http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/11/education/11school.html?ref=education

It seems oddly humorous to me that the very organizations which wanted to be considered businesses are running around complaining about financial market issues, which are a huge part of the financial cycle.  While everyone was sleeping, education became a business, much to the dismay of professional educators. It happened very slowly but the marketing was outstanding. Those upset with running the business apparently never had the opportunity to obtain an education degree and as is typical with all business plans,  the CEO’s (principals) were busy listening to the marketing department, not the people with the education degrees.

During my lifetime I have watched education attempt to be made into the Ford Motor Corporation, each student a widget on the assembly line. Next I watched it become  Mattel and Parker Brothers, whereby fresh new colors and shiny objects were going to improve the widget and how it turned out if the widget would just play. Then it became IBM  where the advent of the silicon chip was going to revolutionize the learning process and make the widget smarter, faster and finally, now it is seen as  WAMU, a bank that was well marketed but actually had no business acumen.

At no point did I see education become a walk in the woods, an interaction between parents and children, a trip to the library, travels, time away from TV, nutritious food, creative/innovative as those things due not turn a profit, they merely turn out better students.  I watched carefully. I was one of the teachers who was supposed to be thunderstruck with each new business model.  At the height of all this business transformation, I was supposed to follow the wisdom of business guru Jim Collins in Good to Great, the non-profit version since non-profit makes it sound less corporate.  The business model never worked without help from Mr. Bloom (Bloom’s Taxonomy) and other great educators.

To this day, all of the schools run as businesses have yet to do anything different from what an ordinary, regular neighborhood school is expected to do – prepare students for attending college and get most of the students through higher education to obtain a job in the workforce and improve the economy of the nation.  The major difference is that schools run as businesses have fancy data and graphics and market the hell out of themselves- they have yet to substantially and consistently reduce the  margin of discrepancy between White and Asian students vs. Black and Latino  student test scores in a statistically valid manner.  Schools run as businesses have not improved crime rates, have not slowed poverty, have yet to produce more doctors, lawyers, MBA’s, etc.  per capita.  The school as business was merely modeled after showing ‘test scores’ or quality control if you will.

As I sit back and watch the media circus around the issue of budget cuts in education, I chortle. The cheapest, most effective thing which should have been done in gross (cheaper in gross!) is to get parents involved and responsible in raising their child and following up on the child’s academic performance.  There is no ‘business’ in the education model  - it is a public service, funded by tax dollars and audited, if you will, by the parents and public at large to see that students get into and through higher education.

So, perhaps we need to find a good CPA (cleaning, pressing and alteration of the books) to fix the problem or we need to remove the business model strategy from education.  I did not obtain a degree in business – I was convinced a business degree  would ebb and flow like the financial markets.

A year of new beginnings is upon Michael and I in less than 2 weeks!  He’s heading back to school to finish his degree in the spring, and I’ve decided to do the same!  I was in college at the ripe old age of 18, fresh out of highschool and wet behind the ears.  I had my first taste of freedom, and I took full advantage.  I’m now sorry I took advantage of “freedom” by choosing a college that cost $25k a year.  (sorry mom and dad)  I spent a year and a half there and then I switched to head to a state and more local college, work full-time and get my own place–I was almost 20.  I spent another 1.5 years in school, I declared my major for elementary education. I wanted to teach kindergarten!   I started some observation sessions in a few local schools and began to double guess if this was what I really truly wanted.  After that semester I took some time off, worked full-time and tried to figure it all out. 

I then decided that I would go to cosmetology school.  I LOVED IT!  I was good at it and it felt great!  I loved having clients come into the school and sit in my chair and talk away to me like I’ve known them for 10 years.  I loved their reaction when I turned the chair around to have them look in the mirror.  I then decided that I was going to open my own salon as soon as I was finished.  Yeah what a pipe dream!  I went to school one day and took a step back.  I looked at all the vanity and catty-ness that surrounded me.  Is this who I was?  No.  Point blank…not a chance was I ever going to reflect this kind of image.  Then something happened that changed me forever.  While I was still in hair school I met Michael…a few months later I became sick.  My right arm and hand started to go tingly and numb–and then it stayed that way.  The week that the numbness in my arm and hand happened, I woke up that Sunday and couldn’t move my head up or down, or from side to side.  Monday morning I was taken to the doctor.  He ordered an MRI.  The results came back–my C-4 vertebrate was pressing on my spinal cord.  I was referred to a neurosurgeon.  2 weeks after my appointment and one very painful procedure later I was going in for neck surgery.  I had to have a spinal fusion on my C-4 vertebrate.   I now have cadaver vertebrate pieces fused to my own bone, a metal plate and 4 screws that holds everything in place behind my esophagus, and a beaut of a scar on my neck.  It’s my battle wound and my constant reminder that I shouldn’t take life to seriously and never take anything for granted. 

Needless to say–my life is different now.  A year after my surgery Michael and I got married, I didn’t get to finish hair school.  I’ve kinda been floating the last couple of years.  I’ve worked a great job while Michael is going to school full-time.  He has 3 semesters left, and I’ve decided I am going back to finish my education degree – part time of course.  I know I’d be a damn good teacher and what a fulfilling role I can play in other’s lives.  So there it is…my roller coaster   I am excited to start a new chapter in life with Michael–it’s going to be tough I know it but I know I can handle it.  I got through this deployment and I am a stronger woman because of it!

Attending classes online is the smart way for busy people to earn degrees to advance in their present career or furthering their education.
As an online student you will not have a minimum of 8 hours a week in lectures like the full-time students attending the universities. For them, it can sometimes be as much as 30 hours a week.

Another advantage being an online student, is very unlikely that you will pick up any student debt. Debt level for the full-time students continue to rise every year as banks and other lenders throw bigger and heavier credit their way while they are still studying.

One disadvantage of being an online student is there is less human interaction. However, human interactions can be encouraged through audio or video-based web-conferencing programs. In addition, several universities offer online student support services, such as online advising and registration, e-counselling, online textbook purchase, student governments and student newspapers. In cases where mobile technologies are used, the term “M-learning” has become more common. M-Learning is the follow up of E-learning which for its part originates from D-learning (distance education). M-learning is the delivery of learning to students who are not keeping a fixed location or through the use of mobile or portable technology.

It may include the use of web-based teaching materials and hypermedia in general, multimedia CD-ROMs or web sites, discussion boards, collaborative software, e-mail, blogs, wikis, text chat, computer aided assessment, educational animation, simulations, games, learning management software, electronic voting systems and more, with possibly a combination of different methods being used.

Thus, make sure you do your research when trying to decide on an online private college or University as not only their medium of teaching is important but also you want to choose a university that provides maximum advice implementing minimum cost and time involvement.

If you find hard to take time out, it is a better option that you go for online education because as today’s employers are already pressed for time. Your boss will love you as you do not have to be present for an amount of classes and can review the downloaded learning material offline at your convenience.

Dr. Tom Huggard is a College Lecturer. His specialises in aeronautic engineering. When Tom was a student, he found no resources out there to help him choose the best university to go to. He had to spend hours and hours doing the research himself while he was doing his pre-university in the school. Although, he has a full time job, he does spend a fair bit amount of time keeping track of university leagues around the world. He sourced out good articles to promote on his website, http://www.educationsonline.wordpress.com Check it out today to find your dream university.

Along with the opportunities provided by different online courses, it is easier for a large number of people to continue to pursue the education they desire. Online courses can be opted for to get a formal education or to pursue a hobby. A person can learn how to paint with watercolors or master a foreign language online. Almost all skills and trades can be learned with the help of online courses.

There are people who think that an online education is not the same as traditional education. However, this is no longer the case. In fact, many public and private universities offer online education courses and degree programs, in addition to the many other strictly online universities. Online computer courses offer many varied subjects for a student to consider. It is easy to find colleges, universities and businesses that offer degrees or specific courses online.

Computer training is one of the most popular online educations offered. People can obtain a degree in computer programming or any other computer associated degrees. Research indicates that many employers and businesses now look for graduates who have enrolled for online courses and degree programs.

Computer education online is meant for people who already have a degree and simply wish to update their knowledge and skill with the help of an online education course. The possibilities are almost never-ending.

There are many advantages to pursuing a degree or training online. People can study at their own speed and at any time. A degree at a traditional university or college may take 2 or 4 years. It is advisable to be sure that the online university is accredited and that the online credits will be recognized in a chosen industry.