shopping, be conscious of buying goods that can be reused over and over again. If you are looking for batteries for your radio or alarm clock, go for the rechargeable kind. They may cost you a bit extra initially, but the savings you make subsequently are substantial. Rechargeable batteries have a very long life and serve you for years together in comparison to ordinary batteries that have a life span of a few months only.
Christmas trees are another area where you can save heavily. Artificial Christmas trees do look real and have a long life. Apart from saving money, you will do a great service by helping a tree from being chopped down. Can you imagine the number of trees that can be saved every year?
4. Bulk Buying
You tend to save a lot if you go for buying in bulk. Shopping at warehouses or at wholesalers make you save money because they sell cheap on bulk. You can tie up with your family or friends and avail of reduced prices on bulk buying.
5. Use Coupons
Coupons are great money savers. If you have coupons with you, do not hesitate in exchanging them for goods purchased at stores, grocery stores, or retail chain stores, where these are accepted. Keep in touch with the bulletin boards of the stores for double coupon days. Plan your shopping on days when a store offers double coupons.
Using coupons, you can save from 5% up to 15%. This leads to a substantial saving of a few hundred dollars every year.
6. Don’t Get Lured
We generally tend to spend money over things because we get lured into buying them, whether or not we require them. You may be tempted into buying something, which has great appeal for you. It is best to avoid going to that particular store where it is available, or be strong enough not to get tempted. That is how you can save money.
7. Being Patient
Being patient is the keyword to avoiding impulsive buying. If you are an impulsive buyer, you need to exercise patience. Impulsive buyers tend to buy things even when they do not really need them. When you feel the urge to buy something, be patient and tell yourself to follow the budget you planned. Do not resort to any unplanned buying. If you have planned to buy a particular shirt when it will be available on sales prices, patiently wait until then.
8. Identifying Triggers
If you are the kind who suddenly feels the urge to buy something not required, then you may need to identify what triggers you into getting in buying mode.
You might be feeling sad, lonely, anxious, depressed or happy. These could be one of the reasons that trigger the urge of buying in you.
Once you identify the trigger, exercise restraint. Look for other ways to get relief from your moodiness. All you need is to discipline yourself.
9. Barter Your Services
Float the idea of bartering services among your friends, neighbors, colleagues, and family. If some one needs help at lawn mowing, offer your services in exchange for spring-cleaning your house. If a family needs babysitting services, do it in exchange for some other chore where you need help. Such bartering of services will save a substantial amount of money for all concerned.
10. Avoid Competition
Live life on your own terms. Do not let others dictate what you should buy and what you should not. If you care to be introspective, you may find that many times you had to buy things just because your neighbors had it and you did not. This sense of competition leads to wasteful buying. At times people tend to buy things just to be one up on their friends or neighbors. The consideration at such moments is neither need nor affordability. They just buy to have a competitive edge over others. Such wasteful expenditure can cause a severe dent on their saving.
You need to be conscious of the fact that you are not in any competition with anyone. Your life is yours and hence, your needs need not be dictated by others. Before buying anything, see whether it fits the criteria of need and affordability.
11. When to Shop
It is important not to indulge in anytime shopping. A person may go for shopping when he/she is anxious, depressed, sad, or hungry. It has been found that under such state of mind a person tends to overspend on shopping. If you happen to be in a melancholic state, avoid shopping. Wait until you get over the feeling and feel normal. It is better if you eat at home before shopping. A little bit of discipline will ensure considerable saving.
12. Avoid Sales Talk
When you are trying out new dresses at a dress store, you are bound to get rave compliments from the sales persons about how beautiful you look in a particular dress, how well it fits you, or how a particular dress enhances your persona. You may in fact look all that and more, but do not get taken in into buying a dress by sales talk. Sales persons are paid to make sales, and they may even be getting a commission on each sale they make. They, for these reasons, are making a kill.
So, be prudent in your approach, keep your budget in mind, and go for a dress that you think suits you the best. Taking a friend along on such occasions is of great help.
13. Compare Prices
When you go out shopping, it is a good idea to compare prices at various establishments. You may find a significant difference in prices at different places for the same product or substitute product. Some goods might be offered at sales price, which can make you save good money.
14. Saving Money for Shopping
A number of financial institutions and banks offer a Christmas fund, an extra ordinary opportunity for you to save money for your holiday shopping. You put some money aside in the fund and enjoy a peaceful holiday, not spending beyond your means.
15. Keep an Eye on Shopping-rebates
Prior to going for shopping, keep an eye on shopping-rebates. There may be some specific days and dates when rebates are offered. Plan your shopping accordingly, and ensure a good amount of saving.
Try out the prices for assembled goods and unassembled goods. Unassembled items certainly come cheaper than fully finished and ready-to-use products. If you find the difference to be substantial, which it usually is, assembling at home is a good option and fun if you involve your kids in the exercise.
16. Save While Making Seasonal Purchases
Many stores offer holiday items on heavy discounts for a few days after a holiday. This is the time to store some stuff for the next season. You can store clothes, accessories, decorations for Christmas and more. This is a great way to save good money.
17. Buying at Dollar/Pound Stores
There was a time when dollar stores were known for storing poor quality goods, and offering off brand items. Now, things are not the same anymore. Dollar stores continue to sell cheap, but they are selling the same brand goods that you find at other stores. Daily use products can be had for a fraction of what they are sold elsewhere. You stand to make considerable saving from purchases made at your dollar store. So, look around for a dollar store near your home and start building up your saving.
18. Look to Save on Your Purchases
There are other sources for your daily needs items other than your neighborhood store. Packed edible stuff work out to be expensive, and they may come straight out of the cold storage. If you like eating fresh fruit and vegetables, head to the nearest farmer’s market. These items are cheaper and devoid of preservatives, besides being fresh. Your local bakery thrift store can offer you a variety of freshly baked stuff and breads. You can be sure of quality and freshness both at real cool prices.
Neighborhood garage sales and auctions offer you great stuff at highly discounted prices. Online auctions too are great bargains. You can get great quality stuff at highly reduced prices.
19. Utilize the Sale
Many times, we see that some or other products are on sale at a discount price. For Instance, the discount price of a deodorant may be $ 3. 50 and its original price $ 7. 50. If you are a regular deodorant user then do not give a second thought and purchase a couple of deodorants. You must take care before stocking things up, that you are a regular user of this product. Thus, it is a nice way of saving money.
20. Mix and Match
While shopping for clothes, take care not to purchase a matched suit. The cost of matched suits is higher than separate pieces. Thus, you may go for separate mixed pieces. Your work is to match those pieces and enjoy the savings. Moreover, you can enjoy the variety that mix and matched pieces offer. You can make four dresses out of just two pieces. This is interesting! One can enjoy the variety along with savings.
21. Sensible Shopping
Shopping in a mall is nothing but wastage of money. Always try to avoid purchasing from malls, as the product prices are too high. It would be nice to buy from a small shop rather than the malls. You can get the same quality product through online shopping or any other small shop and that too at a much lower price.
22. Shopping on the Web
Popularity of Internet is really growing very fast, as it offers every kind of information. Apart from information, you can also save your money through internet. Online shopping has brought a considerable change in the field of shopping. You can order the product online, that too at a discount price. They also offer instant delivery with added warranty. Moreover, you can go through the online catalogue and check out the wide varieties offered. For instance, there are several websites that offer a great variety of books, clothes or other appliances online and that at too at huge discount. So, take care not to waste your time and money, as both of them are precious.
23. Smart Shopping
You are saving money to buy your favorite car for a long time. Now, the time to purchase has arrived. You are eager to have the keys of your dream car. Wait! Do not act in haste. It may be possible that in a hurry, you will end up in wasting your long time saving. Check out the rates of the car in other cities. You will be astonished to find considerable difference among the rates. Thus, your little patience and intelligence can save you good money. Now, you can do anything with this saved amount.
We hope the above tips are helpful in saving you money, in the current climate around the world we all can do with saving some money !
Shopping Online is the Easiest Way to Purchase All That You Need
10:25 PM
Shopping has been a favorite pastime for women for ages and it is a very common activity. In the ancient times, when shopping was confined to visiting the village shops or the trade barter system, now it has enhanced to shopping sprees in air-conditioned malls. Shopping now not only includes simple shopping and bargaining for clothes, but is a very rich experience, which involves exploring the large amount of variety that is available in the market today. Shopping has today also expanded to an instant form of Internet shopping where goods are purchased online and the payments are made via credit cards. With online shopping, you can indulge in shopping right within the comfortable confines of your home. You just need to select the good that you want to purchase from an online catalog, include it in your shopping cart, and then make payment for it through your online account.
Online shopping has facilitated shopping for all those people who are unable to go to the shopping marts due to a shortage of time or due to their physical deprivation. Shopping has indeed evolved with the passage of time with the increase in disposable incomes and the customer’s purchasing powers. Today, Internet is brimmed with plethora of websites that can offer a vast realm of shopping commodities right from lingerie, computers, and cosmetics to the most inconsequential pest-repellant drugs. Shopping sites make you aware about the huge variety of commodities that are available in the market and save you from the hassles of searching for your kind of commodity in the market.
You no longer need to spend long shopping hours in market to find the product that suits your pocket and is also of the desirable quality. Shopping has become a far easier task now where one just needs to log on to any Internet shopping site, pick up his choice, and then order it. The delivery will be done via shipment right at the customer’s doorstep. You can also avail the facility of customizing the goods according to your needs and sizes. Online shopping also saves us from the long queues and the incumbent hassles at the over-the-counter scanning procedures. Online shopping is also a very viable option for all those women who have small children and cannot go to shopping because of their tiny tots.
Online shopping can also save you from the problems of parking and traffic jams that were really an obnoxious trouble for everyone who started relying on Internet shopping. Companies are also encouraging their customers to buy their products online by offering lucrative discounts. Although the trend of online shopping has now caught up, but women still tend to purchase the more luxurious and expensive goods like diamonds, gold and expensive clothes by visiting markets only. Online shopping is also not very successful in case of commodities where a customer personally needs to see, feel and touch the product. This is especially true in case of automobile shopping where a customer needs to drive a car before purchasing it.
The New Information Technology Marketplace
10:23 PM
This article is also available as a Podcast on “The RootCause” podcast series available on iTunes.
As our country begins what I can only hope is a new era, I find myself wondering about the future of our industry. Information Technology took a very hard hit in the Dot Bomb Crash of 2000. I was under contract to Lucent Technologies at the time and the impact there was enormous. Jobs were lost by the thousands, and so were retirements. Now, in 2008 and 2009, we see another financial bomb–but we also see a new vision.
In 2000, the world discovered that just being on the Internet did not guarantee success. Prior to that, business was doing well at moving money around, if not actually producing much. The cash had to keep moving or it would settle to the ground and people would notice that there wasn’t that much new money–just the same funds moving in circles–redistributing. Maybe that is what finally happened. Maybe the music stopped and everyone realized that there weren’t enough chairs for everyone–and panicked.
The financial bomb this time is a bit different and as I am not a financial consultant, I will not try to explain it–even if I fully understood it-which I do not. My concern here is the impact of this market on my industry, the Information Technology Industry. This time it seems, we are not dead center on the bull’s eye–instead we are the arrow point. We went through our decimation and many of us retired, retrained in other fields or just gave up. Others stayed on and have continued to grow with the technology. It’s leaner and meaner and there are far fewer of us to do what needs doing. But, it is also the foundation of the new economy to come.
New energy systems and a rewrite of the way that the Health Care Industry does business will be heavily steeped in Information Technology. Our skills are going to be in more and more in demand as companies around the world, and here in the United States, scramble for ways to create a sustainable future for our planet and our respective countries. We will be right in the middle of it. Are you ready for that? Are you really?
One side effect of the trimming down of our industry has been reluctance to invest in upgrades, to improve efficiency of systems and, most importantly, to create. Older equipment and technology are often still in place–in mission critical positions. Products at the end of their support cycles, that are still working, are still in place. After all, why fix what isn’t broken? Money is tight.
Here is why you should fix it while it is still working.
(1) Because it IS still working. Once a component fails, you will end up scrambling to replace it–making bad decisions and building sloppy installations.
(2) Because new software tools, operating system manufacturers, (think patches), and other manufacturers of equipment, do not perform regression testing back to the beginning of time. If your operation system or other software tools are past that magical line in the sand, new-supposedly helpful-patches and upgrades could break your systems in unforeseeable and unsupportable ways.
(3) Because it is not about keeping your position in a company or in a market. It is about creating new technologies, processes and markets. The old ways don’t cut it anymore and whoever creates a solution to a problem, regardless of country or marketplace, will drive the economies of the world–and of their niche in the global marketplace. If your company creates products or provides services, you need to be on the crest of the wave.
President Obama has asked us to be willing to make hard decisions and to work to create the new technologies that will drive the world’s economy. I for one, embrace the call. Let’s stop trying to make our money by moving money from one pocket to another and begin once again to create. You, the people of the Information Technology Industry, are going to be right at the heart of it. Technologists, look for companies that want to be there too. Information Technology Managers, look for people with passion. Let the wonder that first led you to master an aspect of the magic of technology once again inspire you. This is our moment. This is our challenge. It’s time once again to have some fun with this stuff!
As our country begins what I can only hope is a new era, I find myself wondering about the future of our industry. Information Technology took a very hard hit in the Dot Bomb Crash of 2000. I was under contract to Lucent Technologies at the time and the impact there was enormous. Jobs were lost by the thousands, and so were retirements. Now, in 2008 and 2009, we see another financial bomb–but we also see a new vision.
In 2000, the world discovered that just being on the Internet did not guarantee success. Prior to that, business was doing well at moving money around, if not actually producing much. The cash had to keep moving or it would settle to the ground and people would notice that there wasn’t that much new money–just the same funds moving in circles–redistributing. Maybe that is what finally happened. Maybe the music stopped and everyone realized that there weren’t enough chairs for everyone–and panicked.
The financial bomb this time is a bit different and as I am not a financial consultant, I will not try to explain it–even if I fully understood it-which I do not. My concern here is the impact of this market on my industry, the Information Technology Industry. This time it seems, we are not dead center on the bull’s eye–instead we are the arrow point. We went through our decimation and many of us retired, retrained in other fields or just gave up. Others stayed on and have continued to grow with the technology. It’s leaner and meaner and there are far fewer of us to do what needs doing. But, it is also the foundation of the new economy to come.
New energy systems and a rewrite of the way that the Health Care Industry does business will be heavily steeped in Information Technology. Our skills are going to be in more and more in demand as companies around the world, and here in the United States, scramble for ways to create a sustainable future for our planet and our respective countries. We will be right in the middle of it. Are you ready for that? Are you really?
One side effect of the trimming down of our industry has been reluctance to invest in upgrades, to improve efficiency of systems and, most importantly, to create. Older equipment and technology are often still in place–in mission critical positions. Products at the end of their support cycles, that are still working, are still in place. After all, why fix what isn’t broken? Money is tight.
Here is why you should fix it while it is still working.
(1) Because it IS still working. Once a component fails, you will end up scrambling to replace it–making bad decisions and building sloppy installations.
(2) Because new software tools, operating system manufacturers, (think patches), and other manufacturers of equipment, do not perform regression testing back to the beginning of time. If your operation system or other software tools are past that magical line in the sand, new-supposedly helpful-patches and upgrades could break your systems in unforeseeable and unsupportable ways.
(3) Because it is not about keeping your position in a company or in a market. It is about creating new technologies, processes and markets. The old ways don’t cut it anymore and whoever creates a solution to a problem, regardless of country or marketplace, will drive the economies of the world–and of their niche in the global marketplace. If your company creates products or provides services, you need to be on the crest of the wave.
President Obama has asked us to be willing to make hard decisions and to work to create the new technologies that will drive the world’s economy. I for one, embrace the call. Let’s stop trying to make our money by moving money from one pocket to another and begin once again to create. You, the people of the Information Technology Industry, are going to be right at the heart of it. Technologists, look for companies that want to be there too. Information Technology Managers, look for people with passion. Let the wonder that first led you to master an aspect of the magic of technology once again inspire you. This is our moment. This is our challenge. It’s time once again to have some fun with this stuff!
Technology and Invention in Finance
10:22 PM
Financial Markets (ECON 252) Technology and innovation underlie finance. In order to manage risks successfully, particularly long-term, we must pool large amounts of risk among many, diverse people and overcome barriers such as moral hazard and erroneous framing. Inventions such as insurance contracts and social security, and information technology all the way from such simple things as paper, and the postal service to modern computers have helped to manage risks and to encourage financial systems to address issues pertaining to risk. The tax and welfare system is one of the most important risk management systems. Complete course materials are available at the Open Yale Courses website: open.yale.edu This course was recorded in Spring 2008.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
