Education Degrees Online

Online Degrees In Education

• Curriculum & Instruction
• Distance Education
• Early Childhood Education
• Education
• Educational Administration

• ESL / Bilingual / TESOL
• K12 Education
• Library & Resource Management
• Special Education
• Teacher Training (Teacher Licensure)

Introduction to Education Studies

Education is essential to understanding everything in the world, from how geometry functions in home planning to how historical events led to an authoritarian government. The job duties of a teacher include, but are not limited to, planning and evaluating teaching lessons, designing classroom presentations, assigning coursework, grading tests and essays and working with individual students. Other possible job duties are more reflective of joining a school's community and using leadership skills outside of the classroom, such as coaching an athletic team, managing a club or handling the operations of the school newspaper.

Online Education Degree Program FAQ

What are the Educational Requirements for an Online Educational Degree Program?

The core subjects that every student must take in order to graduate are referred to as educational requirements.  As the course of study and degree level change, so do these general education requirements.  Core studies, i.e. educational requirements are a key component in the education process for a student and are usually part of the major course study or career training.

Core study requirements will change based on degree level on the education field that the student is pursuing and these requirements are usually classified in two groups --- general education requirements and required core subjects.  There are numerous curriculums in which to earn a degree, but the primary areas of study are the following:

• Adult Education
• Curriculum and Instruction
• Education/Teaching (General
• Instructional Technology
• Leadership and Administration
• Special Education

Depending on the course of study and degree program that a student pursues, there are typically two requirement levels for an online education degree program.  They are listed by classification of educational requirement with required subjects listed in each area.

General Education Requirements

• Art and Humanities
• Cultural Studies
• English Composition
• Foreign Language
• Mathematics
• Natural Science and Lab
• Physical Education
• Social Science
• Speech

Required Core Subjects

• Art, Music, and P.E. Methods
• Classroom Management
• Curriculum Instruction
• Introduction to Education
• Foundation of Education
• Human Development
• Mathematics for Elementary Teachers I and II
• Math Methods
• Psychology of Learning
• School Reading & Language Arts Methods
• Science Methods
• Student Teaching - Basic and Advanced

How Can I Become A Teacher or Education Professional?

To quote an old Latin proverb, "By learning you will teach, by teaching you will learn." How true that is and it is probably the premise underlying the enthusiasm that most educators possess.  Whether you are beginning, continuing your own education, and advancing in the education field, there is no better opportunity to achiever your goals than through online course study.

An online degree in education will open numerous career possibilities for you depending on your field of interest.  You can expand on your career options and in turn increase your income potential.  Or, if you meet the necessary certification requirements you can transition from an instructional career to one of several administrative positions.  The following is a list of some of the many career possibilities available based on the degree program you enroll in:

General Programs

General Education - Master of Arts, Master of Science, PhD programs

Administration, Instruction, and Theory

Corporate Training, Curriculum Design, Distance Education, Regular and Adult Educational Administration, Educational Technology

Instructional Levels

Adult Education, Early Childhood Education, Higher Education, K-12 Education, Teaching Certificate, Teaching License

Special Focus

Physical and Health Education, Special Education

Taking all of the above into consideration, the following is a list, though not complete, of all the career possibilities that await you once you have completed your online education degree program:

External Links and Resources

Teaching Resources

Teacher Vision
Teacher Vision includes numerous resources for teachers. A collection of materials for different subjects, lesson plan ideas, professional development and classroom management. There's even a ready-to-use printables section to help aid your lessons.

Fact Monster
Fact Monster is a free reference site for students, teachers, and parents. Get homework help and find facts on thousands of subjects, including sports, entertainment, geography, history, biography, education, and health.

Discovery Education
Discovery School provides something for everyone. Teachers can find the lesson plans library, a resource with hundreds of original lesson plans, written by teachers for teachers, from K-5 to K-12. And, Kathy Schrock's guide for educators, fun tools, science fair central, and new teacher, a great section dedicated to newly qualified teachers and veteran teachers looking to get inspired.

The Teachers Corner
Another great teachers resource with a wealth of information, including, lesson plans, bulletin boards, teacher's lounge, book nook, and many more!

Lesson Plan Search
There are exactly 1725 lesson plans to choose from!

abcteach
5000+ free printable pages and worksheets

The Literacy Web - Reading Comprehension
Within this page,the complex processes involved in reading comprehension are divided into three categories (much like the National Reading Panel Report). The categories include vocabulary instruction, text comprehension instruction, and teacher preparation and comprehension strategies instruction.

USMA
Metric System Information for Teachers/Educators

PBS Teachers
Free Resources for Teaching & Learning PBS Teachers is PBS' national web destination for high-quality preK-12 educational resources. Here you'll find classroom materials suitable for a wide range of subjects and grade levels. Thousands of lesson plans, teaching activities, on-demand video assets, and interactive games and simulations.

Education - National Geographic
National Geographic Education Resource

Dave's ESL Cafe
For ESL/EFL Students and Teachers from Around the World. Includes resources for bilingual educators.

everythingELS Lesson Plans
Get 40 lesson plans with ESL content. Topics range from holidays to weather to personal essays.

Special Education

Special Education News
Special Education News answers a need in education for in-depth, timely news related to educating students with disabilities. The Web site and newsletter are journalistic publications centered on the news of the special education field.

SERI
Special Education Resources on the Internet (SERI) is a collection of Internet accessible information resources of interest to those involved in the fields related to Special Education. This collection exists in order to make on-line Special Education resources more easily and readily available in one location.

Inclusive Education
Inclusive education means that all students in a school, regardless of their strengths or weaknesses in any area, become part of the school community. They are included in the feeling of belonging among other students, teachers, and support staff.

Our-kids Website
Website devoted to raising special kids with special needs.

Behavior Management
This site addresses and explores behavior interventions and classroom management. For one, this site encourages effective instruction in reducing student misbehavior. Basically this behavior page brings awareness to issues concerning misbehavior, and provides tools for teachers in controlling misbehavior. Links to various organizations that address behavior issues are also in this site.

Career Resources

EduJobsCanada.com
A canadian job search and resource site for academic higher education jobs.

Books

• Teaching Literacy to Students with Significant Disabilities By June Downing
• Handbook of Classroom Management By Carolyn M. Evertson, Carol Simon Weinstein
• Handbook of Childhood Behavioral Issues By Gullotta/Blau, Thomas P. Gullotta, Gary Blau, Jessica M. Ramos
• Counseling Toward SolutionsBy Linda Metcalf, Bill O'Hanlon
• Special Kids Problem Solver By Kenneth Shore, Shore, Kenneth Shore, Psy.D.
• Teaching Toward Solutions By Linda Metcalf

Journals

• Education Review Full-text book reviews of "recent books in education, covering the entire range of education scholarship and practice. A service of the College of Education at Arizona State University."
• Educational Insights "Educational Insights seeks to create an opportunity for discourse that welcomes new ways of being in scholarship; to publish work that provokes, evokes, and shifts perceptions and conceptions of educational research, pedagogy and curriculum." A peer-reviewed e-journal from the Centre for the Study of Curriculum and Instruction at the University of British Columbia.
• Journal of Pedagogy, Pluralism and Practice "A refereed [electronic] journal published by Lesley College focusing on cultural criticism and on pluralistic approaches to learning and teaching throughout the life span."
• Language Learning & Technology Language Learning & Technology is a refereed journal which began publication in July 1997. The journal seeks to disseminate research to foreign and second language educators in the US and around the world on issues related to technology and language education.

Educational News

• EdNews The Internets #1 source for Education
• Educations News The New York Times
• Education BBC News

Recent News and Articles

• K-12 Threatened as State Spending Slumps
  The first drop in program expenditures in a quarter-century bodes ill for states’ economic future, a new report warns.
• Chicago Schools Chief Is Obama’s Education Pick
  Arne Duncan, the Chicago schools superintendent known for taking tough steps to improve schools while maintaining respectful relations with teachers and their unions, is President-elect Barack Obama’s choice as secretary of education, Democratic officials said Monday.
• Uncertainty on Obama Education Plans
  There is mystery not only about whom he will choose for secretary of education, but also about the approach to the nation’s schools that his selection will reflect.
• Students use iPods for med school study
  Ohio State University's medical school has joined the ranks of colleges replacing cumbersome textbooks with the handheld Apple iPod touch this fall.
• Math Gains Reported for U.S. Students
  American fourth- and eighth-grade students made solid achievement gains in math in recent years and in two states showed spectacular progress, an international survey of student achievement released on Tuesday found. Science performance was flat.
• Career Education
  A new policy brief makes a case that students learn more, are more engaged, and are better prepared for postsecondary life when they learn both academic and technical content in a contextualized way.
• Microsoft unveils career resource for students
  To help middle- and high-school students learn about the 21st-century jobs awaiting them and take charge of their own education, Microsoft's U.S. Partners in Learning program has unveiled a free online course called CareerForward.

Other Education resources

• General Links
• Education Digital Library
• Online Journals
• Distance Learning
• Teacher Training
• British Studies - Education
• U.S. Dept. of Ed. Resources
• Student Center
• Placement Center
• Education Reference Desk
• Organizations
• Teaching with Technology
• School Librarian
• Juvenile Justice
• Teaching Resources - September 11
• Teaching Resources - Iraq War
• Teaching Resources - Terrorism
• Teaching Resources - Elementary School
• Teaching Resources - Middle School
• Teaching Resources - High School
• Teaching Resources - Science

By Subject

• Archaeology
• Art & Art History
• Astronomy
• Biology
• Chemistry
• Classical Studies
• English Studies
• Foreign Language Studies
• History
• The Holocaust
• Language Studies
• Mathematics
• Medieval History
• Microbiology
• Physics
• Political Science
• Psychology
• Statistics
• U.S. History

General Information About Education Degree Programs

Teaching in public schools requires a bachelorís degree and completion of an approved education program, as well as supervised teaching sessions and certification. Private schools do not have all of the same requirements, since the government does not operate them. Education specializations include teaching those with special needs, adult education programs, bilingual and physical education.

Bachelor Of Education Degree

A Bachelor of Education degree is the necessary undergraduate degree in order to teach. This degree is usually in conjunction with another bachelorís degree or a double major in the subject the student wants to teach.

Education Degree Coursework

The coursework for becoming a teacher is mainly pedagogical, focusing on educational theory. Learning about the subject can change and is often more broad as an undergraduate. For example, if a student decides he wants to teach English instead of psychology, he may have to take a few courses in the humanities field.

Training for teaching in the classroom usually comes after earning the bachelorís degree, since students need to take a year or so to student teach, observe and act as a teacher in the classroom. Other courses are a combination of social sciences, psychology and sociology, such as child development, child and adolescent psychology, education leadership, cognition and instruction, human development, quantitative methodology, learning disabilities, behavioral disorders and multicultural special education.

Earning A Degree At A School Of Education

Students usually attend a School of Education to earn this degree, which is a division within a university devoted to academia in education. These research-based programs offer Master of Arts, Master of Education, Doctor of Philosophy or Doctor of Education degrees in addition to teacher-education programs and teacher certification or licensure programs for undergraduates.

Coursework is primarily about teacher preparation and instruction, along with curriculum, public policy, counseling and pedagogy. Some notable schools for education degrees include Harvard University, UCLA, UC Berkeley, Northwestern University, Columbia University, the University of Wisconsin at Madison, New York University and University of Kansas.

Masters Of Education Degree

Students can earn a Masters of Education degree, which involves learning methods, management and evaluation. This kind of degree often focuses in a specialized field, such as preparation for counselors, educational administration, guidance counseling, student affairs, adult education or continuing work until earning a Ph.D. Masters of Education degrees also can focus on one subject in more detail and it is especially useful for teachers who want to advance their career and certification. Anyone who wants to teach or work in a postsecondary educational institution should look into Masters of Education programs.

Doctorate Of Education Degree

A Doctor of Education degree or D.Ed. is necessary for administrative and specialized positions in an educational institution. D.Ed. candidates must finish all coursework and a thesis, usually concerning pedagogical theory, research methods and applying education theory into classroom practices. This kind of degree is necessary for those who want to become administrators in postsecondary institutions, such as a career as a university dean.

Doctorate Of Philosophy Degree For Education

A Ph.D. in Education focuses on practice and theory of teaching and learning as well as administration and support. Students train in instructional design and curricula development while developing educational leadership skills and research approaches so they can contribute to the dynamic field of pedagogy.

Earning An Education Degree Online

The availability of education degrees online has made it easier in recent years to advance a career. Since online degrees are accessible from anywhere in the world and work well for people with busy schedules or a full-time job, earning a higher degree will help progress an education career to the next level while providing students with the convenience of learning from home. Students considering an online degree program can also try to find a university that offers courses online.

Certification For Teachers

In order to teach in the classroom, students must pass certification tests. Nearly every state requires a bachelorís degree before being eligible to take tests reflecting subject matter competency and basic skills exam. Ambitious teachers who plan to move out-of-state should look into national certification. Those who are interested will need to send in video footage of teaching and answer subject questions related to their breadth of content knowledge.

Career Opportunities In Education

While the most obvious career choice for someone studying education is becoming a teacher, a degree in education opens the door to a wide range of job prospects. Besides teaching at any level, like preschool, kindergarten, elementary school, middle school, junior high and high school, education degree graduates can pursue careers in a specialized field of teaching, such as special education, physical education or teaching English as a second language.

Other careers for those with a degree in education include a counselor, career counselor, education researcher or textbook writer. Those who pursue higher postsecondary degrees should consider administrative work as a principal, assistant principal, dean, superintendent or college faculty member.

Earning Potential For Education Careers

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, K-12 grade level teachers held around 3.4 million jobs, with 1.9 million in elementary schools and 1.4 million in secondary schools, with an expected growth rate of 10 to 20 percent. The demand for teachers in inner cities and rural areas is high, while jobs in suburban regions are very competitive. There is also a shortage of teachers in mathematics, science, computer science and bilingual education.

Unfortunately, teachersí salaries are notoriously low, with median annual earning for elementary and secondary school ranging from $39,330 to $41,400. However, most people looking towards a career in teaching are not that concerned about pay. Certain specialty fields pay more, while the level of education and years spent teaching also factor into salary. Special education teachers can make up to $59,000, whereas the median salary for a school principal is $73,536.