What a TEFL Accrediting Body can do for your Institution

Gaining accreditation for its program is something that every educational program ought to be able to brag about. Going through a TEFL accrediting body may demonstrate to other programs and prospective students that the TEFL or teaching English as a foreign language courses that your institution provides have met minimum standards and quality for accreditation on a regular basis.

This could help attract students who are seeking education through accredited courses to your institution. This is one reason why it can be important to understand what such an accrediting body can do for your TEFL program.

One great thing that a TEFL accrediting body does for your institution is quality assurance. Meeting an accrediting body’s requirements to gain initial accreditation is one matter. After accreditation is granted, a program must still demonstrate regularly that the standards and requirements are being met at all times. An accrediting organisation will often insure this by sending someone to audit the course from time to time. Sending someone in randomly to audit a course at your institution will no doubt help you to keep track of the quality of your courses so as to not be caught by surprise by any visit.

Meeting an accrediting body’s requirements to gain initial accreditation is one matter. After accreditation is granted, a program must still demonstrate regularly that the standards and requirements are being met at all times.

Many students who are seeking a quality TEFL education will try to go to those institutions or through those programs that have gone through some sort of TEFL accrediting body. It stands to reason that prospective students will want to seek out the best they can find. If you offer courses that have accreditation, you may be more likely to see more students apply to your TEFL program. Any way to attract good students to a good program can be beneficial to a program like TEFL.

Overall, a TEFL accreditation gives validation to your TEFL program. It tells anyone who looks into your program that you have taken special care to make sure that program meets certain requirements, and so prospective students can expect a quality educational experience if they choose to participate in your program.

If you haven’t considered gaining accreditation through a TEFL accrediting body for your TEFL program, then you might think about it. Accreditation says a lot about an educational program. The accrediting body also makes sure that is accredited members continue to meet its standards regularly. You may also expect more and more students to seek out your program if it is really accredited. These things and more are what accreditation could possibly do for your institution. For more information, you might look into the specifics of a TEFL accreditation for your program right away.

The Pros and Cons of Online Education for the Contemporary World Citizen

More and more young people are choosing non-traditional education to start and advance in their careers while completing and furthering their formal education. “Typical distance learners are those who don’t have access to programs, employees who work during scheduled class hours, home-bound individuals, self-motivated individuals who want to take courses for self-knowledge or advancement, or those who are unable or unwilling to attend class” (Charp, 2000, p. 10).

Three key elements surround the online learner: technology, curriculum, and instructor (Bedore, Bedore, & Bedore, 1997). These elements must be keenly integrated into one smoothly and operationally functional delivery tool.

While an online method of education can be a highly effective alternative medium of education for the mature, self-disciplined student, it is an inappropriate learning environment for more dependent learners. In order to successfully participate in an online program, student must be well organized, self-motivated, and possess a high degree of time management skills in order to keep up with the pace of the course. For these reasons, online education or e-learning is not appropriate for younger students (i.e. elementary or secondary school age), and other students who are dependent learners and have difficulty assuming responsibilities required by the online paradigm.

Millions of students use e-learning solutions in over 140 countries, with corporations such as Kodak and Toyota and education providers like ExecuTrain, New Horizons, the Enoch Olinga College (ENOCIS), Phoenix University amongst the hundreds of schools and colleges.

Studies have shown student retention to be up to 250% better with online learning than with classroom courses. Several recent ones have helped frame the debate. The Sloan Consortium published a widely distributed report titled “Growing by Degrees: Online Education in the United States in 2005″ that examined the growing prevalence of online education across U.S. institutions.

In addition, a study conducted by the Boston-based consulting firm Eduventures found that, while about half of institutions and more than 60 percent of employers generally accept the high quality of online learning, students’ perceptions differ. Only about 33 percent of prospective online students said that they perceive the quality of online education to be “as good as or better than” face-to-face education. Ironically, 36 percent of prospective students surveyed cited concern about employers’ acceptance of online education as a reason for their reluctance to enroll in online courses.

The debate rages on while the Pros and Cons of Online Adult Education for today’s international students are constantly analyzed to determine if this type of education platform can deliver predictable and measurable results.

But what actually drives quality? A March 2006 report released by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Postsecondary Education identifies six quality indicators: mission, curriculum and instruction, faculty support, student and academic services, planning for sustainability and growth, and evaluation and assessment.

The debate rages on while the Pros and Cons of Online Adult Education for today’s international students are constantly analyzed to determine if this type of education platform can deliver predictable and measurable results.

The Enoch Olinga College (ENOCIS) is one institution which uses this type of delivery system. ENOCIS enhances their learning experience by offering many other “value added”, cost reducing benefits to students. Online pupils can apply for scholarships available to students of excellence and other financial aid programs like the Parent Loan for Undergraduate Students (PLUS), with attractive interest rates. They also provide convenient payment facilities, on line banking, Western Union Quick Collect, bank cards and a student who is granted a loan can start repaying it after two months if they have a corporate guarantor.

Pros of Online Education:

The key advantages of the online education experience are briefly explained below:

1. Cheaper:

Online courses may be more affordable than those offered at colleges or trade schools. You may also save on transportation costs like gas, bus passes, and parking permits because you don’t need to commute to school and there are no housing or meals plans to worry about since you do not need to live on or near a college campus. Housing expenses and other costs associated with living expenses are usually the most expensive aspects of a college education, so by taking an online course you could save quite a bit of money. The best part of online education is the absence of travel and immigration problems.

2. More Convenient:

By taking courses online, you’re able to decide when you study and for how long. You are also able to schedule your studying around your work or social schedule.

Since you’re not bound to a classroom, you may do your work wherever you have access to a computer and the internet. You’ll be able to set your own pace and decide exactly how fast you want to go over the material. Take online courses when you need them, not based on some college’s annual or semester schedule. You can learn when you need it (Just-In-Time).

3. Flexibility:

With no set class times, you decide when to complete your assignments and readings. You set the pace. In some programs, you can even design your own degree plan. The online students can carry out their private or official work, along with the online education. They can allot more time in the topics, which they feel comparatively hard and vice versa. The speed of learning depends solely upon the students.

4. Technology:

With the help of the scientific technology, students can do their online education at any place. The only mandatory pre-requisite is the availability of computer along with an internet amenity.

5. Availability:

Distance-learning opportunities have exploded over the past few years, with many accredited and reputable programs.

6. Accessibility:

With an online course, you can work on the course just about anywhere you have computer access. Your learning options are not constrained by your geographic location. The new virtual classrooms have created a myriad of learning opportunities for global learning and education center. On line education is a new era experience adapting to the needs of the world citizen.

7. Self-Directed:

You set your own pace and schedule, so you control the learning environment.

8. Time Spent in Classroom:

Now you can take a course on just about any subject without ever having to be in, or travel to, a classroom so you have very little wasted time. Note, however, that some distance-education programs still do have an in-class component and normally to receive a fully accredited US university degree an international student must spend one or two semesters on campus.

9. High Quality Dialog:

Within an online asynchronous discussion structure, the learner is able to carefully reflect on each comment from others before responding or moving on to the next item. This structure allows students time to articulate responses with much more depth and forethought than in a traditional face-to-face discussion situation where the participant must analyze the comment of another on the spot and formulate a response or otherwise loose the chance to contribute to the discussion.

10. Student Centered:

Within an online discussion, the individual student responds to the course material (lectures and course books, for example) and to comments from other students. Students usually respond to those topics within the broader conversation that most clearly speak to their individual concerns and situations resulting in several smaller conversations taking place simultaneously within the group. While students are expected to read all of their classmates’ contributions, they will become actively engaged only in those parts of the dialog most relevant to their needs. In this way, students take control of their own learning experience and tailor the class discussions to meet their own specific needs. Ideally, students make their own individual contributions to the course while at the same time take away a unique mix of information directly relevant to their needs.

11. Level Playing Field:

In the online environment learners retain a considerable level of anonymity. Discriminating factors such as age, dress, physical appearance, disabilities, race and gender are largely absent. Instead, the focus of attention is clearly on the content of the discussion and the individual’s ability to respond and contribute thoughtfully and intelligently to the material at hand.

12. Synergy:

The online format allows for a high level of dynamic interaction between the instructor and students and among the students themselves. Resources and ideas are shared, and continuous synergy will be generated through the learning process as each individual contributes to the course discussions and comments on the work of others. The synergy that exists in the student-centered virtual classroom is one of the unique and vital traits that the online learning format posses.

13. Access to Resources:

It is easy to include distinguished guest experts or students from other institutions in an online class as well as allow students to access resources and information anywhere in the world. An instructor can compile a resource section online with links to scholarly articles, institutions, and other materials relevant to the course topic for students to access for research, extension, or in depth analysis of course content material in the global classroom.

14. Creative Teaching:

The literature of adult education supports the use of interactive learning environments as contributing to self-direction and critical thinking. Some educators have made great strides in applying these concepts to their on ground teaching. The nature of the semi-autonomous and self-directed world of the virtual classroom makes innovative and creative approaches to instruction even more important. In the online environment, the facilitator and student collaborate to create a dynamic learning experience.

Cons of Online Education:

Briefly explained are some factors that could negatively affect your success with distance learning courses:

1. The Technology:

a. Equity and Accessibility to Technology:

Before any online program can hope to succeed, it must have students who are able to access the online learning environment. Lack of access, whether it be for economical or logistics reasons, will exclude otherwise eligible students from the course. This is a significant issue in rural and lower socioeconomic neighborhoods and educating the under-served peoples of the world. As far as Internet accessibility is concerned, it is not universal, and in some areas of the United States and other countries, Internet access poses a significant cost to the user. Some users pay a fixed monthly rate for their Internet connection, while others are charged for the time they spend online. If the participants’ time online is limited by the amount of Internet access they can afford, then instruction and participation in the online program will not be equitable for all students in the course. This is a limitation of online programs that rely on Internet access.

b. Requires New Skills/Technologies:

If you’re not computer-savvy or are afraid of change or new technologies, then online education will probably not work for you. The online students are required to learn new skills, such as researching and reviewing the internet.

c. Computer Literacy:

Both students and facilitators must possess a minimum level of computer knowledge in order to function successfully in an online environment. For example, they must be able to use a variety of search engines and be comfortable navigating on the World Wide Web, as well as be familiar with Newsgroups, FTP procedures and email. If they do not possess these technology tools, they will not succeed in an online program.

d. Limitations of Technology:

User friendly and reliable technology is critical to a successful online program. However, even the most sophisticated technology is not 100% reliable. Unfortunately, it is not a question of if the equipment used in an online program will fail, but when. When everything is running smoothly, technology is intended to be low profile and is used as a tool in the learning process. In downtime situations of broken systems the technology is neither seamless nor reliable and it can detract from the learning experience.

2. The Institution:

Many online education facilities are relatively new with many courses and hence, lack in modern instructors for instructing the new curriculum. Estimates show that there is still a need for an increase of more 50% of qualified instructors for online education.

b. The Administration and Faculty:

Some environments are disruptive to the successful implementation of an online program. Administrators and/or faculty members who are uncomfortable with change and working with technology or feel that online programs cannot offer quality education often inhibit the process of implementation.

3. The Facilitator: Lack of Essential Online Qualities:

Successful on-ground instruction does not always translate to successful online instruction. If facilitators are not properly trained in online delivery and methodologies, the success of the online program will be compromised. An instructor must be able to communicate well in writing and in the language in which the course is offered.

4. Perceptions/Reputation:

While slowly changing as more and more mainstream colleges and universities embrace distance learning, there still is a stigma attached to distance education to the student’s interaction in the online education. Some of the students believe that, there are few opportunities with regards to face-to-face interactions and feedbacks.

5. No Instructor Face Time:

If your learning style is one where you like personalized attention from your teachers, then online education will probably not work for you.

6. Little Support:

Students are expected to find their own resources for completing assignments and exams, which is empowering for some, but daunting for others. There is little support and limited guidelines provided in on line education system.

7. Lacking Social Interaction:

While you often interact with classmates via email, chat rooms, or discussion groups, there are no parties or off line get-togethers.

8. No Campus Atmosphere:

Part of the traditional college experience, of course, is the beauty of the campus, the college spirit, but you have none of that with distance-education courses. Since you’re not on campus or in classes, you may lack opportunities to meet other students.

9. Making Time:

If you are a procrastinator or one of those people who always needs an extra push to complete work, you may have a hard time making time for your online classes. On line learning requires new skills and responsibilities from learners.

10. Academic honesty of online students:

There requires a new mindset for online assessment. Most education experts agree that rote memory testing is not the best measure of learning in any environment and new measurement and evaluation tools are evolving.

11. Types and effectiveness of assessments:

The importance of outcomes in online learning cannot be over emphasized. Does the program have measurable results? Are students learning what you say they should be learning? Then there are institutional outputs: course completion rates, job placement rates (if that’s the goal of the institution), graduation rates, student success on third-party tests, and student satisfaction scores.

These factors, both the pros and cons, contribute greatly to making an informed decision about the direction of your career path and how you are going to accomplish your goals: on line, in the classroom or a combination of both.

Institutions and companies that use continuing education to meet their needs also face similar decisions. Institutions that deliver online education are confronted with a series of challenges, including the search for good faculty, use of technology, and provision of adequate student services.

The Sloan Consortium report “Growing by Degrees: Online Education in the United States in 2005″ found that 64 percent of chief academic officers and faculty believe that it takes more discipline for a student to succeed in an online course than it does in a face-to-face course.

More and more major business and industry is turning to on line continuing education as a viable and cost effective resource for training its personnel. Hilton Hotel has 380 hotels worldwide and is represented in 66 countries.

When you weigh the benefits and advantages of on line adult continuing education the cost of study and flexibility of scheduling tip the scales of programs like the Enoch Olinga College, Capella and Phoenix University’s distance learning program on line adult continuing education is becoming a world wide respected form of education.

However, as with any situation, there are both pros and cons with the concept of online education and the benefits of the virtual or global classroom. You may want to evaluate both before you decide on an online education program. By examining the advantages and disadvantages, you will be able to make a more informed decision. But, at the end of the day, online learning is independent learning. A lot of structure has been put into online programs, but it still comes down to a learner sitting in front of a computer by him or herself. The knowledge you receive or the benefits it will generate either in development of self esteem or increasing earning capacity will depend sole upon you the student.

Creative Shoebox Diorama Ideas for School

Shoebox Dioramas are a part of every school year and in just about every grade they serve as a wonderful learning tool. They are used to learn the arts and crafts of making things and they are used to also learn about specific subjects and have many great uses in language learning, too. This article shows you some creative ideas from both the arts and crafts aspect and the learning aspect.

The Arts and Crafts of Shoebox Dioramas

There are a lot of common ways to make a shoebox diorama and they include tape, glue, construction paper and all the regular assortment of arts and crafts stuff but there are a few things you can do to make a diorama just a little bit special.

Here is a list of ideas:

  • If you are doing an underwater scene you can cover the front of the box with Saran Wrap or thin plastic. This gives the diorama an underwater feel
  • Use string to utilize the full three dimensions inside the box; suspend objects from strings or tie strings from side to side and top to bottom and attach objects to the strings. This works well for flying objects like bird, pterodactyls or even clouds and stars.
  • Cut slots in the back and top of the box and use this to insert objects that you can move across the diorama. Make a bird, boat, comet or some other type of moving object then attach a tab to the back of it. Insert this tab in the slot then you can grab the tab from the back and slide the object across the diorama. This adds a nice little interactive element. This works well with all kinds of things from a rising sun, flying bird, erupting volcano or just about anything else that would move.
  • Think outside the shoebox! There is no need to run out and buy a new pair of shoes if you don’t have a shoebox. A more than adequate box can be made from scraps of cardboard or even a few cereal boxes cut and taped together. And there is no need to make a typical shoebox shape. Be creative in the shape you make. It adds a dimension of interest to the project. Half round, amphitheatre shapes are commonly used for dioramas and look great.
  • Achieving Depth – The most common trait of an average shoebox diorama is that it has a decorated background and objects placed on the bottom surface. You can add an attractive touch by decorating a strip of paper that is about two inches wide with a foliage pattern then attach this to the inside bottom of the diorama about an inch from the back wall – it reaches all the way from the left side to the right side. This adds a lot of depth and makes it look much more interesting.
  • Using alternate materials – You don’t have to use cardboard or boxes. As an example, if you are doing a polar bear or penguin diorama you could use white packing Styrofoam. If you are doing a desert scene you can apply glue to the bottom of the diorama and sprinkle real sand on it.

Theme Ideas and Learning Tools

The biggest point of a shoebox diorama is to show a natural habitat of something. In the process of drawing and cutting out the various objects a child is learning about the habitat. This is great but you can take it to new levels with a little thought and a little creativity.

  • Freezing a moment in time – A diorama is a moment in time and you can focus on this. Some good examples are you can have a meteor streaking across the sky of a dinosaur diorama; this explains a theory of extinction. Or you can show a large predator fish about to eat a smaller fish as it is eating something even smaller. This dramatic moment in time is a good display of the food chain.
  • Interactions in a habitat – The focus of a diorama is often to correctly identify and place the right objects for a natural habitat but you can take this to a new level by focusing on the interactions within the habitat. The upper layer of canopy in a rainforest blocks out sunlight from the lower layers and this is an important aspect of the rainforest. A coral reef provides shelter for many creatures in the sea and a diorama can display this.
  • Adding a Fact Sheet – This is a great tool that should be added to every diorama. You should make a fact sheet that can be glued to poster board and stood up near the diorama. The sheet explains the basic facts of what the diorama is about.

Diorama Ideas

Here are some ideas you can use as a theme for your diorama

  • The Natural Habitat of just about any creature like fish, polar bears, black bears, penguins, wolves, humans, dinosaurs, camels, lions, tigers, monkeys, elephants, dolphins, and well you get the idea!
  • A Desert theme complete with pyramids, mummies and camels is fun
  • A Rainforest is a good diorama for teaching about diversity and the interaction of species
  • An astronomy diorama complete with sun, planets, comets, and stars in the background
  • A medieval Castle scene complete with catapult or dragon
  • Underwater scenes are always popular
  • Arctic themed dioramas are fun because of the creative options for snow and icebergs

Whatever diorama you choose to make you should take a little time to make it different and unique and there are lots of creative ways to do that. Have fun with your project!

About the Author

Will Kalif

Visit the author’s diorama site where you can find lots of videos, tutorials, and ideas for making dioramas. Diorama Man

 

Getting to grips with the different types of essay writing

One of the main problems that all students have when they start to write essays – and this is an even bigger problem for those who are studying in English even though it isn’t their native tongue – is getting to grips with the question. The question you are asked is going to completely define the type of answer you need to give. Consequently, this is an area in which many students struggle and is a big reason why some turn to websites that offer research papers for sale.

One of the main problems that all students have when they start to write essays is getting to grips with the question. The question you are asked is going to completely define the type of answer you need to give.

The difficulties in finding help when deciding how to answer any particular question mean that some students decide to buy research papers to help them as they provide a model from which to work. Let’s consider the three main types of essay that students are required to write:

The expository essay

This is the type of essay that is most often taught in writing classes, as it is the classic model of introduction, main body paragraphs and conclusion. This type of essay shows that you have knowledge of the topic and can inform the reader about it. This, as I mentioned, is the standard type of essay and is one that most are familiar with.

The narrative essay

This is perhaps less common and more difficult for the student to get to grips with. In this type of essay the student is expressing their ideas about the topic. Consequently, many turn to a personal statement writing service for help in deciding how to format such a piece and what should and shouldn’t be included.

The provocative essay

Again, this is less common, which is why it can be difficult to find models on which to build your own piece of writing. Such essays aim to catch the readers attention and may act as a kind of call to action.

Important: work out what type of question you are being asked and seek help if you need it.

How well do you know the APA formatting style

Academic papers are required to be formatted according to instructions given. Therefore students are supposed to familiarize themselves with various formatting styles in place. Students should have a look at different papers formatted using different formatting styles to be familiar with them well. APA formatting style is an example of formatting styles used in academic papers. Students find it hard when it comes to formatting of essays using APA styles. This is because they do not have adequate knowledge of various writing styles.

When it comes to author’s details, it is somehow confusing as you are required to give detailed information about the author.

When using APA style we mostly focus on the author’s details, punctuation rules, journal citations and also referencing online. When it comes to author’s details, it is somehow confusing as you are required to give detailed information about the author. For instance you are supposed to write author’s first name followed by initials of the middle name and then last name. In punctuation rules, APA requires terminal punctuations followed by double spaces in the text.

Format of APA paper

When writing APA style you are supposed to use 8.5 by 11 inches paper, with Times Romans font and font size 12. Always remember to leave one inch on all sides of the paper. Every page in your APA paper should include page header at the top and page numbers on the right side. APA paper should contain four main sections namely title page, abstract, main body and reference sections.

Title page:

This should contain a running head, title of your paper, student’s name and institution name. Running head should be in the upper left corner of all pages in your paper. All pages including title page should contain a page number in upper right side. In this page, your paper title, student’s name and institution name should be double spaced and centered.

Abstract:

This is the short summary of your paper. Abstract should be last part to be written in your paper and should be written on a separate page. Abstract should not be more than 150 to 250 words; however your instructor may instruct you on the length and content of your abstract.

Main body:

This will vary depending on the type of paper you are writing. Follow instructions given when it comes to citing the main body of your paper.

Reference section:

This is where you include all materials where information was gathered from. Remember to include author’s details. For instance it is necessary to include author’s name, date of publication and the page where information was collected from.