online colleges

[mrsbutterworth]

I'm wondering if anyone can give me some information on some of the online schools. I'm looking at getting my Masters through either University of Phoenix, Grand Canyon University, or Western Governors. I'm open to something else, if someone knows of a really good school. Please share your experiences with me to help me make my decision. Thanks so much for any information you are able to give me!

[Boxcar]

I'm not that familiar with online colleges. They kind of make me a bit skeptical. It is sort of the situation where the couple gets the marriage license only to find out it's fake two years later. I'd be worried about how much value my diploma would have.

If you are careful and research the school of your choice, taking classes online can be so convienent. I've taken course from an establish college that is present in the "real world" in addition to the "Internet world". If you have an odd or busy schedule, these classes can be wonderful. You'll need some key personal charactoristics, however. You're going to be doing a large amount of the work without much guidence. You need to be able to motivate yourself, keep yourself on the time schedule, and teach most of the concepts to yourself. Sometimes you will get a professor who only logs on once or twice a semester to post quizzes and assignments. In cases like this, you will not be able to ask questions without going to extreme effort. On the other end of the spectrum are the very involved professors. THese individuals want you to log on at least four times a week for a set numeber of hours. You will be asked to participate in virtual classroom in a chat room setting, and you will need to post in a forum. The experience can bary widely within whichever college you choose.

Would I recommend online classes? Definetly. If you know for certain that you will be getting a legitimate diploma, I encourage trying it. You are able to post in this forum, so I assume you have the computer skills to handle the technology parts of the classes. If you can handle the responsiblity that is placed on you, you shouldn't have a problem.

[mopar]

A friend of mine actually got her master's through the University of Phoenix. She like the college and said that the professors were vary involved. They did have to post so many times a week and be logged on for so many hours. She said that was hard to keep up with when you have teaching on your mind. But it was a very valuable experience.
Another route might be to contact the local universities in your state. Many states now offer cohort classes that are actually at near by schools or offered on-line. Then you don't have to worry about transferring if this is your initial certification or another endorsement. I know my friend just got a master's in teaching, so there was no added endorsement. Many colleges across my state offer cohorts and/or online programs. It takes a little work but if you call around, or email their master's coordinator, they will let you know what they offer. These colleges would like to keep programs running so they are usually very flexible.

[mrsbutterworth]

Thanks to both of you for the information. My undergraduate degree is not in Education, however I teach currently in a private, Christian school. I also have 6 children. Life is good, but I am BUSY! An online program is really the ONLY way that I can fit it all into my schedule and make it work. I'm hoping to get enough responses here to help me with deciding WHICH online program to use. I appreciate the info!

[mopar]

Wow! 6 children, that's impressive. I grew up in a family of 6. Just be careful with state requirements to teach. All states have certain requirements/tests and each state's certification is not excepted in other states.

[Yiyang]

:) Boxcar is right: online course and experience depends so much on instructor and learner. online learning demands self-regulation, good schedule, self-teaching.

In fact, I am taking an online course for this semester. The advisor is nice and ready to answer questions and allows a little bit flexibility on homework deadlines. We use forum, yahoo chat to communicate. I happen have a couple of classmates working on campus and sometimes we just sit and talk about class.

:) To be honest, I do not feel much confident in pure online learning. I like to talk to people face to face and listen to their voices and watch their expressions, feelings. Virtual learning sometimes makes me feel I am in Matrax.