After 9 years of teaching, I’d like to go ahead and get my masters in ESL because I have a good opportunity teaching at a college, but lack this one crucial prerequisite.
Can anyone recommend a good US program that’s cheapt? I hate to sound mercennary, but my goal is simply to get the damn thing; I can’t imagine it’ll make a big difference in my teaching ability, since I’m already a pretty kickass teacher! Hehe.
I would appreciate either specific recommendations or a good reference of US programs. Also, if you have any comments on what doing an online Masters is like, I’d appreciate that too. I have no idea whatsoever what kind of work this entails.
I’d approach this with caution. What exactly are you expecting this degree to get you? Currently, the MOE does not accept graduate degrees earned on-line or at distance as legal qualifications for faculty positions at the post-secondary level. Are you sure that an on-line master’s degree will get you the position you want?
you won’t get a full time position with an online graduate degree. the MOE doesn’t accept them.[/quote]
I’m glad to hear that. :bravo:
I receive spam every day from the so-called University of Phoenix and DeVrie University. I don’t have much faith in the idea of online education. Even if some such institutions strive to be reputable, really do impose obligations on the students other than paying a fee, and there were some way of confirming that the student really did the work and not someone else, if people start accepting such diplomas as legitimate it seems a slippery slope between them and every spam-generating sham diploma-mill. Not that all class-room diplomas reflect much real instruction, study and testing either, but there’s a far greater likelihood the diploma is phony if it was purchased online.
I am enrolled in a Masters Program from the University of Phoenix. I did all the checking to make sure it was on the up and up. The UoP degree is fine…it is as good as any. The classes are very intense…I have an 8,000 word paper due in two weeks. I have to go to class every day and do as much work as any other masters program.
[quote=“Mother Theresa”][quote=“xtrain_01”]I’ll second the warning.
you won’t get a full time position with an online graduate degree. the MOE doesn’t accept them.[/quote]
I’m glad to hear that. :bravo:
I receive spam every day from the so-called University of Phoenix and DeVrie University. I don’t have much faith in the idea of online education. Even if some such institutions strive to be reputable, really do impose obligations on the students other than paying a fee, and there were some way of confirming that the student really did the work and not someone else, if people start accepting such diplomas as legitimate it seems a slippery slope between them and every spam-generating sham diploma-mill. Not that all class-room diplomas reflect much real instruction, study and testing either, but there’s a far greater likelihood the diploma is phony if it was purchased online.[/quote]
MT, while we’re all aware of the ‘buy a degree’ phenomenon I think it’s a bit unfair of you to dismiss the whole idea of distance learning.
The Open University in the UK has been offering degree courses for decades that are accepted as being every bit as good as qualifications from places that require your attendance. While the MoE doesn’t recognise such qualifications, a great many employers see a distance degree as evidence of an employee’s hard work and commitment. After all, holding down a full-time job and earning a genuine degree at the same time is not easy.
Many UK universities now offer distance degrees, and TESOL is one of the most popular. (It takes a few years though.) In fact, almost all recognised qualifications in the UK can be earned through self-study, from high school onwards. The development of the internet as a tool for the dissemination of information has made it a lot easier for motivated individuals world-wide to study ‘at’ the institution of their choice at a schedule that suits them. Eventually the MoE will have to face the fact that distance learning is valid if conducted by real educational organisations.
Does the Taiwan immigration service refuse to accept passports as evidence of your identity, on the grounds that some countries will sell them to just about anybody? Most of the real degrees being waved around today are pretty worthless anyway. Discriminating against one earned online is rather silly.
[quote=“Mother Theresa”]
Not that all class-room diplomas reflect much real instruction, study and testing either, but there’s a far greater likelihood the diploma is phony if it was purchased online.[/quote]
Getting a diploma on-line makes sense if one is working and has a family. There is no way I could go back to school if I had to attend a on-site campus.
I am purchasing a diploma is a sense…with a lot of work, money, grief, and time spent away from my family.
Do I like it? No, I hate it. I hate going to school…school never really taught me anything before and it isn’t teaching me anything new now. But I do it for two reasons.
1.) It will help me when I move back to the States.
2.) I refuse to get complacent while in Taiwan. Too many people devolve during their stay here and that ain’t gonna happen to me.
To chime in here -
re:University of Phoenix -
The University of Phoenix is a recognise educational institute in the USA. They have “bricks and mortar” buildings and campuses in several cities - most notably in Orange county Cali - a very nice campus. Their on-line learning programs are also recognized as legitamate.
I personally abhor the politics of the owner of UofP, but that doesm not change their accredidation recognition.
re:DeVry -
DeVry is a recognized “Trade or Technical” School located through-out the USA. While Ihave no knowdledge of their online offerings, their graduates are well received in the technical areas of their expertise. Tis school has been around for 40+ yrs I think.
Also, many “normal” Universities do offer accredited online programs for transferrable credit hours. The key here is the phrase “transferrable.” This means the hours meet University reqirements toward degree or program requirements. And thus are recognized at other Univeristies.
Same as if hours were complete on campus in a classrom.
my friend is doing U of Phx online graduate degree, and another one is doing online grad work from an Aussie school. they are both busy as hell, and need to focus attention on their studies everyday. but they do have the benefit of not having to go sit in a classroom, and they also focus on one course at a time, instead of 5 at once like i am.
i choose to go to school in taiwan. it’s intense as well, nothing like a cakewalk. numerous tests and papers. conference requirements. all classes are led by US PH.D holders. with the new baby, it’s even more difficult. i’ll say more when the first year is over and the restrictions are lessened (MOE restrictions on foreigners).
overall, i choose the program that i did after consulting with profs from back home. most of them recommended not doing online work, and suggested going to a physical building every week. not all of them agreed, but as it is not too far away, i can swing it. i like the discussions that come up in class as well, as i get to hear the perspective of actual EFL learners about trouble they had, not just read about them in a book.
personally, i think the taiwanese govt’s decision not to recognize online degrees has very little to do with their perceived merit - more likely they are afraid that all those students who want to get US/UK etc. degrees but don’t have enuf $$$ to physically go there will suddenly do it online. protectionism of the local universities, as it were. that being said, there are a lot of shysters out there - do your homework before you sign up for anything.
U of Phoenix and the other on-line programs discussed here provide legitimate degrees for their graduates. They are indicators of completion of a real education that has been assessed independently by experts. They are valued by some employers in Taiwan and around the world as worthwhile credentials. In many places in the world, you will find elementary, secondary, and tertiary educators who hold degrees earned on-line or at distance from such schools.
All of this has little to do with the utility of these degrees to qualify their holders for faculty positions in tertiary institutions in the ROC. Faculty at ROC universities are examined by the Ministry of Education. As of now, master’s degrees that do not require at least 8 months of on-campus study and PhDs that do not require more than 18 months of on-campus study are not accepted as legal qualifications during these examinations. With Taiwan’s entry into the WTO, this will have to change sometime in the future. When that will be is hard to say. But as of now, distance and on-line graduate degrees can not be used as qualifications for faculty positions.
[quote=“ScottSommers”]
All of this has little to do with the utility of these degrees to qualify their holders for faculty positions in tertiary institutions in the ROC. Faculty at ROC universities are examined by the Ministry of Education. As of now, master’s degrees that do not require at least 8 months of on-campus study and PhDs that do not require more than 18 months of on-campus study are not accepted as legal qualifications during these examinations. With Taiwan’s entry into the WTO, this will have to change sometime in the future. When that will be is hard to say. But as of now, distance and on-line graduate degrees can not be used as qualifications for faculty positions.[/quote]
If someone has a brick-and-mortar master’s degree in an unrelated field, could this qualify for the examinations?
Is the situation any different if someone also had an online degree in an appropriate field?
If you want a bit of paper, go ahead, get the online degree, yet it may be cheaper to buy one from Kao San road etc. However, if you want the knowledge, go to uni. Be surrounded by like minded people, learn from the environment, take time from work. Getting an education, means putting the time in. I did my MSc at the age of 32 in the UK. It was a great year. A year spent learning. No regrets. I still am a bad speller though.
[quote=“stevens”]If you want a bit of paper, go ahead, get the online degree, yet it may be cheaper to buy one from Kao San road etc. However, if you want the knowledge, go to uni. Be surrounded by like minded people, learn from the environment, take time from work. Getting an education, means putting the time in. I did my MSc at the age of 32 in the UK. It was a great year. A year spent learning. No regrets. I still am a bad speller though.
[quote=“stevens”]If you want a bit of paper, go ahead, get the online degree, yet it may be cheaper to buy one from Kao San road etc. However, if you want the knowledge, go to uni. Be surrounded by like minded people, learn from the environment, take time from work. Getting an education, means putting the time in. I did my MSc at the age of 32 in the UK. It was a great year. A year spent learning. No regrets. I still am a bad speller though.
[/quote]
While I agree that actually being in the classroom is preferrable…any focused learning is good for the mind. If the online courses are heavily regulated and monitored by serious professors and Grad TAs…then I don’t see a problem. Actually I think it’s much much harder to study online…as lots of time may be wasted going off on a train of thought only to have it hulksmashed into bits in an email.
While I agree that actually being in the classroom is preferrable…any focused learning is good for the mind. If the online courses are heavily regulated and monitored by serious professors and Grad TAs…then I don’t see a problem. Actually I think it’s much much harder to study online…as lots of time may be wasted going off on a train of thought only to have it hulksmashed into bits in an email.[/quote]
Atcually we don’t use email…we log on to a site pretty much like here and follow threads. There is an on-line library and a place for resources.
And yes, we are taught by professors and Grad TAs. The prof I have right now is working on her PhD.
While I agree that actually being in the classroom is preferrable…any focused learning is good for the mind. If the online courses are heavily regulated and monitored by serious professors and Grad TAs…then I don’t see a problem. Actually I think it’s much much harder to study online…as lots of time may be wasted going off on a train of thought only to have it hulksmashed into bits in an email.[/quote]
Atcually we don’t use email…we log on to a site pretty much like here and follow threads. There is an on-line library and a place for resources.
And yes, we are taught by professors and Grad TAs. The prof I have right now is working on her PhD.[/quote]
cool…I’ll have to check into that…
as long as the coursework is more intellectutal and less practyical application, like diving or surgery…I can’t see a problem with it. It may actually be better than a classroom in a way, in that the people will do their best when they post, instead of random idiotic thoughts that somethimes pass from the lips of grad students.
While I agree that actually being in the classroom is preferrable…any focused learning is good for the mind. If the online courses are heavily regulated and monitored by serious professors and Grad TAs…then I don’t see a problem. Actually I think it’s much much harder to study online…as lots of time may be wasted going off on a train of thought only to have it hulksmashed into bits in an email.[/quote]
Atcually we don’t use email…we log on to a site pretty much like here and follow threads. There is an on-line library and a place for resources.
And yes, we are taught by professors and Grad TAs. The prof I have right now is working on her PhD.[/quote]
cool…I’ll have to check into that…
as long as the coursework is more intellectutal and less practyical application, like diving or surgery…I can’t see a problem with it. It may actually be better than a classroom in a way, in that the people will do their best when they post, instead of random idiotic thoughts that somethimes pass from the lips of grad students.[/quote]
I have classes in both theory and practice. I am doing the Action Research class right now.
I have so much stuff do on Monday…needless to say, my weekend is fucked.