Digital graphic art is all around us – in magazines, on television and the Internet, even cell phone apps. These days, creative graphic design is also within reach for those of us with really great graphic design ideas but a lack of natural talent. Where as before, hand drawn or painted art that hung on walls or was printed on t-shirts was the only game in town. Today that experience can be shared by the digital graphic artist as well.And how did we ever live without computer graphic design software? From make-your-own business cards to elaborate fantasy pieces, these programs themselves are works of art. For those of use who can’t freehand draw to save our lives, graphic design software allows our abilities to join our imaginations. Make a mistake? No problem, just undo a few times and try again.Even the software programs that allow us access to this creativity are more readily available and diverse in choices these days. While the granddaddy of them all keeps getting bigger and better, smaller scale and less expensive – even free – programs are also available. This is great news for those who don’t have the money, learning curve patience or need for full-scale digital graphic art editing software.Do you prefer formal education or are you a self-taught type of person? Here again, there’s room for everyone in this creative niche. Combing art and technology, digital graphic artists have a vast selection of mediums to choose from. From movies and animation to e-commerce, television, print and web publishing. Working for a design firm or create your own freelance business.So whether you’re an advertising company executive with the next ground breaking concept or a grandma at the kitchen table making personalized gifts, there’s a place for everyone and a platform to turn your imagination into art.

There is a shift in the way we do business, communicate and get our information today. Do you think higher education needs a makeover for the 21st century to keep up with the shift? The old schools of teaching may not be applicable for many of our young generation now and in the near future.Yesterday, I had a conversation with a mother whose daughter graduated with a liberal arts degree from a prestigious private school. She said the only thing she can show is a paper degree. Her daughter does not possess skills that are relevant in the marketplace. Not to mention, the amount of money she spent to get that paper. How can we make her marketable in today’s economy?According to Professor David Wiley of Brigham Young University, “if universities can’t find the will to innovate and adapt to changes in the world around them, universities will be irrelevant by 2020”.If you type in Google search engine, “What is social media?” There are a number of definitions. This is one of them: social media are works of user-created video, audio, text or multimedia that are published and shared in a social environment, such as a blog, wiki or video hosting site. Social media applications include Google, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.Why do we need to pay attention to social media for higher education?1. Over 50% of the world’s population is under 30 years old. 96% millenials have joined social network. We don’t have a choice on whether we do social media; the question is how well we do it. The U.S. Department of Education found out that online students outperformed those receiving face-to face instruction. 80% of companies use social media for recruitment. (Quotes taken from Social Media Revolution 2, YouTube video)2. The recent event in Egypt is an eye opener to all of us.CBS reported on February 16th 2011, that Wael Ghonim, a 30-year-old Google marketing manager in Egypt, has been credited with launching the Facebook page that sparked Egypt’s uprising and ousted President Mubarak.3. The millenials (also known as Generation Y) are already at their computers, Facebook and smart phones everyday. So, why not use all these tools effectively for higher education to cut cost, save time and increase efficiency? Most families today can’t keep up with the high cost of education and most education system are already outdated. Most institutions are still using the industrial age ideology and philosophy for education.4. Across the globe 6.1 trillion text messages are sent per year. In 2007, there were only 1.8 trillion. Added to that country like Nigeria with a population of 152,217,341 has 80,944,643 cell phones. Over half of its population owns cell phones. Can you imagine getting eBooks and pdfs into the hands of all these cell phone holders for education purposes? (Data from Afar magazine, March/April edition).5. President Obama flew to San Francisco this week to meet with Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook, Eric Schmidt of Google and Steve Jobs of Apple. He must have recognized the importance of social media for the future of America.Anya Kamenetz has strategically named her book DIY U. She quoted DIY U is an evolution from expensive institutions to expansive networks… with personal learning network on Google Reader, Facebook, Twitter, blogs, websites and email. She said, learning networks in previous decades were insular groups formed around academic journals, learned societies and professional conferences. Today, they are using blogs, wikis, and presentation tools like Slide share, YouTube videos and email lists to collaborate, pursue and present knowledge in any discipline.Ms. Kamenetz gave a really good example in her book which I think will be one of the best ways to get educated. She called it the alternatives to higher education’s cartel.Julia Fierro graduated from the prestigious Iowa Writer’s Workshop in 2000 and got a job at Hofstra University teaching honors creative writing class. Lost her job one day and decided to put an ad on Craigslist offering writer’s workshop for $175 per person for eight weeks. Since 2002, she had over 850 students. Alumni of her program have found agents, published novels, nonfiction books, short story collections, won awards and competitions. Her eighth week course cost a tenth of Masters in Fine Arts program at a university. She almost has no overhead, only a few hundred dollars on web hosting and online ads. (Taken from DIY U by Anya Kamenetz)In my own experience, after staying home for many years, my skills are no longer competitive. I have to retrain myself. Many of my peers have gone back to traditional schools to get another degree or a diploma hoping to get a job. Will they find a job?I took a different route. I am discovering the importance of social media and the internet. Working with a mentor using a phone and the internet, learning step by step on how to start a business online. What alternatives do you have in educating yourself and your children to be relevant for the shift in our economy? Do you still doubt social media as a way to educate yourself and your children?Children are all unique. Some will excel in alternative route and others will thrive in the traditional route for education. It all depends on which profession they will be pursuing.

Internet became the main medium for everything we do. From online shopping to communicating with long lost friends and colleagues, socializing through social networks, sharing photos and videos, promoting products and services, finding jobs, meeting and dating other singles, booking your plane ticket and hotel reservation, watching online news, and many more. You’d be surprised to see a young child about three years of age using the computer and accessing the website of his favorite cartoon show and playing online games offered in it.Because of the recent advancements in internet technology, we can do almost everything online. This includes acquiring your college degree through online education. Online education is now possible because some of the universities and colleges saw the internet as a groundbreaking point for their academe services and role. Internet has given them the opportunity to extend their role as an educator to a wider scope of audience. With this, what are the real benefits of taking online education?Number one, online education provides you with more options. Since more and more universities and colleges are starting to embrace the contributions of the internet to consumers, you will have more schools to choose from. You can go ahead and take advanced reading on the background of different universities and colleges before you start choosing the best one that can provide the best quality of education online.Number two, you can save on gas, money, time, and effort while searching for a reliable school. For busy professionals and uncertain college introductory students, money, time, effort, and gas are very important. You’re only wasting these precious resources if you physically search and inquire in the actual school campuses. What if you can get the same information and quotation you need online through their customer service representatives? Wouldn’t that be a better choice? Believe it or not, some universities and colleges now offer live chat options for their would-be students so that you can get the answers to your questions as quickly as possible.Number three, acquiring your degree online will expose you to the most recent developments in the industry you’re getting into. For an online computer degree student, this is very important especially now that technological advancements constantly change each year. This is one of the reasons why educators have chosen to offer college degrees online. With the rapid change of technologies, educators constantly re-evaluate their curriculum in order to provide the most recent and most important areas of study for their online students.Number four, you don’t have to quit your job because can study at your own pace. If you are a working professional, finding time to attend your classes in the traditional classroom setting is very difficult especially when you travel a lot. This has been the main problem of working professionals and the only reason why they can’t advance in their career paths. So let’s say you’re a hardworking IT administrator and you would like to merge your career with graphic multimedia designing, the only way you’re going to make this a reality is by taking up an online arts degree. You can access your lessons online and with this, you never have to worry about missing any of your classes and tests.Number five, get more job opportunities after graduating and acquiring your online degrees. Some employers take online education very seriously and if you acquired you degree online, they know that you have the best knowledge in their pool of applicants. Don’t be surprised if you get a call from a top leading company in your industry because they know that you have all the package they’re looking for in an employee.