Master program???which one to pick with teaching???

Discussion in 'Online & DL Teaching' started by magoals, Mar 7, 2010.

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  1. magoals

    magoals New Member

    Hello everyone I am interested in a teaching degree adult and high school but which one would be good for me, UMUC has a Masters in teaching in arts and distance learning one, any feedback.
     
  2. Kizmet

    Kizmet Moderator

    I'm assuming that you have a Bachelors degree in a subject area as well as a teaching certificate (you've taken the requisite education courses and have done some sort of student teaching/internship thingy). In that case you have two basic possibilities: You can get a pretty standard sort of MEd degree or you can get a more specialized Masters. For example, there are a few Masters degrees in Teaching Mathematics.

    There are specializations within the MEd subset. Curriculum & Instruction, Leadership, etc. You could do worse than reading through this thread:

    http://www.degreeinfo.com/showthread.php?t=27725&highlight=MEd

    As for the specialized degrees, I can point you in the right direction because I don't know what you want to teach.
     
  3. magoals

    magoals New Member

    Hi

    Hi I’m finishing my BA this June and it’s in the field of a psychology major with a minor in English but I am going to get certified in the alternative way because of the fact that I am so far along with my BA, I want to teach at a high school level English Literature but my long term goal is to also be able to teach at an adult level,
     
  4. Farina

    Farina New Member

    I would consider the following:

    If you want to teach K-12, you're going to need to qualify for ceritification which varies state to state.

    Basically, you need a content area (math, science, English, art, etc.) plus the required education courses. This can be done at the bachelor's degree level.

    You might consider a post baccalaureate program. This will allow you to take the education/psychology, methodology courses at the bachelor degree's level and qualify for a teaching certificate.


    If you are looking to teach adults in college, you can do this either with a bachelor's or master's degree. Remedial courses that do not count towards the college degree, generally only require a bachelors degree like Developmental English, Developmental Math and Developmental Math. Other adult education classes like the GED, or adult high school usually require teaching certification and/or a bachelor's degree.

    Teaching courses that count towards a degree program at the college level generally requires a masters degree or higher in a content area. The problem with a Masters in Teaching is that it does not give a content area. You may be able to teach Education courses if you have at least 18 credits in "EDU" or an equivalent prefix. I have seen MAT in Science programs, that would allow you to teach science in college if it included 18 credits in science. With this same degree you might be able to teach high school if the state where you are seeking initial certification agrees that the education coursework is equivalent to its requirements. That's why you see a lot of online Masters degrees in Education that say "not for initial certification" because they can't ensure that if you finish the degree program, the Department of Education in the state where you are interesting in working will accept the coursework against its requirements.

    If you want to teach at high school, you should contact the Department of Education in the state you want to work at and see what your options are. They generally have a list of college programs and alternative certification programs. This should be your guide.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Mar 8, 2010
  5. magoals

    magoals New Member

    Master's in teaching "English"

    thank you for the information, I want to teach at a high school level and also at a college level but online, just looking for the right school.
     
  6. scaredrain

    scaredrain Member

    Since you will teach a subject that follows under the No Child Left Behind act, you have to make sure you are qualified. Each school district can interpret licensure laws, how they see fit, at least in North Carolina they do! Alternative licensure can also vary from state to state. Sometimes you can get in the door with taking a test, such as the Praxis 2 subject area test for your grade level and subject, or you may be able to start teaching with your bachelors degree and 24 semester credit hours in your field. If you are seeking a masters degree, then you can find universities that offer licensure programs in the area you want to teach. I agree with the other poster, contact the school district you want to work for or the state department of education in the state you live in, to see what you have to have in order to start alternative licensure. I actually started working for a school district by getting my foot in the door via alternative licensure.
     
  7. TonyM

    TonyM Member

    You can apply to TeachforAmerica.org. It's competitive, but if you get in they will set you up with a needy school district and help you get certified. I think they hold an initial summer crash course before sending you out, and then help you meet the cert requirements for the state.
     

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