Top Education Degrees

Teaching Degree: Where Do I Start?

2008-06-26T07:15:00.000-07:00

You’ve made the decision; you want to be a teacher, and it’s time to earn an education degree. But how to begin? We’re here to help. Below you’ll find the Who, Why, What, Where and How of earning your education degree.

Who

You, of course, that’s who. What do you want out of your degree? Do you have an education specialty in mind? Take some time to consider what kind of program will be best for you. What do you do well when it comes to school? Are you a social butterfly or a bookworm? Do you enjoy the classroom, or do you prefer hanging out online? What is important to you? What gave you trouble in school—writing papers, taking notes, or showing up to class prepared?

All of these are important factors to consider before moving forward. A good exercise is to sit down and write down answers to the questions above. No matter what degree you pursue, college is challenging, and knowing your strengths and weaknesses before you go in is key. Take the time to really dig deep and understand yourself before taking the next step.

Why

This is important: WHY do you want to go to into education? Are you fulfilling a life-long dream, or simply following the expectations of your parents or friends? Are you hoping for a stable career and an education degree is the next step down that path? Whatever your reasons, if you are doing it for yourself and the dreams you hold for your life, you are more likely to succeed.

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Ten Excellent Online Apps For the Innovative Teacher

2008-05-14T10:47:00.000-07:00

Teachers for all levels of students today have so many more teaching aids than even just a few years ago. That's not just because of greater access to the Internet but also because of the growing number of web applications that they can use. Some applications are specifically geared towards teaching and learning. Other applications can be adapted for these purposes. Here's a list of some online applications, listed alphabetically, that we feel are excellent for teachers.

1. Chalksite. Chalksite is designed for teachers to let them give students and parents access to grades and assignments and even to communicate with them. Teachers get a personal website that's easy to use. Other features include student profiles, individual student accounts, messaging to one or more students or parents, grade entry and calculations, and discussions via messages and weblog comments.

Pricing ranges from a free plan up to US$14.95/ month. Students join free, and have access via an Internet connection and tested web browsers: Internet Explorer 6+, Firefox, Apple Safari. Since it's a hosted application, no other softwareis installed.

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Fast Track to the Classroom: Alternative Certification for Teachers

2007-10-25T10:53:00.000-07:00

Since the mid 1980s, there has been a steadily growing demand for teachers. In 2001, the No Child Left Behind Act further amplified concerns about this shortage by increasing teacher accountability. Additionally, according to the National Center for Education Information (NCEI), some key trends continue to affect the education system.

The number of students continues to rise (particularly high school students)
Teacher retirements are increasing (50% of all teachers are over 50 years old)
30% to 50% of new teachers leave the profession within their first five years
Fewer students at traditional colleges are enrolling in education programs

Teacher, Scientist, Student: Profile of Teacher Rabi Whitaker

2007-08-21T10:05:00.001-07:00

Rabi always knew she wanted to be a scientist, but it wasn’t until she borrowed her college roommate’s education textbooks and read them cover-to-cover that she realized she wanted to be a teacher. After getting her Bachelor’s Degree in Astronomy and Cognitive Science from Swarthmore College, she used the resources of the New York City Teaching Fellows Program to earn her Master’s degree in Science Education from Pace University. She currently holds a New York State Permanent Certificate to teach Earth Science and General Science in secondary schools (grades 7 – 12).

“I love everything about being in a classroom with a bunch of kids,” she says. “It's kind of like being on stage -- you have a plan, and you're a performer -- but it's also intimate and spontaneous. I love the process of getting to know my students, coming to admire and appreciate them, and watching them start to embrace science as something enjoyable, useful, and even empowering. It's the most flat-out fun I've ever had, on a day-to-day basis, at any job ever in my life.”

Paying for that Education Degree: Financial Aid

2007-08-21T10:04:00.000-07:00

The decision to get a degree in Education is an extremely important one. The specialized education and training you receive will provide you with the necessary tools and knowledge to be a successful educator. But how will you pay for it?

Earning a degree is an investment in your future. Financial Aid can be the stepping-stone to your future success. The purpose of financial aid is to assist students with their college expenses so that financial barriers do not prevent them from achieving their goals.

What Is Financial Aid?

Financial aid is the assistance available to help students pay for the costs of attending a college or university. Financial aid is provided by federal, state, institutional, or private sources and may consist of grants, loans, work-study, or scholarships. Each year, billions of dollars are given or lent to students, and about half of all college students receive some sort of financial aid.

Starting Salaries for Education Graduates

2007-08-21T10:03:00.002-07:00

Once you’ve earned your Education Degree, it’s time to start working in your preferred field. What salary level can you expect? Here’s a brief overview of the salary expectations you can have as the proud holder of a degree in Education.

• Teacher in Public Schools

Although teacher pay varies by state and by school district, virtually all public schools in the U.S. employ a rigid salary grid to determine the teacher salaries paid in a specific district. This single, unified salary schedule recognizes only years of service and amount of education as inputs in determining the pay of individual teachers. It treats all degrees as equivalent, regardless of where they were earned or in what subject.

A new teacher with a bachelor's degree would start at the salary of $32,722 for the nine-month school year. Salaries usually increase at a rate of 2-3% a year. However, for a teacher with a bachelor's degree, this salaries usually cap at year 12 at or around $44,916 per school year.

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Graduate Degrees in Education

2007-08-21T10:03:00.001-07:00

Once you’ve decided to earn a graduate degree in the field of Education, you need to choose a specialty. There are many graduate degree programs in this field, ranging from Teaching to Administration to Operational Management. You can also choose to study Human Development and Psychology, Literacy, or Technology—all in the Education sector. By the time you’ve finished your undergraduate work, however, you’ve probably already discovered your personal preferences in the wide field of education. So it’s time to take that next step.

What graduate programs will you apply to? What graduate program will you ultimately attend? Selecting a graduate school entails many considerations, much more than just choosing your specialty. Although you may know what you want to focus on at the graduate level, you may not be aware that there are differences between graduate programs, both in academic goals and practical philosophies. In choosing your graduate school, you may want to spend some serious time thinking about your own precise goals and directions, and use that knowledge to weigh differing graduate programs before you decide where to attend.

Getting Your Education Degree Online

2007-08-21T10:02:00.001-07:00

So, now that you’ve decided to get your degree in Education, have you considered earning your degree online? Distance learning used to mean getting courses via snail mail or on videotape—but now, since the advent of the internet, online education is a reality for anyone interested in continuing their education but is looking for more flexibility.

Online learning expands the reach of the classroom by using various technologies to deliver university resources to off-campus sites. The technology for new, cheaper telecommunications is getting better all the time, and there is a growing demand for education by people who cannot afford either the time or money to be a full-time, on-campus student. To fill that demand, educational networks also are growing and changing how and when you can access college courses. Most states have established new distance learning systems to advance the delivery of instruction to schools, postsecondary institutions, and state government agencies.

Admissions Requirements for Education Programs

2007-08-21T10:01:00.000-07:00

You’ve decided that you want to be an educator. What’s your next step? Which degree program should you choose? Unlike other fields, each degree in Education is specific to the area in which you want to specialize. Here is an overview of the degrees available and the admission requirements for each.

Two-year programs

If you want to work with very young children, this is the degree for you. Most two-year programs in Education focus on early childhood development, and provide graduates with an Associates Degree in Applied Sciences. Most programs require either a high school diploma or a GED certificate. Once you find a program that works for you, admissions requirements are usually very straightforward; simply fill out an application and provide the necessary transcripts and you are in!

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Careers for Education School Graduates

2007-08-21T09:53:00.002-07:00

Some people, from the time they are in first grade, know they want to be teachers. For others, the idea can be a sudden insight, or a feeling that grows and develops over time. Regardless of how the knowledge comes, becoming a teacher means becoming an educator; and that means studying education. So, what is education? Education encompasses teaching and learning specific skills, and also something less tangible but more profound: the imparting of knowledge, and well-developed wisdom. Education means 'to draw out', facilitating the realization of self-potential and the latent talents of an individual student.

Educators are always in high demand. The call for new teachers continues to grow as education changes rapidly and the number of school-age children increases. Also, education reform is taking place across the country, so the rules keep changing. New federal and state initiatives are encouraging all American schools, teachers and students to strive to be the best in the world. These changes are creating new challenges as well as new opportunities for prospective teachers.

Becoming an Educator: Choosing the Right Program For You

2007-08-21T09:53:00.001-07:00

W.B. Yeats said, “Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.” If you want to be the one to light the fire for learning in the hearts of students, becoming an educator is right for you. But what degree program should you pursue? Because the field of Education is so incredibly diverse, you have many options to choose from. Here is a brief listing of just some of the career opportunities available to those that decide to seek a degree in Education.

• Teacher Certification & Certification Programs. Looking to earn your Teacher Certification or credential? If you already have a Bachelor’s degree and have decided to teach, earning your Teaching Certificate is the next step to take to launch your career as an educator.

• K-12. Completing your K-12 education degree will put you on the path toward a rewarding career teaching children of all ages.

Always in High Demand: The Educator

2007-08-21T09:50:00.000-07:00

Aristotle said, “All who have meditated on the art of governing mankind have been convinced that the fate of empires depends on the education of youth.” Education touches on every aspect of human life—and those providing that education continue to be in high demand. Teachers make the world a better place for everyone.

But not only is the field of education one that has great value—it is also a field where plenty of job opportunities exist for those interested in becoming educators. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, about 2.8 million teachers are employed in the United States, not to mention more than 200,000 administrative staff members.

Because the field of education is so incredibly diverse, demand varies for different positions. In large urban areas, job openings may be quite numerous, thanks to expanding populations. Suburban areas continue to see rapid growth and expansion as well. In more rural areas, however, there may be less turnover so there are fewer openings for teachers and others in the educational field. But wherever you are, the next few years will hold solid prospects for everyone in education as many “baby boomers” are nearing retirement age—leaving many open positions.