Online Dictionaries

Making Internet Surfing
Safe for Kids

Online Education and
How it can Work for You

Tips for the Online Student

Purchasing a Digital Camera

Hopefully, by now you've had a chance to experience the online class venue. We trust everything is going well for you this semester.

If you should need any assistance, please don't hesitate to contact us at 815-740-5080 or toll free 1-866-337-1497.

Writing papers for classes is a big part of the college experience. Many are written during a student's tenure in higher education. One way to make sure that these papers are all that they can be, is by utlizing an online dictionary.

These online assistants aren't your parent's dictionary that lived on the closet shelf. The dictionary that resides on the internet is a traditional dictionary in every sense of the word, but also so much more. Merriam-Webster online, for example, can function as a dictionary, thesaurus, medical dictionary, and also a Spanish/English dictionary.

Dictionary.com is a dictionary, thesauraus, encyclopedia, and a multi-lingual dictionary for many different languages. Factor in all of the fun you could have with the crossword puzzles that are there, or the word of the day, and you'll never have to go back to the closet shelf for a dictionary again.

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More and more news stories we hear today focus on our children and the internet. How many times has the public been warned against online preditors? But what does that really mean? How vigilent should we be? Visiting Safekids.com might clear up some of the confusion and will give some helpful tips to keep your children safe.

4kids.org has a similar site, not only with information for adults, but also some fun and games for the kids. If there is a child who has access to a computer in your life, these sites are well worth checking out.

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Going back to school as an adult student can be a tough decision. There's family to consider and work obligations. How in the world can family, work and school all fit together? If being gone from home two or three nights a week for class can seem daunting and off putting, perhaps you should consider taking online classes. Whether you are attempting your bachelor's or an advanced degree, online classes can make the course work more enjoyable. The time management issues that might come with face to face classes all but disappear.

In fact, many employers today are reimbursing tuition for online courses, just as they do for face-to-face programs. Online education has become the classroom of the future, with 3.2 million students as of fall 2005 taking classes across the country. And of course, this number is growing every year.

If you are interested in online education , read this article for more information. Should you be interested in taking online courses at the University of St. Francis,
please call 1-800-735-7500 for assistance.

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	Tips for the Online Student
as taken from "100 Things Every Online Student Ought to Know" by Frank L. Christ and Loy R. Ganey Jr., PhD. Copyright 2003 The Cambridge Stratford Study Skills Institute

Online Students Ought to Know:

that no question that you ask an instructor is a dumb question.

Most online instructors indicate that students do not ask questions about course procedures or about their assignments. If the course instructor has a virtual faculty office within the course, post your question there. Emailing your instructor within the course should always be the first course of action. If your instructor has given you a telephone number that can be accessed, use it whenever you have a problem or a question on your assignments. Do not wait to ask your question. Of course, before you ask your question, be sure you have looked at the course material to see if the answer to your question is there. If you feel embarrassed to ask your instructor a question, email a fellow student or your course mentor, if you have one. Remember that your unasked question can cost you valuable course points.

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Upon logging into the internet, the first page a person usually sees is their web browser, or search engine, to get them where the need to be on the world wide web. For many, the choice of a search engine is a no brainer. Whatever the default, or one that the computer automatically displays, works just fine. Others, though, enjoy finding the web browser that has the accessories they are looking to try, giving their web browsing a more personal touch. If you are looking to try a new web browser, it might not hurt to do a little reading and compare your favorite to the others out there.

Just keep in mind, if you are taking an online class with the University of St. Francis, that the online classroom, WebCT, is only compatible with Mozilla Firefox, Netscape Navigator and Internet Explorer. However, every computer should have more than one web browser on it in case the default should experience difficulty.

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Purchasing a digital camera could be compared to visiting a foreign country and not understanding the language. When shopping for the camera, you'll hear words like megapixal, digital format and shutter speed. If you don't know exactly what these words mean, or what camera is the best for your needs, surf the web for some great information that will take the guess work out of your purchare.

C-NET's digital camera reviews will get you started on your digital camera education, along with step-by-step advice from the CNET digital camera finder. Another great site for digital camera comparison is Digital Camera Review.com. Using these resources will help you be the digital camera afficianado that you strive to be!

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