The advantages of having even a simple, static website without eCommerce capabilities are legion. A website offers customers a round-the-clock opportunity to view your products and services, your contact information, and detailed visual proof that you’re better than your competitors. In an era where buyers, suppliers, and consumers can buy, sell, and track orders from a web-enabled cell phone, it’s poor business sense to work without a digital net.

Here are four key benefits from having a simple website:

Visibility and Search
With proper optimization of your website, targeted audience of consumers are sent your way via a number of search engines. Search engine optimization enables any business to identify its specific offerings, whether it provides them through online sales or just posts pictures and descriptions online with an ordering phone number or printable form.

Public Relations and Marketing
Think of a website as an extended business card. A simple, attractive website builds credibility, loyalty, and word-of-mouth promotions. People send web links to their business associates, family, and friends.

Say More and Talk Less
Detailed information about your products and services online means that your switchboard fields fewer inquiries about specifics and more calls with immediate orders. These days, shoppers make their decisions online–then they reach for the telephone.

Customer Development
Whenever customers respond to your email address through your website, you capture their personal information for own records. Build a database of email addresses and you can mail out regular sales bulletins. You’ll foster a repeat clientele.

Source
CNNMoney

The Labor Department reports that completion of a bachelor’s degree in social work (BSW) is often the key educational requirement for entry into this challenging, rewarding profession. In health and clinical settings, however, you may need to continue career training toward completion of a master’s degree (MSW). If you already hold a bachelor’s degree in another major, you still may qualify for entrance into a graduate program.

Licensing regulations for social workers vary from state to state.  Here are some the key career titles in social work and degrees:

Degrees:
BSW An individual with a bachelor’s degree in social work is considered to be a generalist in the field.

MSW A graduate of the master’s degree program in social work is generally regarded as a specialist in a niche field of social work, or an advanced generalist

Ph.D. (or doctor of social work, D.S.W.) The P.hD. holder is highly regarded as an administrator, researcher, director, educator, or policy specialist.

Titles:
Professional social worker.  The title applies to anyone who has earned an accredited degree in social work.

LSW The licensed social worker designation is a common designation for career generalists or those entering the profession that have completed an undergraduate degree and satisfied state and local licensing requirements.

LCSW The licensed clinical social worker has passed specific requirements to work in a clinical – as opposed to social – settings.

ACSW The Academy of Certified Social Workers offers professional credentials to social workers who meet their criteria.

NASW The National Association of Social Workers offers credentials to social workers who meet the combination of educational and work experience requirements, and who pass a certification exam.

Andy Wasser, Associate Dean at Carnegie Mellon University, Graduate Information Systems Management Program joins us today to discuss distance education.

Tell us about the distance learning programs offered at Carnegie Mellon University.

The Master of Science in Information Technology (MSIT) program at Carnegie Mellon is designed to develop the next generation of IT leaders. The distance delivery of MSIT has been in place for over six years and has a successful track record of replicating the strengths of our top ranked campus degree.

Unlike other ‘on-line’ programs, Carnegie Mellon films every minute of our campus lectures so that our distance students are guaranteed access to the same world-class faculty and up-to-date content offered at our Pittsburgh campus. We then assign a faculty instructor and teaching assistant to interact directly with the distance students and encourage communications.

What is the typical duration of each of your programs?

MSIT students must be working professionals with a minimum of three years industry experience. Most students graduate in less than three years, depending on whether they take one or two classes a semester. Students taking two courses a semester, including the summer, can graduate in two years.

What would you say makes Carnegie Mellon University programs different and better than other comparable online programs?

Carnegie Mellon is ranked #1 in the nation in Information Technology by US News & World Report. Our world-class faculty has a reputation for its multi-disciplinary and real-world emphasis. Unless you live within driving distance to a top-ranked IT university, you can not receive the caliber of education offered by Carnegie Mellon. But with our distance program, we can bring that high quality education to you.

We provide each student with a DVD of the filmed, on campus classes. Distance students hear every sneeze and see every diagram as if they were on site. We then supplement these media-rich videos with top instructors, robust web content (via Blackboard), and stellar customer service. It is an expensive delivery method but it is a premium product.

There is some debate as to whether or not online degrees are as worthwhile as traditional degrees. What steps does Carnegie Mellon University take to ensure that online students are receiving the same education that they’d receive in a classroom?

We ensure quality by being selective in our admissions process and in making sure the rigor of each class is on par with its on campus delivery. Our faculty consistently tells us that their distance students are as good if not better in their performance as their full time, campus peers.

We recognize that our part-time students are balancing their career, home life, and graduate school. We continue to be impressed at their ability to handle this challenge.

What would you say are some of the benefits of earning a degree online rather than in a traditional classroom?

It is highly unlikely that your city has an IT program of the caliber of Carnegie Mellon. MSIT gives you access to an education that you would not otherwise be able to receive.

Our delivery method is almost entirely asynchronous. Some people can do their class work in the daytime, others on the weekend, and others once their kids are asleep. This flexibility is unique to distance delivery.

If a student enrolled in one of your programs was interested in finding an internship in their field in their area, do you have any means of assisting them in acquiring an internship position?

All of our students are experienced IT professionals and currently employed by companies like General Motors, Lockheed Martin, Intel, Alcoa, IBM, Oracle, etc. They do not need internships.

Does Carnegie Mellon University offer any job placement services to your students and graduates?

We offer our students a full range of corporate placements and networking opportunities in key cities across the U.S. Many students choose to stay on an accelerated path with their current employer.

Is financial aid available to students in your programs?

Yes, we automatically evaluate our students for scholarships as part of the application process. There is no additional paperwork. Part-time students are also eligible to apply for student loans. We are an expensive program but we are confident in our value proposition.

Do you have any advice for students enrolling in online classes for the first time?

Without having the normal social interactions and networking of being on a college campus, you need to take the extra effort to interact with faculty and classmates. We do our best to foster this communication. We have extensive discussion threads among students and faculty and go out of our way to be timely in returning phone calls and e-mails. In lieu of not having the campus lunchroom conversation, you need to embrace these alternative communication vehicles.

For more information on distance learning programs available at Carnegie Mellon University, visit them online.

Thank you Andy, for sharing and participating in this piece

That concludes our interview!

(interview reprinted with permission from author)

2. Meet Your Employer’s Expectations As the job market gets saturated with graduates, more and more open positions are asking for degrees. You practically need a degree to be a fry cook these days. Why get stuck on the short end of that curve?

3. Meet Your Mom’s Expectations You know your mom wants you to go to college. She’ll be so proud of you! (Or your dad. Or your grandparents, aunts, cats. You will make somebody so proud!)

4. Be More Qualified For Your Field… Lots of jobs require the kind of specialized training that only a college program can give, from vocational programs to doctorates. Whether you want to be the best doctor in the hospital or the best nurse in…well, the same hospital, a degree can help get you there.

5. …Or Branch Out into Other Fields Just because you decided to major in “Best Doctor in the Hospital” in college, that doesn’t chain you to one profession for the rest of your life. Having a degree can open up opportunities to hundreds of related (and not-so-related) fields.

6. A More Secure Future Statistics show that people with higher levels of education tend to have better job security, so stay ahead of the unemployment curve! (At least until you overeducate and overspecialize yourself to the point of being unhireable again.)

7. A Better Lifestyle Even if your pantry is nothing but ramen as far as your flashlight can reach, rest easy in the knowledge that - once the money from your Better Paying Job (see #1) starts rolling in - it will be nothing but nouveau Asian fusion cuisine for you. The best ramen money can buy.

8. Improve Your Confidence Take a speech class, even if it isn’t required for your major. Better yet, take Intro to Theatre Acting. In ten short weeks you will be able get up in front of thirty of your bored peers and perform a five-minute monologue without violent stomach protests, and you will have made fear your lapdog.

9. Improve Your Social Skills Nothing short of public transit pushes people from different backgrounds into uncomfortable and unavoidable social situations quite like college. Instead of cringing and withdrawing, try striking up the odd friendly conversation with your classmates. You might be surprised at what you learn, to say nothing of the broad spectrum of friends you might make.

10. Improve Your Discipline It takes great discipline to study properly, avoiding procrastination and preparing adequate notes and study aids each week. It also takes great discipline to distill months of knowledge into a single cram weekend, ending in an energy-drink-fueled dissociative fugue of standardized testing. Pick your study kung fu style, and take it to your maximum potential.

11. Improve Your Network College has a lot to do with networking, use those new Improved Social Skills to expand your web of connections. From study groups and internship leads to ladies and dealers of ill repute, you never know where a new thread of friendship will eventually take you. Why miss out by never getting started?

12. Learn From Masters of your Field Sure, many things learned in college can be learned at the library. What you miss out on, however, is someone to put those texts in context. Professors are hired because they’re at the top of their area of expertise. Of course they won’t all be goldmines, but when you find one, latch on. You’ll learn more than you’ll find in any book. (Except, perhaps, the one your professor eventually publishes.)

13. Express Your Thoughts More Clearly Take a writing class, even if it isn’t required for your major. See if a grammar and stylistics course is offered. Your typing program’s Grammar Check function is far from failsafe, and your manager at Future High Paying Job will appreciate an employee who can express himself in reports without sounding like a walking text message.

14. Increase Your Understanding of the World You probably will be required to take a history or humanities class, so don’t worry about trying to find one. Fight the urge to nap - it’ll pay itself back in dividends when you actually understand something about how the world works, what’s happening with it today, and its ramifications beyond your neighborhood’s bummer gas prices.

15. Show Off Your Commitment and Perseverance Steely-eyed determination is quite the admirable trait in our society, and what shows more commitment to a cause than sticking through a quest for knowledge for the better part of a decade? You will be up to your ears in admirers. Enough said.

16. Start a tradition! Hesitant because no one else in your family has gone to college? Don’t be nervous, be the first! At worst, they say, “what, you think you’re better than us?” (Answer: Yes, yes you are) At best, they admire your courage and fortitude and give you lots of sweet graduation gifts. Either way, who comes out on top? You!

17. Find Your Direction Hesitant, then, because you don’t know what kind of career you want and thusly couldn’t possibly pick a major? Here’s a secret: you’re not alone. Truthfully, lots of college graduates don’t even know exactly what they want to do when they finish college. That said, with so many options to look into, college is a good place to explore and start getting some idea of what it is that you might like to do.

18. Choose From Many Paths Four year liberal arts colleges just aren’t your thing? Contrary to what your guidance counselor may have told you, it doesn’t mean there’s something wrong with you. You have different needs or a different learning style, and there are tons of programs that could better suit you. Community college, vocational schools, online programs, a combination of two or several - there’s a plan for everyone, and your options are limitless.

19. Your Options are Limitless (As Long as You Don’t Limit Your Options) Here is another misconception: that if you haven’t heard of a college, it’s probably not very good and not worth looking into. Most colleges haven’t heard of you yet, either - should they not give you a chance because your reputation doesn’t precede you? Try looking into some smaller schools - what they lack in star power, they usually make up for in unique, hands-on experiences.

20. Take Classes in Your Pajamas If you go the online school route, you can essentially come to class in your pajamas while chomping down a bowl of Froot Loops.

21. Go to Class in Your Pajamas Honestly, even if you go to a physical college, you can still show up in your pajamas with half a breakfast burrito hanging out of your mouth, and no one will bat an eye as long as you contribute positively to the class and do well on your assignments. I fail to see any downside here.

22. Never Wake Up Before Noon Okay that may be an exaggeration, but gone are the high school days of principals shooing you to class with a bullhorn at 7:30 in the morning. Speaking of which, never schedule a class before 8AM unless you know you’re a morning person. Your brain will thank you later. (As will your legs when you’re not running a mile across campus every other day because you woke up ten minutes before start time.)

23. Your Weekend Starts on Wednesday The beauty of scheduling your own classes goes beyond later start times - learn the art and pounce on your earliest class registration dates like a cheetah on the hunt, and you too can cram all of your classes into two or three days, freeing up your precious time for more important things. (This season of Ultimate Frisbee will be epic, am I right guys?)

24. Take Advantage of a Fine Library System Public libraries pale in comparison to college libraries. Heck, public libraries cry themselves to sleep at night, just wishing they were college libraries. If you’re the reading type, pick a section and watch yourself get lost for hours in the best way possible.

25. “Take Advantage” of a Fine Library System A blazing internet connection, a stellar selection of obscure movies and magazines, a great meeting place with comfy chairs for you and your friends to study or just hide out and chat (at reasonable volumes) - even if you’re not a reading type, you can still appreciate your school’s library for its many other gifts.

26. Live Healthy at the School Gym Most college campuses have gyms that you can use for free with your school ID. How great is that? Gyms are wildly expensive in the real world, so you’d better get that Grecian physique while you can (because once you graduate, the only thing Greek about your figure will be all the gyros and Ouzo you consumed last night).

27. Go Greek If it’s your thing, you can always parlay that new Grecian Physique into a spot in the fraternity or sorority of your choice. They aren’t all about partying and brutal hazing techniques - quite a few are dedicated to academia, social causes, and charity work. Of course, if bros and beer bongs are more your speed, the old standards never die.

28. Join Some Clubs It’s good to have hobbies to break up the monotony of study, and college is a veritable cornucopia of extracurricular special interests. Write for your school newspaper, take up a sport, go on outings with a movie club, or have mock medieval battles with the SCA. Not only will you have a legitimate excuse to ward off the bummer-fest of chapter reading for a night, but you’re a tad more likely to make lasting friends in a club you enjoy than in your TA section for Calculus.

29. Take Fun Electives Classes aren’t all about General Ed – sure, you sort of need them, but if you don’t diversify you will burn out and hate life within minutes, so feel free to balance out the necessary with a bit of frivolity. In college, you can take everything from Introductory Guitar to An Oral History of Reggae, and let

30. Learn a Dead Language Do it. Where else but college will you have the chance to obtain a document declaring you “Proficient in Ancient Latin?” Sure, your friends are all learning Spanish for a semester abroad in Ibiza, but will they have the power to impress their friends and family by translating ancient maps, mythology, and the backs of coins? (Not to mention giving yourself a rudimentary understanding of almost every language in Europe.)

31. Discuss Lofty Subjects Pretentiously… With Authority! What are your thoughts on Quentin Tarantino’s use of pastiche and blank parody within his oeuvre? How about the disintegration of classical syntax in postmodern literature? Foucault’s power/knowledge model in regards to the underlying structures of relationships? “Who cares,” you say? Everyone cares. A relevant degree is your license to a lengthy opinion, and when you’re in college the whole world is your captive audience. Take advantage of it.

32. Impress Your Friends With a Double Major Oh sure, you could just be satisfied with the BA in Comparative Literature. But it’s the parallel BS in Archeology that really ties it all together, don’t you think?

33. Do Something After Retirement So, you think you’re think you’re too old for college? No such thing. Just because you’re not some spry young thing in a freshman beanie, it doesn’t mean you’re too old to learn. People are living longer and longer these days, and you need something more than endless bridge games and backyard gardening to keep your mind sharp. Why not a class or two?

34. Continued Support Via Alumni Programs Colleges don’t just throw you out to the wolves upon graduation - to the contrary, most offer alumni clubs with special benefits and ways to connect with your peers and professors long after you’ve flipped your mortarboard tassel. (And even if you don’t think you want this, rest assured that they will find you and call you anyway every month just to see if you’ve changed your mind.)

35. Continued Support Via FaceBook Cheaper than the Alumni Association - find your old college chums and poke them. Lacking in benefits and reduced-rate travel options, but makes up for it in Scrabulous.

36. It’s Not as Expensive as You Think Not every school charges Harvard prices. State colleges, for instance, are shockingly reasonable (as long as you’re a resident of that state) and a fair portion are just as good - if not better - than private institutions. Even if you do end up at an Ivy League, however, need-based grants and loans and scholarships abound if you’re willing to do a little paperwork. FAFSA, son!

37. Independence! Need an excuse to move out? The delicate scent of Chee-tos littering your room getting a little stale? Moving out “to reinvent yourself in the city” may be troublesome to your parents, but tell them you’re going to college and they’ll practically pack your boxes for you.

38. Reinvent Yourself in a New City! Feeling stifled? Parents or friends or PTA co-members just not understanding? With all of its new opportunities and potential interests, college means the freedom to shed your old skin and blossom into the brain surgeon/master thespian/art school hipster you were always meant to be.

39. Create Lasting Memories Be it academic achievements or that one time you and your roommates totally went out for a chili dog run at 1AM and ate yourselves senseless while watching reruns of Dawson’s Creek - if you don’t end up saying “those may have been the best years of my life,” then your post-grad life must be epic.

40. You Will Never Be This Experimental and Reckless Again Not without having to give some serious explanations, anyway. College is a magical time, and it usually only happens once. Take advantage of it.

I’m all out of reasons! I miss college already after writing those. While they are my 40 Reasons you should go to college, what are some reasons you can come up with? Share your ideas below.

Once in the classroom, pre-school and elementary teachers design, develop, and implement interactive study and play programs that help young children build vocabulary, reasoning, and basic mathematics skills. In a 2008 report, the Harvard University Graduate School of Education listed critical classroom components in successful teaching. They include:

Fostering the Right Climate
Teachers are responsible in providing a positive learning environment. There is no room for ongoing negativity expressed by the teacher or through child interactions that are typified by aggression or hostility. Teachers should be accountable for monitoring and redirecting inappropriate behavior.

Flexibility and Responsiveness
Teachers should always remain open to modifying their curriculum in response to students’ ongoing emotional and academic needs. Activities should be developed to maximize learning opportunities.

Using Feedback
Students learn from strong teacher modeling. How you speak and  conduct yourself  during challenges throughout the semester will influence your charges. Teachers need to be sensitive to students’ participation–or their lack of it.

Maintaining Classroom Productivity and Progress
Time is an invaluable resource. Teachers should organize activities around learning, creating daily routines that students can rely upon for stability and making maximum progress. Avoid rote or dull repetition for its own sake. Clear-cut teacher communications with students about how to complete the routine are essential to learning.

The Harvard Letter is a bi-monthly newsletter published by Harvard University Graduate School of Education. Recent topics include identifying 21st-Century teaching skills, educating teenage immigrants, and building vocabularies for pre-kindergarten students.

Source
The Harvard Letter
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

If you’re going to land a job upon graduation, you’re going to need a strong resume that distinguishes you from the pack of applicants. Your resume has to illustrate specific skills and accomplishments in clearly articulated prose, formatted into an attractive presentation.

Here are three common blunders to avoid:

Overly Focused on Duties
Prospective employers don’t want to know what you did every day; they’re looking for what you accomplished during your tenure on the job. Instead of saying that you formatted documents or participated in company meetings, note how you created a new system for documentation that saved your employer time and money, or how you became the go-to person at company meetings for your ability to foster collaboration. Cite specifics.

Typos, Misspellings, and Grammatical Misdemeanors
Chances are that the HR professional will toss out your resume if typos, misspellings, or common grammatical errors turn up in the document. Consider these as a poke in the eye. Multiple misspellings and awkward constructions can land you in the comedy pile for sharing in the bar at recruiter conventions. Ask someone you trust to proofread your resume before you submit it anywhere.

Omitting Keywords
There’s hardly enough time for a recruiter to read all the resumes that drop into the morning mail. The sad truth is that your resume will be funneled through a digital keyword scanner. Be sure to read job descriptions with care, collecting key words that cite pertinent job skills and experience required for the position. Work them into your resume.

Good luck!

Do Your Homework
Use one or more online salary websites to research typical compensation in your field for your specific job title. Be sure to search market value ranges in your city, as they vary considerably by cost-of-living and industry profiles. What other types of compensation are offered by employers in your field (stock shares, relocation, health-care, parking, daycare, vacation pay, tuition reimbursement).

Assess the Position
Do you have the job locked up? Are you discussing salaries specifically now? Is this a job that matches your current skills or offers an opportunity to grow? Most importantly, are the job requirements specified in the description at the time of your interview(s) clearly defined and pegged competitively to industry-standard wages?

Hold or Fold?
The “flinch” is a common response in negotiating, but is a delicate play. Always let the employer go first with an offer. Before flinching, show a positive, enthusiastic response to the offer, indicating you really want the job. You’re saying “yes” with qualifications, and it’s okay to ask for a short interval to think it over. Contact associates in the field or a mentor and bounce the offer around.

The Counter
If you really want the job, are willing to take the offer–but hope for more–then make a counter. See if you can include a bonus for performance, an increase after a six-month review, some relocation money, or a hiring bonus. But be sure to back up your negotiations with clearly stated points about what you bring to the table and why you deserve more than the initial amount.

You won’t have an employer or job title to put on your business card, so let’s call this essential marketing tool a “networking card”. Ideally you’ll want a card that shows you’re serious about business or entrepreneurship, that provides a lasting impression of your professionalism, and has clear contact information.

Be sure the card looks professionally designed. Avoid a quick print-at-home cards punched onto cheap paper stock. Here are some essentials for a networking card:

Cite Your Specializations and Skills Upfront
You may not have a job title, but that’s insignificant. Focus on your objective or sales proposition. For example:

• Heidi Anderson, Marcom Specialist
• James Thurston, Financial Analyst
• Martin Driscoll, Investment Adviser
• Jamie Hammerhill, Entrepreneur

Consider Your Card Your Resume
List bullet points of your experience or accomplishments on your card. Many students consider posting these on the back of their cards, leaving a clean look on the front. Be sure to update your accomplishments if they significantly add to your skill sets.

Provide Permanent Contact Information
Don’t use a temporary address or telephone number if you can help it. If you have a website and business-personal (rather than school) email, feature them prominently. Put an active telephone number on the card or write your cell number on it as you hand it to your potential contact.

Trends in the profession are always shifting. Here are some revealing statistics from a recent culinary arts study by Star Chefs:

• Total percentage of working chefs that attended culinary school: 74 percent.
• Total percentage of working chefs that recommended culinary school training: 87 percent.
• Total percentage of restaurants that have a pastry chef: 41 percent.
• Total percentage of restaurants that have a wine program: 69 percent.
• Total percentage of chefs that hope to own their own restaurant some day: 27 percent.
• Total average entrée prices between $16 and $33: 65 percent.

Want to view more trends? Here are some revealing figures rounded up in 2008 survey conducted by The International Culinary Schools at The Art Institutes:

• Percentage of current culinary arts students who believe “environmental responsibility” will play a role in their developing careers: 97 percent.
• Percentage of current culinary arts students who plan on incorporating organic foods into their repertoire: 55 percent.
• Percentage of culinary students who believe receiving some training abroad will positively influence their careers: 52 percent.
• Percentage of students who believe that South American or Spanish cuisine will influence their menus: 40 percent.
• Number of surveyed students who would consider experimenting in fusion cuisine: 80 percent.
• Percentage of students interested in incorporating Italian cooking in their repertoire: 68 percent.

Sources
Star Chefs
The International Culinary Schools at The Art Institute
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

For 2008, vacation shoppers are looking at winter, summer, and four-season destinations to suit tighter budgets–where entire families can stay for $350 a night or less. Here are some suggestions for unusual and inexpensive vacations that will lure this year’s travelers:

Calm in the Caribbean
The Turks and Caicos are in for 2008. Since most cruise ships bypass local archipelagos aside from Grand Turk, less-visited islands are drawing both high rollers and budget crowds. On the low end, you’ll find rooms at $325 a night where children under the age of 12 stay free of charge. And the water’s fine.

Good Times on the Pampas
Buenos Aires is rich with history and amenities. After a 2003 currency collapse, its renowned restaurants serving local Argentinean beef and the city’s vibrant nightlife are quite affordable–for now. Buenvenido.

Undiscovered and Unspoiled
Vietnam has been a destination of choice among budget travelers (once you pay for airfare). Now nearby Laos is on the map. It’s a solid choice during our coldest winter months. Hotels even arrange cooking classes for those who want to add Laotian cuisine to their toolkit.

The Luck of the Irish Traveler
With its warm microclimate, Cork County is becoming an Irish destination that families love. Of course, there’s great golf, but there are also warm beaches, rolling hills, and charming villages. A 17th-century manor house on 200 acres with an adjoining castle offers a unique lodging option. May the road rise to meet ya.

There is one catch, it all starts with some experience at an online travel school.

Sources
Town and Country Magazine
BootsN’All