Demand is second force propelling substantial growth of online degree programs. Many students, particularly adults, just want to finish their higher education as quickly and as inexpensively as possible. People learn at different rates and in many different ways. Most traditional college classes are geared toward average learner, which means that some people get left behind, while others quickly get bored. Online courses allow students to set their own pace, so that they get most value out of classes they take.

An online college degree is more important than ever for several reasons. First, employers feel that we are presently in an employer's market. This means, simply, that there are more workers than jobs at moment and consequently employers can be more selective in individuals they hire.

Secondly, jobs which pay highest salaries are those that are most specialized. Specialized occupations require more training/education, primarily because these jobs require manipulation of facts, figures and technology.

Another factor driving people to obtain online degrees is indisputable fact that current jobs in U.S. are becoming more and more service oriented. These jobs have relatively low wages and are labeled as "unskilled" work. Thus, to prepare yourself to qualify for a job paying higher wages, you need to retool or learn new skills and competencies.

Finally, we now live in a global economy which demands higher prices for homes, automobiles, utilities, medical care, and like, without actually providing enough gainful employment opportunities. If you want to increase, restructure or enhance your wage earning abilities, an online degree is, indeed, a good place to begin.

The best online college let students apply past college credit and even relevant work experience towards their online degree programs. Some employers will even share costs of your online education, because they appreciate your desire to improve your job skills--without leaving your job.

Online degrees have become widespread because we want them, and we need them. Investigate what an online degree can do for you. Search for a degree that interests you. Do some comparative research on Web, then enroll in classes and receive your online degree in a few short months. You'll be glad you did!

For students to have freedom, they must have choices. They must not be bogged down in rules and regulations. When students have choices, they won’t have need to create destructive choices of their own.

In school, learning should be fun. Learning is always fun when learning is useful and students want to learn what is being taught. Imagine students having fun learning! Isn’t that dream of teachers everywhere? When your students are having fun, you do too.

I know this sounds like an impossible task but there are many schools doing just that with training in Dr. William Glasser’s Choice Theory. Creating a need-satisfying environment is what actually eliminates discipline problems. If someone has a legitimate, appropriate way to get his/her needs met, then there is no reason to create discipline problems.

Switching courses over to a competency-based approach is critical to Quality School concept. Students are not permitted to get credit for less than B work and they have opportunities to improve their work until it meets minimum standard for a B. Concepts are taught in such a way that reduces need for memorizing facts that can be found in any encyclopedia or text.

This and more speaks to second condition of quality that students will only be asked to do useful work. It is teacher’s job to convince students that what they are being asked to do is useful in real world. If you are successful in that endeavor, you will have willing students. Wouldn’t that make your job more enjoyable for you?

The final condition of quality is self-evaluation. Students are asked to grade their own work. There are two essential items that must be met in order to get accurate self-evaluations from students. First, they must have no fear that teacher or anyone else will hurt them with an honest self-evaluation. Second, there must be a clear rubric in place that will give students a model against which to compare their own work.

Self-evaluation does not replace need of teacher or teacher’s aide (another student already judged to be competent in that particular area) from corroborating student’s self-evaluation. Students are not punished for less than competent work. Rather they are shown where their work is lacking and given opportunity to fix it. This, again, is a skill that is seen everyday in real world. Rarely do people actually loss their jobs for substandard work. They are told what is wrong and asked to fix it.

Of course this is just a thumb nail sketch of what is necessary to become a Quality School but if you or anyone you know is interested in learning more, visit www.coachingforexcellence.biz and check our calendar for upcoming teleclasses, chats and workshops.