Actually, earning an associate degree in nursing is not a bad choice. Nursing shortage is expected to grow annually through 2016, according to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics. About 233,000 additional jobs for registered nurses will open each year through 2016, in addition to about 2.5 million existing positions. The demand for nurses will create over a million new jobs; this is why now is the best time to acquire cheap nursing degree online. It’s time to explore your chances for a nursing career.

Online Nursing Education

A one-year or associates degree in nursing is very popular at community colleges. These online or distance learning options for the associate degree are available online and offer very affordable and practical curriculums. If you decide at a later time you want to pursue your nursing education further, you can earn your BSN then you can jump right into an Associates-to-BSN degree program available through many online nursing programs. LPN/LVN degree programs can usually be completed within a year. RNs require a bachelor’s degree and master’s degree for nurse practitioners. BSN degrees offer the widest array of career options and nurses at the PhD level are mostly found in research positions or as educators.

Salary for Nurses

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual salary for registered nurses in May 2006 was $57,280, with the lowest ten percent earning less than $40,250 and the highest 10 percent earning more than $83,440. RNs earn approximately $15,000 more per year then their Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) counterparts. It’s obviously worth it to pursue to nursing degree online!

Online associate nursing degree programs offered through distance learning by accredited online scolleges and universities are listed below:

• Western Career College - At Western Career College, you can obtain valuable career training in a highly supportive learning environment, attending classes at the times and places that are convenient to you.
• Rasmussen College - One-hundred-ten years after the founding of Rasmussen, the college continues to stay true to its mission to be a leader in education by expanding its offerings to include Bachelor’s degrees, and by earning regional accreditation. Rasmussen College is also known as a leader in online learning, with more than 14,000 students and 1,000 faculty members. University of Phoenix College of Nursing – Advance your nursing credentials and earn a bachelor’s or master’s degree from a university that has more than 25 years of experience in nursing education.
• South University College of Nursing - Thinking about a career in nursing? Well, discover how South University’s nursing programs can help you learn the skills needed for this rewarding career.
• Kaplan University School of Nursing - When you enroll in Kaplan University School of Nursing online, you will enjoy the flexibility of pursuing your educational goals from the convenience of your own home or anywhere you have Internet access.

Save the headache and expense of commuting and have more time for family, work, and other social activities. Online associate degrees in nursing make available to the nursing students flexibility, a variety of career choices and specialties. So, take the first step towards your associate’s degree in nursing online.

As Google grows and expands its scope beyond mire internet searches, the huge corporation delivers loads of free tools that help us communicate, handle multimedia, schedule calendars, map trips, and design virtual environments. Many of Google’s applications mesh seamlessly with one another, and some are stand alone. Many of the services are experimental drafts that are in beta testing, so as they evolve they become more powerful. Here are the 8 Google tools that are the most useful for online learners, whether it is for their usefulness or for their future potential use in academic environments.

1. Google Docs

Google Docs is an office suite that is web-based where online learners can create, store and share documents, spreadsheets and presentations and online forms. Students can work on collaborations and share them instantly. An online learner can import document created on Microsoft Office and Open Office. This free tool that lets students work together with fellow online learners with a word processed, spreadsheet, or slide presentation documents has many unexplored applications. Many online student make use of the form tool that like them make forms that can be posted on the internet and as information is added to the form it shows up in real time on spreadsheets.

2. Google Search

Is a web search tool that is world famous and is the most powerful search engine in use today. It is hands down the number one portal for finding information on the internet and is used by most online learners for research.

3. Google Bookmarks

Google Bookmarks lets online learners to save time with fast connection to websites that are useful for students pursuing online degrees. Students can use their web history to locate the websites that they go to most often and then bookmark their favourite sites. After this they can use the Google Toolbar to quickly access their bookmarks and to effortlessly make more bookmarks.

4. Google Notebook

Google Notebook helps students cut and store information when they browse the internet. Cutting information that is useful for an online learner’s studies is easy. They can then add text, images and links from websites without exiting their browser window.

5. Google Apps

Google Apps helps online learner store information of the internet, offers inexpensive email solutions and access to vital information, it can assist student with stretching resources and working smarter with: messaging, collaboration, and security information placed of the internet.

6. Google Spreadsheets

Google Spreadsheets is an internet based spreadsheet software package in which many students can work on the same document. Easily keeping everything in it proper place and readily accessible.

7. Google Definitions

Google Definitions is an add-on dictionary that is embedded into a student web browser and makes looking up word easy without leave a desktop environment.

8. Google Translate Tool

This is Google’s free web based language translation tool that quickly translates text and web pages.

If you are an instructor teaching online classes, your success lies with the success of your students. Teaching students in an online setting can be very challenging. However, with much advancement in technology and with your knowledge, you can make online learning a wonderful experience. To achieve success however, there are some dos and don’ts you will need to take into consideration and they are listed below.

Do’s:

1. Provide a course syllabus at the first class meeting

Students need to know what to expect from their online classes right from day one. Starting off a class without giving students a course syllabus is not the best way to begin a new class. The syllabus for online students should include some of the following:

• Instructor’s name, e-mail address and other contact information
• Instructor’s working hours
• Title and number of course
• Start date and length of course
• Materials needed for the course, including text books
• An evaluation plan
• Schedule of, projects, quizzes and exam
• Student participation and instructor expectations regarding participation

2. Treat each student with individualized care and attention

Because this is an online format, instructor should pay special attention to each and every student and make sure that all their online classroom needs are being met.

3. Make sure students know what is expected of them

Just as any classroom, whether online or on-campus, there has to be rules and discipline in the classroom. Without adequate discipline in the online course, students will procrastinate; others will just lose interest and drop the course all together.

4. Make sure everyone is on the same ‘page’ before moving on

Students who are more disciplined and can go at a quicker pace may start discussions with the class material that most of the students may have not yet gotten too or they may get bored. The best online classroom is when the class as a whole is roughly together in the course.

5. Keep the classroom fun and interesting

Avoid too much text without a break, vary activities up a bit; include video clips, animations and interesting anecdotes.

Don’ts:

1. Forget to present an introduction to the course on the first day of class

All students should be able to access an overview of the introduction to the online course on the first day of class or even before enrolling; this way students can communicate with you if something is unclear such as, course content, computer skills requirements, prerequisites and so on.

2. Neglect the classroom

Because this is an online degree, you will need to make sure all students have his or her contact information, including; email address or other form of emergency contact information, should student need assistance. Not being available when in need is not the best way to teach an online class and can be very frustrating for students.

3. Incorporate different teaching techniques

Course materials are not easy to understand and may not be compatible with a number of learning styles of each student. In a classroom there can be a variety of learning styles such as visual learners, auditory learners and tactile learners. When designing a course material for online students all three learning styles need to be taken into consideration.

It is easy to see that online education can be just as rewarding as offline learning. With just a little bit of adjustments and a few minor don’ts will make all the difference in the world.

For me it was an easy decision to choose the online mode of learning. Online learning has so many benefits, it is unimaginable why anyone would not want to be an online student. I could go on and on for days about these many benefits, but this medium only permits me to mention just six. So based on my own experience, here are my top six best reasons why I am an online student.

1. Study anytime, anywhere:

As an online student, I can study at any time of my convenience and in any location as long as I have access to the interne. Thus gives me extreme flexibility as I can plan my study time around my work schedule without affecting my work time. In addition, if I am late at work or traveling on business, I will not miss any lectures as my school goes with me wherever I go ?

2. Student-centered Teaching:

Online courses are taught different from classes in traditional campuses. Online education is very student centered. The courses are designed to reach students of varying levels of understanding. As a result, online courses are divided into various modules, each with their corresponding exams. They guide students through the program in a methodical manner that promotes easy learning.

3. Cost:

Although some universities charge a technology fee that is built into the overall cost of their online courses, the overall cost of the online course is less than that of traditional schools. With online schooling, there is cost associated with travel, boarding and campus life.

4. Access and associations:

Online colleges give us students, unlimited access to their vast digital library filled with information to enhance our studies. I found it so helpful during my research thesis when I was digging for information. In addition, my online college was associated with several professional bodies. This association also gave me access to their private information on the development of various technologies, production and maintenance manuals and journals.

5. Multi-cultured Input:

Being an online student opened my eyes to many cultures from across the world. In my class, we have students from the Far East, Africa, Latin America, USA and Europe. This made our online class discussions very interesting as we had input from varying perspectives. We also learnt how to exercise tolerance about other people’s opinion when they differed from ours. In addition, from the camaraderie that developed in our class, we able to establish various business alliances that are still contributing to my success today.

6. Less Intimidating:

While at high school, I was a very subdued individual. I was afraid that my opinions will be laughed at and would follow me around on the school campus. I found that with online degree, I was able to burst out of my shell and become more involved in class discussion. The anonymity helped to become more confident as no one could follow me around and call me names as before. Therefore, whatever friendship I developed was done so on a level playing field.

An online degree offers the perfect solution for many people who find that their career reaches a dead end and that there is nothing else left to do but to get a higher education. Anyone that has been passed over time and time again for promotions because employers value employees with a higher level of education knows how frustrating it can be. But the questions are how and when do you find the time to pursue an online education? Whether it is business, nursing, web design or education, there is a wide variety of online degrees to choose from and has been designed to cater to your needs.

Advantages of Distance Learning

Today distance learning makes it easy for working adults with family responsibilities and other obligations to return to college to pursue further education. The freedom to study how and when you want is the main reason so many people are turning to online learning. The flexibility, convenience and accessibility of an online degree make it easier than ever before to earn a degree online and enhance your career prospects.

Now or later: When should I pursue my Online Degree?

Why wait to reap the benefits of an online degree? There is absolutely no perfect time to pursue your degree. Finding the perfect time to pursue your dream is now. There is no time like the present to make your dream finally a reality. The longer you put it off and wait for that perfect time, which for some never comes, the harder it will be so if you are considering going back to school, it is best to do it now. Ever try exercising after letting yourself go for a year or two? So if you are in the scholastic mood of going back to school, just do it while you still want to.

How and when do I find the time for Online Learning?

Working and taking online classes at the same time can be a heavy burden. Trying to juggling these priorities will certainly require sacrifices and commitment. However, strongly committing to your new career both at work and in class is a sure way to impress your employer and possibly push you to the top. Also, you might find that working and going to school at the same time complement one another. You can apply what you are learning in school on the job.

Find Your Own Path to New Career Opportunities

To quote German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche “… you can never climb in vain: either you will reach a point higher up today, or you will be training your powers so that you will be able to climb higher tomorrow.” The decision to pursue your degree online just adds more ways in which you can create new career opportunities to suit your needs and circumstances.

Sounds like the name of a Stephen King novel doesn’t it? And, in the story the computers come to life and chase the protagonist through his apartments. Well fiction may not be far from reality reports from all over the country have been coming in about computers attack users…just kidding… let’s start with the good shall we

The Good

In a report recently released by the United States Department it is stated the “on average, students in online learning conditions perform better than those receiving face-to-face instruction.”

Online Students Perform Better

The report studied students that did part or all of their online courses versus student that did the same courses in a classroom for over 12 years at all levels of education (grade school, high school, and college). It also included courses like military and medical subjects. Students with online experience outclassed campus student in testing.

Online Learning is More Innovative

The study explained the results by saying that the mixing of online learning helped because it resulted in extra learning time for online students and that online education was more useful and interesting for students. Online learning also added new elements of learning more easily than classroom education and online education fit the need of individual learners better.

The Bad;

The stubborn bias against online degrees still refuses to die in the workplace. As the above study show one could reasonably argue that there is no difference between online education and traditional education, but bias hiring practices still are being clung by some hiring managers.

Prejudice Is Wrong

The prejudices that persist against online degrees are as stupid as racism. Let’s face it not hiring someone because they have an online degree is just wrong.

The Evil;

The increase in fraud at traditional colleges are becoming alarming with the discovery of Eamonn Daniel Higgins and others being paid big money to attend class at big name universities in California as reported by various news agencies.

Alarming Traditional Campus Fraud

Eamonn Daniel Higgins attended 10 different colleges from 2002 to 2009 the list of schools he earned degrees for other is staggering.

Stricter Regulation of Traditional Campus Colleges Needed

Official say that Higgins was not even registered on any of these campuses he was just being paid to attend classes for students who were out golfing or doing who knows what. Higgins is being charged with earning degrees for over 120 people in 7 year time.

Traditional College Campuses Clueless

One report even mentioned that a woman was attending classes and took test for male enrolled students. The ring was only caught because a policeman made traffic stop and discover Higgins had way too many drivers license the schools never caught on and the establishment looks at my online degree and with disdain! Who regulates these “traditional colleges” anyway?