EDUCATION INFORMATION

Archive for April, 2010

There are many prestigious online US universities where computer-based educational system has taken quality education well beyond the class rooms. These Online teaching programs make use of internet for distant education. For students who have no access to regular colleges or those who pursue employment, online learning is a great option to learn at their own pace and location. Anyone with the requisite qualification and an internet connection can be a student of these US universities no matter where they live. This group-based learning environment offers the right support and interaction just like in a conventional classroom.

The instructors teach the students through the online medium and not from classrooms. Students would have access to quality research material from the University’s Electronic Library. Online US universities are boons to working professionals as there are no semesters or deadlines unlike a traditional class room. So the students can begin their studies at any time of the academic year and can study at their pace at free hours till the class is completed to move on to the next level.

I am disenchanted by the contemporary high school and I believe we can do better. Schools are so antiquated in many ways, so lacking in the kind of community that exists in some small towns or schools around the province. While our large urban schools meet the needs of some students, for too many they are vast spiritless places where far too many students are unhappy. Some students say they are bored, some feel like outsiders, some feel intimidated and most sense a disconnect between the school and the real world. They go through the paces because they understand there is no option if they want to get ahead. Too many fall through the cracks and drop out.

I have a recurring dream of a post-modern high school. My visions are about schools with close-knit, caring communities, schools structured in radically innovative frameworks, schools founded on relevant new curricula and where social justice and equity permeate all aspects of the school. There is a need for alternatives that are based on thinking outside the box.