Guest Post: Teaching At An Online College vs A Traditional College

Pros and Cons of Teaching at an Online College
It’s a form of education that is gaining in leaps and bounds, not just in terms of popularity, but also in terms of acceptability and respectability. No longer are online colleges the domain of people who cannot get into regular schools or who’re not qualified enough to secure admission to traditional colleges. Today, online degrees are sought after by most professionals and high school graduates as the best way to earn and learn simultaneously; and with even traditional and hallowed institutions like MIT offering online offerings, it’s only natural that this field is perceived as one that offers a host of opportunities.
So if you’re a professor, it’s not surprising if you’re considering venturing into the online world of education either full or part time. However, before you take such a step, it’s best to be aware of the pros and cons of this decision.
Among the advantages you stand to gain when teaching online are:
You learn more about the use of technology – with classes being taught entirely online, you must be tech savvy if you want to make it as an online professor.
You’re usually allowed to design your own lessons and modules because they need to include more than just text and be suited for the technology that delivers it. This helps you gain a better perspective of the subject and also broadens your experience.
You don’t have to worry about bad behavior, disrespect and unruliness from students because you’re insulated from them by technology. This makes online teaching an apt job for professors who know their stuff but are not authoritative enough to command respect in a traditional classroom.
But, on the downside:
Online classes are much more difficult to handle than regular ones – you have to do extensive research and be prepared to handle long discussions and deal with various questions from students who you interact with only through technology. This takes more time and effort, so if you’re not used to this kind of environment, you could find the going tough.
You will have to spend most of your time answering questions from students and helping them with any difficulties they may have – online learning is more of a student-centered activity than a teacher-centered one.
The remuneration you receive may not be as much as you would get at a regular institution.
Also, when you teach at a traditional college, you’re in line for tenure and your respectability gets a boost, something that is very unlikely to happen when you work at an online equivalent.
Some professors choose to do both – hold positions at regular colleges even as they take on part-time jobs at online schools. However, this works out well only if they’re adequately compensated and if they’re able to balance their time effectively.
By-line:
This guest post is contributed by Carrie Oakley, who writes on the topic of online colleges . Carrie welcomes your comments at her email id: carrie.oakley1983(AT)gmail(DOT)com.

The Pros and Cons of Getting Your Degree Online

This is a guest post, so please show Anna some love.

The Pros and Cons of Earning Your Degree Online

Technology has made a huge difference in the way we learn today, and you can’t argue the fact that online education has revamped the education system as we knew it. It’s a classic case of the mountain going to Mohammed because Mohammed is limited by various constraints and cannot go to the mountain; thanks to the Internet and other related technology, you’re able to earn a degree from the comfort of your home and also balance it with your work and other commitments. There’s no doubting that online education is here to stay and grow, but before you go down this road, you need to be aware of both the pros and cons of earning your degree online.

On the plus side:

· You don’t have to take time off from your work or your life in general to enroll in a degree and complete it. This allows you to balance both work and study if you’re a professional or family and study if you have kids at home, without neglecting or putting one on hold in order to pursue the other.

· You don’t have to relocate to another place or even attend classes on a daily basis as you would when earning a traditional degree. This not only saves you time, but also money.

· You have a limited amount of flexibility of setting your own schedule because it is not as rigid as those that traditional students have to follow.

· Most online degrees are much cheaper than similar offerings by traditional colleges. Also, since your course material is sent over the Internet, you may not have to shell out money to buy expensive text books.

· If you put your mind to it and are willing to take extra classes and work harder, you can complete your degree in less than four years.

On the down side:

· Perhaps the biggest drawback of online education is that it is not valued on par with the degrees offered by traditional institutions. Employers may not consider you seriously when they know you’ve graduated from an online school.

· You must be very careful to ensure that your degree and school are accredited by the right agencies. If not, your degree is not worth the paper it is printed on.

· If you want to make the most of your online education and achieve success, you must be willing to work hard and set aside time in your busy schedule for your coursework and exams.

· You may not find it easy to cope with the lack of social and personal interaction with other students and your professors.

· Also, you will have to do most of the studying through your own efforts because your teachers and professors will be available for online discussions only at certain scheduled times.

· Balancing your education and work or a family could become stressful and drain your energy; so unless you’re organized, dedicated, and determined, you could end up failing or making mistakes in one or more of the many activities on your plate.

In spite of all its drawbacks, online education is still a good option for those who wish to continue working even as they earn a degree for professional or personal reasons.

By-line:

This guest post is contributed by Anna Miller, who writes on the topic of online degree . She welcomes your comments at her email id: anna.miller009@gmail.com

Unique Homeschooled Family

So many people homeschool, for many different reasons, and in different ways. The possibilities are endless. Well meet my first guest blogger, Tonya. Tonya, and her husband homeschool their children, while traveling the country. How cool is that? Tonya has put together a post with the topic of pros, and cons of homeschooling on the road. Read it below, and please check out her site.

Homeschooling on the Road; the Pro’s and Con’s

Initially when I was asked to write about the Pro’s and Con’s of homeschooling my three children while traveling full-time in our RV, there was only one negative aspect that readily entered my mind. So, I posed the question to my husband: In your opinion, what do you think are the Pro’s and Con’s of homeschooling on the road?

Unanimously, our answer was space or to be more exact, the lack of. But as I really began to think about it, for a homeschooling mom that has accumulated quite a collection of books and curriculum over the past 11 years- the fact that there are storage restraints, is a blessing in disguise. It has certainly forced me to consider what’s truly important. And honestly, we didn’t read or use all the books that filled our shelves at home, so why would that change once we hit the road?

So, it appears that the one con that quickly came to mind might not be much of a hindrance after all.

And though we no longer live near family or friends, with today’s technology, keeping in touch via email, instant messaging, texting and cell phones has certainly kept the communication lines open. We’ve also been blessed to make new lasting friendships on the road.

So, it seems that the potential problems are actually blessings. But what about the true benefits? Our family is certainly much closer than we were before we began full-timing. Living in less than 350 sq. ft. of space, you either learn to show grace and mercy to one another, or you’ll kill each other. Since we’re still alive, I’d say we’ve learned to be a bit kinder and merciful.

In addition to improved character, we have experienced firsthand the diversity of the people and places that have made America great. Not only have we read about history, we’ve also walked where our forefathers once tread. We’ve pondered the mystery of the Lost Colony, flew gliders where the Wright Brother’s made their first successful flight. We’ve stood on the tranquil grounds that were once the bloodiest battlefields of the Civil War and were awestruck as we first glimpsed the Statue of Liberty.

As a homeschooling mom that is sometimes too aware of her shortcomings, I’ve learned that my children will learn with or without curriculum. The real lessons they’ve learned while living on the road will stick with them much longer than that chapter from the textbook.

©2009 Tonya Prater/Live the Adventure. All rights reserved.

Tonya and her husband, have homeschooled their three children for over ten years. Along the journey they have been amazed by the opportunities that the Lord has presented and the freedom that homeschooling has given them, allowing them to travel full-time, learning as they go! They have homeschooled their children using a variety of traditional and non-traditional materials, curriculum and methods. Tonya enjoys encouraging other homeschooling parents, and is available as a speaker on a variety of topics that include Choosing Curriculum, Portfolio Assessments, Overcoming Burnout and Homeschooling on the Road. She can be contacted at thetravelingpraters@gmail.com. You can keep up with the Prater’s at their blog: www.homeschoolblogger.com/livetheadventure2008.

Thank you to Tonya, for putting together such an awesome post.