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General
Joined: 09 Sep 2003
Location: in the dog house
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 Posted: Sat Sep 13, 2003 7:23 am Post subject: Re: M.A. Opens Doors |
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| TECO wrote: |
| General wrote: |
| ...it's usually indicated on the transcripts or student record. |
General:
The University of Southern Queensland does not indicate on either the transcripts or the degree if courses were completed through distance format.
They make no mention of this whatsoever.
TECO may call the University and verify attendance and that's about it.
I can say that TECO calls the school.
They will also check immigration records in the country that you studied along with requesting photocopies of your passport. |
please don't get me wrong, however, the university at which i'm employed did do a verification check on my credentials and discovered that my first ma was done in house and my second ma partially via distance. the coordinator informed me that the university preferred instructors with diplomas done wholly in house and that distance diplomas were considered, and i quote, "suspect and second rate." since i earned my first ma from a reputable university in canada they gladly hired me.
my point is this, i feel that in class experience can be more valuable than any practicum offered in an esl training program(tesl/tesol); on the other hand, close analysis and in-class observation by experienced professors leads to constructive advice and practical training that will benefit any potential esl teacher in the long run. the university that you mention has a great reputation, however, presently there are way to many unscrupulous, �fly by night� online universities which exist for nothing more than to �make a quick buck� at the expense of wishful, na�ve students. |
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Ryst Helmut
Joined: 26 Apr 2003
Location: In search of the elusive signature...
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| Posted: Mon Sep 15, 2003 9:04 pm Post subject: Re: Um |
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| TECO wrote: |
| Anda wrote: |
| ...My thinking is that you learn by self study but you need access to material (library) and sounding boards (professors etc). |
Anda, I totally agree with you.
Come on, I can't imagine a more IDEAL SITUATION!!!
Teaching EFL while earning and M.A. in TESOL or Applied Linguistics.
Those who believe othewise have their heads in the sand.
Teaching and earning one of these relevant degrees is an ideal set up where practice meets theory. |
TECO,
Yes, that is ideal, however, the problem with us being so far away we lose quality (by not having access to additional lit./professors/students, et cetera).
I will be finishing my MA in Ap. Lin back in the States, where I will be teaching part-time at the university's language institute (multi-cultural classes) as well as in public schools (for licensure) and the univ. will also 'hook' me up with other teaching possibilities ('pro-bono,' of course). This kind of situation, I believe, is better than my classes of only one ethnicity...anyone who believes otherwise has their head in the sand.
I completed 15 credits on-line and did summer intensives in America on campus.....Night and Day, I say...at least, I got so much more by being 'there.'
Shoosh,
Ryst |
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TECO
Joined: 20 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Tue Sep 16, 2003 7:31 am Post subject: |
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RH:
I'm sure that your, 'being there' has helped you become a better ESL'er. |
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Ryst Helmut
Joined: 26 Apr 2003
Location: In search of the elusive signature...
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| Posted: Tue Sep 16, 2003 8:58 pm Post subject: |
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| TECO wrote: |
RH:
I'm sure that your, 'being there' has helped you become a better ESL'er. |
Absolutely, having been teaching in a non-native English speaking environment has surely helped be me a better teacher. However, I mean that there is a definite difference in the quality of education I get when AT my univ. with all my sounding boards and what not, versus on-line education...
Ideally, a student would have a couple years of experience in different settings, attend uni on campus while able to practice on a multi-cultural classroom.
Shoosh,
Ryst |
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Keepongoing
Joined: 13 Feb 2003
Location: Korea
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| Posted: Sun May 02, 2004 1:45 am Post subject: uhmmmmmm |
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Well, it is too late for me. I already went and did an on campus MA TESOL through a California State University.
This is what I believe:
If you are a good teacher before the MA TESOL, you will probably be a good teacher after the MA TESOL.
If you are a lousy teacher belore the MA TESOL, you will probably be a lousy teacher after the MA TESOL?
Just a guess.
As a teacher, I don't think it benefitted me that much.
I do work in a University alongside those with Bachelor degrees, in non-related fields, who are excellent teachers.
It does help to compensate for my impending geriatric state.
But I would do it gaian because it was fun being a student at 46. |
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desultude
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Location: Dangling my toes in the Persian Gulf
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| Posted: Sun May 02, 2004 1:57 am Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
General
please don't get me wrong, however, the university at which i'm employed did do a verification check on my credentials and discovered that my first ma was done in house and my second ma partially via distance. the coordinator informed me that the university preferred instructors with diplomas done wholly in house and that distance diplomas were considered, and i quote, "suspect and second rate." since i earned my first ma from a reputable university in canada they gladly hired me.
my point is this, i feel that in class experience can be more valuable than any practicum offered in an esl training program(tesl/tesol); on the other hand, close analysis and in-class observation by experienced professors leads to constructive advice and practical training that will benefit any potential esl teacher in the long run. the university that you mention has a great reputation, however, presently there are way to many unscrupulous, 밼ly by night?online universities which exist for nothing more than to 뱈ake a quick buck?at the expense of wishful, na?e students.
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I have been following this thread with interest because I want to get an M.A. either in Applied LInguistics or De. TESOL. I've been considering the usual options. I already have an M.A., and ABD, but not in English. Now I am thinking about getting a degree in residence in the Phillipines or Thailand. As a second M.A., would that be considered okay? I think that it is key that this would be my second M.A. Am I being naively optimistic? |
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TECO
Joined: 20 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Sun May 02, 2004 9:28 pm Post subject: |
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M.A.
Last edited by TECO on Sun May 02, 2004 9:29 pm; edited 2 times in total |
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TECO
Joined: 20 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Sun May 02, 2004 9:28 pm Post subject: |
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| Ryst Helmut wrote: |
Absolutely, having been teaching in a non-native English speaking environment has surely helped be me a better teacher. However, I mean that there is a definite difference in the quality of education I get when AT my univ. with all my sounding boards and what not, versus on-line education...
Ideally, a student would have a couple years of experience in different settings, attend uni on campus while able to practice on a multi-cultural classroom.
Shoosh,
Ryst |
Ryst, I still disagree with you - studying via distance while teaching is much bettter than studing on-campus.
Many of my on-campus students were talking about the advantages of teaching while studying part time. In fact, at my school some of the classes were taught so poorly, studying via distance would have been much better.
We needed to conduct surveys of EFL learners - we had limited access t ESL students on-campus. ESL students started to complain with all the attention they were getting.
We needed to administer an exam for Language Testing - guess what! No students.
Studying via distance education while teaching is the best way to go for TEFL'ers doing an M.A.
And, as a footnote, NO you don't really become a better teacher.
"APPLIED" Linguistics is a contradiction - still waaay tooo much theory and not enough practice - in fact NO practice if you're on campus!
Do a CELTA or DELTA if you want to learn how to actually teach. |
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shawner88
Joined: 01 Feb 2003
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| Posted: Sun May 02, 2004 9:35 pm Post subject: |
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| TECO wrote: |
M.A.
Last edited by TECO on Mon May 03, 2004 5:29 am; edited 2 times in total |
This cracked me up for some reason. You edited that twice? |
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Scott in HK
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Location: now in Incheon..haven't changed my name yet
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| Posted: Sun May 02, 2004 11:04 pm Post subject: |
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I am doing a different course than a TESOL or Linguistic degree, but I can certainly say that my degree has given the knowledge of how to become a better teacher. I have tried to make sure that every unit I took within my M'Ed related directly to teaching.
I know far more about how people learn to read and write (both L1 and L2) and I learned a lot about metacognitive strategies. I have been able to apply my knowledge to the classroom; and if I wasn't constrained by the curriculum set by my school, I am sure I could do some real good in my school. |
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Ryst Helmut
Joined: 26 Apr 2003
Location: In search of the elusive signature...
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| Posted: Mon May 03, 2004 6:25 pm Post subject: |
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| TECO wrote: |
| Ryst Helmut wrote: |
Absolutely, having been teaching in a non-native English speaking environment has surely helped be me a better teacher. However, I mean that there is a definite difference in the quality of education I get when AT my univ. with all my sounding boards and what not, versus on-line education...
Ideally, a student would have a couple years of experience in different settings, attend uni on campus while able to practice on a multi-cultural classroom.
Shoosh,
Ryst |
Ryst, I still disagree with you - studying via distance while teaching is much bettter than studing on-campus.
Many of my on-campus students were talking about the advantages of teaching while studying part time. In fact, at my school some of the classes were taught so poorly, studying via distance would have been much better.
We needed to conduct surveys of EFL learners - we had limited access t ESL students on-campus. ESL students started to complain with all the attention they were getting.
We needed to administer an exam for Language Testing - guess what! No students.
Studying via distance education while teaching is the best way to go for TEFL'ers doing an M.A.
And, as a footnote, NO you don't really become a better teacher.
"APPLIED" Linguistics is a contradiction - still waaay tooo much theory and not enough practice - in fact NO practice if you're on campus!
Do a CELTA or DELTA if you want to learn how to actually teach. |
I guess the operative phrase would be to attend a 'worthwhile univ.'...one that can cater to the demands of TESOL field.
All the problems you had were not indicative of of the traditional classroom setup. At my university, we've a language institute that caters to some several hundred LEP students, not to mention all the connections they pair us up with outside of the university. Luckily for me, my experience has landed me an adjunct position at my univ., and so have more access than a 'typical student.' However, the other students have by far ample contact with non-native English speaking students. I also teach a course designed especially for professionals (which is sweet, as they serve for a good portion of my thesis). I've had such a good turn-out of volunteers (LEP Ss), that I get to pick and choose for all assignments/research.
I'm in an office where I am the least educated and least experienced instructor by far...the learning from them alone is immense. It is through these educators that I've learned of a slew of pedagogical mistakes I made while in Korea (and current errors being touted as 'the way' by some people/systems in SK). I don't think I would have learned this had I just read the texts my courses mandated, or by DL.
You're right, my experience in SK was extremely helpful, and will most likely serve as a basis for much of my research.
If your choices are between a half-ass univ. (on campus), and a DL univ., then choose the DL program....as you stated, for you it was better.
Shoosh,
Ryst |
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TECO
Joined: 20 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Tue May 04, 2004 5:52 pm Post subject: |
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Ryst,
That sounds fine, but just make sure you don't get 'brain washed' in the process ((laughing)).
Good luck in your studies! |
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Ryst Helmut
Joined: 26 Apr 2003
Location: In search of the elusive signature...
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| Posted: Tue May 04, 2004 6:00 pm Post subject: |
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| TECO wrote: |
Ryst,
That sounds fine, but just make sure you don't get 'brain washed' in the process ((laughing)).
Good luck in your studies! |
You're right...it may happen, after all, I am attending a program that is longer than 2 semesters.
Shoosh,
Ryst |
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Son Deureo!
Joined: 30 Apr 2003
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| Posted: Wed May 05, 2004 3:50 am Post subject: |
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| Ryst Helmut wrote: |
It is through these educators that I've learned of a slew of pedagogical mistakes I made while in Korea (and current errors being touted as 'the way' by some people/systems in SK). I don't think I would have learned this had I just read the texts my courses mandated, or by DL.
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Would you mind elaborating on what some of these mistakes were? Especially the errors being touted as "the way". Just curious. |
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Ryst Helmut
Joined: 26 Apr 2003
Location: In search of the elusive signature...
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| Posted: Wed May 05, 2004 11:44 am Post subject: |
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| Son Deureo! wrote: |
| Ryst Helmut wrote: |
It is through these educators that I've learned of a slew of pedagogical mistakes I made while in Korea (and current errors being touted as 'the way' by some people/systems in SK). I don't think I would have learned this had I just read the texts my courses mandated, or by DL.
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Would you mind elaborating on what some of these mistakes were? Especially the errors being touted as "the way". Just curious. |
Well, went to my state's annual TESOL conference, and attended one lecture (only 45 min.) about the 'English only' policy used in some institutions. I can't recall off hand who she cited, but I can find the bibliography of the speaker's empirical evidence and what she found during her research (a Korean Ph.D student, btw). Boiled down, she said English only classrooms were debilitating learners....yaddy ya, and that when she was an English teacher in Korea she applied English only in her classes, only to find out later in her studies that she was wrong. She commented that she was so proud that her classes were English only, and that the school chain she worked for promoted this idea.
Which school? Dunno, didn't care to ask, but I've seen it at several schools in my (when in Korea) area.
I had read things about English only classrooms, and the possible negative attributes it has, but never really did much reading on it. It wasn't until the lecturer listed umpteen experts who believed it was bad, and showed her findings, did it all seem to fit.
There are other things, but this sticks out as I was just at the conference.
Shoosh,
Ryst |
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