There are many reasons learners choose the cloud for their education. One of the biggest reasons being time.  We all need more of it and the abundance of time sucks on the web are never willing assistants along your educational path. The goal of saving minutes and flexible scheduling with online learning is often hard to meet if the learner isn’t self-motivated and armed with organization skills to make the journey a success.  Fortunately, there are many web-based tools that can help students get organized, thereby helping to fulfill the promise of online learning to save time and even lighten the stress on our shrinking stock of discretionary hours. Here are some of my favorites that I currently recommend to online students at the high school, undergraduate, and graduate levels.

Google Calendar
One of the best ways to keep your schedule tight and orderly.  If you are new to Google Calendar start with this useful introductory video from the folks at Google. Some of the best features include the seamless integration from PC to tablet to mobile phone and of course the sharing and visibility features we have come to love from all of the Google Apps. Even more, the ability to stack color-coded calendars on top of each other in one viewing frame makes it easy to organize your personal, academic, and career events in one place.  For an in depth look at Google Calendar check out this webinar from the Apps team presented by Vinnie Vrotney.

Evernote
This little gem of an app is perfect for gathering ideas, resources, notes, and more on the fly for your online classes.  Whether you are taking notes in a lecture, scouring the web for creative ideas, or quickly jotting down a phone number Evernote makes it happen.  It is also available in a mobile and web-based version, making access seamless and available almost everywhere. As a bonus be sure to check out Evernote’s Noteworthy blog to stay on top of new tools in the Evernote family such as Skitch and other great news in the web2.0 world.

Doodle
Even online learners will have to find times to collaborate face to face with classmates or instructors.  We’ve already reviewed how busy our lives are – now try to match that schedule with 5 others to meet. You can quickly be overrun with emails, attachments, text messages, tweets, and other other scattered pieces of information.  Bring everyone to one efficient and clean planning tool at the Doodle site.  You supply attendees with a range of time options and everyone gets to choose the slots that work for them making the scheduling process automated and getting us back to the goal of saving time. See Doodle’s video page over at Vimeo for more.

Google Alerts
The promise of the “new web” has been easier access to information and that means less work to get the data I want.  For me, that means automation and bring the news I need to me.  Another simple tool to save time for e-learners is Alerts from Google. This simple tool let’s you ask Google to send new search results to your inbox periodically so you can stay informed on the topic.  So if you are doing action research on flipped classrooms, tracking an oil spill, following news for a blog trend you are working on, or any other situation where having information delivered to you is beneficial then this simple solution is what you need. Bonus – check out this helpful blog post to set up Google Alerts that will track you and your name online keeping everything on the up and up for when you are looking for new career opportunities.

Below, we have gathered 15 surefire tips and tools to help you become a successful online student. Better than the old practice of going to the library, not quite to the point of having your own holographic computer, they can help you with everything from picking a school to cramming for a test.

Surefire Tips to Be a Successful Online Student

These expert tips are sure to help any student, especially those taking classes online.

1. Learn More About Online Learning
   If you are an online student, the last thing you may want to use the internet for is more learning. However, the expertise independent study teacher Jamie Littlefield brings to her blog makes it all easy and manageable. She has tips on how to find an online school, where to get bargain textbooks, and much more.
2. Online Strategy
   Because even in-person students have strategies, stop here for one just for online students. Provided by DistanceLearn, you can get advice such as what makes a successful online student, virtual training sites, and even email etiquette. There is also an FAQ with more.
3. How Students Develop Online Learning Skills
   Because online study skills have to be developed just like traditional ones, click here. It is a guide from Educause, which many teachers and students turn to for help. They give seven essential tips including time management, online discussions, and motivation.
4. Time Management for Online Learners
   Get a guide to time management from Project Working Mom. You don’t have to be a working mom, just an online student, to get surefire tips. However, moms who find themselves back in school can also use the blog to find loads of scholarships and other resources.
5. Create a Study Space
   Online students can often study on the same sofa they watch television or play video games on. However, you can find loads of tips for making a special study space online. This is one of the better ones from Grace Fleming, who urges students to tailor the space to their preferences.
6. Eliminate Distractions
   It seems just about every piece of technology has its own annoying way of disturbing you right when you get into the heart of your online studies. In this entry for Freelance Switch, Leo Babauta discusses how to eliminate life’s new and old tech ways of distracting you. There are also many other tips for productivity on the blog.
7. Check What’s New
   Just as new online study tips come out, so do new blogs about it. The experts at Online Learning Tips are already there. They have many blogs written by and for the online student. This one in particular has loads of tips, the latest of which includes “Find Your Niche and Apply it to Your Studies.”

Surefire Tools to Be a Successful Online Student

Use these free tools to make online learning easier than ever.

8. Student Planner
   Even online students need planners, but they can also find them online here. The site for students by students has an online scheduler that can be far more useful than just jotting down stuff. There is a free plan with loads of options, or you can subscribe for only $15 a year.
9. Treepad
   This freeware is essential for any online student or productive person with lots of tasks but little cash. It is used to store, edit, search, organize, and browse any type of textual information: notes, emails, articles, links, and much more. Download with a click, or learn more on their site.
10. Notely
    Need to store or share notes with another online student? To keep meeting IRL down, why not check out a site like Notely? You can store all your notes to your own account and share with others.
11. Note Mesh
    With a tagline of “collaborate to graduate,” this site is worth a visit. It is a free service that allows college students in the same classes to share notes with each other. You can even visit to see if your own online classroom is already featured.
12. Today’s Meet
    Take the above to the next notch with a visit here. Today’s Meet can create a virtual meeting space for you and other students. Simply Create a Room to begin..
13. My Stickies
    Post-its are so old school. Check out these virtual versions of the sticky notepaper that is totally free. You can put stickies anywhere on your computer’s hard drive or even on the web to view later or as bookmarks.
14. Quizlet
    Need some study tools but don’t want to drive down to your actual school? Then stop here to get one of the best online ways to study almost anything. Thousands of other online students stop by to create and share flashcards and other learning resources on every topic imaginable. Create your own or download your favorites from the site.
15. Dropbox
    The last thing you need when all your work is complete is to lose it all. Use the Dropbox site to upload all your assignments, documents, images, and more should the worst ever happen. Many schools even work with Dropbox and it is compatible with mobile devices and popular sites like Facebook and Twitter.

And the above 15 surefire tips to be a successful online student are just the beginning. There are also loads of answers on the internet for students interested in items such as where to get online college reviews and what to make of college rankings.

This collection was gathered from a wide variety of universities. Be sure to check for other collections available from these institutions.

Digital Collections

1. Appalachian State University: Free access to rare and historic material, including the Abrams Folksong Collection.
2. Brigham Young University: This digital collection is small, but there are links to partnerships with other digital collections.
3. Brown University Library Center for Digital Scholarship: Brown chooses their “Signature” collections for their comprehensiveness and uniqueness, as well as their significant public value.
4. Columbia University Libraries: This digital collection includes various items and information about their e-book digitization program.
5. Cornell University Library: Browse through this grouping of selected digital collections of historical significance.
6. Duke University Libraries: Digitized historic photographs, advertisements, texts & more from Duke’s unique library collections.
7. Harvard University Library: Browse through a selection of Web-accessible collections from Eastern Asian botanical images to over 1,000 digitized maps and atlases.
8. Jacksonville State University Houston Cole Library: This digital collection contains a number of items that might delight a family or social historian who focuses on this region.
9. Michigan State University: The Digital and Multimedia Center makes special items from the library available online. It is believed that all of the works in this digital collection are in the public domain and not restricted by copyright.
10. Ohio State University Libraries: The materials on this Website have been made available for use in research, teaching and private study.
11. Princeton University Library: This web site chronicles Princeton’s digitalization efforts and provides a way to search the library’s Digital Collections.
12. Rutgers University Libraries: This collection contains library projects, open access journals and links to two other digital centers.
13. Southern Methodist University: SMU’s Central University Libraries (CUL) includes the online digital collections from the six Central University Libraries.
14. Syracuse University Library: Gain access to a number of collections, including WWII songs from the Belfer Audio Laboratory and Archive.
15. Tufts University:This library carries collections to support teaching, research, and administrative needs.
16. University of Cambridge: This library offers several important image collections online, including the Gutenberg Bible.
17. University of North Carolina: These collections place an emphasis on North Carolina and the American South.
18. University of Washington: This site features materials such as photographs, maps, newspapers, posters, reports and other media from the University of Washington Libraries, University of Washington Faculty and Departments, and organizations that have participated in partner projects with the UW Libraries.
19. University of Wisconsin: Gain free access to digital resources that support the teaching and research needs of the UW community.
20. Yale University Library: The cross-collection search at this site retrieves results from over 500,000 images.

Library Access

21. Digital South Asia Library: The University of Chicago presents materials for reference and research on South Asia to scholars, public officials, business leaders, and other users.
22. Georgetown University Library: This university offers articles, databases and journals, rare books and archives.
23. HighWire: Stanford University offers journals published online with the assistance of HighWare Press.
24. Indiana University Digital Library Program: The Indiana University Digital Library Program (DLP) is dedicated to the production, maintenance, delivery, and preservation of a wide range of high-quality networked information resources for scholars and students at Indiana University and elsewhere.
25. Internet Archive: Search for university collections at this archive, including Purdue, Cornell, Tufts and Harvard.
26. Miami Christian University: Gain access to many of the largest online repositories of theological books, journals and research tools.
27. Scholars Lab: Formerly the EText Center, this University of Virginia Library resource is not fully operational yet. Some collections have migrated to other sources, many listed here. Also, many of the resources once available on Etext are now available via VIRGO, the primary access point for all U.Va. Library digital texts and images.
28. St. Stephen’s University: Online resources include free electronic texts, articles, history sourcebooks and reference resources.
29. University of Hawai’i at Manoa Library: Gain access to full texts of books, journals and collections through this library.
30. University of Texas at Austin: Some items are restricted to UT Austin users.

International Libraries

31. British History Online: Created by the Institute of Historical Research and the History of Parliament Trust to support academic and personal users around the world.
32. Carrie: Lynn H. Nelson, Emeritus Professor of History, University of Kansas, created this full-text electronic library housed at the European University Institute, Florence, Italy.
33. Nagoya University Library: This collection is small, but significant, offering items such as the Takagi Family Documents and the Ito Keisuke Collection (father of modern Japanese botany).
34. National Library of Ireland: View over 33,000 images from the Lawrence (Royal & Cabinet), Poole Whole Plate and Independent Newspapers (1912 -1936), Clarke, Eason, Keogh, Stereo Pairs and Tempest glass plate collections.
35. The British Columbia Digital Library: This link leads to collections of electronic texts preserved through libraries, archives, museums and corporate or private initiatives.
36. The Oxford Text Archive: View full texts of materials in this electronic literary and linguistic resource for use in higher education, research, teaching and learning.
37. The Swiss National Library: View items such as newspapers, posters, artwork and journals through this Internet-accessible library collection.
38. TITUS: This server is a joint project centered on Indo-European Studies (including Middle Iranian, Tocharian etc.) in electronic form.
39. University of Oxford e-Resources: This online university library contains a number of resources available to the general public.
40. University of Zurich: This university uses the Open Access respository ZORA for articles and journals.

Special Collections

41. Hargrett Rare Book and Manuscript Library: The University of Georgia offers this collection, with links to other resources.
42. Historical Maps Online: The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign offers maps charting the last 400 years of historical development in Illinois and the Northwest Territory.
43. Lehigh University Special Collections: These collections include art, environmental education and other exhibits.
44. News and Newspapers Online: This is a free service of the University Libraries of the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.
45. Rutgers University Special Collections and University Archives: View photographs, prints, rare books and genealogical resources.
46. Tulane University Special Collections: This collection includes the Hogan Jazz Archive and Southeastern architecture.
47. University of Arizona Library Special Collections: This collection of rare books and unique archival materials make possible in-depth research on selected topics possible.
48. University of Michigan Human Rights Library: Use free materials that documents human rights globally in several languages.
49. University of Notre Dame Rare Books & Special Collections: One of the few university collections about the Inquisition, among other topics.
50. Vanderbilt University Special Collections and Archives: View rare books, manuscripts, photographs, and memorabilia.

The following list is categorized alphabetically by surname.

1. Emily M. Bender, PhD, is an assistant professor at the University of Washington. She received the 2009 R1edu Award for Distinguished Faculty Contributions to Online Learning and was recognized for her groundbreaking work in development of the UW online master’s degree program in computational linguistics. Her current research projects include the LinGO Grammar Matrix, an open-source toolkit designed to jump-start the diverse language development.
2. Curtis J. Bonk is a professor at Indiana University and adjunct in the School of Informatics. He also is president of CourseShare. Drawing on his background as a corporate controller, CPA, educational psychologist, and instructional technologist, Bonk offers unique insights into the intersection of business, education, psychology, and technology.
3. Sir John Daniel is president and chief executive offices of the Commonwealth of Learning in Canada. He was knighted by Queen Elizabeth for services to higher education in 1994 and holds 30 honorary doctorates from universities in 17 countries. His internship with the UK Open University in 1972 opened his eyes to the future of higher education, including distance learning.
4. Stephen Fireng is the president and chief executive officer for Embanet-Compass Knowledge Group, a non-profit university launching and growing only online programs. Prior to this position, Mr. Fireng managed a portfolio of almost $1 billion in revenues and led the launches of Career Education Corporation’s University and Art & Design Groups’ online universities, expanding them from 3,000 to 32,000 students in five years.
5. Anne Gaskell currently is based at the Open University’s center in Milton Keynes with a university-wide role as assistant director, Teaching and Learner Support. She is responsible for the support and professional development of the OU’s 7,800 part-time tutors and have a major role in ensuring that they are provided with appropriate skills and pedagogical expertise to work online.
6. Pam Knight provides a wealth of experience in educational training and instructional technology in her position as executive consultant for ISIS Multimedia in Austin, TX. She offers a client-centered focus on learning strategy, content and visual design and more in interactive media, including video and audio media elements.
7. Tanya Knight is one of the country’s leading experts on student retention, recruitment, college admissions and student motivation. As a past Senior Admissions Officer and Director of Corporate Development, Tanya has successfully helped many colleges retain and enroll students. Additionally, she has worked with parents and students in the process of college admissions.
8. Maria Kostina is a PhD candidate and online professor and developer at Blended Schools and an online professor at Kendall College. Her focus is on the Russian language, and she looks at both the language and its cultural identity for foreign students. She has served as a Russian instructor and also as an ESL instructor at Coe College.
9. Michael P. Lambert has served as the executive director of the Distance Education and Training Council, a national accrediting body for distance education programs, since 1992. He joined the DETC staff in 1972. Over the years he has served on more than 400 accreditation review committees in five countries. Mike also has taught, written and lectured widely on distance education and accreditation.
10. Steve Lawrence is a senior staff research scientist at Google. Before joining Google, he was a senior research scientist at NEC Research Institute in Princeton, NJ. Dr. Lawrence works in information retrieval and machine learning, and is the creator of Google Desktop. Dr. Lawrence has received widespread international press, and his research interests include information retrieval, digital libraries, and machine learning.
11. Trey Martindale is an associate professor in the Instructional Design and Technology program in the College of Education at the University of Memphis, TN. Dr. Martindale is also Director of the Instructional Design and Technology Studio. The Studio is a research and development center for the design of learning environments, performance support, and instructional resources. He also is the associate director of the Advanced Distributed Learning (ADL) Workforce Co-Lab.
12. Thomas Nixon is an author and online writer. His writings include Complete Guide to Online High Schools, Bears’ Guide to Earning Degrees by Distance Learning, Bears’ Guide to Earning High School Diplomas Nontraditionally and Bears’ Guide to the Best Education Degrees by Distance Learning.
13. Warren Redman is an author, counselor, life coach, trainer and facilitator. He founded the Emotional Fitness Institute (formerly known as the Centre for Inner Balancing) in England, and is now practicing in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. He holds a degree in philosophy, social science and psychology. He has authored fifteen books, including the Award-winning The 9 Steps to Emotional Fitness and his latest, Recipes for Inner Peace.
14. David Riklan David is a self-professed self-improvement junkie — and proud of it. He is the president and founder of Self Improvement Online, Inc., the leading provider of self-improvement and personal growth information on the Internet. He founded his company in 1998 and now maintains five Web sites on health, finances, relationships, spirituality and personal success.
15. Anne Marie Tharpe, PhD, is professor and Chair of the Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences (DHSS) at Vanderbilt University. She also conducts Central Michigan University/Vanderbilt University distance-learning doctor of audiology program, and the First Years distance-learning program for early interventionists working with children with hearing loss at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill.
16. Brad Voeller founded the Global Leadership Institute, Inc. in 2000. Through this work, he trains young people around the world to use distance and accelerated learning methods to become the next generation of global entrepreneurs and leaders. He has participated in numerous projects designed to encourage creative learning, student responsibility, Biblical worldview study, and excellence in coaching.
17. Jenny Watt, MSEd is a certified online instructor and has been developing and teaching online courses for 9 years. She started developing online classes when she was working at her local community college. She has over 10 years experience in teaching at the college level and now designs classes for Interactive Online Classroom, led by instructors who are trained in the skills needed to teach students in an online environment.

1. An article that will make you think twice about college is “The Education Scam” at techrepublic.com. This is a place where the writer’s opinion is that lies have been circulating about the value of a college degree, 1) that granting everyone a college education would eliminate poverty (there simply aren’t enough jobs available to make this true), and 2) that a college degree is necessary to get a good job.
2. If you are thinking in very practical terms, you might want to see what the reasoning is here. An article by John Leo entitled “Do We Need More College Grads” is armed with statistics to show that college education, in many cases, has “come to nothing.” Out of 50 million college grads in the United States, 17.4 million are working in jobs for which a college education is seen as unnecessary. For example, the number of food servers with college degrees more than doubled between 1992 and 2008.
3. Meanwhile, President Obama is busy working on improving higher education in America. An article in the Huffington Post describes his appearance at the University of Texas to talk about his plan to increase the number of Americans between the ages of 25-34 with college degrees from 40 percent to 60 percent by 2020. He wants to make America the world leader in higher education again, as it used to be.
4. An article in the Chronicle of Higher Education has more statistics about those 17 million degree-holders who are working in menial jobs, offering these as evidence that we are “overinvesting” in higher education at least in this respect. There are 5,057 janitors in the US with PhDs, other doctorates, or professional degrees. The article does admit that higher education has a “consumption” as well as an investment function; students may enjoy college, and it may raise their self esteem. Still, college may not be a good investment.
5. However, another article states that the US must dramatically raise the number of college graduates to be remain a world economic leader. Other countries like South Korea, Canada, and Japan are significantly ahead of the United States in the percentage of the population that has graduated from college.
6. Another article mentions the “sky-is-falling” fact that the US has fallen to 12^th in the number of college grads but goes on to talk about the state of secondary education — the fact, for example, that 3.3 million Americans between the ages of 16 and 24 are not enrolled in high school, do not have a high school diploma, or a GED. This is supposed to be an argument against the College Board’s “college-going culture.”
7. The College Board’s website has a section called “Supporting a College-Going Culture.” This article states, “A college education provides a life of options, rather than of limitations.” The column is intended for high school guidance counselors, who are asked to “make your high school a place where college is the next step for everyone.” A college-going culture encourages the following values: “appreciation of academics, desire to succeed, and a drive to…become a life-long learner.”
8. But Mercator.net finds that while 70 percent of high school grads will have begun some form of higher education this past fall, most will not graduate, as in the past, most have not graduated. It simply is not true, for example, that all people have the same intellectual ability, or ability to handle college.
9. Ken Mondschein agrees that perhaps access to higher education should be limited. But he doesn’t think we should look at a college education in purely economic terms. Maybe those 5,057 janitors are making more money than adjuncts. And maybe slinging hash and reading Nietzsche are not mutually exclusive. It just isn’t all about profits for investors and big money for the grads themselves. Or is it?
10. An article in Slate informs us that law schools are spitting out too many lawyers, that they’re not getting jobs, and that they’re not happy. Many are unemployed and in debt, and feel they’ve wasted three years getting older.
11. An article in The Education Front agrees with Obama. A college education is a ticket to a decent job, even in these tough economic times, and being 12^th just isn’t good enough; we need more college grads. Easier said than done, though.
12. In Corporate Voices, the statistic is cited that unemployment for college grads is about half that of non-college grads. But Ben Bernanke, the chairman of the Federal Reserve, says that educational differences are not the root cause of employment inequality. Though a college education is better than no college education, still education is not the way out of the economic crisis.
13. But the Washington Post quotes Obama some more. The answer is to make college affordable for everyone. Preparing graduates to succeed in the bleak economy which is a given right now. To this end, the government has revamped the student loan system.
14. “College Graduates are Really Screwed,” says 24/7 Wall St. The impact of the recession will last well into the future, and college grads will earn 17.5 percent less per years than people who graduated in better labor markets.
15. A New York Times editorial interprets Ben Bernanke differently. “Educational differences” are a root cause of employment inequality. Still, “more college” is too easy an answer.
16. Ben Bernanke does an interview on 60 Minutes in which he cites the data he uses to come to the conclusion about employment inequality, as related to educational differences.
17. Another article addresses the question of whether entrepreneurs need college degrees. PayPal founder Paul Thiel is giving grants to lure high school graduates into business; will they be more successful than MBAs?
18. The Chronicle of Higher Education has an article called “More College Graduates Needed,” in which a study is quoted that concludes the Bureau of Labor Statistics forecasts underestimate the number of future jobs that will require college degrees.
19. Just for fun, you can read about the 20 Worst-Paying college degrees of 2010. You would have to have something other than money in mind to aim for one of these.
20. And finally, in a column called “It Just Ain’t So,” George Leef debates “The More College Graduates the Better?” He doesn’t think so.

It is entirely up to you to decide whose arguments are the more persuasive. If you want to make six or more figures, or you want to know the ins and outs of existentialism, college may be for you. But policymakers could pay attention too, and the availability of a college education could be affected as a result.

This list is ordered alphabetically by surname.

1. Andrew S. Clark is CEO and founder of Bridgepoint Education, deemed one of the fastest-growing private education companies in the U.S., as well as the fastest-growing private company in San Diego by Inc. Magazine. Formed in 1999, Bridgepoint purchased The Franciscan University of the Prairies in 2005 and changed the name to Ashford University. In 2007, Bridgepoint acquired the Colorado School of Professional Psychology, now known as University of the Rockies. Count on more acquisitions in the future.
2. Dr. Michael K. Clifford, a founding partner of Grand Canyon University, is an education entrepreneur. Inspired by Dr. Bill Bright, founder of Campus Crusade for Christ, Dr. Clifford bases his higher education philosophy on “Four Gospels of Higher Education,” including full and equal access to education, affordability, timely and relevant education and purposeful and ethical motivations for students. Grand Canyon Education Inc., which operates Grand Canyon University in Phoenix, went public in November 2008.
3. Bill Clinton is founder of the William J. Clinton Foundation and 42nd President of the U.S., but he also is an Honorary Chancellor of Laureate International Universities — a network of institutions of higher education in 24 countries. Luareate Education, Inc. and Laureate Education Asia, Ltd. own and operate the for-profit campus-based and online universities throughout the LIU network. The organization began in 1998 as Sylvan Learning Systems, Inc.
4. André J. Cointreau is not Madame Elisabeth Brassart, but he accomplished what Brassart did not — which was to expand the l’Ecole de Cuisine et de Pâtisserie Le Cordon Bleu, better known as Le Cordon Bleu, from one school in Paris into a multinational concern with nearly 30 schools in 15 countries. Cointreau, a descendant of the founding family of the Cointreau liqueur and Rémy Martin Cognac, purchased the school from Brassart — an old family friend — in 1984, and now serves as the president of Le Cordon Bleu International.
5. Dr. Herman A. Devry (1876-1941), an aviator and inventor, founded the DeVry Corporation and co-founded the DeVry Institute of Technology in 1931. Bell & Howell acquired the institute, which was then acquired by the Keller Graduate School in 1987. Renamed DeVry Inc., the company went public in 1991. Today, DeVry Inc. owns and operates DeVry University, Keller Graduate School of Management, Ross University, Becker Professional Review and Stalla Review. In 2010, Devry Inc. was added to Standard and Poor’s, replacing a bankrupt General Motors.
6. Major James P. Etter formed the American Military University (AMU) in 1991, which began operation in 1993 with 18 students enrolled in graduate-level studies. Two years later, the school was accredited and, in 1996, AMU introduced its first undergraduate programs. In 2002, AMU expanded into the American Public University System (APUS), also accredited. Today Etter serves as CEO, helping students find flexible education options.
7. Specs Howard, born Jerry Liebman, spent three decades entertaining audiences in Cleveland and Detroit via radio before he created the Specs Howard School of Broadcast Arts in Southfield, Michigan in 1970. In late 2009 the Specs Howard School of Broadcast Arts became the Specs Howard School of Media Arts and Specs opened a new film school in Farmington Hills, Michigan that same year. Specs has been honored with many awards for his achievements.
8. Stanley Kaplan (1919-2009) was a scholastic test preparation pioneer who founded Kaplan, Inc. in 1938. In 1984, Stanley Kaplan sold his company to The Washington Post Company for $45 million. The Washington Post Company subdivided the acquisition into Kaplan Higher Education, Kaplan Professional Schools and Kaplan Test Prep and Admissions and Kaptest Europe. In 1986, Mr. Kaplan and his wife established the Rita J. and Stanley H. Kaplan Family Foundation which supports education, health, the arts, social action and Jewish causes.
9. Ted Mitchell is the president and CEO of NewSchools Venture Fund and also serves as President of the California State Board of Education. Since its founding, NewSchools Venture Fund has made portfolio-level investments in 35 nonprofit and for-profit organizations, including nonprofit charter management organizations (CMOs), school support organizations, accountability and performance tools, and human capital providers. Their continued commitment to education has helped develop the field and support organizations with similar goals.
10. Stephen G. Shank, JD founded the corporate entity that would become Capella Education Company, the parent company of Capella University, which went public in 2006. A former CEO of Tonka Corporation, Shank joined forces with Dr. Harold Abel in 1993 to found The Graduate School of America, which became Capella University. Shank retired in 2009, but his vision to expand access to high quality education continues through the Shank Institute for Innovative Learning, a nonprofit organization that supports advancements in higher education.
11. Howard Shultz, chairman, president and chief executive officer of Starbucks Coffee Company, also has quietly invested in for-profit education through venture capital company, Maveron, which he also co-founded. Maveron was an early investor in Capella Education (see Stephen Shank above) and recently invested in other higher education businesses that focus on providing educational content, such as Latimer Education and the online-curricula-building entity, Altius Education, Inc.
12. Dr. John G. Sperling is credited with leading the U.S. for-profit education movement. His fortune is based upon founding the University of Phoenix, which is now part of his publicly-traded Apollo Group. Today, Apollo Group, Inc., through its subsidiaries, University of Phoenix, Apollo Global, Institute for Professional Development, College for Financial Planning and Meritus University, has established itself as a leading provider of higher education programs for working adults by focusing on servicing the needs of the working adult.
13. Yife Tien‘s father, Paul Tien, started the American University of the Caribbean (AUC) medical school in 1978. He lent $30 million to his son, Yife, to open the Rocky Vista University, which caters to osteopathic physicians for primary care. Yife zeroed in on Colorado as a good site because there are 5 million residents and only one medical school. Currently, the college has been granted provisional accreditation from the American Osteopathic Association Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation.

The good news is that online games do not necessarily mean brain decay. Indeed, you could actually get a little help boosting your brain power for your university assignments with a little help from the casual games you play online and via Facebook. Recent studies suggest that casual games can actually make you smarter.

A recent study from East Carolina University suggests that casual games could actually enhance your cognitive ability. The study was presented at the Games for Health Conference, held in Boston. After six months, researchers came to the conclusion that casual games were actually helping to increase the smarts of participants. If you want to boost your brain power, here are 10 casual web and facebook games you can play:

1. Bejeweled Blitz: This fun Facebook game is a favorite for many. The idea is to line up jewels, swapping them to make patterns. If you line up three, you get points, and you get even more for lining up four and five in a row. When the jewels are lined up, they disappear, and jewels above fall into the vacated slots, and can make new rows. The real trick is that you have to see how many points you can get in one minute. On Facebook, you can share your scores with your friends, and even have friendly competitions. The game requires you to think quickly, and engage in problem solving. A great game for improving your thought reflexes.
2. Snood: “Fire” blocks adorned with different faces and attempt to make groups of three or more. With Snood, when you hit a face with a matching face, everything that’s touching it disappears, meaning that you can clear out quite a few Snoods in one go. Snoods build up on the bottom, so you have to be careful to make sure that you are clearing them out. Otherwise, you end losing as the wall falls lower. Progressive levels make it more difficult, and the wall lowers faster. Engages problem solving skills and requires analytical thinking. As it progresses, you also need to be able to think faster and faster.
3. Minesweeper: A time sucking classic, Minesweeper requires that you carefully problem solve to avoid hitting a mine and being blown up. Your first couple of moves are always a crap shoot, but once you get beyond that, reasoning skills are needed. You uncover a number on a grid, which tells you how many mines there are surrounding touching that particular square. You have to figure out where the mines are not, and click on those, eventually clearing the area without clicking on a mine. It’s nice to know that this time waster has value for your brain, helping you make significant improvements to your deductive powers.
4. Word Challenge: If you are a wordsmith, you can boost your brain power with help from this fun Facebook game. The object of the game is to see how many words of three or more letters you can form using the letters provided. You get bonus points for using all the letters. You can play against your friends, and compare scores. Includes fun bonus round opportunities to allow you to guess friends names (and see their pictures). A great way to spend some time brushing up on your word skills. Requires fast thinking, creative thinking, and an ability to recognize words. A great way to improve your vocabulary, since you can see the meanings of words you do not know.
5. Blocks With Letters On: A fun anagram puzzle, designed to challenge your ability to make words, and solve problems. select a letter, and then move it to the left or the right. You can’t just drop it in place, though. You have to think about what order to use when creating the word from the give letters. There is a lot of sliding as you work to position the letters so that you can slide them into place to make a word. This game require you to think ahead, and solve problems. On top of that, you need to be able to unscramble the letters to make a word. A fascinating puzzle that can help you increase your thinking ability.
6. Tetris: Another classic favorite, Tetris can actually help you improve your brain. Tetris is one of the most popular casual games out there, an arcade style game that has provided entertainment for years. Now you can play it online. It is possible to play for free. The idea is to adjust shapes so that they fit together to complete rows. You can see what’s next, so it helps you figure out how to place things most efficiently. A great game for problem solving, spatial recognition, geometry skills and thinking ahead. Also, since the falling bricks speed up, it helps to be able to think fast as the game progresses.
7. Factory Balls: With factory balls, you are problem solving in a major way. A box appears, with a picture of the type of ball you need to make. There are pictures of different actions, and you drag the ball to the action, transforming it. Sometimes you need to complete multiple actions in order to properly get the ball to look like it should. Once you have completed your task, and the ball is properly transformed, it goes into the box and you get a new ball to change. Try to empty out your supply of balls as quickly as possible, changing them with precision and skill.
8. Space Invaders: Blow up nasty aliens in order to save Earth — and get a little brain boost. You get points for shooting certain aliens, and for shooting their ships. But you have to be able to avoid getting shot yourself. If you are worried, you can hide beneath barricades, but once they are destroyed, you are out of places to hide. And, of course, you can’t hit any of the invaders if you are hiding behind a barricade. Work quickly to get all the invaders before they get you. A classic game that is simple, yet forces you to think faster as the invaders speed up.
9. Pickies: Build these cute little guys by joining four different parts, with matching colors. You can use bombs to remove parts you do not want. You get extra points for getting more of the same colors. You only have a limited time, though since once the jars with the parts in them reach the top, you are done. Keep making the little guys, until you can’t make any more. A fun one for all ages, it is a good game for kids to play as well. This game requires puzzle solving skills and some creativity. A fun way to challenge your brain, and get a little smarter.
10. Perfect Balance: Stack different shapes on top of each other so that they balance. You can change their position. The idea is to get all of the shapes to remain on the screen, without falling off. The “Harmony” trial includes soothing music, meant to be relaxing. Just listening to the music, and meditating, can help you improve your ability to learn. But, when you stack the objects, you are exercising problem solving skills, since you can decide which order you stack them in. A great game that requires some serious thought.

With the iPad you can study and learn from anywhere. All you need to be able to do is connect to the Internet. So, when you figure out which online university is right for you, you can dive into learning. The iPad offers a number of educational resources, and this list provides 50 great apps for e-learners:

Math

If you want to improve your math skills, these iPad apps are perfect. Learn the basics of math, and get practice.

1. Mathematical Formulas: This cool app offers you instant access to various math formulas from different disciplines within math. Cost: $0.99
2. SpaceTime: Awesome graphing app that can help you learn graphing, as well as solve equations. Cost: $19.99
3. fxIntegrator: Use this iPad app to calculate integrals. Great for engineering students and others. Cost: $0.99
4. PocketCAS Pro: Helpful algebra system that can help you input formulas and find answers. Cost: $9.99 (although there is a free lite version)
5. RPN Calculus: Do simple calculations, as well as advanced. A great math calculator. Cost: $0.99
6. 115-in-1 Math Solver: This app helps with stats, trig, algebra and geometry. Includes formulas and other useful math information and helps. Cost: $1.99

Science

Learn science concepts and quiz yourself on them. Great iPad apps for the budding scientist.

7. Star Walk: This awesome astronomy app can help you learn about stars and planets. Get facts, and see their positions in the sky. Cost: $4.99
8. The Elements: A Visual Exploration: Learn about the Periodic Table, and see pictures of different elements. Learn qualities and properties of the various elements. Cost: $13.99
9. Chemistry Formulas: Get access to different chemistry formulas, as well as the Periodic Table of Elements. Includes constants and chemistry fundamentals as well. Cost: $0.99
10. Physics Formulas: Get access to different formulas used in physics. Includes wave and optics, nuclear physics, fluid mechanics, magnetism, thermal physics and more. Cost: $0.99
11. Frog Dissection: Get a look at the insides of a frog, and learn more about how to proper dissect a frog. Cost: $4.99
12. 3D Sun: Get a look at the sun — in three dimensions. Rotate the sun, and learn more about the star closest to Earth. Cost: Free
13. HD Human Anatomy Digital Study: Learn about the human body in HD. Cost: $0.99

History and World

Study history with a little help from the iPad. Bone up on your knowledge of what happened in the past.

14. World History Documents: This app offers interesting documents from world history. Includes audio and video of famous and historically significant speeches. Cost: $2.99
15. This Day in History: A fun app that updates you with interesting information on what happened on the current date in history. Cost: Free
16. World Atlas HD: Find different countries, and see different views. Helpful satellite, political and executive views. Also includes the ability for you to locate yourself. Cost: $1.99
17. World History Atlas: Combines world history with maps of the world, modern and ancient. Interesting way to refer to world history. Cost: $1.99
18. Revolutionary War Quiz: U.S. History: This great history iPad app will help you learn more about the Revolutionary War. Cost: $0.99
19. World Customs & Cultures: Learn about world customs and cultures, and learn more about world history with this interesting and helpful app. Cost: Free
20. Manual for the United States of America: A great look at historical moments in the U.S., including the text of famous documents. Cost: $1.99
21. Civilization Revolution: Geared toward kids, this fun app covers major events in world civilizations and history. Even if you aren’t a child, though, this can be a fun and interesting way to learn world history. Cost: $6.99

Literature & Languange

Great iPad apps that focus on literature, and the great authors. You can also find apps that can help you learn a new language, or learn more about English.

22. ElectricLit: Learn more about literature, and enjoy classics like you never thought you would. Video, live readings and more. Literary fiction in the digital age. Cost: Free
23. Classics: Get access to literary classics using this iPad app. Cost: $2.99
24. iBooks: Great way to get access to commonly read books in various languages. You can buy more books for your collection. Cost: Free
25. Pronunciation Pro: Learn more about how to properly pronounce words in 53 different languages.
26. Hello-Hello Spanish: Spanish lessons, pronunciation and more. Learn to speak Spanish. Cost: $9.99
27. AIUEO-HIRAGANA: Learn Japanese. Fun way to learn to read and speak Japanese. Cost:$4.99
28. Byki Mandarin Chinese: Learn how to speak Mandarin Chinese. Helps you learn to read as well.
29. Latin Study Buddy!: This app helps you learn Latin, which can be useful in literature, as well as in science. Cost: Free

Art and Music

Understand concepts of art and music. Great resources for those interested in more artistic pursuits.

30. Instruments in Reach Basic: If you are interested in learning a new instrument, you can get help with this iPad app, which helps you learn fingerings and other basics of instruments.
31. SketchBook Mobile: You can use this to sketch online. Great for students and professional artists. Cost: $2.99
32. Sight Reading Trainer: Learn how to read sheet music. A great resource for learning music. Cost: $9.99
33. Brushes: Learn the basics of color and painting with Brushes iPad app. Cost: $4.99
34. Guitar Lab: Learn how to play guitar with the help of this fun iPad app. Cost: $0.99
35. Art: Learn about important artists, and see examples of different types of art. Cost: $0.99
36. Portrait Photography 101: Learn about taking beautiful portraits. Cost: $1.99
37. Musée de Louvre: Get an awesome tour of the Louvre in Paris, and see some of the greatest artwork available. Cost: Free

Reference

Find the information you need quickly and efficiently with these helpful reference apps for the iPad.

38. Google Translate: Translate different texts and enhance your study. Cost: Free
39. Dictionary!: Great reference for finding word meanings. Simple and straightforward. Cost: Free
40. HeLexicon English Dictionary & Thesaurus: Look up words, and find helpful explanations of synonyms. Cost: $0.99
41. Wikipedia Mobile: Get access to Wikipedia on your iPad. Cost: Free
42. WorldBook XL: Another great dictionary and thesaurus. Cost: $2.99
43. WolframAlpha: Offers access to expert knowledge and plenty of answers for your questions.
44. Eponyms: A great reference for those studying nursing or some other health field, offering medical definitions. Cost: Free

Study Tools

Get help with the way you study. Helpful organizers and other tools to help you improve your learning ability.

45. Course Notes: You can keep track of notes you make on different subjects from your online classes. You can draw notes, and track them. It is also possible to organize, transfer and export notes. Cost: $4.99
46. Voice Memos: When something strikes you, you can record that thought instantly. Go back and use for study purposes. Cost: $0.99
47. Mental Case: Perfect study aid, including ability to download and import flashcards, and browse notes in 3D viewer. Cost: $7.99
48. iStudiez Pro: Help keep your study schedule straight with this great app. Perfect for organizing your online education. Cost: $2.99
49. Flash My Brain: This flashcard app for iPad can help you keep track of different points, and help you study concepts you are learning. Cost: $5.99
50. Evernote: The classic note taking iPad app that helps you record and organize information for further study. Cost: Free

Theory

1. Cognition & Learning in Educational Settings: The purpose of this course is to introduce some of the many theories of learning and related topics useful to the design of instruction and to teaching practice [University of California Irvine].
2. Communicating in Cyberspace: This class covers the analysis, design, implementation and testing of various forms of digital communication based on group collaboration [MIT].
3. Computer Games and Simulations for Investigation and Education: In this project-based course, students from all disciplines are encouraged to understand how to learn from interactive computer environments [MIT].
4. eCommunities: Analysis and Design of Online Interaction Environments: This course gives students a background in theory and practice surrounding online interaction environments [Open Michigan].
5. Information Economics: This course provides a strong grounding in the economics of information goods and services [Open Michigan].
6. Instructional Games: The goal of this course is to explore the field of instructional gaming through a survey of readings, existing products, and those in development [Utah State University].
7. Interactive and Non-Linear Narrative: Theory and Practice: This course explores the properties of non-linear, multi-linear, and interactive forms of narratives as they have evolved from print to digital media [MIT].
8. Introduction to Open Education: Learn all there is to know about open learning through this course, which begins with the basics and ends with current practices and possible alternative practices in open education [Utah State University].
9. Introduction to Information Studies: This course provides foundational knowledge necessary to begin to address the key issues associated with the Information Revolution [Open Michigan].
10. Media and Methods: Seeing and Expression: This class examines frameworks for making and sharing visual artifacts using a trans-cultural, trans-historical and constructionist approach [MIT].
11. Media, Education, and the Marketplace: Learn harness the emerging forms of interactive media to enhance the learning process [MIT].
12. New Media Literacies: These new media literacies include the practices and concepts of genres from fan fiction writing to collective intelligence [MIT].
13. Teach Global: This unit provides a resource for primary and secondary school teachers to understand the importance of the global dimension in the school curriculum [The Open University].
14. Technologies for Creative Learning: This course explores the design of innovative educational technologies and creative learning environments [MIT].
15. Understanding Online Interaction: This course is designed to provide an introductory level of understanding of the manner in which individuals interact with one another via the network [Utah State University].

How-To

16. Accessibility of eLearning: This unit introduces the challenges for disabled students who take part in eLearning [The Open University].
17. Advanced Topics in Learning Object Design and Reuse: This course is designed to help you understand and apply advanced topics in the design, creation, and reuse of learning objects [Utah State University].
18. An Intellectual Property Primer for Online Instructors: This course serves as a guide to some of the pertinent issues surrounding intellectual property rights in the context of post-baccalaureate distance education academic programs [University of California Irvine].
19. Blogs, Wikis, New Media for Learning: This course is designed to help you understand and effectively use a variety of “web 2.0″ technologies including blogs, RSS, wikis, social bookmarking tools, photo sharing tools, mapping tools, audio and video podcasts, and screencasts [Utah State University].
20. Columbia Interactive: This page holds some courses on information technology and how it works with online learning and academia [Columbia Interactive].
21. Computer Applications for Instruction and Training: In this course, students will orient themselves to the Macintosh environment, get a brief overview of Macintosh-specific software, and learn the fundamental basics of the following tools available to assist in instruction and training [Utah State University].
22. Connecting People with Online Resources: The purpose of this module is to help you find high-quality online resources, learn strategies for incorporating them into a free software tool called the Instructional Architect, and use these projects in an instructional situation [Utah State University].
23. Creating open educational resources: This unit will help you to write a learning unit and provide you with links to various resources for open-learning materials [The Open University].
24. Digital Libraries and Archives: Learn more about the current state of “digital libraries” from a multidisciplinary perspective [Open Michigan].
25. eLearning: This link leads to a wide variety of resources in all media types on eLearning, including how to manage eLearning, learning about barriers and more [Internet Archive].
26. Finding information in education: This unit will help you to identify and use information in education, whether for your work, study or personal purposes [The Open University].
27. Game Design: Topics include a large breadth of genres and types of games, including sports, game shows, games of chance, schoolyard games, board games, role-playing games, and digital games [MIT].
28. Intro to Instructional Design: Learn a systematic way of designing, developing, implementing, and evaluating the processes of learning and teaching with specific objectives based on research in human learning and communication [Utah State University].
29. Online Instructor Training: Enhance your knowledge with the 10 areas of study included in this self-access training program [University of California Irvine].
30. Outcome-Based Evaluation of Programs and Services: This course provides an overview of the purposes and uses of outcome-based evaluation approaches and methods, and provides an opportunity to conduct a focused outcome evaluation of a user-focused service in a library, a nonprofit organization, an archive, a museum or other service-focused organization [Open Michigan].
31. Producing Distance Education Resources: This course focuses on the production of resources (broadly interpreted) for use in online education (including formal and informal settings) [Utah State University].
32. Understanding Records and Archives: Principles and Practices: This course provides an understanding of why societies, cultures, organizations, and individuals create and keep records [Open Michigan].

Tools

33. ArchiveGrid: Thousands of libraries, museums, and archives have contributed nearly a million collection descriptions to ArchiveGrid.
34. iBerry: This academic portal is filled with information and resources for learners, educators, researchers and anyone else with an interest in adult education.
35. InfoMine: This is a virtual library of Internet resources relevant to faculty, students, and research staff at the university level.
36. Merlot==: Find peer-reviewed online teaching and learning materials at this site and share your own work.
37. OpenCourseWare Finder: This search engine lists open courseware classes found throughout the Web.
38. OpenContentOnline: Find open content by topic at this search page, including video and audio lectures.
39. P2PU: Peer 2 Peer University is a grassroots open education project that organizes learning outside of institutional walls and gives learners recognition for their achievements [P2PU].
40. Wikiversity: This open source project is devoted to learning resources, projects and research for use in all levels, types, and styles of education from pre-school to university, including professional training and informal learning.

General E-Learning

These e-learning blogs are meant to help you get tips for effective study, as well as hints for improving yourself as a distance learning student.

1. The Rapid eLearning Blog: Get a handle on learning online, with tools and tips for real-world distance education.
2. Clive on Learning: Exercises and insights to help you increase your ability to learn using technology.
3. E-Learning Queen: This blog is devoted to distance learning and online education, and can help you with resources for learning at a distance.
4. 21st Century Teaching and Learning: Find out more about how technology makes online education possible, and find resources to help you enhance your distance learning experience.
5. elearnspace: Get a handle on online education with help from this great blog full of tools and resources.
6. OL Daily: Stephen Downes offers insights on distance learning and education, as well as tools, tips and technology helps.
7. Open Culture: Great education media for those looking for interesting ways to learn online.
8. Internet Time Blog: Online education and using the Internet as an educational tool and resource.
9. Moving at the Speed of Creativity: Offers helpful insights on distance learning, as well as tools and resources.

Education Sharing Technology

One of the most important aspects of distance learning is the technology used. Enhance your online education with these sharing technology sites.

10. Assistive Technology: Learn how to use technology to enhance online education and distance learning.
11. TipLine – Gates’ Computer Tips: Learn how to use the computer more effectively in your distance learning efforts.
12. Learning with ‘e’s: This site is designed to show you how to engage in distance learning using sharing technology.
13. Ed Galaxy: Resources, news and insights on how technology can result in online education.
14. Adobe in Technical Communication and eLearning: This blog helps you learn how to utilize Adobe for use in education and sharing technology.
15. Blackboard Blogs: The distance learning sharing platform, Blackboard, offers access to different insights on using Blackboard for online education.
16. TeacherTECH: Get the sharing technology tools you need for online education and distance learning.
17. EmergingEdTech: A look at the technologies that make elearning more accessible.

Technology and Online Education

Helpful look at using technology for online education, and explore the importance of technology for distance learning.

18. Weblogg-ed: Looks at how blogs can be used to enhance online education.
19. Derek’s Blog: Shares insight into education, and how technology can enhance distance learning.
20. Discovery Through eLearning: How distance learning can help you discover new worlds of education.
21. The Thinking Stick: Helpful information on using the Internet for distance learning and education.
22. Technology Tidbits: This “Cyber Hero” takes you though different ways that technology can be used in education.
23. Infomancy: Using the Internet to find information, and use it for better education efforts.
24. Techlearning Blog: All about technology and distance learning, this blog offers insights into online education.
25. Ed-Tech Insider: Helpful technology aimed at education and online learning.

Online Tools for Distance Learning

Find specific tools that can help you with online education. A number of resources for those involved in learning on their own.

26. Jane’s Pick of the Day: This elearning blog is all about providing you with suggestions and tools for online education.
27. Box of Tricks: Tech tools for distance learning, and helpful hints for utilizing technology in online education.
28. Bionic Teaching: Different tools, and how to use them. Get more out of an online education.
29. Ozge Karaoglu’s Blog: Tools and resources for online learning and education.
30. Langwitches Blog: If you are interested in tools for distance learning, and helpful hints, this blog offers a number of good insights and resources.
31. ‘absolutely intercultural!’: Offers podcasts and interesting resources for distance learning and more.
32. The Edublogger: Learn about online education and get the inside scoop on tools and tricks for 2.0 technology and learning.
33. Leigh Blackall: Great tools, learning ideas and more to help enhance your online education.
34. Full Circle Associates: Learn to connect with others, and find resources for better distance learning.

Learning Theory

Sometimes it can help to understand how you learn. Knowing learning theory can help you find ways to process information in a way that makes sense for you, enhancing and personalizing your education.

35. Learnlets: Looks at innovations in learning, and helpful information on different styles of learning.
36. Around the Corner: Get ideas about online learning, collaboration, and your personal learning style.
37. Random Walk in Learning: Interesting observations on learning, especially science subjects.
38. McGee’s Musings: Thoughts on learning, how we learn, and how technology impacts learning.
39. 2 Cents Worth: A look at the current technology landscape, and how it affects online education and individual learning.
40. abject learning: An interesting look at different issues in society, and how they affect the world of education.
41. Learning Curves: Recognizes that there are different learning styles, and offers insights that can help you learn more effectively.
42. Experiencing E-Learning: Helpful blog about online education, and different ways to experience distance education through elearning.

Resources for Online Teachers

Sometimes teachers need a little help finding the resources they need to teach effectively online. These distance learning blogs for teachers can also help students.

43. Kathy Schrock’s Kaffeeklatsch: Interesting resources, tips and hints for online educators.
44. Educational Origami: Great site on distance learning and resources for teachers.
45. Artichoke: An interesting look at teaching online, and distance learning.
46. Angela Maiers: Resources for teachers who want to help their distance learning students succeed.
47. Cool Cat Teacher Blog: Helpful hints for teaching, especial for online educators.
48. A Difference: A great blog for online teachers, with a focus on technology and maths learning.
49. Stop Trying to Inspire Me: An interesting and irreverent blog about teaching — online and off.
50. Infocult: A look at how information shapes us, and how teachers can use online resources to help a wide variety of learners.