03.21.06

Why Don’t We Help Each Other Learn?

Posted in Learning at 10:31 am by Administrator

I recently had the opportunity to speak at a regional conference for long-term care professionals. It was very exciting to be selected to speak and to share what I had learned about employee online and computer based education. Not to mention a little bragging about our new corporate education center. While I was waiting for my scheduled time to present I couldn’t help but notice how many speakers were not practicing administrators or directors of nursing. The session’s speakers were mostly consultants, academics or government experts.

The underlining message the speakers were giving was buy my services and I’ll give you this information for a fee. Which on its face value is fine if that is the only view you wish to evaluate. We flock to hear these experts pronounce what should be done to solve our problems simply because in most cases it is easy.

It got me wondering why more practitioners aren’t sharing their knowledge and experience. After all we are the ones with the hands on experience and practical knowledge that is applied everyday on the job. We constantly solve problems and create new opportunities for success without the help of consultants, academics or government experts. But we don’t share our knowledge and experience.

Sharing information, knowledge, experience, or a technique is the best and fastest way to become famous, particularly if your knowledge helps someone solve or prevent a problem. I also believe it is a hallmark of a skilled professional. So why don’t we seek out other practitioners, a fellow administrator, director of nursing, department manager or supervisor to learn from, to give presentations with or to write articles with? It is inexpensive, quick, fun and you share similar experiences. It is more practical and does not require any translation from a consultant, academic or government expert who has never done what we do daily to apply the information immediately on the job.

Is it because we are uncomfortable speaking in public, or self-conscious of our writing skills, don’t have the time, or don’t know where to start? Are we concerned about what others will say about our efforts? No one knows more about the job than those of us who are doing the job. Or are we afraid we will lose a base of power and control that then makes us vulnerable to others taking our positions? Or is it that we are simply more interested in entertainment that learning?

It is time to place that self-consciousness behind you and never look back, creating a legacy for future administrators, director of nurses, department managers and supervisors. It is a gift that will live beyond our tenure in our profession. Don’t think about it, do it. Share your knowledge and experience.

Pick up a pen, sit at your keyboard and write an article, a book, a course, give a speech, leave an easier path for the next generation of health care workers. Ask for help from a friend if you’re not sure where to start. In fact E-mail me knnethstrong@greateststrategies.com and I’ll help you get your message out and make you famous!

There is no try, there is only do! And I know you can do it.

About the Author
Kenneth E. Strong, Jr., MS, is co-founder 0f http://www.greateststrategies.com a web based community devoted to educating, supporting and developing life-long learners Mr. Strong has been a Health Care executive for 30 years. Mr. Strong received a Bachelor of Science in Health Services Administration from Providence College and a Master of Science in Health Care Administration from Salve Regina College.

Feel free to use this article, in your publications; in its entirety provided you include the following notice: © Copyright 2006 GreatestStrategies.com, Virginia Beach, Virginia, USA, http://www.greateststrategies.com

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The Benefits of Home Schooling

Posted in Homeschooling, Learning at 10:28 am by Administrator

In these present times, getting the best education for your children is of the utmost importance. The topic of student education is a controversial one as there are more than a few options available for the parent to plan the educational development of their children. It does not help that the public educational setting is often full of issue and debate over allocation of school funding, curricula choices and external influences. These things and others end up affecting a student’s education, personal development and belief system.

As time has past, it has been taken for granted that getting a good education and nurturing the academic and interest path of many children is successfully accomplished by the institutionalized school systems of our states and cities.

For many, the public school systems have not met the needs of many parents and their children with respect to the academic educational standards expected by the proactive parent. This has resulted in a growing movement of parents taking the education of their children into their own hands. Home schooling continues to grow and to expand as more and more parents realize the many benefits and advantages of teaching at home.

Home schooling offers many benefits and advantages over traditional educational methods and systems offered through our public schools.

Home schooling allows the parent to select the exact lesson plan or curriculum the students will learn from based on what the parent thinks is best for the student, not the public school system. It is often found that many public schools teach students subjects that are academically irrelevant, not challenging, or that are really best left to the parent to teach.

Home schooling offers a control mechanism over this and allows for a way to tailor the student’s education to specific interests and desires while continuing to provide a challenge level that will keep the student growing in terms of his or her learning abilities.

Home schooling offers flexibility of the educational process. Some students excel at some things but not at others. Home schooling a student of this nature would allow that student to excel where his or her strengths are while at the same time allowing that student to spend a little more in the development of the weaker areas.

Some students are gifted and do well with all subject matter they are being taught. For them, home schooling allows for the education process to be more challenging since a more academically challenging curriculum can be adopted. Gifted home schooled students are able to pursue their interests and development path without the time constraints or curriculum limitations that are present in the traditional learning environment.

There are many ways that home schooling can be accomplished today. Some parents opt for a structured curriculum while others use available textbooks. Some parents combine these things with their own teaching while others teach each lesson completely of their own resources. Knowing this, it is evident that this education process is completely flexible, can be specifically tailored to the student’s needs and can be changed on the fly as student educational needs change.

Home schooling offers other indirect advantages as well. One of these might be more available time. Home schooling can be an efficient way to teach. The time you have during the day can be used efficiently, thereby reducing the overall time that the student actually spends at school. This efficient use of time results in more time to be spent on additional activities either related or unrelated to the student’s education.

Home schooling allows for the parent to become the main mentor and source of guidance for a child. Since a home schooled child relates to the parent a lot more, the child and parent can form a tighter bond than they might otherwise form. This bond could be the foundation of a higher degree of trust between the child and parent where the child is more apt to come to the parent for help and guidance instead of turning elsewhere.

Home schooling can be an outlet for a special case where a child may have been a victim of excessive bullying at a regular public school. School bullying is a serious problem at some schools and is a hard issue to resolve. The home schooling of a child victimized in this way offers the child a way to re-focus on learning while at the same time being able to receive the close parental guidance needed to overcome how the child handles situations of this nature.

It is now known for a fact that home schooled students do well when it comes to college preparation. In general, home schooled students have performed equal to or better than public schooled students on SAT assessments. In addition, it is a fact that home schooled students have an equal success factor for doing well in college as their public schooled peers.

Home schooling is not for everyone. Each parent should carefully evaluate whether home schooling will benefit their particular situation or not. There are many considerations to be made when choosing to home school, but for many, home schooling has been a choice that has proven to be very beneficial to the student’s exceptional education.

About the Author
Greg Lietz is a freelance writer, an internet business man and a long time home school parent. Visit his home schooling web site for home schooling resources, articles and information.

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What Is A Distance Learning Degree Program And Can It Work For You?

Posted in Online Education, Education, Learning at 10:24 am by Administrator

If you have ever given any thought to going back to college to earn a degree, but do not feel that you would have the time, money, or ability to do so, take a look at distance learning. Distance educational entails using current communications technology to provide instruction and interaction between an instructor and students when they are separated by any given distance. What that means is that no matter where you are in the world, you can be a student in a distance learning degree program at a college or university anywhere in the world. Distance is not an issue.

Distance education has the capacity to provide many different types of people with a myriad of educational opportunities. Older adults can fulfill an ambition to go to college and earn a bachelor’s degree, or return to earn an advanced degree such as a master’s or doctorate degree. Distance education provides those with full time work and family schedules the chance to go to college, and it is ideal for those who might be restricted by a physical disability. Distance learning also provides established workers the opportunity to update and reinforce their knowledge within their current career field, broadening their scope of information and providing more opportunities for advancement and promotion. The benefits of distance learning seem to far outweigh any drawbacks, but a successful distance learning degree program is dependent on the school, the faculty, and the student working together to make the experience as enriching and valuable as any traditional college experience.

You might be concerned that you won’t receive the same quality education as you might in a traditional classroom setting, or that you won’t learn as much, especially in a graduate degree program. That is a valid concern. Distance learning has been shown to provide students with an equally effective and valuable education as traditional students receive, provided that the various available instructional methods are used in a way that stimulates the learning process and the interest of the students. There are several instructional methods currently in use with distance learning. There is a component for every type of learner that will help to facilitate the learning process and enrich the online experience. One method that is used is the medium of voice, which includes telephone communications with instructors and classmates. This really helps to ease the isolation that can be felt in a distance learning degree program, and reinforces any course content that has been relayed. Video is often used in a distance learning classroom, usually in the form of slides and streaming video lectures. This is advantageous for the student because this data is saved and made available for use at any time, whether to print out slides or to review lectures online. Other types of instructional media that are used in distance learning include discussion boards, email communications, and chat rooms (for classmate interaction as well as “lectures”). All of these methods help to facilitate communications between students and instructors, as well as encourage class participation.

For distance learning to be successful, it is important that the faculty of a college or university be willing to adapt their teaching styles in order to fit with the technology and educational format. They have to be willing to deliver course content is a variety of media, as well as facilitate classroom chats, and have open lines of communication. Faculty must also be open to the idea that their students will be spread far and wide, in different time zones, countries, and cultural setting, and should be prepared to adjust assignments and expectations accordingly. Ultimately, though, the individual success of a distance learning degree program lies with the student. Being a successful distance learner requires the motivation to get the assignments done, make the effort to communicate with classmates and instructors, and attend scheduled lectures and chats. Because there is freedom in the format, responsibility is a key factor in getting a valid and valuable education online. Without the drive to do the work, there will be no benefits earned for the student.

About the Author
Learn the essential information for picking the right online degree course at Community College Online

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