How To Get Your Online Education -- Part One

STARTING ON YOUR EDUCATION

We all need to learn and keep on learning, and we are all at varying
stages of learning. Today starts a new series focusing on where, how,
and from whom we should get our online education.

It's not just a matter of reading, and no you can't just lay your head
against your monitor and 'absorb' things while you sleep. That DOES
work with college text books, but since we are talking about learning
from online resources, it's ruled out.

There are skills involved in learning, and one of MAJOR importance
is Discernment.

WHO SHOULD YOU LEARN FROM?

It never pays to believe everything you hear or read. It does pay to
choose your sources carefully, and keep a discerning mind at all times.
Your main sources of learning should be Experience and Expertise.

No matter what, when you are first starting out learning about any
topic of interest, you need to rely on the experience and expertise of
others. Those that have already done or learned what it is you are
seeking are the ones best qualified to enlighten you.

Sure, learning from experts is obvious, but what's not so obvious is
how to decipher who truly is an expert. It's not always easy. Take
Internet marketing for example, everyone in every program is claiming
to have 'the secrets' to whatever you need. Many times it's just a
sales tactic, but some do have relevant knowledge to offer you.

QUALIFYING EXPERTS

The best way to determine who is an expert is through their works.
Do they write articles for ezines or have other written information for
review? Do they run a web site or business that appears successful?
Do their works exhibit knowledge or are they merely regurgitating
others' information? What experience do they have?

I'm not saying you need to conduct an extensive interview and
background check on people before you listen to them, but you do
need to be careful. Do NOT qualify anyone as an expert until they've
earned it.

ASK QUESTIONS

Considering that much of the business on the Internet is about
information, there's always plenty to be found. Often too, people with
knowledge are willing to share it. Even those selling an informational
product will usually give help to those who contact them because it
gives them a chance to exhibit their knowledge and make contact with
a potential customer.

Showing you the knowledge they have gives them credibility in your
mind plus gives them the chance to contact you. In the world of
selling information, credibility and contact are keys to making sales.

Ask questions and stay in contact with those who have proven
themselves as knowledgeable. Surrounding yourself with others who
know more than you is the best way to learn. You are then picking
up on their Experience and Expertise until you can develop some of
your own.

There are thousands of ezines, and thousands of web sites. You can
be choosy about which ones get your attention.

In the next article we'll talk more about methods of learning, and start
to develop more of the skills needed to advance your online
education.

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Written by Joe Bingham, Editor of the NetPlay Newsletters
Publish Your Own Quality Ezine with Little Work and a Lot of Help
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