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In our nation, education has long been a dream that the average man wished to attain. Thomas Jefferson believed that education was power and the strongest defense against loosing a free and democratic country (Goalcast, 2019).
In 1862, Abraham signed and implemented The Morril Act which determined that each state should have a college in which students could attend (Academic Partnerships, 2012). This supported the American dream for education and made locations more acceptable to "the common man." However, as time continued, education became more expensive and again inaccessible to the average middle class working individual (Academic Partnerships, 2012). With student debt increasing, distance and time creating more issues positive movements in distance education began to address a growing need. Thus the age of a progressive, digital, and accessible distance education platform is born and growing with great strides.
Image (Goal Cast, 2019)

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Distance education is used to educate students that cannot (or otherwise are not) present in a classroom. Many years ago, distance education began with the idea that any able student who desired to learn could submit their work and receive feedback for their submission. These submissions were sent via post mail and returned in a similar fashion (Online Schools, 2019). Since this time, distance education has changed significantly. Now, distance education is most often accessed through the internet in an interactive online format. Courses to complete entire degrees can be taken to help students achieve their goals.
Kentnor with University of Denver declares that “online education is no longer a trend. Rather, it is mainstream” ( Kentnor, 2015). The evolution of distance education has kept pace with advancing technologies. Thus, distance education provided opportunities for students who are in need and uses the tools available for that time to that time frame. Distance education has historically met the needs of students in area all over the world. In 1946, the University of South Africa implemented corresponding courses for students located in rural areas. Sharing the same concept but utilizing different methods a school in London used "up to date" visual tools to teach paramedics how to save lives (Online Schools, 2019).

Distance Education has served as an innovative method to educate motivated students for more than 300 years.

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In public education, many educators feel that the majority of the accountability is on their personal shoulders instead of the responsibility of the students. With rising emphasis on data, graduation rates, and maintaining a high pacing rate, building self reliance in student may be challenging.

Fortunately, through the careful guidance of the instructor, online courses can build self confidence, self reliance, and self efficacy for students. The instructor should create lesson with direction that will give power to the learner and support them in their journey to self reliance .Wang, Peng, Huang, How, and Wang (2008) state that "[a]s a mature individual, the distance learner shifts from being a dependent type to an independent type" (p. 9). Successful online courses allow students to challenge themselves and seek opportunities for higher levels of learning. The course instructor can ensure successful online course implementation through carefully scaffold lessons, clear instructions, an easy access syllabus, and additional resources to support curriculum concepts.

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Specifics for Developing Self Reliant Students 

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Specifics for Developing Self Reliant Students 

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Vilkas and McCabe (2014) discuss four factors that encourage student success and self efficacy in online courses. These four factors include: experience of mastery, vicarious experience, social persuasion, and physiological factors that influence self-efficacy (Vilkas and McCabe, 2014). This article emphasizes the importance of setting online students up for success through detailed steps for their first assignments. If students can began with a positive experience and make good grades on their first tasks they will fell more confidence for the rest of their experience. Instructors should also provide opportunities for students to interact with each other and interact with the instructor. In an online setting, students need to make connections and feel like there is a real person on the other end of the "abyss". Making these connections with both the instructor and other students through emails, discussion boards, and thorough introduction activities will encourage student engagement and student confidence (Vilkas and McCabe, 2014). Finally, instructors for online courses must accept that there are social ques they will not be able to recognize through online structures. When a student is exhibiting stress or feeling overwhelmed, the instructor is not likely to notice these signs unless they are in a classroom setting with the student. Therefore, instructors should be proactive within the online environment. These measures may include positive emails, encouraging messages, and  reminders about deadlines.
The lack of contact may seem like a downfall to online class structures. However, instructors can encourage students to reach out and communicate when they are feeling stress. These concepts will build stability and self sufficiency in online learners.

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Class Sizes, Access to Materials, and Support of Individual Learning Styles

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Class Sizes, Access to Materials, and Support of Individual Learning Styles

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In a traditional university setting, there are only so many bodies that can fit inside a classroom. Online education can address these concerns and give students access to courses that they may otherwise not have the opportunity to take. This is a benefit for both the student and the professor.
Many students can enroll in the same online course and have access to the materials that the professor posts. Additional "adjunct professors" or graders can attend to the individual grading material, while the professor (or course creator) can focus on making quality lessons available to students. CBN News (2012) addresses the future of education and includes interviews from Khan Academy concerning online education and access for students. These professionals challenge the audience to consider their favorite teacher or most effective teacher during their time in school. Then Gupta with Khan Academy asks "[n]ow imagine that teacher could reach not only 30 kids in a classroom but millions of students all over the world" (CBN News, 2012, para. 3)? Online education creates an environment where reaching more students at a time is possible. Posting information with videos, accessible materials, and lesson notes allows the professor the opportunity to create the lessons one time and then give students the access to the material for each student to work through. This protects the professor from exhaustion or wasted time because they can present the material through a video, text, or assignment a single time. This access gives students the opportunity to access this information at their convenience.
Furthermore, this format for releasing information and reaching more students allows students that have different learning needs to work with material as much and as many times as they need to in order to achieve success. The online format benefits different learning styles because this format is more than just a single lecture that students are scrambling to take down notes and internalize as much information as possible. Instead, students can often pause and replay videos, highlight and manipulate texts, and research gather additional research to support learning.
Online education creates a virtual "tutoring" environment that the student can control. CBN News (2012) reports that parents and individual students starting contacting Khan Academy to express that their format is the only type of education that has helped them to be success.
Specifically, online education provides many options and opportunity for high levels of learning for students with marked disabilities. Holloway and Foley (2018) discuss some of the specific ways that online education can support students with visual challenges, mobility issues, attention difficulties, and autistic diagnoses. Advanced technology can provide avenues for individuals with muscular disease  to dictate information. Furthermore, flexible schedules, easy access to materials, and digital formats can support learners with visual disabilities, attention deficit disorders, and social anxiety struggles (Holloway and Foley, 2014).
Online platforms provide opportunities to expand class sizes, revisit class materials, and support diverse learners.

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Online Education Provide Post Secondary Education Options without Massive amounts of Student Debt

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Online Education Provide Post Secondary Education Options without Massive amounts of Student Debt

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The average college student is exiting college for the undergraduate degree with 25,000-34,000 dollars in student debt (Goldy-Brown, 2019). This expense is a challenge for lower and middle class families to afford. The high cost for a bachelor's degree to open opportunities to the work force may seem daunting. Furthermore, many competitive field require a masters level degree of higher for competitive advantages. Fortunately, online education platforms are offering full degree for a significantly more affordable price. SR Education Group (2019) states that there are a "list of accredited online schools with annual tuition rates of $15,000 or less makes it easy to find an affordable, quality education" (para. 1). Online schools remain competitive with traditional universities because they can offer the same (or similar) degree programs for half the cost. Furthermore, other costs that student may incur can be reduced through the online setting. These costs may include: commuting expenses, physical books, child-care expenses, and time spent away from work. Additionally, online students are paying more specifically for the courses they are taking and fees associated directly with their education instead of dorm fees, building maintenance, and campus programs (American Public University System, 2014).

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When designing curriculum, instructors should focus on the ability to reach diverse learners and provide opportunities for differentiation. Students need access to more than one method of learning and express their knowledge in more than one format. The instructor's ability to implement a Universal Design for Learning measures the success of an online course for all students who are enrolled. According to Morin (2019) "[t]he goal of UDL is to use a variety of teaching methods to remove any barriers to learning and give all students equal opportunities to succeed" (para. 3). The online format allows instructors to create lessons that will engage all learners and provide a variety of teaching methods. For example, instructors can offer students information about the same topic through a video representation (with an attached transcript for students with hearing disabilities), a visual image in the form of a PowerPoint that is controlled by the student, and resources the student may access to get hands on experience with the assigned information (Morin, 2019). These three representation formats provide varied avenues for instruction by allowing students to use their strengths for learning.
Instructors should plan for students to have multiple options to interact with the material and demonstrate their understanding. At the K-12 level, Morin (2019) suggests "students might get to choose between taking a pencil-and-paper test, giving an oral presentation or doing a group project" (para 7). For a higher level online format, instructors can allow students to choose between various presentation mediums (such as Prezi, VideoScribe, and Audio Transcription software). The instructor can also assign more than one format for each assignment so that students can choose two formats that fit their learning style. When instructors provide choice for their students, students will likely choose materials that cater to their personal strengths.
Finally, instructors should provide plenty of opportunities for students to engage with the instructor and with one another. Students can submit photos of themselves, create videos (such as a flip grid), write an introduction paragraph, form questions through discussion posts, and support each other with responses to class materials. Connections to the instructor and other classmates will increase student engagement and heighten levels of learning.

To properly utilize Universal Design Learning principles, the instructor should seek to present material in a variety of formats, provide varied response options, and create a class culture through engagement and interaction. These strategies will create a successful online learning environment.

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The public education system in the United State is experiencing a dramatic spike in mental health issues and an alarming shortage of professional school counselors. According to the ASCA (2019) the average K-12 school counselor is responsible for 464 students. The ASCA (2019) recommends that school counselor serve an average of 250. With numbers nearly double the recommended ratio students are missing valuable academic, social, and mental health support.

Distance Learning programs provide an opportunity for educator to acquire the requirements for this important and underrepresented field.

Furthermore, school counselors are required to teach for a minimum of two years before they may serve as a counselor in the state of Texas. The full time demands of a professional educator may make attending regular classes a significant challenge. Therefore, distance learning education can allow applications pursuing school counseling to receive their degrees from accredited counseling programs. Currently, Angelo State University offers a comprehensive school counseling master's degree that may be completed 100% through an online platform. This degree plan serves the student and allows the student to expedite their degree program to complete their coursework. (Angelo State University, 2019). Distance education fulfills a need for educators because they are affordable and provide flexibility for highly demanding positions.

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Distance Education- Professional Development for School Counselors

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Distance Education- Professional Development for School Counselors

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Educators know that student needs change from year to year. Over time, trends develop and school counselors need to prepare themselves to serve their students. School counselors can continue professional development through online courses. The ASCA offers several options for online professional development through their website. Distance education can help school counselors to learn about new mental health issues, addressing students and parents, and developing curriculum to meet the needs of diverse student populations (ASCA, 2019).

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Distance education can provide degrees for school counselors, learning opportunities for career development, and provide opportunities to build relationships with other professionals.

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(Steger, 2019)

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(Steger, 2019)

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(Steger, 2019)

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Distance Education for School Counselors 

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Distance Education for School Counselors 

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Distance Education for School Counselors 

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Financial Aspects of Distance Education 

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Financial Aspects of Distance Education 

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Financial Aspects of Distance Education 

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(National Deaf Center, 2019).

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(Google Image, 2019)

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(Great Performers Academy, 2019).

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One instructor can present concepts in multiple ways

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One instructor can present concepts in multiple ways

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(Google Image, 2019).

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Angelo State University offers full online degrees.

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Angelo State University offers full online degrees.

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(Angelo State University, 2019).

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References

Academic Partnerships (2012). Future of public education [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YarRXJtVp10&feature=youtu.be

American Public University System (2014) Online learning tips. Retrieved from https://onlinelearningtips.com/2014/07/financial-benefits-of-online-education/

Angelo State University (2019). [Angelo State Image]. Retrieved from angelo.edu

Angelo State University (2019). Masters of education in guidance and counseling. Retrieved from https://www.angelo.edu/dept/ci/me_guidance_counseling.php

American School Counselor Association (2019). Professional development. Retrieved from https://www.schoolcounselor.org/school-counselors-members/professional-development.aspx

American School Counselor Association (2019). School counselors matter. Retrieved from https://www.schoolcounselor.org/asca/media/asca/Publications/ASCAEdTrustRHFactSheet.pdf

CBN News (2012) Khan academy: The future of education? [Video file] Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8QJRBniY1N8&feature=youtu.be

Goal Cast (2019) 10 thomas jefferson quotes to help you build stronger principals. Retrieved from https://www.goalcast.com/2018/02/19/20-thomas-jefferson-quotes/

Google Image (2019) [Multiple Directions Image]. Retrieved from https://mvpplanadmin.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Multiple-Directions.png

Google Image (2019) [Online Learning Connection Professor]. Retrieved from https://www.impelsys.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/OnlineLearning.jpg

Goldy-Brown, S. (2019). The average cost of college in 2018. Retrieved from https://www.studentdebtrelief.us/news/average-cost-of-college-2018/

Great Performers Academy (2019) [Savings Image]. Retrieved from https://greatperformersacademy.com/images/images/Articles_images/Saving-money-not-feeling-deprived.jpg

Holloway, J., and Foley, C. (2018) Pros, cons of online learning for students with disabilities. Retrieved from https://www.usnews.com/education/online-learning-lessons/articles/2018-05-18/pros-cons-of-online-education-for-students-with-disabilities

Kentnor, H. (2015) Distance learning and the evolution of online learning in the united states. Retrieved from https://digitalcommons.du.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1026&context=law_facpub

Morin, A (2019) Universal design for learning: What you need to know. Retrieved from https://www.understood.org/en/learning-thinking-differences/treatments-approaches/educational-strategies/universal-design-for-learning-what-it-is-and-how-it-works

Online Schools (2019). Guide to online college. Retrieved from https://www.onlineschools.org/college/

National Deaf Center (2019). Self Advocacy [Image]. Retrieved from https://www.nationaldeafcenter.org/sites/default/files/Self-Advocacy%20image.png

SR Education Group (2019). 2019 Most affordable accredited online colleges. Retrieved from https://www.guidetoonlineschools.com/online-schools/low-tuition

Vilkas, B. and McCabe, M. (2014). Promoting students’ self-efficacy in the online classroom

https://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/online-education/promoting-students-self-efficacy-online-classroom/

Wang, Y,  Peng, H, Huang, H,  How, Y, and Wang J. (2008)  Characteristics of distance learners: research on relationships of learning motivation, learning strategy, self-efficacy, attribution and learning results. Open Learning. 23(1). Retrieved from http://www.anitacrawley.net/Resources/Articles/Wang%20rel%20motivation%20strategies%20self-eff,%20attribution,%20learning.pdf

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References For Distance Learning Assignment (1)

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Thanks for always including these videos on your Padlets.