Certification - October 2008 - (Page 8)

VIRTUAL VILLAGE Seeking Online Degrees DEANNA hARTLEY With the onset of fall and school enrollment season, CertMag forums saw an increase in queries regarding online degrees from accredited institutions. Under the thread “Which are marketable online education degrees that I can specialize in?” forum member Gerald sought advice from the CertMag community on online degrees that don’t take long to complete. Senior member wagnerk responded: “The only one that I can recommend, because I’ve looked into it, is iTeach. It’s a recognized teaching qualification that grants you NQT (Newly Qualified Teachers) status in the UK, just like the other standard teaching programs available in the UK (such as the PGCE, GTP, etc.). Then after you finish your first year teaching you get issued your QTS (Qualified Teacher Status),” he said. Wagnerk also warned would-be students to watch out for degree mills that issue useless diplomas. “Before you decide which teaching program to join, contact your local education authority to see if your chosen program is accepted by them,” he said. Prior to researching degrees, it’s important to determine one’s area of interest more specifically, according to junior member Joshua. “Do you like elementary teaching? What about special education? You could also acquire a bachelor’s degree in education first to see if you’ll enjoy teaching and working in education institutions,” he said. “There are several resources out there with information on several specializations in online degree programs,” Joshua continued. “Go through and see if there’s any specialization that appeals to you. This is about making a career choice that suits your personality and goals, so take time to understand what you’ll be getting into.” Jeffery, a junior member, finished school four years ago and is interested in pursuing a degree in education. He wants to go back to school part-time while working. “Does anyone know about any legitimate distance learning education programs through which I can complete my education?” Jeffery asked. In reply, Joshua posted a Web site that provides a list of distance education options at accredited colleges. “It will be easy for you to do your studies as well as business simultaneously,” Joshua said. 8 CERTIFICATION MAGAZINE October 2008 Jkennell, another forum member, also is seeking recommendations for an online school with a degree in network security. “I have been looking at Western Governors but their degree plan doesn’t look right for me. Does anyone have any suggestions?” jkennell asked. “Great question!” replied junior member dickcheney, who also is setting his sights on an online degree. “I am very skeptical of any online schools as far as the acceptance of the degree in the work marketplace.” But this isn’t the first time dickcheney has been looking at online courses. “Years ago I took some online courses from what later became part of University of Phoenix,” he said. “The classes were great [but that was] almost 10 years [ago] so I don’t know if that is still the way they work.” Senior member wagnerk suggested looking into ECCouncil University. “They do several distance learning degree programs that surround IT security,” he said. “Apart from that, I would contact your local colleges and universities to see if they do any online/ home study degree programs.” Once again, wagnerk cautions about seeking an accredited online institution. “There are a lot of degree mills that pretend to be licensed accredited educational establishments [and] diplomas that aren’t worth the paper they’re printed on,” he said. http://network.certmag.com/forum/topic/show?id=2210502%3ATopic%3A69 http://network.certmag.com/forum/topic/show?id=2210502%3ATopic%3A69 http://network.certmag.com/profile/KenWagner http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newly_Qualified_Teacher http://www.tda.gov.uk/Recruit/thetrainingprocess/typesofcourse/postgraduate/pgce.aspx http://www.tda.gov.uk/Recruit/thetrainingprocess/typesofcourse/employmentbased/gtp.aspx http://www.tda.gov.uk/Recruit/thetrainingprocess/qualifiedteacherstatus.aspx http://network.certmag.com/forum/topic/show?id=2210502%3ATopic%3A547 http://network.certmag.com/forum/topic/show?id=2210502%3ATopic%3A547 http://www.wgu.edu/ http://www.wgu.edu/ http://www.phoenix.edu/ http://www.phoenix.edu/ http://www.eccuni.us/ http://www.eccuni.us/

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Certification - October 2008

Certification - October 2008 Editor's Letter Contents Data Stream Virtual Village Tech Careers Dear Techie Troubleshooting Academic Connection What We Like Look Ahead Elect IT: Technology and the Democratic Process Managing Relationships in the Nonprofit Realm Interface VoIP Technician: Answering the Call of the Network Inside Certification Ad Index Endtag

Certification - October 2008

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