Riding my scorpion across CyberRiver I camel-humped against the tree of knowledge. Its roots tangled around the scorpion’s legs, enraging him. He thrashed and twisted deeper into the murky edges of enlightenment until his instincts got the better of his gracious nature. His tail swung round and snagged my cerebellum, poisoning me with traditions of beliefs, concepts, and tenet. As I sank deeper into the rooted oxymoron of scholarship and intellectualism, my visions of curriculum mastery morphed back to the criteria of civilized life.
Wait! Breakneck NewsFlash!
Believe it. The river these days is virtually infinite. While the scorpion still stings his riders, his venom now has an antidote. And the ability to be rooted in knowledge can no longer be sequestered to the ground.
What a relief. BTW, non-traditional education has been around since Lincoln. While androgogical learning, (self-flagellation), is not for everyone, with our hectic schedules, it is one of the principal ways to gain or increase your learning curve. Those of us in the computer field are already ahead in attitude, motivation and skills needed for this progressive type of learning. The proof of our respective knowledge base is at our fingertips with the diplomas and certificates procured without stepping foot on the ground.
Asynchronous or Androgogical instruction does not require the simultaneous participation of all students and instructors. Students no longer need to be gathered together in the same location at the same time. Rather, students may choose their own instructional time frame and gather learning materials according to their schedules. Forms of asynchronous delivery include email, listservs, virtual correspondence courses, and WWW-based courses.
Choosing the CyberRiver route will leave you ravenous for social interaction, personal interchange with professors and fellow students, cheating, beer bashes, dating, sex, or sleep. Who needs any of that extracurricular attention anyway! In this fast paced world, on the net or on the ground, good times were long ago traded for the software powertools, geek news, perls.of.code and bleeding edge knowledge. Tap into the vast array of sources on the internet to keep those skills honed, those companies resilient in the comfort of your degrees, and your customers satisfied you are on the cusp of savvy internet business acumen.
In spite of this "new-fangled" approach, transcripts and diplomas don’t state how a degree was earned, so your credentials will look the same as others issued by the school. You can earn an associates, bachelors, masters, or doctorate degree. You often get the same professors, receive the same lectures, and take the same exams.
The good news is that research on delivery modes and their correlation to student achievement outcomes has shown that students learn better via remote access than face-to-face instruction (Chute, Balthazar, Poston 1989; Task Force on Distance Education, 1992) One explanation for this correlates with the internal motivation mechanism already in place; the drive for success and proof of capable skills has now reached paramount levels.
*When deciding on a cyber school, be sure to check with the (AACRAO) American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers, to make sure it is an accredited institution. Their snailmail is: One Dupont Circle, N.W., Suite 330; Washington, DC 20036; Phone: 202-293-9161; Fax: 202-872-8857.
*You can get a directory of "virtual classes via University of Geneva is a formidable example of web learning.
*Let’s not leave out virtual interactive, real-time learning provided by MOOS (MUD Object-Oriented) and MUDS (Multi-User Dungeon). More information can be obtained at: FWL.org
Educational Moos include: Diversity University: Telnet to:moo.duorg:8888
URL: http://www.academic.marist.edu/duwww.htm
Virtual Online University:Telnet to:brazos.iac.net:8888
URL: http://www.iac.net/~billp/
One of the best sites for online education belongs to Arc Mesa Educators, Ltd. Their snailmail is: Arc Mesa Educators, 1648 Metropolitan Circle; Tallahassee, Florida 32308-3740 Phone: 1-800-597-6372 Fax: 904-385-0055; and 788 Shrewsbury Avenue; Tinton Falls, New Jersey 07724; Phone: 908-219-1766 Fax: 908-219-5456.
This company is truly dedicated to providing a twenty-first century approach to continuing education. Their internet services reach over 40 million people. As provided by that site’s bio:
Arc Mesa Educators, Ltd., has been created by the union of three different areas of expertise: Arc Communications, Inc. is a leader in electronic graphic presentations and internet publishing, and is vertically integrated in the advanced electronics communications industry. Mesa Educators is a nationwide leader in the development of quality home study continuing education programs for professional licensees from multiple professions. The third element is a sophisticated medical support advisory team composed of leading physicians and educators with a vast array of experience and knowledge to direct the development of varied medical subjects that will be made available for AMA Category One continuing education programs world-wide."
Another online leaning source for Business Management is provided by Howard University. A Certificate in Business Management may be earned on-line by completing a series of six (6) courses, each of which can be expected to take about three (3) weeks to complete.
A few other listings:
Harvard
University
AutoCAD Workshops
Northwestern University
Web-based courses in electrical engineering
Cornell University
Agricultural Resource & Management Economics 428
National Teachers Enhancement Network
Graduate level science and mathematics courses for teachers available using dial-up Internet connection. Montana State University
University
of Erlangen-Nuremberg
Dermatology courses from Bavaria.
Computational
Science for the Physical and Life Sciences
Web-based physics course prepared by Mike Guidry of the University of Tennessee and Mike Strayer of the Oak Ridge National Laboratory
The Global Network Academy (GNA)
Three courses offered by the GNA consortium:
Introduction to the Internet, Introduction to
Object-Oriented Programming Using C++, Introduction
to Literate Programming.
Mesa Community College
Course materials in Anthropology.
Electronic
Textbook
Interdisciplinary course in chemistry, mathematics and physics from the University of Pennsylvania
Whole
Frog Project
A demonstration of the use of 3D anatomical imagery as a curriculum tool. Laurence Berkeley Laboratory, University of California at Berkeley
Australian
National University
Web-based course materials in Geography.
Indiana State University
Web-based courses in endocrinology, genetics and cellular biology
Voice of the Shuttle
Web-based courses in English Literature,
from medieval to modern including theory and writing.
Are you psyched yet? Are you doing the www.watoosie? Read the following as you sing, "Show me the money!" Sorry fellas, the table is for girls only. However, there is a plethora of $$$ info at: Altavista.digital
| SOURCE |
AMOUNT |
ANNUAL AWARDS |
ELIGBILITY |
CRITERIA |
APP INFO |
| American Assoc. of University Women |
$1,000.00 to $5,000.00 | 76 | Bachelor’s or graduate degree before June 30, 1993 | Special consideration to minorities & graduate degrees in nontraditional fields | AAUW Educational foundation, 2201 N. Dodge St., Dept. 67, Iowa City, IA 52243. Voice:319.337.1716, ext.67 |
| Avon Products Foundation Scholarship Program for Women in Business Studies | $1,000.00 | 60 | Women 25 & over, graduating w/in 1-2 yrs | Business fields | SASE between Oct 1 & April 1 to: Scholarships/Loans, Business & Professional Women’s Foundation, 2012 Massachusetts Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20036 Voice:202.293.1200, ext. 169 |
| Career Advancement Scholarship Program | $500.00 to $1,000.00 | 45 | Women 25 & over graduating w/in 1-2 yrs | Teacher cert., computer science, paralegal, engineering, or professional degrees. | SASE to: Scholarships/Loans, Business & Professional Women’s Foundation, 2012 Massachusetts Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20036 Voice:202.293.1200, ext. 169 |
| The Karla Scherer Foundation Scholarships | Varies | 25 | Women majoring in economics & finance or manufacturing | Must have drive, desire, and determination to succeed. | SASE to: The Karla Scherer Foundation, 737 North Michigan Ave., Suite 2330, Chicago, IL 60611 Voice: 312.943.9191 |
| Women’s Opportunity Award | $3,000.00 to $10,000.00 | Varies | Female heads of household seeking technical or vocational training or completion of under-grad degrees | Head of household. Demonstrated financial need. | SASE to: Soroptimist International fo the Americas, Two Penn Center Plaza, Suite 1000, Philadelphia, PA 19102 Voice: 215.557.9300 |
| SOURCE |
AMOUNT |
ANNUAL AWARDS |
ELIGBILITY |
CRITERIA |
APP INFO |
CyberEducation is no longer an emerging trend. Lincoln and the androgogical process is here to stay. And remember success is all about thinking outside of the box. Say bye-bye to the social norms of learning!
Comments & feedback: writer@apconsultants.net
Anne Palumbo of A.Palumbo Consultants is a website designer.
She is noted for her articles on marketing, design, and developer tricks and tips.
Her work includes original graphics, databases, shopping carts and script integrations.
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