U.s And Greece: Differences And Similarities In Education :: essays research papers

U.S and Greece: Differences and Similarities in Education   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are many differences and similarities in education in Greece and The United States of America today. The differences, which there are many of, are focused on the different ideas of what is important in our different countries. The similarities are basic in an education and to have a successful country which both do have to be the same.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Greece and the U.S. have only four major similarities which are common to a good education. First, both have students that go to school until the age of 18 with the exception of college now. Second, both countries make students learn about music, have physical training, and learn to read and write. Later on in the Greek society, poor and rich students all went to school and all men soon learned to read and write.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are many differences in the two different civilizations and probably due to the difference of time. There are about ten major differences between the two counties. First, the poor looked as an extra child in the family, and extra child to feed and give an education so could be abandoned or not given an education. The rich also didn't want to spend the money on the child's education and would be very selfish. Girls stayed home to cook, weave, do art, and to learn to run the house because of the male dominated culture. Only the boys went to school, and at first the rich boys only went to school. Only men learned to read and write. All schools were private schools and family's would have to pay the school expenses for the education. They believed music was necessary and they had a high value on physical fitness which the U.S. doesn't. For people who could not afford school they would train in the city to be a soldier.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The schools in Greece and in The United States of America both have a

Internet as a Learning Tool

International Journal of Computing and Business Research ISSN (Online) : 2229-6166 Volume 2 Issue 2 May 2011 INTERNET AS LEARNING TOOL: INDIAN ENGINEERING STUDENT’S PERCEPTION Vandana Sharma [1], Rishu Chhabra[2] 1 2 Education & Research, Infosys Technologies Limited, Mysore, Karnataka, India Department of Computer Science & Engineering, Chitkara University, Punjab, India, ABSTRACT Our global economy now relies on brainpower and innovation rather than manual labor and raw material as a generator of wealth and good education has become the key part in shaping the success of the countries.Over the last decade, t h e I T revolution has brought in advancement that shows increasingly visible effects on the education with the birth of online education. First student community realized the effect of the internet on their education. Invention of internet has removed all the barriers to learning. The scope of this paper is to analyze the north Indian engineering student’s percep tion about internet as learning tool effects of internet on them in perspective of their relations, education, entertainment and and socialization.Technology can have both positive and negative consequences on people in different walks of life at different times. Now necessity is to understand the true impact of it so that everybody gathers benefits that yield a healthy mind. In this paper, with the help of an empirical study it was inspected that whether the contacts via e- mail, online chatting and availability of information through Internet would lead our students in a better learned and connected individual. Study also examines the kind of learning mode students prefer.These issues are discovered in detail and suitable solutions are proposed to counter the negative effects of internet on students. Keyword: Internet, education, learning tool INTRODUCTION Internet is a tool for the improvement of learning. A textbook which was a traditional learning tool are now out of date as in ternet moves quickly and provides updated information and includes a wide variety of International Journal of Computing and Business Research ISSN (Online) : 2229-6166 Volume 2 Issue 2 May 2011 international sources. Now learning has a greater reliance on information acquired from the internet rather than from textbooks.Dependence on this tool has increased exponentially and unbelievably. Social, geographical, economical barriers are disappearing as students interact worldwide. The technological revolution has a faster and deeper impact on more and more lives. This has further increased with the improvement of technology. Venkatesh [1] surveyed in his paper that all technologies create an impact of s o m e k i n d . For example, the television technology has had an influence on the media habits of the public, their attitudes and behavior towards entertainment and the interaction between family members.Cole [2] assessed the requisite of Internet as a mainstream medium t h a t m a y s o o n b e a s prevalent a s television although pace of its diffusion seems much faster. Kraut e t al [3] conducted a longitudinal study on the effects of Internet on social involvement and psychological well-being. Their findings show that the greater use of the Internet was significantly related with decreased community within the family, a decrease in local social network and loneliness and depression. In a report of SIQSS, [4] N.Nie has also continued with the negative consequences of the Internet that are similar with the outcomes of the Kraut group. Katz and Aspden [5] made a survey using 2500 respondents, 8 percent of them were Internet users. Comparing users with non-users, they establish no evidence t h a t t h e u s e o f i nternet reduces people’s membership in social and religious organizations. Among users, more use of the Internet was related with additional contact with family members and an increased involvement in online communities. This survey contradicts the discoveries presented in [4] and [5].Wellman [6] made a survey on â€Å"the National Geographic Society website† and came out wi t h t h e s u g g es t i o ns t hat t h e I n t er n e t can be used for increasing interpersonal connectivity and organizational involvement. Not only can expose people to more inf ormation and more contacts, it can reduce commitment to community. However, this increased connectivity and involvement. In 2009 there were nearly 81,000,000 users of internet in India. There are many studies available at global level about the impact of internet on students but studies about Indian engineering students are not available.INTERNET IN EDUCATION There are number of main advantages of using internet for education [7] A . Flexibility and Variety The flexibility of the internet is possibly the greatest advantage for online education. Websites, interactive activities, lecture notes, videoconferencing, webinars, chartrooms, and blogs, online education studen ts and their educators can interact in ways that are already known to them. Internet provides user friendly interface International Journal of Computing and Business Research ISSN (Online) : 2229-6166 Volume 2 Issue 2 May 2011 to user and new users also feel more comfortable with time B.Ease and Low Cost of Access Internet has defeated the distance barrier for learning. Students need not to move to gain knowledge. It has become easy and affordable for everyone from a rural area student to a working professional. For the purpose of interactive courses and videoconferencing rural students are facing problem and this still requires attention C. Ease and Low Cost of Setting Information Online Email, chat and interactive online meeting has become new way of learning. Information regarding a course is all available online. This is not only accessible but is affordable for institutes also.Records are available for 24X7 for any time use. D. Ease of Updating Information Online Information up dation is easier than revising a textbook. Results can be displayed just after an exam. A new course is easy to add. New research or finding can become part of syllabus instantly. In [8] Aytekin ISMAN, Fahme DABAJ studied students-teachers’ perceptions and attitudes towards internet based on various parameters. It was concluded that at education cycle of students concentrate more to learn internet alternatives and functions for getting great positive benefit their future life by adapting contemporary trends.In [9] Hong etal studied . Students' attitudes toward the use of the Internet for it is important that students should b e exposed learning at a university in Malaysia and showed that to this web based learning so that they could get benefit from Web-based courses and Web-assisted conducted in their field of specialization by the various departments. PURPOSE OF THE STUDY The purpose of this research was to collect information about the impact of internet on learning of eng ineering students. This study is directed to answer following questions: †¢ †¢ †¢ What is the attitude of students towards using internet for their course contents?Do the students prefer using internet over books? Does internet builds confidence in students by helping them in presentations etc.? METHODOLOGY The research instrument in this study was a questionnaire. There were total of 20 questions in this questionnaire each with five selections of response from â€Å"Strongly Agree† to Strongly Disagree†. Questions were divided into four categories. In first category questions were framed to measure student’s attitude toward International Journal of Computing and Business Research ISSN (Online) : 2229-6166 Volume 2 Issue 2 May 2011 he use of internet for their course purpose. Sample question for this category is â€Å"With the help of internet I am able to collect more study material â€Å". Second category asks students about their preference of internet over books. Sample question for this statement is â€Å"For study purpose I prefer spending time on internet surfing rather sitting in a library â€Å". Third category measures the student’s attitude for internet as a tool of confidence builder. Sample question is â€Å"Internet has boosted my confidence as I am able to present my reports, seminars etc. n better wayâ€Å". In the last category miscellaneous questions were asked to get student opinion about group learning through internet using blogs and discussion forums, their time spent on internet etc. As all students were engineering students, questions were not asked to measure their basic knowledge and skills of the internet. Population under investigation included 100 students of Computer Science & Engineering of a Wifi enabled engineering institute campus. All students use Laptop and Internet on daily basis. RESULT AND DISCUSSION A.Student’s attitude towards using internet for their syllabi There were four questions under this category. For each statement responses were coded 2 for â€Å"Strongly disagree â€Å"to 5 for â€Å"Strongly agree† and 1 for â€Å"No opinion†. Thus the scores for each student on the statement ranges from 8 to 20. Scores from 8-10, 12-16 and 17-20 were classified as having â€Å"negative† ,†neutral† and â€Å"Positive† attitude towards the use of internet for learning. Table 1 shows the result. Table1. Student’s attitude towards using internet for learning. Scores 8-10 12-16 17-20 Attitude Negative Neutral Positive Frequency 2 58 40B. Student’s preference of internet for study material over the books For each statement responses were coded for 2 â€Å"Strongly disagree â€Å"to 5 for â€Å"Strongly agree† and 1 for â€Å"No opinion†. Thus the scores for each student on the statement range from 10 to 21. Scores from 10-14, 1517 and 18-21 were classified as â€Å"do not prefer us ing internet â€Å",†no preference† and â€Å"prefer use of internet† over books. Table 2 shows the result of student’s preference of internet over books International Journal of Computing and Business Research ISSN (Online) : 2229-6166 Volume 2 Issue 2 May 2011Table2. Student’s preference of internet over books Scores 10-14 15-17 18-21 Preference Frequency Do not 15 Prefer No 48 preference 37 Prefer C. Student’s attitude towards internet as a confidence builder For each statement responses were coded 2 for â€Å"Strongly disagree â€Å"to 5 for â€Å"Strongly agree† and 1 for â€Å"no opinion†. Thus the scores for each student on the statement range from 2 to 10. Scores from 2-4, 5-7 and 810 were classified as having â€Å"Negative â€Å",†Neutral† and â€Å"Positive† attitudes towards the use of internet for learning.Table 3 shows the attitude of students toward internet as confidence builder. Table3. St udent’s attitude towards internet as a confidence builder. Scores 2-4 5-7 8-10 Attitude Negative Neutral Positive Frequency 11 31 58 Despite of the fact that the students in this survey were from computer science & engineering stream half of the students find it difficult to understand all the terms on WebPages. 90% students spend 1-5 hours on internet. 66% students use blogs and discussion forum for the solution to their technical problems.Only 8% students disagree that internet can be helpful in group learning. 79% students consider that mixture of online course and classroom course will be better for learning process. 84% students feel that internet helpful to prepare them for examination. 71% students do not find internet adding to laziness. 51 % students believe that the use of internet has decreased the verbal communications among themselves. Internet has positive impact on learning domain but has negative impact on social aspects of a student’s personality.Thoug h students realize this they should indulge more in social interactions and activities. Institutes should hold seminars time to time to make students aware about the importance of internet as learning tool. Institutes should encourage group learning through internet and should promote the use of blogs for learning purpose. Courses should be designed in blended format of classroom and online teaching. As result of this survey showed that more Indian students are opting online books as compare to paper book so use of online bookInternational Journal of Computing and Business Research ISSN (Online) : 2229-6166 Volume 2 Issue 2 May 2011 reading devices should be promoted. The use of such devices is user friendly. CONCLUSION In this paper result of the survey of use of internet as learning tool by engineering student has been presented. Engineering students are using computer and internet on daily basis. Maximum students find internet a very useful tool for their studies. Students prefer online books and study material. They find internet helpful to boost their confidence for presentations and reports.Engineering institutes should promote the use of internet as a learning tool and should provide infrastructure to facilitate the students. Students also feel that excess use of internet may cause some socialization problems. REFERENCES [1] A. Venkatesh, A c onceptualization of Household/Technology Interactions, Advances in Consumer Research, Vol. 12, 189-194, 1985. [2] J. I. Cole, The Impact of the Internet on Our Social,Political and Economic Life, The UCCLA Center for communication Policy, 2000. [3] R. Kraut, M. Patterosn, V. undmark, S. Keisler, T.Mukophadhyay and W. Scherlis, Internet Paradox: being? , a Social Technology that Reduces Social Involvement and PsychologicalWell53(9),1998a. American Psychologist, [4] N. Nie, Study of social Consequences of the Internet, Stanford Institute of the Quantitative Study of Society (SIQSS), 2000. [5] J. Katz, and P. Aspden, Motivations for and Barriers to Internet Usage: Results of a national publicopinion survey,Internet Research-Electronic 170, 1997. [6] B. Wellman, A. Q. Haase, J. Witte, K. Hampton, Does the Internet Increase, Decrease, or Supplement Social Capital?Social Networks,Participation, and Community Commitment, The Internet in Everyday Life, American Behavioral Scientist, 45(3), 437-456, 2001. [7]http://www. college-university- directory. com/internet_1. html [8] Aytekin ISMAN, Fahme DABAJ, Attitudes of Students Towards Internet,Turkish Online Journal of Distance Education-TOJDE October 2004 ISSN 1302-6488 ,5 (4) [9] Kian-Sam Hong, Abang Ahmad Ridzuan , Ming-Koon Kuek , Students' attitudes toward the use of the Internet for learning: A study at a university in Malaysia. networking Applications and Policy, Vol. 7(3),

A Quick Introduction to Homeschooling

Homeschooling is a type of education where children learn outside of a school setting under the supervision of their parents. The family determines what is to be learned and how it is to be taught while following whatever government regulations apply in that state or country. Today, homeschooling is a widely accepted educational alternative to traditional public or private schools, as well as a valuable method of learning in its own right. Homeschooling in America The roots of todays homeschooling movement go way back in American history. Up until the first compulsory education laws about 150 years ago, most children were taught at home. Wealthier families hired private tutors. Parents also taught their own children using books like the McGuffey Reader  or sent their children to a dame school where small groups of children were taught be a neighbor in exchange for chores. Famous homeschoolers from history include President John Adams, author Louisa May Alcott, and inventor Thomas Edison. Today, homeschooling parents have a wide range of curriculum, distance learning programs, and other educational resources to choose from. The movement also includes child-directed learning or unschooling, the philosophy made popular starting in the 1960s by education expert  John Holt. Who Homeschools and Why Its believed that between one to two percent of all school-age children are homeschooled —  although the statistics that exist on homeschooling in the United States are notoriously unreliable. Some of the reasons parents give for homeschooling include concern about safety, religious preference, and educational benefits. For many families, homeschooling is also a reflection of the importance they place on being together and a way to offset some of the pressures — in and out of school — to consume, acquire, and conform. In addition, families homeschool: to fit into parents work schedulesto travelto accommodate special needs and learning disabilitiesto provide gifted kids with more challenging material or allow them to work at a faster pace. Homeschooling Requirements in the U.S. Homeschooling comes under the authority of individual states, and each state has different requirements. In some parts of the country, all parents need to do is notify the school district that they are educating their children themselves. Other states require parents to submit lesson plans for approval, send in regular reports, prepare a portfolio for the district or peer review, allow home visits by district employees and have their children take standardized tests. Most states allow any competent parent or adult to homeschool a child, but a few demand a  teaching certification. For new homeschoolers, the important thing to know is that regardless of the local requirements, families have been able to work within them to achieve their own goals. Educational Styles One of homeschoolings advantages is that it is adaptable to many styles of teaching and learning. Some of the important ways in which homeschooling methods differ include: How much structure is preferred. There are homeschoolers who set up their environment like a classroom, right down to separate desks, textbooks, and a blackboard. Other families rarely or never do formal lessons, but dive into research materials, community resources and opportunities for hands-on exploration whenever a new topic catches someones interest. In between are homeschoolers who place varying amounts of importance on daily sit-down desk work, grades, tests, and covering topics in a particular order or time frame. What materials are used. Homeschoolers have the option to use an all-in-one curriculum, buy individual texts and workbooks from one or more publishers, or use picture books, nonfiction, and reference volumes instead. Most families also supplement whatever they use with alternative resources such as novels, videos, music, theater, art, and more. How much teaching is done by the parent. Parents can and do take on all the responsibility for teaching themselves. But others choose to share teaching duties with other homeschooling families or pass it along to other educators. These can include distance learning (whether by mail, phone, or online), tutors and tutoring centers, as well as all the enrichment activities available to all children in the community, from sports teams to arts centers. Some private schools have also begun opening up their doors to part-time students. What About Public School at Home? Technically, homeschooling does not include the ever-increasing variations of public schooling that take place outside of school buildings. These can include online charter schools, independent study programs, and part-time or blended schools. To the parent and child at home, these may feel very similar to homeschooling. The difference is that public-school-at-home students are still under the authority of the school district, which determines what they must learn and when. Some homeschoolers feel these programs are missing the main ingredient that makes education at home work for them -- the freedom to change things as needed. Others find them a helpful way to allow their children to learn at home while still meeting the requirements of the school system. More Homeschooling Basics Homeschooling FAQWhat Homeschooling Really Looks Like5 Quick-Start Tips10 Positive Reasons to HomeschoolHow to Create Your Own Homeschool Curriculum