Teaching is often seen as a great field for career changers and other nontraditional students.
Some pursue teaching because they want to contribute to society in a meaningful way. Others may desire to share the knowledge and expertise they gained in another setting, or they may no longer want to compete in the corporate world.
Online education is an ideal way for future teachers to build the expertise they need while balancing school with work, family or other commitments. Here are five ways online graduate education programs offer value for future teachers.
1. Teachers become familiar with online tools. Today’s educators often use various online and digital technology tools in K-12 classrooms. Online courses provide the opportunity to learn about how technology can advance learning in an educational setting.
Tools like VoiceThread can be used by graduate students and elementary or high schoolers alike to leave audio comments for their classmates on virtual discussions. They might both also use apps like Padlet to leave technological “sticky notes” for one another.
[Discover ways to ace online discussion board assignments in online courses.]
2. A good online course shows teachers how to guide student learning. Today, students preparing to become teachers must shift from a model of education that assumes they are experts who impart their knowledge, to one where they act as guides to the educational experience, and students are expected to take greater responsibility for their learning.
Rather than talking at them, teachers must facilitate learning and discovery on the part of students. Well-designed online courses model this structure of guided educational experiences, with students in charge of how they progress through the course.
3. Students become familiar with video technology. Many teacher licensing exams require students to provide videos of themselves teaching a model lesson. In online courses, professors provide short videos as part of both online class announcements and lectures, enabling future teachers to observe how to engage their students through technology.
Students may also be asked to create short videos for class assignments, giving them further practice in using this teaching format, which is growing in popularity at all classroom levels.
4. Evidence-based writing is modeled in online courses. The Common Core state standards for grades K-12 have been adopted in 42 states and the District of Columbia. As part of this, students are expected to support their arguments in papers using evidence from text sources.
[Learn how to improve your writing for online classes.]
Online courses are often writing intensive and require evidence-based arguments. In online discussion boards, for example, students post comments on articles, videos and other course materials, providing support for their arguments and responding to posts of fellow students with additional evidence-based materials.
5. Online education requires that all students participate. Too often, it is the same students who repeatedly speak up in traditional classrooms. Research indicates that those who participate earn higher grades in their classes.
Online education generally requires that all student voices be “heard” through discussion boards, weekly assignments and other assessments. No student can “hide” in an online classroom, enabling future educators to perceive the value of getting everyone involved as a model of success in K-12 education.
The takeaway: Online education is a great fit for future teachers, providing the flexibility they need to pursue a degree. Perhaps more importantly, online graduate education programs are designed to reinforce and build the critical knowledge and skills they need for their careers as educators.
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5 Reasons Online Graduate Education Programs Build Good Teachers originally appeared on usnews.com
