Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

If you would like to share in the magic of the season, please visit http://stores.lulu.com/kakonged to purchase one of my 30 books.

Faith and the Media Symposium

I attended a Faith and the Media Symposium on Thursday night that went quite well. Along with myself, there was another media representative there who is the managing editor of the Brampton Guardian.

The event was organized by some Muslim community members and they were kind enough to arrange to have me driven to the event, as well as dropping me off at home after the event. I brought my books to sell, however there really was not enough time for me to sell any.

The focus of my presentation was pointing out that there really are not any journalism and religion courses at many schools and this is not preparing young reporters to go out in the field to cover the issues. Some of things I am hoping to do are to rectify this situation by perhaps proposing a journalism and religion course at one of the schools I teach at.

The night was overall a success and I had a terrific time. Went to bed way past my bedtime, however it was well worth it.

Marketing the Key to Self-Publishing

It always surprises me when I speak to someone and they tell me that their books are not selling. Each and every time it is usually because no effort is going into marketing.

There are a lot of writers out there who depend on the their publishing company to do the bulk of their marketing for them. I'm one of those people who is a true believer that you, the writer, have the golden key when it comes to selling your books.

This is not to say that my book sales have been fabulous this month. There are a whole lot of things I could be doing that I have not been doing and at least I recognize that. Every time I am on public transit, I could be slipping my business card to someone with a book in their hand and telling them about my books. I could be hanging around outside bookstores and letting people who are coming in and out know about my books. I could be talking about them in casual conversations every chance I get. Perhaps it is my Canadian politeness factor that keeps me from being that aggressive. However, I am fully aware that I would be selling more books this way.

On an up note, I will be going to a "Faith and the Media" symposium on Thursday, October 1st in Brampton, Ontario. There will be 500 people at this event and I definitely plan to discuss my books. As well, I'm hoping to go to a Simply People festival in October and get a table where I can showcase my books. I just need to work out the timing so it will go well with my teaching hours. Today, there is Word on the Street that is a huge book and magazine festival in Toronto. I was planning to get a booth right after the last one happened called Writer's Block. This is something I definitely hope to work out for next year. My approach to Word on the Street has been "manana, manana," always tomorrow, tomorrow. Honestly, I prefer going to the event and it would be great if I had some business cards to let people there know about my books too.

Here's to self-publishing!

The Best of Donna Magazine Published

Take Donna Magazine with you anywhere you go. You can buy it now in hardcover, paperback or as an ebook at: http://stores.lulu.com/kakonged.

Get 20 Per Cent Off My Books

Lulu.com is offering a 20 per cent discount off all of my books for this Labour Day Weekend only. Enter the code "WHITE" on checkout and receive your 20 per cent off many books, a CD and two audio downloads. The online store is at: http://stores.lulu.com/kakonged.

School Year Starting

I'm still really excited about the new semester starting. I feel as though I have had enough time off, even though I know I could always use more rest.

One of the interesting things I have set up for all of my courses are the assignments already listed in Gradebook. Gradebook is a tool that is part of Blackboard that has become the electronic way to do everything from having a virtual classroom, sending out email to the class, sometimes even taking glances of students' pictures before the class starts. It is wonderful to have this technology as part of teaching these days. They did not have anything such as this while I was in school.

Another thing I have set up is that all of my lesson plans for the semester are prepared. When I was a waitress, as well as art model at the Arts and Letters Club in Toronto, there was this great woman I met there who used to teach at Seneca College. She still teaches art at the Arts and Letters Club I believe. She gave me a hint about being organized that has truly helped me out and made it possible for me to teach so many courses such as I do.

She said she would prepare all of her lesson plans before the semester starts. I thought at the time and still do think this is brilliant. The reason why is because before I knew about this, my weekends would be devoted to preparing lesson plans for the upcoming week, as well as marking. This meant I would have no social life at all. With this woman's excellent tip - I have still found it possible to do some social things, as well as write on the weekends and the early mornings, plus the occasional evening.

If you find this information helpful which I hope you do - please feel free to take full advantage of it. You can also find more information about teaching in my book The Education Generation which can be purchased along with other books at: http://stores.lulu.com/kakonged. Enter "LULUBOOK" on checkout and you will receive 10 per cent off for this month.

The Perils of Freelance Teaching

It is a good thing that I keep my eggs in more than one basket. This fantastic course I was so psyched about teaching at one of the schools I am at needed to cancel the course due to low enrollment. Now, because the chair of the program is a good person, she offered me another section of the course to teach. This was extremely - and I mean extremely kind of her. The problem is that I do wear a lot of hats and I am already booked for a job that pays better in a similar time slot. It's a shame because I would have loved to teach that course and I hope it works out for the winter.

So, all this to say that now I'm teaching nine courses instead of 10. Oh well, this will give me more time to write for sure and look out for more books from me soon.

Gearing Up for Fall

I will be teaching 10 courses this semester and it is a lot of preparation in the works. Someone who will be coming in as a guest speaker at one of the colleges I teach at said to me that many people do not know how much work teachers actually do. This is absolutely true.

In most situations, not only am I preparing the lesson plans before classes start so I can create some kind of life for myself throughout the semester, I am also coming up with specific assignments, doing pre-readings of textbooks to see which one to adopt as either the required or supplementary texts, answering a lot of email and sending out a lot of email to keep in touch with students and colleagues, creating course outlines - at times in consultation with colleagues and in one case a co-teacher, going to professional development workshops...the list goes on.

It is demanding work, however extremely rewarding. When you see the results of dealing with a class that is less knowledgeable about a subject at the beginning of the semester, then you see their eyes light up from time-to-time and that special "a-ha" moment near the end when many of them cannot deny that they did learn something - it is an amazing feeling. Oh, and I cannot forget to add how much I learn from them - this is enormous too.

I would not trade in the work I do for anything. I hope you enjoy your day.

The New Semester

I'm gearing up for an exciting new semester. I will be teaching six courses at Seneca College, two courses at Centennial College and two courses at Trebas Institute.

Since Trebas starts near the end of September, I will not be in the full swing of 10 courses for the fall until that time. It will be exciting and I am looking forward to it. Last semester, a year from now, I taught nine courses and that went well. I am looking forward to this extra work and the challenge of it.

The courses I will be teaching are two sections of news announcing I, one section of news announcing II, two sections of reading and writing skills, one section of English for academic purposes, global citizenship, beat reporting (where the students will be putting together an online magazine), plus the broadcasting industry and communications I. I'm really looking forward to teaching all of these courses.

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION GIVES MONEY

More than a million dollars will be shared between schools in Kansas, Florida and New York. The money will be given by the U.S. Department of Education to help character development and citizenship responsibilities in students. This was announced by the U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings on Friday.

The grants are called Partnerships in Character Education Program awards that will last up to four years. They are eligible to state and local education agencies to put together character education programs that teach children about civics, citizenship, justice, responsibility and respect for others, as well as for themselves.

Recipients of the grant need to show how they have implemented these core values into teacher training, as well as into classroom instruction.

The program also must involve parents, students and the community as part of the process.

The aim of the project to help students develop positive character, reduce discipline problems and improve academic achievement.

SOURCE: http://webclipper.handsnet.org/2008/06/us-department-o-8.php

Tougher Physical Education Standards in Florida

Florida students will now be required to do 30 minutes of daily exercise according to a bill signed by Gov. Charlie Crist.

Beginning in fall 2009 middle schools will offer daily physical education to sixth to eighth grade classes.

Known as the “Don Davis Physical Education Act” is named after a Jacksonville representative who died from brain cancer.

A similar bill was passed last year, however was not enforced. This bill was created to toughen up the original bill and to make sure that students receive the exercise they need.

Source: http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5jrivPx1NxYHV_1dmSwFCalmI5EdwD9123KHG0

Technology in the Classroom

There is no way to escape it. Technology is making a big splash in education. It will be coming to classroom near you if it is not there already.

Many classrooms are going digital by replacing old chalkboards with electronic podiums that teachers and professors can use, as well as the students when they are doing presentations.

At the click of some buttons, electronic screens can be lowered, projectors can be turned on and PowerPoint presentations of lesson plans can be displayed to the whole class. Many of these electronic podiums also have the capacity to show VCR tapes, DVDs, play audio from the Internet, hook up a laptop and hook up a video camera. Gone are the days of the slide projectors and green, black or white chalkboards that are still in some classrooms.

This technology is making it possible for all kinds of wonderful things to happen in the classroom. Many schools also have a system called Blackboard where it is possible to post previous lesson notes to students, register the grades, create discussion forums, perform podcasts and audio assignments. Things are a lot different for students now a days than they were when many of us who may teach were at school. Things are a lot different than they were for many of us who are paying for our children to go to school.

The advances in technology will not stop. There will be many more in the making as changes are happening all the time. Many people in schools are looking forward to the day when every classroom has access to computers for the students. Some people who teach do not like this idea because computers can sometimes be a disruptive element in the classroom. With the advent of Facebook, MySpace, MSN Messenger and other social networking sites, some students spend more time communicating with their friends online than actually listening to what is going on in class. Somehow a balance between the advantages and disadvantages of technology in the classroom will be struck.

Source: http://gminks.edublogs.org/2008/06/13/technology-must-be-transparent/

South African Education Needs More

The Ministry of Education in South Africa is planning to step up efforts to improve the outcomes in education.

Selected schools that have been under-performing in 2007 matrix exams will be targeted.

Plans include having students write more demanding national examination papers.
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The recent meeting held by the Ministry of Education also stressed having all teachers, schools and students more prepared for the exams.

The immediate support that will be given includes all students having textbooks for each subject, as well as preparation for the examination with different types of questions. The students must attend all classes every day for the next five months.

Source: http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=13&art_id=nw20080602191654878C192447

Sex Education in Developing Countries

Within the past five years, there have been 7,000 to 8,000 babies born to Taiwanese girls between the ages of 15 to 19 years old.

Ministry statistics in Taiwan state that only 153 girls became pregnant. The reality is different. Many people are calling for better sex education in Taiwanese schools to lower the rate of teenage pregnancies.

About one in every 10 Taiwanese girl is getting pregnant. This is four times higher than the rate in South Korea. As a developing country, lowering the teenage pregnancy rate becomes important to ensure the success of the nation.

Discussion around improving the sex education includes educating boys about proper use of condoms, as well as practicing responsibility when it comes to their relationships with girls.

Sex education is more than about passing on knowledge, it also involves passing on values. If young people in Taiwan are not receiving the education they need to know what is appropriate behaviour at their age – the teenage pregnancy rate will continue to climb. The education ministry in Taiwan is making every effort to ensure that future statistics of teenage preganancies will be eradicated down to zero.

Source: http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/editorials/archives/2008/06/14/2003414679

Rural Australian Education

There are human rights concerns for quality education when it comes to rural Australians.

The number of people who actually go to school and stay in school from rural Australia is far below the national average. The recent federal budget of the country is attempting to address the issue, however much more needs to be done.

Long-term goals have a vision up until 2020 to improve the quality of education for rural Australians. This includes opportunities in community-based early childhood learning, primary and secondary education, vocational education and training, higher education, online learning, professional development and lifelong learning.

Source: http://www.onlineopinion.com.au/view.asp?article=7376

New South Wales Gives Money to Schools

The government of New South Wales is spending a record amount on the education system.

More than $700 million will be spent on upgrading to things such as school buildings.

Another $267 million is being allocated to maintenance.

Source: http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/06/01/2261655.htm

Marijuana University

Higher education has a new meaning with a private San Francisco university dedicated to the study of cannabis.

Students learn how to grow, harvest, cook and dispense marijuana to others at Oaksterdam University.

Even though possession of marijuana remains illegal under federal law, the goal of the university is to create students who can own dispensaries in California.
The school is modeled after one in Amsterdam and has recently begun offering classes in Los Angeles.

Some of the classes included at the university are the politics of marijuana, horticulture ad bud tending.

A variety of students have been attending the school, as well from a variety of backgrounds, nationalities and age groups.

Students are also being prepared in what to do if they are caught possessing marijuana by a police officer.

The course is intense and happens over a weekend. The students receive a certificate making it possible for them to work at a marijuana dispensary.
Graduation stands at 200 for now and more than 500 people have enrolled in the university.

One student was diagnosed with depression and took Prozac for many years. This drug Prozac left her feeling nauseous and manic.

Now, she has turned to marijuana and is off anti-depressants. She says her life has improved and she is sleeping better.

The staff at Oaksterdam says that marijuana eases the pain in people and is helpful in everything from multiple sclerosis, cancer and HIV/AIDS.

The university also says that legalizing the drug would boost tax revenue for the state and add legitimacy to a drug that is already widely used.

Human Resources Education

There are many schools that offer education in human resources, although a degree is not always necessary.

Human resources is a booming field and if you are the type of person that enjoys helping other people find work, as well helping your company find the right person for an open position...this may the perfect field for you.

Many people in human resources actually make anywhere between $20,000 CDN to $80,000 CDN a year. This can be an extremely lucrative career choice.

More and more, unlike days of old, companies have a human resources department to deal with the demand of people out there looking for work. The kinds of courses you would take in a human resources program include interpersonal communication, presentation skills, a co-op option depending on if one is available, as well as English courses. The program is demanding and vocational schools, as well as colleges and some universities offer the program.

Many people in human resources find the work extremely rewarding. It is possible to work for staffing agencies that solely concentrate on finding the right people for other companies, working in-house to a company to support their staffing needs, as well as opening up your own business.

Source: http://www.recruiting.com/human_resources_education

HOW DOES STATE FUNDING EFFECT CHILDREN IN SCHOOLS?

Kitsaps's public school districts, schools in Washington, have cut their budgets by hundreds of thousands of dollars over the past seven years. The needs for the schools are still great. State funding pays about 70 percent of the total public school funding is based on a formula from 30 years ago.

School superintendents say that Washington schools should offer:

● preschool
● free, but mandatory, all-day kindergarten for all students
● class sizes of no larger than 19 students from kindergarten to grade two, rather than the 25 children that exist now
● high-quality, ongoing professional development for all teachers
● instructional coaches at every school to help teachers learn strategies to reach all kids
● time in the school day for teachers to meet and go over students' work and brainstorm new strategies
● tutors who reach to students and parents
● more elective courses in high school
● specific, individualized learning plans for all students
● longer school year (200 days at least)
● a full-time counselour and full-time nurse at each school
● adequate office staff at each school to meet the needs of students and parents
● technology that meets today's standards and allows for online learning
● more hands-on learning experiences to help kids find their passions

The Washington public school funding formula is being challenged in the state supreme court.

SCHOOLS RECEIVE LOCAL PROPERTY TAX MONEY TO HELP FUND THEM.

EVERY YEAR THAT CUTS HAVE COME, EDUCATION LEADERS SAY THEY WILL NOT AFFECT THE CLASSROOM.

SOURCE: http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2008/jun/21/does-state-education-funding-shortchange-our/

Health Management Education

With the growing need for a managed care system, health care management is becoming a career and an academic discipline of its own.

The University of Phoenix Online now offers 10 degrees in health care management with different areas of focus. Every college will have health care management included in some way.

The University of Phoenix offers bachelor's degrees in health administration, as well as business administration where you can specialize in health administration. There is also a master's degree in health administration and many master's degrees in nursing where you can specialize in health care education. This includes integrative health care and health care management. The University of Phoenix also offers dual master's in nursing and health administration and a PhD in health administration.

There are also degrees in health care information systems management. A degree in health care management can provide a job in hospitals, outpatient clinics, hospice facilities, specialty rehabilitation, therapy clinics, home health care and in the insurance industry.

Business classes would be required for the major. Florida International University offers a master's in health services administration.

Source: http://www.college-pages.com/getting-your-health-care-management-education/139/

Graduation Rates Across the Board

Reports are coming out that the announcements of graduation rates should be standard across the nation.

Washington state has already implemented a standardized reporting method in an effort to reveal who is telling the truth about the rates of graduating students.

To get a clear picture of who is graduating in Washington state or the United States is difficult.

Currently there is not a uniform way to calculate graduation rates throughout the country.

Individual schools view the graduation rates differently. In some cases, for example, students who attend alternative schools or special programs are not counted. The bottom line is these various formulas have been so confusing they cannot be easily explained or understood.

As a result, the taxpayers often feel confused ― even duped.

The U.S. Department of Education is implementing new rules aimed at standardizing graduation rate reporting. This reform is long awaited and needed. Taxpayers need to know how well their schools are doing. Understanding whether students are graduating on time from high school is critical to assessing the success of educators.

U.S. Education Secretary Margaret Spellings has proposed a plan ― which follows an agreement from the National Governors Association ― that requires states to assign ID numbers to students so they can be tracked when they enter the ninth grade until they graduate or drop out. This will allow students to be tracked when they move to another school district or even another state.


Source: http://www.unionbulletin.com/articles/2008/06/21/opinion/daily_editorial/080622editorial.txt

Education in Developing Countries

UNICEF goes to great efforts to make sure children in places such as Myanmar and China are educated. This makes a difference for emergency situations.

Education is so powerful, it is like a magic wand or like the hand of God. Many children can lead healthier lives because of the education given to authorities to deal with emergency situations and at the end of the day – this saves lives.

In school supported initiatives that UNICEF funds, children are given the basics on how to handle emergency situations and how to seek for help, as well as when to call for it.

This creates a situation where children have the opportunity to take control of their own destiny. As well as potentially save the lives of their parents and their siblings and other family.

Some of things that are taught are good sanitation practices for children. This helps them to avoid any diseases that can be spread through viruses. Children learn how to wash their hands as well as medical doctors do to guard against getting ill from all the germs that tend to exist in schools.

Due to this, one example of the effects of how this education is working effectively is that that whopping cough is down 44 percent. Diseases associated with diarrhea kill about 1.5 million children a year in China and Myanmar. Now, because of UNICEF, there are sanitation facilities provided right on the school grounds to help children live and fewer to die.

Source: http://fieldnotes.unicefusa.org/2008/06/education_is_a_magic_wand.html

Education Coverage Award

For awards in 2007, the Seattle P-I received 34 of them from the regional Society of Professional Journalists.

Staffers at the newspaper received 14 first place awards. The grand prize for education coverage went to Jessica Blanchard and Casey McNerthney. Their story was about the under-reporting of crime in Seattle schools called “School crimes under wraps.”

The Seattle Times received 53 awards.

Source: http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/365369_spj31.html

Education Blogs and Discussion Forums

Education blogs are showing up everywhere and one has to be careful where they are getting their information from.

There are some education blogs that are not extremely informative and include information from people who do not have any knowledge on the topic. Make sure that if you are consulting with an education blog, it comes from a reliable source.

Many times the best way to do this is to go with suggestions from people that you know. Along with education blogs, there are those education discussion forums that are reputable and those that are not. The Chronicle of Higher Education is one discussion forum that carries a lot of weight in the education sphere and is extremely informative.

What are some of the advantages of being part of an education blog or discussion forum? It gives you the opportunity to dialogue with people who are like-minded. You can meet many people and if you are in a situation of looking for work in academia, this could be a wonderful avenue to increase your social networks.

Another advantage to being part of education blogs and discussion forums is that you receive the opportunity to find out what are some of the “hot” topics people in the field are discussing. This will also help you during interviews if you are in the midst of the academic job hunt.

Even for people who already have work in academia, education blogs and discussion forums can be useful. They can help to keep you up to date on some of things that are being discussed in the field. This could even help to provide lecture material or to promote discussions in your classroom or in your board meetings.

For whatever reason you are using education blogs or discussion forums, if you choose them wisely, you cannot go wrong.


Source: http://www.matthewktabor.com/2008/06/13/the-terrible-horrible-no-good-very-bad-education-blogosphere/

Drug Education

Students may soon be tested for brain improving drugs in schools and universities, experts say. Students to boost alertness were using drugs for diseases such as Alzheimer’s, says the Academy of Medical Sciences.

Students may be required to do urine tests before exams, such as what athletes need to do.

Sourced from: http://mail.google.com/mail/#inbox/11a11345f35aaaac

Digital Divide in Education

About 75 per cent of Canadians over the age of 16 were surfing on the Internet last year. This is according to a new Statistics Canada report. Factors such as age, income, education and where you live still contribute to a “digital divide” in Canada.

About 19.2 million Canadians aged 16 and older went online for personal reasons in 2007 the Canadian Internet Use Survey states. This is an increase of 5 percent from 2005 when the last survey was done.

Many of the Internet users searched the web from home, about 94 per cent. At work, 41 per cent said they used it, at school 21 per cent said they used it and about 15 per cent in libraries.

Still, in small towns or in rural areas, the Internet is not being used as much. About 65 per cent of those living in small towns and rural areas are using the web, compared to 76 per cent in urban places.

As well, education levels play a big role in how people are using the Internet. Those Canadians with at least some post-secondary education surfed the net at a rate of 84 per cent. Compare this to about 58 per cent of those who are less educated the report said.


Source: http://post-secondary.blogspot.com/2008/06/statistics-canada-report-reveals.html

Corporation Gives Computers to School

A leading global talent development corporation will be providing computers and computer aided education to more than 2,005 schools in Andra Pradesh in India. The value of this funding is Rs 1728 million.

The corporation, NIIT, will help over 4.2 million children in 2,005 schools in the state of Andhra Pradesh during a five year period. This announcement comes after Maharashtra and Bihar State governments requested that NIIT provide computers and computer aided education to their 900 schools in the next five years.

NIIT is a leader in providing computer education to the state of Andhra Pradesh since 2002. The project will strengthen NIIT's role in School Learning Solutions space. It plays a major role in providing the essentials for computer based education projects in India.

The program consists of setting up hardware, software, connecting accessories for computer systems, computer education and certified instructors for classes of six in government high schools.

The training is designed to help students in the higher studies, as well as to improve their chances in the job market. The computer training will affect academic subjects such as math, science, English and social studies. Special tools to stimulate critical thinking and analytical thinking skills will lead to improved learning by the students.

Source: http://www.ndtvprofit.com/2008/06/14150833/NIIT-to-implement-computer-edu.html

Adult Education Award

Kim Heang Kinsey is the winner of the 22nd annual Literary Achievement Award in Wells-Ogunquit Community School District. She won for an essay called “Charity in Cambodia.”
Kinsey who is born and raised in Cambodia spent her early years in a refugee camp during the brutal Khmer Rouge regime. She returned to live with her family in Cambodia. Her parents enrolled her in school and she has become a life-long learner.

She is currently taking adult education courses. During high school she did some English language instruction.

She is currently living in America with her American husband. She passed the Cambodian national test to become a teacher in 2006.

Most Interesting Campuses in Ontario

Ontario has some of the most beautiful campuses in the country of Canada. Here is a quick description of some of them:

Queen's University located in Kingston is a picturesque town with a campus that is charming. You can actually see the ivy growing on the university and it is relatively easy to maneuver your way around the campus.

The University of Toronto undoubtedly has one of the most beautiful campuses in Canada, and yes in Ontario too. Located in the centre of downtown Toronto, the Bata Shoe Museum is close by, plus the Royal Ontario Museum and the Textile Museum. There are great places to eat that surround the entire campus and some parts of it even have cobblestone.

York University's campus is also beautiful and changing all the time. With its large quadrant that has a grassy knoll, plus a waterfall, it is huge space that has some elements of the old and the new. Just over to the south of the campus is Seneca College that also has many elements of a new design and is a building that displays its strength in understanding technology.

One of the lesser known universities in Toronto, however ones that are extremely interesting include Humber College and Guelph-Humber University. These institutions which are joined actually resemble the Pearson airport that is not too far away. At Guelph-Humber they have a wall that is filled with leaves and foliage right in the atrium. It is absolutely gorgeous for anyone who has the opportunity to see it.

Ryerson University on the other hand is like a modern village in the heart of downtown Toronto. With so much going on around it, it is amazing to think the students there actually get an opportunity to get any studying done. With its proximity to the Eaton Centre, as well as great restaurants, jewelry stores and a newly formed square close to the Hard Rock Café, there is so much going on there that it would be hard for a student looking to take a break to be bored.

Another interesting campus is Centennial College at Pape and Mortimer in Toronto that used to be the old teacher's college. That school also used to be the location where the world famous “Degrassi Juniour High” series was filmed. If you look at the show, as well as look at aspects of the school – you can easily identify some of the classrooms and location scenes from the show.

Is Journalism Education Becoming Obsolete due to Citizen Journalism?

It seems as though anyone can pick up a video camera, a microphone and start a blog today and call themselves a journalist. What does this mean for journalism education?

Journalism education does not have a long history. Actually the first journalists, such as Ernest Hemingway were not actually trained in journalism. Journalists like William Zinsser were not trained in journalism either. Journalism education is a fairly recent phenomena especially in places such as Canada, where Carleton University was the first journalism school back in the 1940s. Before that, the newspaper men and women who delivered the current events were trained in other areas.

It seems as though things are coming back to those early days. The Internet is drastically changing the access that anyone can have to producing journalism. This is known as citizen journalism. Ordinary citizens are starting to pick up video cameras, a microphone, and start blogs, as well as posting information on YouTube to get their voices heard – just like journalists. In many ways this is a good thing, however – does it continue to make journalism education relevant?

I would argue that journalism education is still relevant. Many of the successful blogs that exist today are actually about mainstream news events. This shows that the mainstream news, filled with journalists that have graduated from such schools as Carleton University, Columbia University, Northwestern University and Ryerson University are still being put to good use by adding to the blogosphere. As well, because we still live in a paper driven society where the credentials one has are extremely important in landing paid work, journalism education continues to be important for the purposes of people with interests in the media to find and keep a job. It is a reality that many people who have their own blogs do not make a lot of money from it. It is possible, although people like Matt Drudge of the Matt Drudge Report are more an exception rather than the rule.

The Internet can actually be used to help improve the level of journalism education. There is more information on the web about what journalism is about and understanding media – this information can be used by professors to make the classroom a more vibrant place.

When it comes to journalism education and getting a job in journalism, it is also important about the contacts you have. Going to a credible journalism school ensures that you will have access to people who can help you to find a job. This is something that will surely help journalism schools not to become obsolete.

When I look back on my own journalism education it was one of the best things I could have done. Most people that get into journalism do so because they want to write. Going to journalism school gave me the chance to do this and make my mistakes while I was in school so I could perform better in the job market. I received many opportunities while I was school, such as traveling to Germany, Belgium and Holland and co-producing a documentary that is now in the library of the city where I went to school. Producing that documentary helped me to be involved with other documentary projects. Just being at the school started a long working relationship I had with the public broadcaster in my country where working there was like an education on to itself. Later, when I went back to school for a graduate degree, this is what helps me to know about journalism education today and to work in the field, as well as media in general. I teach at the college level and am able to continue working as a journalist to keep current in the field.

A journalism education is important, however, it is true that for anyone that has talent they will do will in the field. Many times this talent can come through work experience that can be honed by doing citizen journalism work. Equipping yourself with a studio environment right in your home can make a difference in getting your name known and out there, making all the difference in the world when you do apply for a job in mainstream or even alternative media.

I teach at a number of schools and have taught at a number of schools in the past. I have seen great success coming out of the students I have taught. Success levels higher than what I have heard from people who did not go to journalism school. Even people that went to school, however did not study journalism is still a viable option for breaking into the field. Many people do become successful this way too.

In conclusion, I would say that although citizen journalism, web based journalism or Internet journalism is a huge phenomena that is challenging the meaningfulness of mainstream media outlets, many mainstream media outlets are actually combating this situation by “jumping on the bandwagon.” Places such as CBS plans to have many of their programs go online so they take advantage of the power of the Internet. The real answer that journalism schools need to do to find a solution to the challenge of citizen journalism is to make sure they are offering courses and programs that answer to the power of the web. Their students must be prepared to work in the virtual world and prepare to potentially receive employment that is completely web based. This is future, things will not change any time soon.

How to Start Studying Abroad

Studying abroad is an excellent experience – if you get the opportunity it is worth it in so many ways. Here are some tips on how you can start to plan for studying abroad.

Many schools have an international centre where you can inquire about studying abroad. Most schools also have links with certain universities around the world where you are able to study there. For example, the University of Toronto has a link with a school in Florence, Italy where you can study architecture and design. What a terrific experience this would be for anyone.

As well, there are certain campus based travel agencies that will give you the opportunity to study abroad.

Going on a student exchange is another option for studying abroad. You can organize this through your school and check your school's course calendar for more information.

As well, there are schools such as Seneca College that bring international schools on campus so students can find out about their options to continue their studying through travel and learning. Make use of these information sessions and when school representatives are on campus, ask as many questions as you can and find out all the information you need.

Once you have made the decision to study abroad, you will need to make sure you have the necessary health shots that may be needed depending on what area of the world you will be studying in. You will need to arrange accommodation – it is always recommended to live on campus until you get to know the city. As well, make sure you have your passport and other information in order.

Does Online Education Pack on the Freshman 30?

Distance education can be seen as quite a sedentary act. If you are sitting at the computer for hours on end, without any exercise...this could be something that could help someone put on weight. Even for people who go to school that is not online, reports have shown that many young people are gaining 15 pounds from eating cafeteria food in their first year at college or university. What happens if you are studying by correspondence? Does online education pack on the freshman 30?

Many students who are young people and older people who chose to sit at their computer to take their courses lead busy lives. Many times their reasons for not physically going to college or university is because it is simply more convenient for them to study and to take classes from home. They have the advantage of being part of a social network with education at its focus. It is easier to squeeze in the time to do the lessons.

Many of us also know that as we spend a lot of time at home in front of the computer, it is much easier to reach the refrigerator, order a meal or take time to cook a meal. The urge to get hungry could happen often and there may be no one around to manage our eating habits. A student who studies from home could be eating just as badly as some of the food in the cafeterias on the campuses of colleges and universities all over North America. The virtual campus is accessible by computer, plus a bag of Doritos to munch on while you are doing your homework. Doritos, added with too many servings of Kraft Dinner, plus some french fries ordered at Swiss Chalet could end up doing more damage – if coupled with inactivity. At least the freshman student on a college or university campus gets the opportunity to walk around.

The question still remains unanswered though. Does online education pack on the freshman 30? At the end of the day and at the end of your semesters, that may be more a question of how active virtual students are in their lives when they are off the computer. Are they making time to go to the gym? Are they taking time to have breaks so they can go on walks? Do they have children that are helping them keep fit by having to chase after them? Do they work in physically strenuous employment? Are they meeting with other online students to study the course material? Is the act of typing alone an exercise more physical than it is mental?

With these questions answered by each student who is studying over the Internet, it would be easier to determine if online students would actually gain more weight than students who actually have to get up and go to classes. I will attempt to use my own experience as an example.

When I was doing my undergraduate education, I lived a fair distance from the school. It would take about 40 minutes to walk there one way. Due to the fact that I did not have a lot of money when I was in school, I would walk to school to save on bus transportation costs. So I did receive exercise walking to and from school. This was different from when I was in my first year of university when I lived on campus. At this time, I avoided eating the cafeteria food and lived on Hickory Sticks and Skor bars in fear of gaining weight. I would walk through the tunnel system and spend as much time walking as I could. I also spent a lot of time in the first semester going out dancing at clubs in a city not far from the school.

In my second year though, and subsequent years, I would walk 80 minutes a day, plus work out at the school gym. This kept my weight down low. As well, when I was in graduate school, my weight was higher than it was in my first experience with higher education, however I would still take time to exercise.

Studying online is similar to working many desk type jobs. Once I got into the world of work, I would spend a lot of time at the computer and exercise became less important to me. I have found over the years that a lack of exercise is one reason why I am not even close to the weight I was at during my school days. I would imagine that the same would happen to a student who was studying through distance education and lived a non active lifestyle. Perhaps it would be possible to gain more weight through the experience of a virtual classroom compared to studying on a campus.

OK, now it is time to discuss solutions to the potential of packing on the freshman 30 through a web course or program. Now that the problem has been presented, it would be important for anyone who is studying in a virtual classroom to also make sure they are doing physical exercise. It would also be important to make sure your food choices are healthy ones, because everyone has to eat – at least most of us. Choosing fresh fruits and vegetables, versus a bag of Doritos or Lays would be the first and obvious choice. Reducing one's amount of coffee intake to a maximum of one a day would be ideal for your health. Coffee is known to stimulate all kinds of things such as diabetes. If you cannot dream of living without coffee, try tea instead. There are so many varieties out there, I am sure whether it is herbal tea or black tea, you would be sure to find one you like. As well, it is important to minimize the amount of meat you eat. It is always better in general and as a rule for even ruling out illnesses such as cancer that you try to choose fish and chicken over beef and pork.

I know these things are hard to do. I am hardly saying I am perfect at it myself even though I know what are the right things to do. Truly the key is exercise. If you can at least get a half hour walk in every day, and I mean on the weekends too, this would really help you to be healthier. If you do not enjoy walking, you can always choose an exercise that truly suits the kind of person you are. As long as you are keeping active...this is the key. This way you can prevent putting on the freshman 30 and continue to have the convenience of studying online.

10 Most Popular Tourism Programs

There are so many tourism and hospitality programs to choose from and it is definitely an exciting field to go into. Here are some of the most popular ones.

The University of New Brunswick has a strong tourism program where you can learn everything you need to know to work in this industry. Considering that tourism in the Maritimes is picking up each and every year – there would be no better place to do your education than a school like the University of New Brunswick.

The province of Saskatchewan is another place in Canada where tourism is picking up and the market is strong. At the Saskatchewan Institute of Applied Science and Technology they have an interesting tourism program that will allow you to work in that province, or any where in Canada.

Seeing the popularity and interest that many people all over the world have in the Aboriginal culture of Canada, the Native Education Centre in British Columbia offers Aboriginal people a chance to enter the tourism industry and to enter a field where they can share their culture with others.

Toronto being one of the busiest tourist attractions in Canada, George Brown College has a excellent tourism program that attracts many students each and every year. It is an extremely popular program.

With the Discover Ontario advertisements that play throughout Canada, it is not just Toronto where chances to get into the tourism industry exist. Canadore College in North Bay offers a great tourism program that is so popular that they have people traveling from other places around the world to take the program.

Again in the Maritimes, the Nova Scotia Community College offers a tourism program.

As well, in the western part of Canada, there are so many tourism programs to choose from. The College of the Rockies in Cranbrook, British Columbia offers a terrific tourism program. So does SAIT Polytechnic in Calgary, Alberta.

If you are looking for a fun and interesting tourism program that is a little different, you may be interested in the University of the Fraser Valley that specializes in adventure tourism. As well, moving back to Ontario, Fleming College offers an ecotourism and adventure tourism program in Haliburton, Ontario that is a program that answers to the needs of our changing planet.

10 Most Popular Media & Recording Arts Programs

There are so many terrific media and recording arts programs in Canada and the United States that are popular – it is hard to know where to start. There is a list below though.

Carleton University has one of the oldest and most respected media programs in Canada. This program has produced graduates that are in areas of media all around the globe. Some its notable graduates include the late Peter Jennings.

Concordia University in Montreal also has a strong media program that has such notable graduates as Jeannie Lee with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) and Scott Laurie with CTV Newsnet.

McGill University in Montreal also has a great reputation with many of its graduates working all over the world. Their strength lies in the communication programs at the graduate level.

Ryerson University has an excellent media program and in most places in Toronto, where Ryerson is located, you will find a graduate from Ryerson.

Centennial College in Toronto also has a really strong media program. They have developed some excellent journalists that are working in all parts of media and PR practitioners that are working all over the world. They are also about to start a sports journalism program beginning in January of 2009.

Humber College has a really popular media program. Their graduates go on to terrific success all over the world.

Guelph-Humber University is still a relatively new school, however has an excellent media program that has everything from public relations, image arts and journalism. Their graduates are starting to make a foothold in the field of media that proves that the school is here to stay.
mailto:Seneca@York
Seneca College at York University and in the School of Communication Arts has an excellent program that focuses on broadcast journalism. They also have a summer institute that has a strong reputation. One of the more notable graduates of their program is Melissa Grelo on CP24 with Rogers. They also have a strong independent music production program, as well as a fairly new independent digital photography program.

Sheridan College also has an excellent media program that tends to produce animators that work in such places such as the United States for Disney.

Simon Fraser University is a more academic type of school when it comes to media. Many of its graduates become well-respected scholars in the area of media and communications.

The University of Regina also has a great reputation when it comes to media education. Some its notable graduates include the award-winning journalist Rita Shelton Deverell of Vision-TV.

King's College at Dalhousie University has a fantastic reputation and many of the journalists working throughout Canada, as well as in the Maritimes are graduates of that school.

Ottawa University also has a strong media program. Algonquin College also located in Ottawa has a media summer institute that has a terrific reputation.

For French-speaking schools l'Université du Québec à Montreal has an excellent reputation for producing journalists that work in French.

Plus, back in Ontario, Durham College in Ajax has a strong media program.

Some of the more notable American schools include:

● Columbia University
● Northwestern University
● University of Missouri

10 Most Popular Health Care Programs

Whether you want to be a dentist, a doctor, a nurse, a pharmacist or any thing related to the health care field – these are some of the most popular health care programs in North America.

At many of the ivy league schools in both Canada and the United States is also where you will find the most popular health care programs. Many future health care professionals know that if they have a degree on their wall that is coming from a highly regarded school, this will improve their chances of being able to garner the best business and work in the best places in health care field.

McGill University is one of the top universities in Canada for studying medicine. Located in Montréal, Québec, the competition to get into the school is as competitive as all of these schools that will be mentioned.

The University of Toronto is another school with an excellent reputation when it comes to studying medicine. Again, the competition is rough and top marks, as well as strong experience and references are needed.

McMaster University has a terrific reputation when it comes to its medical school. Their medical school is also quite unique because they will also accept exceptional students that did not study pre-med before entry into the medical school. This gives people who have studied in another field such as psychology or even in the humanities a chance to pursue a medical degree.

The University of Calgary also has an excellent medical training program with a top-notch reputation.

York University is developing a medical school, however their nursing program has a strong reputation. As well, Ryerson University and Humber College also have reputable and popular nursing programs.

Conestoga College in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada also has a strong nursing program. Lakehead University in Thunder Bay, Ontario also has a good nursing program.

The University of New Brunswick has a strong nursing program and the University of Waterloo, back in Ontario can prepare many people looking to get into the health care field, as well as Wilfred Laurier University near by.

In the United States, there are many reputable institutions for doing everything from nursing, dentistry, optometry, medical school, pharmacy and many other fields in health care. Here is a list:

● Columbia University
● University of California at Berkeley
● Georgetown University
● Harvard University
● Princeton University
● Yale University
● Cornell University
● Northwestern University

10 MOST POPULAR DESIGN PROGRAMS

DESIGN IS SUCH A FASCINATING FIELD OF STUDY AND IT CAN BE HARD TO FIND THE BEST SCHOOL TO STUDY AT. HERE IS A LIST OF THE 10 MOST POPULAR DESIGN PROGRAMS IN CANADA. THERE ARE ACTUALLY A FEW MORE THAN 10 BECAUSE IT WAS SO DIFFICULT TO NARROW THE LIST DOWN TO JUST 10.

THE ONTARIO COLLEGE OF ART AND DESIGN (OCAD) FOCUSES EXCLUSIVELY ON EVERYTHING HAVING TO DO WITH ART AND DESIGN, AS THE NAME STATES. OCAD FOR SHORT HAS ONE OF THE BEST REPUTATIONS IN THE PROVINCE OF ONTARIO, CANADA AND HAS PRODUCED GRADUATES THAT YOU CAN FIND IN EVERY FIELD OF ART AND DESIGN. FROM PAINTERS, TO SCULPTORS, TO GRAPHIC DESIGNERS TO INTERIOR DESIGNERS, OCAD PRODUCES SOME TOP QUALITY PEOPLE AND HAS SOME EXTREMELY FAMOUS FACULTY MEMBERS, WELL-KNOWN IN THEIR FIELD. THE SCHOOL IS DEVELOPING SO MUCH, THEY ALSO HAVE ADVERTISING PROGRAMS AND MASTER'S DEGREES. THERE HAS BEEN SOME DISCUSSION ABOUT THE SCHOOL ALSO OFFERING A DOCTORATE DEGREE IN A NUMBER OF YEARS.

YORK UNIVERSITY'S FINE ARTS PROGRAM HAS A REPUTATION THAT IS INTERNATIONAL. THIS SCHOOL OFFERS TERRIFIC PROGRAMS IN DESIGN AND EXTREMELY STRONG DESIGNERS HAVE GRADUATED FROM THE SCHOOL THAT CAN BE FOUND ALL OVER THE WORLD.

RYERSON UNIVERSITY SITUATED IN THE HEART OF DOWNTOWN TORONTO ALSO HAS A STRONG DESIGN PROGRAM. MOVING OVER TO THE WEST PART OF CANADA, THE EMILY CARR INSTITUTE OF ART AND DESIGN IN BRITISH COLUMBIA HAS A GREAT REPUTATION THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY AND HAS PRODUCED SOME EXCELLENT DESIGNERS.

KEEPING TO THE WEST PART OF CANADA, THE BANFF SCHOOL OF FINE ARTS HAVE SOME SUPERIOR DESIGN PROGRAMS THAT ARE HIGHLY RESPECTED IN THE INDUSTRY. THE BANFF SCHOOL ALSO OFFERS SPECIAL SUMMER PROGRAMS THAT HAVE JUST AS STRONG A REPUTATION AS THEIR LONGER TERM PROGRAMS.

THE BRITISH COLUMBIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY IS ANOTHER PLACE THAT HAS A POPULAR DESIGN PROGRAM. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO STUDY A DESIGN VIBRANT CITY SUCH AS MONTREAL, YOU MAY WANT TO CHOOSE ACADÉMIE INTERNATIONALE DU DESIGN INC. OR DAWSON COLLEGE. NOT FAR FROM MONTREAL IN OTTAWA IS A DESIGN PROGRAM AT ALGONQUIN COLLEGE.

HEADING OUT EAST, THERE IS A DESIGN PROGRAM IN HALIFAX AT THE NOVA SCOTIA COLLEGE OF ART AND DESIGN.

TORONTO HAS MANY EXCELLENT DESIGN PROGRAMS AT CENTENNIAL COLLEGE, DURHAM COLLEGE IN AJAX (NOT FAR FROM TORONTO), GEORGE BROWN COLLEGE, HUMBER COLLEGE AND SENECA COLLEGE ON YORK UNIVERSITY'S CAMPUS, ALSO KNOWN AS Seneca@York IN THE SCHOOL OF COMMUNICATION ARTS.

10 Most Popular Culinary Arts Programs

Looking to make cooking part of your career? There are many terrific culinary arts programs throughout North America where you can turn your flair in the kitchen into a profitable lifestyle choice.

George Brown College has one of the most reputable culinary programs in Toronto, Canada. Many of its graduates have gone on to work in some of the most famous kitchens in Canada and around the world, as well as opening their restaurants. In many of your favourite restaurants you will find a George Brown graduate who either owns it or works there.

Humber College is another school with an excellent culinary arts program. Located in the outer limits of downtown Toronto, the students get a chance to test out their culinary skills at many of the great eating places right on campus. This brings real life experience before they hit the job market.

If you are interested in studying culinary arts in the United States, there are a number of schools that offer associate's degrees. They are:

● The Art Institutes
● Atlantic Culinary Academy
● Scottsdale Culinary Institute

Coming back to Canada, the Globe and Mail has listed the Vancouver Community College as having one of the most popular culinary arts program in the country.

If you are looking to study in the capital city of Canada, Le Cordon Bleu Ottawa Culinary Arts Institute offers a comprehensive program with many terrific restaurants from cultural backgrounds around the world to work in after graduation in the city.

For major American cities, the Pennsylvania Institute of Culinary Arts offers a program in how to become a chef. In New York, The French Culinary Institute at the International Culinary Center. There are so many great restaurants in a city like New York, with a culture that likes to go out to eat, there would be no end to places where you could work after graduation and also finding employment would not be a problem. Chicago is another city where its residents like to go out to eat and Kendal College Culinary Arts School in that city would be a great place to learn the art of cooking.

Montréal, Québec with all of its varied restaurants and being like New York and Chicago where many of its residents enjoy going out to eat, you can study at the Pearson School of Culinary Arts in Lasalle, Québec. This school has also been featured on the public broadcaster's CBC Montreal.

Paralegal

A paralegal does the administration work for a lawyer, working under the lawyer’s direct supervision. Everything from criminal to corporate to family law – you can find paralegals. They are hard at work to make sure the multiple and time-consuming tasks of a lawyer are handled well.

Both private and public colleges offer courses to become a paralegal. There are also opportunities to pursue more advanced degrees to become a paralegal such as a bachelor’s or master’s degree that would help you earn more money with your starting salary.

Statistics in the United States report that the average annual salary for a paralegal is above $45,000 USD as recent as May of 2006. Many paralegals that work for governments in North America can earn about $53,000 a year. State and local governments pay about $34,000 USD. The big money is in the corporate world where a paralegal can make over $100,000 USD.

The profession of a paralegal is a growing and thriving field.
Many paralegals do become certified through such organizations as the National Association of Legal Assistants (NALA) and the National Federation of Paralegal Associations (NFPA) in the United States. The Canadian Association of Paralegals is just one of the ways to become certified too.

Other related fields and useful searches include:

• Community college
• Contract attorney
• Lawyers

You can find all the information that you need at www.edulocator.com.

Online Education

There is still an increasing debate over the validity of online education, especially when it comes to higher degrees.

Most people tend to believe that education is still at its true value when done face-to-face. Some people find the ease of online education with their busy lifestyles a lot easier to manage than having to attend classes at a university or college. Online education also gives the flexibility to do course work that is outside of the area where you live. Schools such as the University of Phoenix are famous for offering online graduate degrees to busy professionals.

When it comes to higher degrees such as masters and doctorate degrees there are a number of online universities in North America that offer these kinds of courses. Schools such as Athabasca University in Canada have an extremely strong reputation. There have been a number of problems with some of the accrediting policies with schools in the United States. One university that is accredited in the states is Capella University, however some people have had bad things to say about it on the Internet.

In order to do PhD-level work, there is a university called Charles Sturt that is based in Australia where you do not need to do course work and simply work on your thesis or dissertation. Depending on the reason why you would want to do your PhD, it may or may not be seriously recognized in academic circles. There is another school called Texas Tech in the United States that also offers online graduate degrees, even at the PhD-level.

If you decide that you would rather go the traditional route with your education, many U.S. schools offer great stipends that can pay for your tuition and your rent if your grades have been high in previous education. It would mean making the major transition to uproot your life, however more colleges and universities throughout North America are starting to ask for PhD-level education to get your foot in the door of academia. Many Canadian schools also offer the same incentives in scholarships, bursaries and teaching assistantships, as well as the opportunity to teach a class sole-responsibility.

Medical Transcription

Medical transcription involves transcribing the voice recordings of dialogues between a doctor, or group of doctors and the patient. Skills in understanding different kinds of accents, as well as knowledge in English as a Second Language can be extremely useful in this field. These requirements are just secondary to knowing how to type really, really fast.

It is important that when the medical transcription, or MT as it is also known is done; the document is formatted and presented well. These documents need to be clear and easy to read by various healthcare professionals who rely on this information to provide the best care to their client and/or patient. Accuracy is extremely important.

Many doctors will send digital sound files of their meetings with the patients via the Internet to the MT so the transcription can be done. There is also special software available to the MT to help in their work. This is a huge change and improvement from the days when this work was done with a typewriter and tape player. Most MTs can type at the alarming rate of 200 words per minute – about the speed of the average voice speaking.

The educational requirements to do medical transcription are not high. A high school diploma, or GED in the United States, coupled with one to three years experience working can garner this job. There are some schools that offer extra training and some MTs look to become certified to add more credibility to their work.
The pay for medical transcription can vary widely. Generally to start you can expect to make about $8 USD to $12 USD per hour. With about two years of experience it can range anywhere from $12 to $20. With an increase in years of experience, there is also an increase in the hourly rate of pay.

Dental Hygienist

A dental hygienist is a specialist when it comes to oral hygiene. He or she helps the dentist provide the client with preventive dental care. US statistics report that the median hourly wage for a dental hygienist is about $30.00 USD.

Dental hygienists deal with local anesthesia, scaling and root canals, radiography, dental sealing, bleaching and fillings. Although most people are afraid to go to the dentist, good oral hygiene is part of complete health and as a dental hygienist you would be part of a health team for your patients.

Working under the supervision of the dentist in charge, the dental hygienist would undergo some of the more detailed work related to oral care such as root canals. When it comes to the basic cleaning of the teeth, the dental hygienist may even get the opportunity to work unsupervised.

Some other duties of the dental hygienist include:

• Assessing and gathering data about the patient’s medical history
• Performing a dental hygiene diagnosis: this would include interpreting data from materials such as ex-rays
• Evaluating the effectiveness of the oral health plan performed for the patient

To become a dental hygienist, formal education is required. There are many private and public colleges that offer programs to become a dental hygienist. The program can take anywhere from one to two years.

Other related occupations include:

• Dental assistant
• Dental therapist
• Dental technician
• Dentist

Business Administration

This job is all about giving service to business. Working in business administration includes organizing staff; making sure the business where you work is running smoothly, and basically being the mediator between staff and upper management. Education in business administration can also prepare you for a management position, as well as running a business yourself.

Some of the titles associated with education in business administration include: general manager and company secretary. The general manager or company secretary would report to the corporate board of directors ultimately and their direct supervisor would be the executive level of management. Education in business administration coupled with job experience can prepare you to obtain positions in executive management, as well as be one of the corporate board of directors.
In these roles, you can make anywhere from $100,000 CDN plus. The starting salary of a general manager or of a company secretary is usually about $50,000 CDN.

Sometimes, business administration work is viewed as the people who look after the bureaucratic or operational functions within a business. This can include repetitive office tasks that are suited for some people. It is consistent and steady work for those looking for a firm and secure foundation for the future.

Some of the duties a business administrator would perform include:

• Mapping out short-range and long-range goals for the company or institution
• Some human resources work such as choosing whom will fill positions within an organization may be included, as well as delegating tasks to existing staff
• Leadership skills are also required since business administrators are often lending ideas to further the development of an organization
• Business administrators also deal with budgetary concerns
• Business administrators may also be involved with the external and internal communications within the organization

If you are looking to reach the executive levels and/or board of director positions within an organization, in today’s competitive job market, having a master’s in business administration could help a great deal.

Some of the related fields to business administration include:

• Public administration
• Central administration
• Chief administration officer

Top 10 Things that Make Your Professor Great

There have been professors who can help you decide what profession you want to get into based on the enthusiasm and commitment they bring to their work. Here are some tips on what makes a professor great:

1.The professor makes time to answer your questions. They always seem to make themselves available for any concerns you may have and do not seem bothered when you ask too many questions. There is a saying that is “no such thing as a stupid question.”
2.The professor returns your assignments in a timely manner and does not take weeks to give you back your grades. It is important that you know how you are doing in your course and your marks are an indication of this.
3.Having office hours or being able to meet with your professor face-to-face is really important.
4.A professor that is willing to write you a recommendation letter if you have done good work and truly do deserve one is something that can help you either further your education or land that dream job.
5.A professor that seems organized and knowledgeable during the lecture time in-class is extremely important.
6.A professor who encourages group work and fun things to do in your class time with him or her is always a bonus.
7.A professor who recommends textbooks that are actually used in the class is important. You should not be spending your money on course materials that are not even used in the class.
8.A professor that discusses the practical matters of your profession that you are training for and not just all theory is a definite advantage.
9.A professor that is great at leading interesting class discussions is a huge benefit to the classroom environment.
10.A professor that discusses some of his or her more personal aspects of themselves, as well as gets to know you as well as he or she can will help you to feel more “at home” in your school environment.