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A master education degree online program is ideal for non-traditional adult learners who are teaching adult distance learning courses or are engaged in designing curriculum for educational institutions. It is also suitable for those who are working as military or corporate trainers or are in education administration. A master’s degree in education can add a lot of value to your career portfolio.
A Master of Education (MEd) degree is a generalist qualification that includes the theories of education and educational psychology. The Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) degree is meant to prepare graduates to teach a specific subject to students at a specific level in high school or middle school.
The Master of Science in Education (MSEd) degree is meant for those who want to work in education and is popular among teachers who want to move up to the principal’s office.
These degrees enable teachers to use the latest teaching tools and methodologies, as they evolve. Several states require K-12 teachers to acquire a master’s degree in education, within a given period of time.
Are online master’s degrees in education recognized?
Some of the most respected universities and colleges offer online master’s degrees in education and they provide the same quality of education that you can expect to get in a classroom. A master’s degree in education, obtained through distance learning, will not be different from a degree obtained by attending on-campus classes.
A master education degree online program can help you to boost your salary and career prospects. There is a growing demand for trained and experienced teachers and those who obtain a master’s degree in education can look forward to a bright future.
Before you join a master education degree online program, you must be sure that it will provide you with the right credentials for a career in education, in your state of residence.
Finding a master education degree online program
Many colleges and universities offer accredited online master education degree programs. The Graduate School of the University of Maryland University College (UMUC) offers Master of Education (MEd) and Master of Distance Education (MDE) degree programs online. The University is accredited by the Commission on Higher Education of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools.
The MEd degree has been designed for professionally certified pre K-12 teachers, administrators and other professional educators, who want to get an advanced degree.
Master of Education (MEd) programs are offered by the American InterContinental University Online (AIU Online), which is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. The online MEd degree is not meant to meet state educator licensing requirements, but it may help students to gain licensure in their state of residence, depending on the requirements.
It is worth spending time to research your options, before you sign up for a master education degree online program. Compare the programs offered by different universities and colleges to find one that is suitable for you and look for accredited programs that are valued by employers in your state.

Unfortunately in today’s society, the need for bad credit student loans has become more common. But don’t feel that because you don’t have great credit, you will not be able to get education funding. You do have options for getting the money you need to complete your education.
There are actually some student loans that are not based on credit. Federal student loans can be gotten by almost anyone that needs one. You just need to fill out a FAFSA form and apply for a federal Perkins loan or Stafford loan. These loans also have very reasonable interest rates.
There are many private lenders that offer student loans to almost anyone, but you will be paying a higher interest rate on these loans. Cosigners are also another option for getting a loan. Many lenders will lend with a cosigner. Some of these lenders will drop the cosigner after a certain number of on-timer payments are made.
Grants are another option for getting money for school. Many education grants are need based, but not all of them. Grants can be based on many things. It is best to get a list of grants and see what is available. Most grant lists are free, but you may have to pay a small shipping fee. Education can be quite unique and may give you a resource you had not considered.
One of the best options for free tuition money is tuition reimbursement through an employer. Many people get degrees with this method. A large number of employers offer reimbursement on tuition as a benefit. Now this means you have to come up with the money for the first quarter through another option or you will have to attend a school that allows you to defer your tuition until you receive your reimbursement check. You usually get about $5,000 per years as a full time employee. It must also be understood that most employers will require you to work for them for up to 2 years after you graduate. This method allows a large number of people to get a college degree without a loan. Without a loan, the status of your credit is not important.
There are more options for students with bad credit than one might think. You just have to know where to look. Bad credit student loans are available, but you may need a cosigner or get a federal student loan. Do not let lack of money keep you from getting an education. You do have choices.

E-journals can be a very helpful resource, also known as online education journals. They address both online and regular education needs. E-journals provide a source of articles by education professionals as well as beginners in the field. “Blogs” are personal online journals where comments can be posted by students. Online classes are often assigned blogs to be used as community journals where all participants may post information.

Uses for Blogs in a University Online Course

(Source: Trimarco, R. (2004). “Use of Blogs in Online College Classes.” B. Hoffman (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Educational Technology. January 7, 2007, at: http://coe.sdsu.edu/eet/Articles/blogonlineclass/start.htm)

Blogs are used for:

* Professors to post assignments, class requirements, information, lessons, answer questions from students, and post a weekly topic for students to comment on.

* Professors and students to post articles related to the class and others respond.

* Classes to hold discussions about lectures, assigned reading, news, and projects.

* Students to post completed assignments and notes and give others feedback.

* Students to create writing portfolios.

General Uses For Blogs

Personal online journals are also used to create a forum for bloggers on which to post their opinions, review books or other sites, or upload articles. Remember that work posted on such sites may be copied and used by others illegally. Unless you paraphrase it and cite the source or quote it and cite the source, it’s not acceptable to use others’ posted information as your own.

E-Journals

Here are some online education sites where you can access lists of journals. In addition to the journals listed here, there are journals for nearly all universities, as well as most majors, such as nursing, technology, business, etc.

Full Text Electronic Journals in Education The Communications Among Researchers Group of the American Educational Research Association creates a list of journals that publish research in education. Find it at: http”//aera-cr.asu.edu/links.html or http://aera-cr.asu.edu/links.html.

Education Journals in the Yahoo! Directory Find education journals of all types online via the Yahoo! Directory at: dir.yahoo.com/Education/Journals/ http://dir.yahoo.com/Education/Journals/

Essays in Education publishes documents written about issues in education. The journal also will publish reviews of educational software and books, if they describe the writer’s personal experiences using the materials. Essays in Education is located at: http://www.usca.edu/essays/.

T.H.E. Journal Online: Technology Horizons in Education T.H.E. Journal Online is the best technology-based education journal. T.H.E Journal Online contains information, news, and activities related to technology in education. Its sites are: www.thejournal.com/ or http://thejournal.com/.

Journal of Asynchronous Learning Networks (JALN) The Journal of Asynchronous Learning Networks provides names of programs for studying online at one’s own pace and on one’s own schedule. Access it at: www.sloan-c.org/publications/jaln/ or http://www.sloan-c.org/publications/jaln/.

Information about education online can be found in online education journals. If you have experience in education or research, consider submitting an article for publication.

Using online education e-journals for research or personal education journals for blogging are common practices for students taking online education courses. If your teacher assigns blogging or research as part of your class, the tips and resources here will get you started.

Companies are always looking to hire people who have some prior work experience, as they feel more comfortable with employees who have worked before, and are thus in a position to understand the challenges that comes with it. Internships and cooperative education programs gives you that advantage over someone who has no prior experience of ever setting a foot in an office!
Interns get a chance to apply the theoretical knowledge that they have gained from textbooks into practical situations, and also understand how different things are once you step outside the protective environment of a classroom.
Internships
An intern works with an actual company, usually but not necessarily, in a field related to a student’s academic or career goals. Internships provide progressive experiences in integrating theory and practice. These are mostly in the summer breaks, but can also be during an academic year. They can be either full time or part time, and can range from few weeks to a couple of months or more. Such positions are, more often than not, unpaid; but they can also be partially paid. However, for students in their third or final year, or for those who have just graduated, gaining hands-on experience in a professional environment should be more important than monetary gains.
A research or dissertation internship is a type of internship taken by a student, usually during their final year. They work with a particular company and prepare a report, which is usually presented towards the end of the year.
Cooperative Education Programs
Cooperative education is a method of combining academic education with practical work experience. These usually have a specified minimum work period. In an alternating arrangement, a student generally works full time 40 hrs per week during the term. In parallel program, students work part time 20 hrs per week for the term. The student’s performance is usually monitored by the school and supervised by the employer. It helps students gain credits as a part of their curriculum. Cooperative education gives students excellent professional experience and many times companies hire the students who have worked with them as a part of a cooperative education program.
International Internships
International internships, though not new, are finding big followers across the globe in the increasingly global market place. Students are taking advantage of international internships in increasing numbers, especially in fields like computer science, information technology, consumer goods and marketing. Countries like Japan, Spain, and India are big favorites, as it exposes them to global trade practices along with an opportunity to learn new cultures and languages. Countries like India provide some of the best experience in global work culture and world-class technologies, with an amount of exposure that was not even previously thought of at an intern level.
However, students need to check before taking on an international internship, as it may mean different things in different countries around the globe. Though such endeavors can be a great learning experience, students need to research properly about the place they are going to visit, to make utmost of their learning time in the new land.

NATIONAL FORUM OF APPLIED EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH JOURNAL

Volume 23, Numbers 1&2, 2009-2010

FOREWORD

STRATEGIC PLANNING USING THE WAYS OF KNOWING THROUGH THE REALMS OF MEANING By Queinnise Miller, PhD Student in Educational Leadership, Cohort 5 – PVAMU – The Texas A&M University System

About the Issue

The year 2004 marked the inception of the Educational Leadership Doctoral Program in the Whitlowe R. Green College of Education at Prairie View A&M University.  Since then over 32 educational professionals have graduated and joined the academy of Doctors of Philosophy in Educational Leadership.  As the program grows each year new cohorts of educational professionals are established, and the future of research becomes brighter.  This special issue contains the thoughts and theories based on research  of  Cohort  5, as  it  relates  to  strategic  planning as a theoretical framework by utilizing  the Ways  of  Knowing Through  the Realms of  Meaning (2007) by Dr. William Allan Kritsonis.  These articles were a partial requirement for a course in the doctoral program taught by Professor Kritsonis.

In the first article, Queinnise Miller explores professional learning communities while taking a look at how they impact school improvement and their place in strategic planning in education.  In the second article, Rosnisha Stevenson discusses ways school districts can meet one of their goals on their campus improvement plan and increase their standardized test scores by using the six realms of meaning in the classrooms.  In the third article, Carmelita Thompson discusses ways in which strategic planning implemented by utilizing the Ways of Knowing Through the Realms of Meaning (Kritsonis, 2007) creates a high performing educational organization.  In the fourth article, Barbara Thompson discusses significant aspects of the six realms of meaning as it relates to strategic planning in instructional leadership.  In the fifth article, Kashan Ishaq discusses how school leaders’ understanding of the six realms of meaning can be strategically integrated in solving the educational problems of today and improving the schools of tomorrow.  The sixth article, Christine Lewis discusses ways our educational leaders in public schools can incorporate the Ways of Knowing Through the Realms of Meaning (Kritsonis 2007) to take strategic planning from the modernism age to postmodernism age to improve our nation’s educational system.   In the seventh article, Tyrus Doctor discusses strategies used within our current school environment, while implementing postmodern thinking. In the eight article, David Palmer shows the linkage between the realms of meaning and strategic planning and to show how symbolics, empirics, esthetics, synnoetics, ethics and synoptics has an under pinning value to the planning that is required for successful schools.  In the ninth article, Sheri Miller-Williams introduces the concept of systems thinking and suggest two frameworks that could work to support comprehensive school reform. In the tenth article, Simone Gardiner discusses how postmodernism and the realms of meaning can be implemented in students’ learning with the use of strategic planning.  In the eleventh and final article, Demetria Diggs apprises educators of how incorporating the six realms from the Ways of Knowing Tthrough the Realms of Meaning (Kritsonis, 2007), into school improvement and strategic plans to yield avant-garde results for all educational stakeholders.            (Over)…

Cohort 5 at PVAMU sincerely appreciates the opportunity to publish in the National FORUM of Applied Educational Research Journal. We thank the National Policy Board representing all National FORUM Journals for their confidence in our work. To be published as doctoral students in a national refereed journal is professionally rewarding. We thank our professor Dr. William Allan Kritsonis for providing outstanding mentorship in guiding us in our writing pursuits.

Queinnise Miller

PhD Student in Educational Leadership – Cohort 5

Prairie View A&M University

Teacher

Alief Independent School District

National FORUM of Applied Educational Research Journal

Volume 23, Numbers 1&2 2009-2010

Issue Distribution and Circulation (Approximations)

Issue Distribution Libraries……………………………..    948

Association of College and Research Libraries……   383

Deans, College of Education …………………………….   396

NCATE Accredited Institutions…………………………     632

Selected Professors……………………………………….  1,289

State Superintendents……………………………………        52

Editors of National, Regional, State Journals………….  95

School Superintendents/Principals/Supervisors…2,005

Bureaus of Educational Research Services……………243

Conference Distribution…………………………………       279

National Organizations………………………………….       104

International Distribution/Worldwide…………………  641

2,839 Circulation