Hello, and a question about making use of the forum

Discussion in 'Introductions' started by Mike E, Aug 14, 2013.

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  1. Mike E

    Mike E New Member

    Hi there.
    I have a BA in Philosophy and Religion (double major) and a certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages. I have one year of experience teaching Oral English at a university in southern China, and one year volunteer teaching part-time at an adult language school for immigrants in Minneapolis. My goal is to find a paid position like that volunteer position: teaching ESL in the US. I'm interested in a Masters, and have recently started looking at online programs. (I'm currently unemployed and could just go to an on-campus program; however this year I missed the deadlines for financial aid, and next year, ESL programs in my area don't seem to start until fall, which leaves a time gap that I don't like.)

    On this forum, I see great heaps of information regarding online programs and their cost. But I'm wondering how you all propose that I should use that information. I know I can contact as many schools as I like, but I'm not comfortable relying solely on what I'm told by people who are working to persuade me to buy in to their program. And, maybe I'm just daft, but as great as your lists of programs and there costs are, I don't see a comparable part of the forum where you all come together and discuss the relative quality of those programs. If such a thread doesn't exist, can you tell me what sites or rankings you prefer to use when it comes to evaluating and comparing the quality of different programs?

    Thanks.
     
  2. Kizmet

    Kizmet Moderator

    Hi Mike - Welcome to DegreeInfo. You didn't just ask one question, you asked a whole pile of questions. All of them good ones. Speaking for myself, I don't put much stock in rankings. The criteria are often vague and some not so relevant (Do I really care who has the biggest library? After all, since this is DL, I'll probably never visit). Discussing quality of programs is difficult too, for a number of reasons: 1) we don't always have a member who has graduated from a specific degree program at a specific school. 2) if we have one member who has been in that specific program are you going to simply take their word for the quality of the program? No compare and contrast? A single data point doesn't usually help much. 3) some schools have good reputations in the customer service area and others are not so good. I'm not sure that anyone is actually out there lying to people just to get them enrolled. If you're smart about the questions you ask you can make a good informed decision.

    If you tell us something about what degree you'd like to earn, what career you'd like to pursue and maybe even how much money you can afford to pay then our members will be able to point you toward some programs that might be a good fit. After that you can talk to the schools, ask your questions, come back to us and ask more questions, etc. but largely yo need to think of this site as just one tool that is available to you as you make this big decision. In you attempt to be an educated consumer we can help but there is no single school/program that fits everyone's needs. You have to decide that for yourself.
    Good luck.
     
  3. Mike E

    Mike E New Member

    Thanks for your reply. I take your point about the difficulty of rating programs... Of course my preference for "compare and contrast" over taking the word of "a single data point" is the very reason I posted here in the first place!
    My career goal is essentially to teach adult ESL in the US, in a private language school, community college or the like. I'm seeking whatever degree might lead me to success in that goal, both in terms of becoming a better teacher and being able to support myself well through this line of work.
    I don't want to pay much, frankly. (In order to pay back loans, I may try to teach in a year in one of the higher paying foreign countries, such as the UAE.) I've been talking with someone from Concordia U. in Portland, but at nearly $20,000 for a year, it struck me as maybe too pricey. The representative, of course, said I'd be getting what I paid for in terms of the quality of their program. But I haven't taken time to explore cheaper programs yet.
    I learned through my experience in a TESOL-certification program that I want to find a school that doesn't just offer good instruction, but also has a reputation for taking interest in me and my career after I graduate. My TESOL school was good while I was in it, but has been a big disappointment since; I get the distinct feeling that they brush aside like pesky flies my questions about job possibilities because they're so heavily focused on recruiting more new students.
     
  4. Ian Anderson

    Ian Anderson Active Member

    Have you looked at the WNMU masters in English/Writing/Biligual Education/Education.
    Cost is reasonable.
    At least two members of this forum have completed degrees at WNMU.
    Virtual Campus - Online Programs

    Good luck on finding a school that "has a reputation for taking interest in me and my career after I graduate". I would not put a great deal of importance to this. Your experience is what counts in finding a job.
     
  5. rebel100

    rebel100 New Member

    If online is an option, and if you feel it would provide you with greater teaching options (depends on a number of factors), there may be a Masters at WGU that would be of interest. Earn your Master's Degree in Education Online at WGU. Low Tuition and NCATE Accredited.

    WGU offers rolling admissions and their degree programs are competency based and self paced. More importantly given your original post, they will likely allow financial aid (loans) to help you defer the upfront cost....they are also really cheap at $3250/semester regardless of the number of credits completed, all study material (books) is included in the price.

    I like the WNMU option as well, but I hated the 16 week terms, so I jumped ship for a WGU MBA.
     
  6. rebel100

    rebel100 New Member

  7. Mike E

    Mike E New Member

    Hmm, alright. Here's why I said that: I got a TESOL certification in 2011, and one reason I chose the school I chose was that same one: In their literature, they stress that they provide lifelong job placement assistance. They play up the notion that they will be there for you later on, when you're job hunting. And I liked that idea a lot. But, although their teaching was good, they don't even make pretense of living up to that job-assistance claim. I contacted them with a couple questions later, as I was job hunting, and they reacted to those questions like they were swatting away annoying flies.
    I just take it that it could help me to network among pros. But I take your point about experience being key.
     
  8. Mike E

    Mike E New Member

    It does look like an interesting program, but given that it's an MA in PreK-12 in ESL, it doesn't look like it's designed for someone who wants to teach outside of the public school system.
     
  9. Afira555

    Afira555 member

    hi,

    i am gloria..... it look gud everyone.........
     

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