Where Do the Candidates Stand on Education Reform?

Education was once the foundation of American society. To advance in life, one saw receiving a quality education as the ticket to the middle-class and a comfortable life. However, over time Americans began placing less emphasis on education. The public school system began to suffer and the achievement gap between American children and their foreign counterparts widened.

Both Barack Obama and John McCain emphasize education reform in their platform, but whose plan benefits you and your children the most?

McCain believes the key to education reform is the ability of parents to choose which schools their children attend, similar to his colleagues in Congress who are able to send their children to the best private schools in their area. The Republican nominee equates equal education to equal access to the best education. According to his website, “John McCain will fight for the ability of all students to have access to all schools of demonstrated excellence, including their own homes.”

The Arizona senator wants to encourage competition among schools to be the most innovative and flexible, and compete for the best teachers and administrators.

Furthermore, McCain believes that financial assistance must be based on a parent’s desire to relocate their child to the best school available.

However, Obama sees teacher retention and affordable higher learning as the key to education reform. According to his website, thirty percent of schoolteachers leave the field of education within their first five years. In addition, the cost of a college education has grown by forty percent in the last five years.  Read more... (575 words, estimated 2:18 mins reading time)

Early Childhood Education: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow

Product Description
This is the first volume in a four book series in Early Childhood Education. All four volumes will be released simultaneosly, allowing instructors the opportunity to mix and match books into customized teaching package…. More >>
Early Childhood Education: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow

Building Your Career in Education

Teachers hold America’s future in their hands. When you pursue a degree in education, you’re not only receiving career training–you’re learning how to be a trainer. Graduates of online education degree programs enjoy a broad range of career options. You can specialize in a single subject, or become a generalist with skills across the disciplines.

The future is bright, too, for teachers at all levels. President Barack Obama has pledged to revitalize early childhood education and to “recruit, prepare, and retain” good teachers. The Administration plans to quadruple national funding for the Early Head Start program.

Getting into the Classroom
Some prospective teachers choose to work with young children, others hope to teach in college, and many dream of working with a school district, developing curriculum and fostering teacher excellence.

For those who enter the public school system, kindergarten, elementary, and secondary school teachers should be in especially high demand in rural districts and inner cities, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Median 2007 annual earnings were $23,130 for preschool teachers, $43,030 for elementary teachers and $49,420 for secondary school teachers. You can take classes online to progress towards a bachelor’s degree–the typical educational minimum requirement, in addition to a post-graduate credential.   

Another area that expects to see job growth is special education. The job outlook for special education teachers should be positive, with the BLS predicting a dire need to replace teachers heading for retirement. Districts may require a bachelor’s degree with a specialization in learning disabilities. The median 2007 wages for special education teachers were $48,350 at the elementary level, $49,640 in secondary education.  Read more... (516 words, estimated 2:04 mins reading time)

Distance Learning Education Degree – for Career Advancement

Distance Learning Education Degree – for Career Advancement

A distance learning education degree is the most convenient and efficient way to higher income and greater career opportunities in the field of education. Employed teaching professionals desirous of advancing their careers to leadership roles, such as superintendent, principal or dean, prefer distance learning education courses. Such courses expand their knowledge and provide exposure to diverse educational settings.

A number of distance learning education degree courses are available with various specialization options. Some of the specialization options offered by various universities are administration and supervision specialization, curriculum and instruction specialization, specialization in early childhood education, specialization in special education, teacher education specialization, educational leadership programs, etc.

Different Levels of Distance Learning Education Degree Courses

A certificate course in education is an entry level program. It teaches elementary skill sets to enhance your professional effectiveness. Certificate credits may be applied towards degree programs.

Bachelor’s degree programs lead to elementary and secondary teacher licensure. The students gain the pedagogical skills and knowledge helpful in becoming competent and effective educators.

Master’s degree specializations help students to develop new competencies and enhance skills and abilities to teach more effectively or advance to administration or leadership roles.

PhD or EdD specializations strengthen critical thinking, research, and problem solving skills. It prepares learners to become transformational leaders who will strategically manage and lead complex educational organizations. It enables the participants to meet the challenges in the field of education confidently and competently.  Read more... (435 words, estimated 1:44 mins reading time)

Introduction to Early Childhood Education: Preschool Through Primary Grades

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This book is a thorough examination of day—to-day aspects of standards-based, developmentally appropriate teaching of young children.   Using student-friendly, readable language, Jo Ann Brewer demonstrat… More >>
Introduction to Early Childhood Education: Preschool Through Primary Grades

The Era of Online Education

The Internet has broken down language barriers, country boundaries, and learning methods. Today, learning at home is not only possible but highly advisable because the World Wide Web gives students resources that otherwise are not available as fast as the time it takes when a student turns on his or her personal computer.

The era of education online means that your ability to obtain higher education is just a mouse click away. Online education is one of the best options for those who want to get a degree and work at the same time. Within the past ten years, online education and internet training has provided many people with a new incentive to learn.

Online education includes a full spectrum of possibilities starting with early childhood education and including college preparation, or complete learning programs for obtaining a college degree. Online courses open a world of possibilities to people who for any given reason were unable to attend regular school programs, or those whose actual activities and limited time, made it hard to stick to a full-time learning schedule.

Online education is spreading across the globe like a wildfire fueled by textbooks and periodic tables. Millions who previously thought that a college degree was firmly out of their reach have discovered that all it takes to attend college in today’s world are the combination of a few free hours each day and access to the Internet.  Read more... (599 words, estimated 2:24 mins reading time)

Editorial Projects in Education – Education Next is the Most Influential Journal in Education

STANFORD, Calif. — Education Next is the most influential journal in education, according to a study released last week by the Editorial Projects in Education (EPE) Research Center. The study, Influence: A Study of the Factors Shaping Education Policy, was based on an extensive survey of the education field’s opinion-elite.

Education Next, published quarterly by the Hoover Institution at Stanford University, was the sole journal, peer-reviewed or otherwise, listed among the top-ten information sources in the EPE survey, surpassed only by agencies of the U. S. government, Education Week, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and the non-profit organization Education Trust.

“The other editors and I are very pleased to learn that this young journal, now in its sixth year of publication, has attained such prominence and recognition,” said Paul E. Peterson, editor-in-chief of Education Next and director of the Program on Education Policy and Governance at Harvard University. “The honor reminds us to keep focused on our central mission, namely to ‘present the facts as best they can be determined, giving voice (without fear or favor) to worthy research, sound ideas and responsible arguments.’”

EPE’s study also ranked most influential research in education as well as the most influential individuals. Research on school vouchers conducted by Peterson and his colleagues at Harvard was cited among the thirteen “blockbuster” studies of the past decade. A study of graduation rates by Jay Greene, an Education Next contributing editor, was also listed as one of the top thirteen. The National Assessment of Educational Progress, conducted under the auspices of the U. S. Department of Education, was listed as the most influential research study.  Read more... (652 words, estimated 2:36 mins reading time)

History of Education

Education and Stone Age

The History of Education goes way back when Adam set his foot on this earth and passed his knowledge on to the generation followed by him. Education thus in Simple words is passing of already discovered knowledge to another generation. Education as a science cannot also be separated from the educational traditions that existed before. Knowledge was actually the natural outcome of an individual while fighting the battle of survival and the transfer of this understanding to the newcomers originated the phenomenon of Education in general. The transfer of knowledge gradually evolved into distinct cultures and oral language was developed into Symbols as well as pictures to further enhance the process of handing over.

When cultures began to extend their knowledge beyond the basic skills of communicating, trading, gathering food, religious practices, etc, formal education, and schooling, eventually followed.

Education and religion:

Initially the most popular mode of education in various regions of the world was religion. The religious priests not only taught religion but also the principles of writing, the sciences, mathematics, and architecture. The regions like Egypt, India and China are popular for the propagation of education through religious scholars. The basis of formal education were really strong in religions like Christianity, Islam, Hinduism and Jewish. All of the religions incorporated their sacred worship places as a mode of extending their knowledge and learning about the realities of life.

Education in Greece and Rome
 Read more... (920 words, estimated 3:41 mins reading time)