Five Unconventional Courses for Master’s in Technology

In this era of unprecedented growth and increasing acceptance of unconventionality in almost every field, the students love to go for newer courses and make a career in it. So, I have come up with few courses which are generally viewed as unconventional, but have become increasingly popular among the millennials. Let us discuss their merits, scope in future, etc.

Master’s in Engineering Technology Leadership

This course is a specialization in the manufacturing strategies, agendas, quality control, restructuring of manufacturing technologies, among other things. Anyone with a bachelor’s degree in related technological fields such as industrial, manufacturing, production, etc. is eligible for the course. You can go for thesis, professional internship, or an independent research, depending upon your interests. The program is a perfect blend of the laboratory practical training as well as independent studies.

Master of Technology in Enterprise Business Analytics (M.Tech EBAC)

This course is specially designed for those students who are experts in the IT field but lack the academic credentials for making it big in their career. After pursuing this degree, the candidates can become the specialists in Business Analytics. A bachelor of science, mathematics, statistics, IT, business, is eligible to pursue this degree.

Master in Mobile Technology

The students will learn how to operate, design, develop and optimize the mobile applications, among whole lot of other things. It enables the students to have a better understanding of the industry needs and design the mobile apps accordingly. Rather than the theoretical knowledge, greater focus is upon the practical laboratory training. They develop the skills of problem solving and delivering results on time. Hence, they become industry-ready individuals.

Master’s in Technology Management

This course is ideal for the candidates who are graduates in technology like IT, computer science, etc. This course is designed to train the individuals in management skills required for moving ahead in their career. Be it you dream of being COO or CEO, this course will serve purpose in the best possible way. A relevant curriculum, experienced faculty, flexible program design are the hallmarks of this course. Hence, anyone expert in a technology who wants to further grow at the management levels must pursue masters in technology course. 

Yes, there is a Master’s degree in special education too!

As the name suggests, a Master’s degree in Special Education is designed for benefiting individuals who want to make a career in mentoring students with special needs. The degree focuses on educating students regarding the spectrum of disabilities and psychological factors that covers children of various ages. Students get in touch with teaching strategies and methods that make way for meaningful learning experiences for students.

                          

The Umbrella of special education covers interesting courses in human growth and development, psychology of education, special education assessment, strategies behind teaching special education, understanding emotional and behavioral disorders, understanding the laws related with disabilities, and applied behavior management. 

Most of these courses provide students with an opportunity to work with visually impaired and autistic children. Apart from this, students get to know the families of such children to come to terms with the perspectives of parents regarding the gamut of special education. A Master’sdegree in Special Education degree also prepares students for licensure, which is required by all 50 states in the U.S.

When it comes to choosing an institution that proffers Master’s degree in special Education, the accreditation of the institution should be a prime criteria. Accreditation points towards the supreme standards that an institution maintains in delivering quality post-secondary education. A college or university’s ranking can also play a catalyst in making students settle for a course. Many credible organizations rank schools based on numerous factors, like retention rate, faculty credentials, and financial aid programs.

It is highly advised that students opt for institutions that work with local schools to facilitate the participation of students in internships and give them tutoring experience too. The best online Masters in Special Education degree programs offer round the clock technical support and have minimal residency requirements.

The conventional career paths include early intervention specialist and special education coordinator. It is expected of them to efficiently design lesson plans complementing the specific needs of children that may vary from physical, mental, and emotional, to eventually teach them independent living skills

Master’s degree in Special Education offers salary that varies with location and experience. The median annual salary for special education teachers is around $53,000; for early intervention specialists $45,000; and for special education coordinator $55,000.

National Board Certification: Why Every Teaching Professional Is After It?

The profession of teaching is based on the zeal for a continuous learning. When it comes to professional development opportunities in the field of teaching, there is a mixed bag. Out of these, the most rewarding, and progressive is, applying for the National board teacher certification (NBTC). 

The performance centric post-standardization era has sky-rocketed the overall expectations from teachers all over. But ironically there are not enough trustworthy barometers that exist for an evaluation of a teacher’s performance. National Board Certification belongs to few of those barometers as it provides a solid framework for evaluating teachers. As good things never come easy, NBTC is acquired by the teachers through a rigorous process that includes expert evaluation, self-assessment, and peer reviews.

The process takes into consideration the five characteristics of accomplished teachers listed by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS). The validation of NBC expires after ten years. Teachers interested in renewal must begin the process during the eighth or ninth year of teaching. 

The process and benefits behind National Board Certification 

Fifteen years back, the process was rather tedious and involved a six portfolio entries, a reading list, and a long-winded test. Since then, the process has been reshaping itself and has finally come down to ten assessments the are scrutinized under the aegis of trained teachers, four portfolio entries, and six constructed response exercises that assess content knowledge.

Applicants need to choose a subject and development area in order to receive the portfolio requirements for the particular certificate. For example, the English Language Arts (ELA) certificate requires four portfolio entries that includes analyzing the quality of students’ writing skills, instructional analysis of Whole-Class and Small Groups that requires a submission of a 15 minute video from the applicant, and documented accomplishments which demonstrates the applicant's partnerships with students' families and community, and with other professionals.

Taking about the benefits of certification, there are many. First and foremost, it enriches the practice of teaching, diverts students towards the course of success, and serves as a definite proof of leadership skills. Also, as many states consider National Board Certification as an equivalent of state licensure, it facilitates a hassle free shifting of teachers from state to state. Teachers become eligible for receiving continuous credits for pursuing higher education. Some schools also provide fee reimbursement and an additional $3,000 for NBC status.

High School Educational Programs and Holiday Recommendations

The growth rate of students graduating from U.S. high school programs have been uniform from last four years. The U.S. department of Education has validated the fact in their yearly released preliminary educational data. According to that report, the overall high school graduation rate marked a high of 81 percent. So that means a splurging increase in college admissions! For many of our hard working high schoolers, this winter brake was an anxious stretch as they were more apprehensive about their college admissions. High school educational programs run a fully devised programs for their students so that they can easily deal with the bout of college anxiety. As many of the high school goers have already applied (and some of them already received their early conformation letters) to various universities and affiliated colleges across America, colleges are busy filling up their freshman seats with ecstatic students.

This admission process has made up most of the holiday time for the students with some of them eager and geared up for the beginning of the college year with their selected educational institute while others dealing with the rejection stress, hopes of enrollment into deferred colleges and looking for other best options.

To counsel the high school seniors to deal with their share of acceptance, rejection and deference here are few tips – 

Case 1 – Approved and Accepted

Many of the high school students apply early for college admissions and hence receive an early decision on the same. It’s more beneficial for both students and educational institute as well because it reduces the count of admission applications which the college (or university) has to review. Also, it gives an outline for general admissions to these institutions as they have their accepted student pool filled up. Most colleges receive an early admission application by 15^th October (or may be 1^st November) and the decision is out by December 15th.

It’s a great feat if your college application have been accepted but that doesn’t give you any reason to sit ideal. Here is why –

Students need to take care of their high school grades as they will not like to fall behind the expected grade scale of their college acceptance. Secondly, they must pull out other college applications in order to vacate spaces for other qualified applicants. 

Case 2 - Rejection

It’s all part of the process. Students should not waste their time patting over their regrets. The next wise thing they can do is to have an action plan i.e. get other best colleges on their list. With grades of first school semester, SAT and ACT landing up soon, it is time to sit and discuss with admission and school counselors, seniors and parents for an insight. Ponder over other diversified college option matching your interests and scores.

Case 3 – Deference

Nothing big to lose your heart on, in other words, you still have reasons to be hopeful but do not bet all your admission hopes on this. Remember there are hundreds or may be thousands of other students in the deferred list so it’s better you look over other options as well. To concrete your admission application to that deferred college, you can update your educational stats like fall grades, new achievements, and additional recommendations.