Archives for September, 2008
Sep 28, 2008 | Uncategorized
Every day more and more homeschoolers finish their High school studies and start a new journey into college. Many feel that this is the jumping off point for homeschooling. That it is time to join the masses in formal education. Well, not necessarily. For those who have been successful with self study and independent learning why not continue that success into a college career.
Traditional College Alternatives
The obvious alternative is online college. But there is another option that is a more natural progression to the homeschooled self paced, self designed curriculum and that is to earn a degree with credit by examination. Credit by examination provides a truly self paced and independent learning environment. Exams are offered in a wide variety of subjects through testing programs such as CLEP, DSST, ECE and GRE subject exams. Majors within the fields of Business, Technology, Health Sciences, Social Sciences and Liberal Arts are all available entirely through examinations.
Credit by examination can also be a very inexpensive option since most three to six credit exams can cost as little as $60. Compare that to the $300 to $900 price tag for traditional college courses. There is no shortage of study material for these exams. Each testing organization, along with third party vendors, offers a variety of study options at very reasonable prices. Even if a student doesn’t complete an entire degree with examinations, thousands of colleges around the U.S. accept these credits in transfer. This may be an economical way to start college studies while determining the best path to a college degree.
Which Colleges?
Three accredited institutions in the U.S. that will confer degrees based entirely on credit by examination are:
Excelsior College - Private college in Albany, New York that specializes in meeting the needs of adult learners.
Thomas Edison State College - Public College in Trenton, New Jersey that specializes in Distance Education.
Charter Oak State College - Public College located in New Britain, Connecticut.
Don’t feel that high school has to be the last stop in homeschool education. There are options. Do your research and make sure that the school you choose is recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation.
You can read more about testing out of college with credit by exam at DegreeWiz.com testing out of college with credit by exam at DegreeWiz.com
About the author: Jack Mize, the ” DegreeWiz.com Degree Wiz”, tested out of three years of college in less than one year using credit by examination. He spent less than $3000 total on tution, testing fees and study materials.
Jack graduated with a B.S. in Liberal Studies from Excelsior College and M.S. in Information Archtecture from Capitol College.
Sep 28, 2008 | Uncategorized
Whether you live in Atlanta or not, Georgia technical colleges are great when it comes to technical training and education. With 34 to choose from, it can be quite difficult to pick the one for you. With locations all over Georgia, it may simply come down to selecting which college is closer to you.
Offering you different types of degrees, Georgia technical colleges can be a great start to your career. There are different types of programs offered at each college, with more than a million students graduating in the state. Georgia has a reputation for technical prowess, which is why there are so many technical schools. Some of them include Albany Technical College, Appalachian Technical College, Athens Technical College, and the Atlanta Technical College.
No matter where you happen to be in Georgia, you can always find a technical college in your area. If you live in Augusta GA, there’s the Augusta Technical College, or those living in Macon will have the Central Georgia Technical College; both of which are fine examples of Georgia technical colleges. Those of you who live in or travel around Columbus Georgia also have the Columbus Technical College, which is located at 928 Manchester Expressway in Columbus GA.
No matter what part of Georgia you currently reside, you can rest assured that there’s a technical school right around the corner. You don’t have to live in the state to enjoy Georgia technical colleges, which is great news for those who live in other states. Georgia has something for everyone, and basically everything you could ever want to study.
Among the many Georgia technical colleges, you have hundreds of classes and fields to choose from. The technical colleges throughout Georgia offer everything from electrician to accountant, and plumbing to computers. If you’ve ever wanted to attend a technical college, rest assured that Georgia has everything you need. All you need to do is find one that’s close to your area, register, then let the fun of learning take you to a new and exciting career.
Any or all of this article about Atlanta and Georgia can be used by anyone as long as they have
atlanta-flights.net Atlanta Flights be part of it.
Sep 27, 2008 | Uncategorized
For those student nurses who are about to graduate, their main priority is to pass the NCLEX-RN examination. The practice of nursing is regulated according to licensing authorities in each state jurisdiction.
Each jurisdiction must ensure that each nurse has the minimum competency to practice nursing in their state. In order to ensure such requirements, the National Council of State Boards of Nurses, Inc.
(NCSBN) has developed a comprehensive examination entitled, National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN). The NCLEX test plan occurs in several steps. The first step is to conduct a practice analysis. This is used to collect data on the practice of entry level nurses. By collecting this data the board can design NCLEX test questions that will be applicable to the majority of graduate nurses.
For instance, it has been found that the majority of new graduate nurses find work on medical/surgical units. The majority of the new graduates surveyed also indicated their primary responsibility was in the delivery of direct patient care. (1) Therefore, questions regarding the care of patients on medical/surgical units is pertinent and important for graduate nurses to know. Although some graduate nurses will tell you that they had more questions on psychiatric nursing or maternity nursing on the NCLEX, this is not the norm.
Six thousand or more newly licensed registered nurses are asked about the frequency and priority of performing more than one hundred and fifty care activities. These activities are analyzed in relation to the impact on patient care, safety and client settings where they are performed. It is in this framework that NCLEX test questions are designed to be applicable in real world settings, thus requiring graduate nurses to be knowledgeable of such practices.
The second step in the NCLEX test plan is to develop a method to test behaviors regarding the content formed in step one. The NCLEX-RN, Test Plan, provides a focused summary of the concepts to be tested. It serves not only to delineate what content to cover and the method of presenting the test questions but also serves to assist in developing a study guide in preparing those who will take the test. The NCLEX assesses the graduate nurse’s knowledge of required skills to practice nursing safely and competently.
Beliefs about people and nursing underlie the NCLEX-RN test plan. People are finite beings with varying capacities to function in society. (2) Each person is a unique and special individual existing in a system that they exert some control over, such as their beliefs, social systems, family systems, health customs. It is in this underlying theory of each individuals beliefs that the nursing process guides in the intervention to promote psychological and physical wellness.
Nursing is an art as much as it is a science, founded on a scientific body of knowledge that has been tested and proven effective in meeting the goals of each individual. The cognitive learning domain is a integral part of the NCLEX test plan. The use of Bloom’s taxonomy is the basis for writing and coding items (Bloom,e tal.,1956: Anderson & Krathwohl, 2001) Since the practice of nursing requires application or higher levels of cognitive ability, it becomes imperative to test graduate nurses complex and abstract reasoning.
The framework of Client Needs was selected for the NCLEX due to its all encompassing body of nursing knowledge that must be applied to successfully meet these needs. There are four distinct categories of Client Needs that are integrated into the exam, with two of the four categories subdivided to more adequately cover all subject matter. The categories are as follows:
A. Safe and Effective Care Environment
1. Management of Care
2. Safety and infection control
B. Promotion and Maintenance
C. Psychosocial Integrity
D. Physiological Integrity
1. Basic Care and Comfort
2. Pharmacological and Parenteral Therapies 3. Reduction of Risk Potential 4. Physiological Adaptation
Integrated concepts and processes are fundamental to the nursing practice and are applied to the various and categories of client needs.
These integrated concepts are as follows:
A. The nursing process-
a scientific problem solving approach to client care that includes, assessment, analysis, planning, implementation and evaluation.
B. Caring-
interaction between the nurse and client that provides for a nurturing, positive, and helpful environment whereby the client feels special and important knowing that the relationship that develops between themselves and the nurse will provide the needed assistance in their achieving a higher level of psychological and physical wellness.
C. Communication and Documentation-
verbal and or nonverbal interactions between the nurse and client, significant others and multidisciplinary health teams. Validation either through written and or electronic entry which reflects that what has been done is documented and is within the scope of the nurses educational and licensure level as well as meeting the policies of the hospital or other client care environment.
D. Teaching-Learning- facilitating the acquirement of further knowledge which will lead to a more informed and skilled nurse with the application of the newly learned material.
The distribution of content and the percentage of test questions assigned to each Client Needs subcategory in the NCLEX test plan is based on the results of the Report of Finding from the 2005 RN Practice Learn how you can pass the NET the first time the the NET Study Guide.
The nursing entrance test study guide provides nurses the assistance they need with the nursing entrance test. The nursing study guide helps nurses. Visit thenetstudyguide.com thenetstudyguide.com for more information.
Sep 27, 2008 | Uncategorized
There are nine basic types of pilots: student, sport, recreational, private, instrument rated, commercial, certified flight instructor, airline transport, and designated pilot examiner. You can progress through these different levels of skill by attaining higher ratings.
This rating system designates what type of planes you can fly, if you can carry passengers, and what type of weather you?re allowed to fly in. There is even a rating you must achieve before you can be hired as a pilot. Also, every pilot must have a current certificate of good health from a physician approved by the FAA before they can fly.
Flight training begins with the student pilot certification. To gain this and subsequent certifications (also called your pilot?s license), you must pass a written test, an oral test, ground school, and a flight test. Student pilots begin by taking flights with a certified flying instructor. After you achieve a mastery of a set of basic skills, you will be permitted to fly solo. All student flying must take place near a “home” airport. If your instructor approves, you can make a trip to another airport and back, but a student pilot may never carry passengers.
To advance your rating to that of a sport, recreational, or private pilot, you must be 17 years old. Recreational pilots fly solely for fun and must remain within 58 miles of their home airport unless they have explicit instructor approval.
Recreational and sport pilots can only carry one passenger and are not allowed to fly through airspace where communication with an air traffic controller is required, though recreational pilots can gain approval for airspace. From this point, many pilots proceed to the less restricted rating of private pilot. For more information on the more advanced levels of flight training, contact a flight school and talk with a flight instructor.
i-FlightTraining.com Flight Training provides detailed information on Flight Training, Flight Training Schools, Flight Attendant Training, Helicopter Flight Training and more. Flight Training is affiliated with e-FlightSchools.com Helicopter Flight Schools.
Sep 27, 2008 | Uncategorized
Learning to speak Spanish can be a bit challenging. Learning anything new and completely unique can be just that. Yet, you can still be completely successful at learning Spanish just by using the tools that you have offered to you throughout the educational opportunities available to you. In fact, learning to speak Spanish can be easy. Now, what is the best way to do it? Here are some reasons why the internet is the best place to learn Spanish.
Learn Spanish online and reap the rewards. First off, you can find many internet based schools that provide Spanish education. You can also find websites designed specifically for learning to speak the language. The great thing about this is that you can easily learn to speak the language from the beginning levels well into advanced levels of learning. If you are brand new or if you are very advanced, there are programs designed to provide the specific educational level and goals that you have.
In addition, learning to speak Spanish online allows you to connect to others around the world that are learning to speak it as well. This allows you to communicate in your new language with others. This is something that is near impossible to do with CD ROM applications. There is no doubt that learning to speak Spanish online means that you will be able to concentrate on the various communication aspects of the process. By meeting in special meetings on the web, you can easily talk in Spanish or even get your questions answered. Some groups even allow you to meet with your teacher in these sessions to learn.
Tutorials provide you with step by step education. You can take your Spanish learning experience as quickly as you would like to or you can slow it down and learn as slow as you need to. On the web, there are all sorts of added bonuses such as special exercises, even games, to help you to learn the language. These interactive activities help you to get a better handle on your education.
Only you can determine what the best way to learn to speak Spanish for your specific needs is. Yet, there is no doubt that you can learn in the method that fits your style. If online learning is something that you are interested in, there are plenty of opportunities to find the best learning experience out there.
Access Free Spanish Lessons at spanish.nathlaf.com Learn Spanish Today!
Sep 27, 2008 | Uncategorized
TIP 1: Start Preparing Early
The number one best way to study for SAT math is to start early and put yourself on a regular schedule. Everyone agrees that last minute cramming for SAT math will accomplish nothing, and may even hurt you by raising your anxiety level.
TIP 2: Focus on Problem Areas
This may seem obvious, but don’t waste your time studying topics you are already good at. Take some sample tests, and figure out what you have difficulty with, and then attack your problem areas. Many SAT preparation books contain diagnostic tests you can take to identify what areas you need to work on.
TIP 3: Memorize Definitions and Basic Theorems
Do you know what an acute angle is? An obtuse angle? A polynomial? You should!
Most SAT preparation books have definitions of all the math terms you will encounter on the SAT math test, and the test will contain some questions you can answer just by having these definitions memorized. Make yourself some flash cards with terms on one side and definitions on the other, then quiz yourself, or have a friend or family member quiz you.
TIP 4: Study in a Group
Find a study group or start your own. Small groups are best, but the ideal size is one you feel comfortable with. Many students find they learn more easily and just plain have more fun when they work as part of a group. Share study notes, take turns quizzing each other, and help each other with difficult concepts.
TIP 5: Use a Tutor
A tutor should reinforce the concepts you already know, guide you through difficult material, and ultimately help you to work more independently. Furthermore, a good tutor does not spend time “teaching at you”, or lecturing to you, rather he/she will spend time working WITH you to improve your math skills.
copyright 2006 Sam Mela
Sam Mela lives in Springfield Virginia. He worked as a Senior Software Developer for Sony Ericsson Corporation. He now writes articles about almost anything, and tutors math and computer languages. Check out his free materials and worksheets at WeekendSuccess.com WeekendSuccess.com.
Sep 26, 2008 | Uncategorized
What is language? It is a system of arbitrary symbols and grammatical signals
which meaning is attributed and used for the expression or communication of
thoughts and feelings. Language has certain things in common. They are
sound-pattern, words and grammatical structure. A sound-pattern is a group of sounds that the
human can utter.
Words are sounds or sound-patterns that have a meaning. Words may stand
for objects, actions, or ideas. According to this definition, there is no
resemblance between words and objects which they describe. Grammatical structure
is the manner in which words are combined to form larger, meaningful units such as
sentences.
Undoubtedly, spoken language such as German, Spanish and English are
examples of language because they are used for communication in
society and they have grammatical rules for speaking and writing. Algebra and
mathematical functions are also type of language since they have rules for expression of
mathematical meaning. For example, ‘4/5′ have a meaning, but ‘4/0′ are not mentioned
for mathematical meaning. Furthermore, the order of symbols in algebra has
an effect to the meaning. For instance, ‘x
5x - 2′ compares with ‘x
2 - 5x’.
It has different meaning and rule for solving the problem. This definition also
includes computer language which is a special set of symbols, letters, numerals and
rules, used for the transmission of information in computer. Computer language has rules
for operating and programming. When you use the computer, you should follow the
rules in order to operate the computer properly.
According to the definition, body language is not a language because
body language has no grammatical rules for expression of meaning. Moreover,
each body movement can show only one or two words. We cannot use body language
for the whole sentence. For example, thumb up signals very good job but you
cannot use it to express what the whole sentence you would like to say.
Animal language is not included in the definition of language because
animal language has no exactly meaning, grammatical rule and combined
sentence. It’s just an animal noise. People translate the noise by guessing or using their
own opinions.
Chimpanzees’ calls are good example for discussing about this subject.
“Chimpanzees communicate with a rich repertoire of calls, probably around 50
different, distinct calls, each of which means something different to the individual hearing
it.” For example, “A loud long, drawn-out wailing wraaaa call is made when
a chimpanzee comes across something unusual or dangerous. This alarm call is a very
savage sound.”
However, Chimpanzees use different alarm to signal different types of danger. When chimpanzees find a new source of food, they still use alarm call to tell the members of group. Chimpanzees’ calls have no exactly meaning.
People just observe their behaviors and guess the meaning of those calls. So animal
noise is not counted as the term of language.
Mary Anne has been writing for
Sep 26, 2008 | Uncategorized
Andean Culture
The coca plant, particularly it’s leaf, has been deeply ingrained for thousands of years in the culture of the indigenous people of the Andes.
Chewing the leaves stimulates the release of the alkaloids within the plant and provides the chewer with an increase in energy and strength and seemed to dampen hunger and some effects of living at altitude. It’s easy to see why Andean natives would find these effects very helpful given the altitude and topography of their environment – and the fact they had no wheeled vehicles.
Western Culture
Western culture first begins to mention the ‘Coca leaf’ in the early 1600’s. It has been reported that several ‘pipes’ found in William Shakespeare’s house in Stratford-upon-Avon in England show some evidence of the presence of coca-like alkaloids.
It may be as well to look sceptically upon that report as it’s known that the coca leaf is a ‘poor traveller’ and by the time leaves sent from South America actually reached Europe they would have lost most, if not all, of their ‘potency’.
The inability of the leaf to ‘travel well’ meant that for hundreds of years the plant was only know to the keenest of European botanists.
The German Connection
Things changed though in 1855 when a German chemist called Friedrich Gaedke (1828-1890) first isolated ‘cocaine’ the active alkaloid of the coca leaves. He called this isolated alkaloid “Erythroxyline”.
Then, in 1859, another German scientist, Albert Niemann (1834-1861), discovered and published an improved isolation and purification process which produced a compound he called “cocaine. He gained a PhD and his dissertation entitled “On a New Organic Base in the Coca Leaves” was published in March 1860. Among other things, his dissertation describes cocaine’s “colourless transparent prisms…Its solutions have an alkaline reaction, a bitter taste, promote the flow of saliva and leave a peculiar numbness, followed by a a sense of cold when applied to the tongue.” Reference to the fact that he had discovered cocaine’s anaesthetic properties. Albert Niemann died a year later in what have been described as ‘mysterious circumstances’.
Mark - a science buff.
Sep 26, 2008 | Uncategorized
Find Metaphysical Classes in the United States and Canada. If you’ve ever wondered about ESP (extrasensory perception), the Akashic records, or other paranormal studies, then enrolling in one of many metaphysical classes will give you the insight and inspiration you need to discover the many aspects of mind-body-spirit healing and philosophies, thereof.
Metaphysical classes often encompass new age or new thought subject matter including energy healing, visualization techniques, astronomy, quantum physics, crystal healing, astrology, numerology, shamanism, channeling, intuitive training, past life regression, personal and spiritual growth studies, soul expression and much more.
Metaphysical classes in soul communications may involve telepathic sensory, automatic writing, imaging, verbal and interactive sensing, and psychic phenomena.
Other metaphysical classes in past life regression teach students how and why “deja vu” occurs. If you’re searching for soul purpose and spiritual enlightenment, there are metaphysical classes that teach about “A Course in Miracles.” This particular subject matter is a self-paced course of study geared toward awakening the student’s mind and spirit to the revelation of God and the miracles in everyday life.
Some metaphysical classes can encompass ways and means of developing psychic ability. In studies such as these, students will learn about auras, reincarnation, the astral body, advanced metaphysics, ESP, the Occult, mysticism, universal laws and personal and spiritual development.
If you’re interested in becoming a professional metaphysical practitioner, then metaphysical classes can help you gain your footing in a commonly misunderstood field. Depending on which one of several metaphysical classes in which you choose to enroll, rest assured that you will receive in-depth and enlightening training in a wide range of subjects. For example, if you want to learn more about the spiritual world, then metaphysical classes in angel studies, metaphysical sciences, spiritualism, metaphysical theology, and parapsychology studies might be of interest to you.
Other subject matter in metaphysical classes may be comprised of gemstones, critical thinking, holistic healing arts, hypnosis, inner awareness, mind-energy studies, personal ministry and other metaphysical education.
A number of metaphysical classes may lead to certificates, diplomas or degrees; in some cases, metaphysical schools may provide associates, bachelors, masters and doctorate programs* in metaphysical healing arts and holistic healing arts. In addition, there are several certification programs that are commonly offered (spiritual healer, intuitive practitioner, etc.) as well. (It is always wise to review school curriculums for specific programs, tuition and prerequisites.)
If you (or someone you know) are interested in finding metaphysical classes, let career training within fast-growing industries like massage therapy, cosmetology, acupuncture, oriental medicine, Reiki, and others get you started! school.holisticjunction.com/clickcount.php?id=6634739&goto= holisticjunction.com/search.cfm Explore career school programs near you.
Metaphysical Classes: What are they?
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Sep 26, 2008 | Uncategorized
The answer in one word is: “NO!”.
You see a catchy ad or article title and you look, saying to yourself: “Maybe, just maybe, this is for real …”.
I’ve got news for you: it’s not! You can buy a “degree” in less than a week , but you won’t have earned it!
Most of those ads are for companies called degree mills whose only purpose is to sell phony degrees online. They usually have an official-sounding name, the package they sell may be quite elaborate in its details but it’s all basically fake.
That’s not to say that all online degrees are phony. There are many degree-granting institutions that operate online. And there will be many more in the years to come. Those are almost always accredited by the governing body in the area where they operate. It is usually possible to verify the accreditation of the institution by going to the appropriate government. See below for US accreditation.
What you’re buying online when you go to one of those degree mills is not a degree, it’s a piece of paper. A degree is the certification by an educational institution that you’ve attained competence in a field of knowledge, usually as the result of hard work. A piece of paper looks good when framed and hung on the wall. A degree looks good in your résumé, when it’s legitimate.
Leaving aside all the ethical questions raised - they are so numerous they could fill a book - you have to consider the practical aspects.
Having a piece of paper in a frame that says you’ve got a Ph.D. in Psychology does not automatically put you in the same league as Dr. Phil. If all you want is to impress clients, just print the degree yourself. Why spend thousands of dollars on a package of credentials that nobody will fall for anyway?
When you look at what these organizations are offering for a few thousand dollars, you may be impressed. You get a professional-looking diploma but you also get a marks transcript covering several years, letters of attestation from Professors, course abstracts, etc. In other words, a whole college history, all fake.
And it may even work, for a while. You may happen upon a supervisor who’s too busy or too incompetent to check things out and your fake B.Sc. goes through. But what happens in six months or a year when someone does get around to checking credentials? You get tossed-out on your ear with no references, no pension, no severance pay and a bad reputation. Try to sell that to your next employer!
I’ve actually seen a situation where a supervisor wanted to hire a bright young subcontractor as a permanent employee in her department. The problem was that the position called for a college degree. He was self-taught and had never been to college although he was very competent and could surely have done the work. The supervisor suggested he buy a degree of some sort in order for her to be able to hire him. She assured him she’d never check-up on his qualifications. Sounds good! But, when that supervisor is no longer around or it’s time for a promotion the jig will be up, as they say.
If you’re in the market for online education, here are a few of the warning signs that you are dealing with a degree mill:
You don’t have to wait! Get your degree in a few days!
You pay a set amount for the degree. There are no fees per course or per credit. All you have to do is sign the check!
There are no exams, no tests.
There are no courses. Your “life experiences” are evaluated and credited towards your degree.
You will get a complete transcript, with high marks, of courses that have been credited.
If you’re hiring someone with a degree that you are not sure of, here are a few tips:
Check the timing. If the person has a work history for the same period as the education, ask how the courses were done. There are several reasonable explanations of how a continuing-education degree was earned, including night school, correspondence education, online training, etc.
Look at the time taken to attain the degree. It should be at least two or three years.
Look at the sequence of degrees. The applicant has to have attained a Bachelor’s before a Master’s, etc.
Google the school’s name. If the name of the institution is similar to that of a well-known college, but not quite the same (Princetown University, for example), that’s a dead give-away. An Internet search would come back with: “Did you mean Princeton?”.
There are many legitimate online degree institutions. What you have to do before you register, or before you hire a graduate if you’re an employer, is check-out the validity of the college.
In the U.S. you can go to the Department of Education’s Institutional accreditation system to research valid schools by specialty or location. Go to Institutional accreditation at: www.ope.ed.gov/accreditation/.
In Canada it’s more complicated because education is a provincial jurisdiction. You would have to go to each province’s Ministry of Education to get the appropriate information. One of the indications that the institution is genuine is that it will give you the Education Tax Credit statement for your federal income tax. The school has to be genuine to be accredited by Revenue Canada.
One of the more interesting possibilities for Canadians, and others worldwide, is Athabasca University at: athabascau.ca/ www.athabascau.ca. It’s an accredited distance education facility that provides a wide range of degree programs.
Professor Mike Latreille has over 30 years of experience in the computer industry as a consultant and educator. He has worked for a number of companies, including IBM, as well as for the Canadian government.
He is currently conducting research in eCommerce and eMarketing.
He has also authored a number of computer-related tutorials, including Visual Basic at: visualbasic6class.com VB Class.