Five Good Reasons to Get a Masters Degree in Curriculum and Instruction

A master's degree in Curriculum & Instruction offers you the chance to learn the latest techniques to improve and enhance student learning. Learning is a lifelong process and for individuals working in traditional as well as non-traditional education and learning fields that want to build up their teaching skills. A master's degree in Curriculum and Instruction will provide you with the opportunity to discover stimulating new research, techniques, and methods to educate and also greatly enhance individual learning.

Conventional class room educators, corporate and business trainers, recruiting professionals, as well as program coordinators must be able to educate students, colleagues, and staff efficiently. A degree in Curriculum and Instruction will give you the skills you need to apply these techniques in both the educational field and corporate context.

You don't need to have a teaching certificate to enroll in these programs. Most Curriculum and Instruction programs will teach you the latest theories and methods to engage listeners and increase your personal value as an instructor.

Other areas of study in these kinds of programs include educational design & development, strategies for learning evaluation, as well as integrating technology which can all be applied to an extensive variety of settings.

Here are 5 additional good reasons to get a masters Degree in Curriculum and Instruction:

1. It will provide you with the background to create curricula that enables good teachers and their students to flourish.

2. A Masters in C & I is designed for seasoned teachers who would like to enhance their careers. It will bring educators up to date in the most up-to-date concepts of knowledge acquisition in addition to the latest teaching techniques. Educators who pursue this degree frequently continue on to different professions within the educational field, like instructional coordinators and educational administrators.

3. An MA will help you take your career to the next level making you a stellar teaching professional. Standard training for this type of degree may consist of classes such as the Theory of Curriculum, Mechanics of Curricular Changes, Concepts of Curriculum Enhancement, Study of Academic Linguistics, Latest Topics regarding Instructional Computing just to name a few.

4. It will improve your understanding of curricula and exactly how they are produced. You are going to examine the thought behind development along with the history of how the theories evolved. In addition, you will learn to improve upon the curricula that you are accustomed to.

5. Most individuals who go after a master's degree in Curriculum and Instruction are currently educators that are interested in furthering their career or considering pursuing a career in other fields of education. This is a way they separate themselves from their peers.

A master's degree in Curriculum and Instruction will go a long way towards improving your knowledge of curricula and how they are formulated. They are designed for those special teaching professionals who don't want to stagnate and choose to enhance their teaching abilities in order to better educate their students and of course themselves.

You should never stop learning. The world is evolving everyday, unemployment is high, so education is key. We should all be constantly learning to improve ourselves and offer more to the world.

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A Guide to Choosing a Math Curriculum

Deciding on a math curriculum can be one of the most challenging things facing those new to homeschooling. It's no secret that teaching math is one of the big fears for people thinking about homeschooling. In fact, if you research homeschool terms on the web, you will find that "homeschool math curriculum" is perhaps the most regularly employed search terms on the web! Obviously there's a demand for folks looking for the proper math curriculum. So, what are the things you'll want to consider when evaluating the various math curriculum available?

What's Your Child's Learning Style?

One of the initial things I would suggest is to Know Your Child. Now this probably seems pretty elementary since as a general rule we're homeschooling our very own children. But what I really mean is having a genuine grasp of what your student's learning style is. You will find several different math curriculum out there that employ varying educational philosophies. So recognizing your student's natural learning style is essential in determining the very best math curriculum for them. What are the main learning styles? Well, you will discover three. Visual Learners, Auditory Learners and Kinesthetic (or Tactile) Learners.

Visual Learners learn through seeing. Such things as pictures, diagrams, whiteboard drawings, etc. will be far more successful for those who process information visually.

Auditory learners learn via listening. Auditory learners find learning environments most successful when they involve lecture, dialogue, listening along with the opportunity to verbalize while they digest facts.

Do you have a child or student that is always fiddling with something when you try to teach them? Likelihood is they are a Kinesthetic or Tactile learner. This way of learning finds a learning environment most successful when it allows for hand's on activity and exploring the physical world. Kinesthetic learners find it very stressful if they can't do something active for a lengthy time and will need activity incorporated into their studies.

So what does that have to do with a homeschool math curriculum? Well you will discover a variety of homeschool math curriculum resources out there to suit every learning style. Begin by evaluating what math curriculum has the features that meet the needs of your student's style, for instance manipulatives, books with pictures and diagrams, instructional videos, CDs, flash cards, etc. Just what are the workbooks, notebooks and textbooks like and will they be suitable to your student in line with their style?

Curriculum Teaching Method

Your 2nd primary factor in choosing a math curriculum is the teaching philosophy. The way in which math was taught up until recently was by utilizing a method referred to as mastery and there's a good chance this is how you studied math. The mastery method is basically an approach of teaching where students master 1 concept just before moving on to another level. A more modern educational philosophy is the spiral approach, sometimes known as "fuzzy math" in which new concepts are introduced simultaneously and students eventually grasp concepts as they go. The concept behind the spiral approach is that the activity of learning is what's important as opposed to memorization and concept mastery. A lot of homeschool curriculum will use a combination of the two with an emphasis on mastering concepts, while at the same time introducing new concepts into lessons whilst incorporating many review questions that reiterate previously learned concepts. Whilst the spiral math technique appears to dominate today's public education, there's a compelling body of study out there that argues that the mastery technique is far more successful in producing children which are confident and proficient in mathematics.

The Teacher's Style

Thirdly, you also need to think through your teaching style in addition to your knowledge of the subject. Is math challenging for you or have you got a strong background in math concepts and are you comfortable teaching the subject? If you're 1 of those for which math has constantly been a challenge, you can find lots of math curriculum available which will assist you, either with a compressive teachers manual or, even better, with instructional DVDs. DVD and video based curriculum are excellent tools to help you provide instructor based learning in cases where the subject is not your strong suit. Maybe you're one who likes math and who is really comfortable teaching math. 1 of the great benefits of homeschooling is that you might have the ability to use various curriculum to fit your student and you can customize curriculum. Up to here, I've focused much more on those that actually require a curriculum to help with math education. But if you're one who is comfortable teaching math, bear in mind that a curriculum is simply a guide and not something you need to rigidly adhere to. Your child or student's education will be much more determined by you than by the curriculum you make use of. A teacher who understands their student's learning styles and aptitudes can take even a mediocre curriculum and make a great encounter out of it. If math's not your factor, then yes your curriculum selection will probably be much more critical, but here's a word of advice. Even if math is tough for you, do not assume it will be tough for your youngsters. A lot of homeschool parents have created self-fulfilling prophecies by talking about how hard math is and how they are not great at it.

Keep in mind, as a homeschool parent one of our roles is to encourage our youngsters and students. An encouraging word and an attitude of "we're in this together" can make all of the difference between a student who gives up and 1 who learns and uses mathematics throughout their lives.

Successful Home Education - 5 Suggestions

When people first think about homeschooling their kids, the task can appear overwhelming. Numerous moms question if they truly can homeschool. Frequently, the prevailing mind-set in today's world tends to be that education is most appropriately provided by the "experts" inside the government and private schools, but this is absolutely incorrect. Parents can supply an outstanding education with academically excellent standards and are normally the best suited to teach their own children since they know them far better than just about anyone else.

For anybody contemplating home education, there are various steps that you need to take to get ready. Some of the benefits of homeschooling are it's overall flexibility, adaptability and tailored approach to education. Nonetheless that doesn't suggest that you ought to jump into homeschooling without careful planning and thought about what's involved in home educating your kids.

Commit to Homeschool

The initial thing inside the journey of home education would be to make a commitment to homeschooling. I know this seems basic, but homeschooling isn't some thing that is just an add-on to raising youngsters. It is genuinely a life-changing decision. If you are unsure about it, then there's nothing wrong with holding out and learning more prior to beginning. You should talk to others that are homeschooling and get feedback from both those that are just starting out as well as experienced homeschoolers. You will find their guidance and wisdom will be useful in making your decision. Attend local support groups or cover school group meetings to understand necessary requirements and the numerous activities and resources offered. Make certain you and your spouse are both committed to homeschooling. Whilst homeschooling might be one of the most fulfilling experiences of your life, it also comes with challenges and difficulties, and both partners must support one another. Like a wise planner, count the cost and be sure that you believe in home education prior to jumping in.

Be aware of the Regulations

Second, know the rules about home schooling in your state and municipality. Yes, homeschooling is legal in each state, nevertheless laws about home education differ from state to state and in some cases between localities. Your own state could have particular homeschool statutes or home education may possibly be addressed in compulsory education regulations. Be familiar with what the educational requirements are. For instance there may possibly be regulations about attendance required, regulations that affect curriculum, certain requirements of teachers, grading and attendance reports and oversight by a cover school or umbrella school. Your local homeschool support group will have data on laws and regulations. Additionally, the Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) is a fantastic source of regulatory info, including totally free state by state summaries of the relevant laws and regulations.

What's Your Educational Style?

You will need to pick a method to homeschooling. One of the greatest rewards of home education is the ability to pick your own philosophy of education and pick a style as well as a homeschool curriculum that uniquely fits your youngsters. Those new to home education may well not be aware of the a variety of strategies or approaches to education, nonetheless there are lots of resources available online to get familiar with the a variety of approaches. Examples include the conventional approach, the classical education approach, the Charlotte Mason method, the eclectic approach and what's called "unschooling."

Choose a Homeschool Curriculum

Pick the homeschool curriculum that's suitable for you. Homeschooling nowadays isn't what it was in the past. You will find quite a few wonderful, high quality curriculum resources on the market now that no matter what your school of thought or approach to schooling is, there will likely be something suitable for you. Homeschool curriculum runs from complete, pre-packaged kits that include all the resources that you need for both students and instructors to very specific resources for specific subjects that may be custom tailored to suite the unique requirements of your student. The growth of web based and interactive curriculum delivers even more wonderful resources to homeschoolers. The wealth of high quality curriculum,along with the availability of successful teacher resources, means that you'll be able to find the resources you'll want to effectively home school your kids even through high school.

Find A Support Group

Finally, get involved with a local support group. You've heard it said that, "it takes a village to raise a child." Well, it takes a community of support to successfully home educate. Whether or not you're required to be in a cover school, make sure you've got a support group. Along with basic issues like organizing field trips and providing details about local events and homeschool resources, you will find the relationships and encouragement to be helpful in your homeschool journey. It's frequently by means of local support groups that it is possible to learn about the different curriculum people are making use of and gain useful ideas about what's working for diverse individuals in different circumstances. Whatever the challenge or difficulty you come upon, you will find other people who have already been through it before you and can help support you along the way.

Yes, We Can Do It!

Home education is a whole family commitment and isn't something that ought to be taken lightly. It is a journey that will be filled with struggles in your own home and could be misinterpreted by people outside your household. Even so it is a pathway that can be one of probably the most worthwhile activities of your life and can have a powerful impact on your family members for generations. Yes, homeschooling can seem overwhelming early on, but with numerous resources available today, committed parents can indeed offer an excellent education for their children.