Spinoff thread on Education courses

[Dana]

From Moira's thread here

 

I'm curious how many of us have taken education courses and what our experiences were with them. (attempting a poll here... first time making a poll... ha.. got it to work... and yes, I know ridiculous is a loaded word, but that's how my graduate education courses were... I would be surprised if my son couldn't pass them now.)

Edited August 25, 2011 by Dana

[jenL]

I voted that I took graduate education courses and found them useful. I had some that were down-right HARD (educational stats/research and behavior management in the classroom are ringing a bell - this was 12 years ago), but I think it depends upon the professor and where you are getting your graduate degree as well. I went to a small, private college that is well-known in New England for its education programs.

 

A few of mine were fluff, but for the most part, they were challenging, required large amounts of analysis, and they forced me to reach beyond my comfort zone in order to be successful. I felt very prepared to step into teaching as we were required to do an extensive amount of time in the classroom every semsester prior to having to do our actual internship at the end of the program. They wanted to weed us out, and they did a good job of it. Fwiw, I managed to get a 4.0, but I worked for it (dh can attest to that as I practically abandoned him for 2 years while earning my M.Ed! :D).

 

It bothers me that grades are being inflated in some programs because it lessens the value of our degrees for those of us who have been in programs that don't coddle future teachers. :mad:

[thescrappyhomeschooler]

I didn't realize it wasn't a multiple choice poll. I have taken both undergraduate and graduate classes in education, and some were ridiculous, others were just not very challenging or informational.

[Word Nerd]

Other. I found most of them ridiculous, but some were useful—especially the ones where we got hands-on, practical experience teaching.

[Farrar]

I have a master's in education. I voted that the classes were ridiculous, but that's not my full experience. I started, after college, to get my teaching degree at a state university. Those ed classes were SO ridiculous that I was unable to finish. They were downright ludicrous. I had much harder and more serious courses in high school. There was even one course which was at an inconvenient time for me but I waited too long before realizing I should have dropped it. So I figured I would just take a loss on it and redo it later. Except... after not showing up or doing hardly any of the assignments and only taking one test... I got an A.

 

After that didn't work for me, I was convinced that the hoops one had to jump through for teaching certification were created to weed out all but the dumbest people and the people most willing to put up with idiotic bureaucracy without going nuts. However, I still wanted to teach. So I began a distance program at Goddard College. And *that* was actually valuable. I got my certification, went through the courses and was actually stimulated by my time there and my thesis research. I got a lot out of it.

 

Also, during my teaching career, I went to many wonderful, worthwhile, completely non-ridiculous continuing education seminars and courses on all kinds of topics. Though, that, too, gets a caveat. All the continuing ed I was required to do when I was in public schools was at least as inane as my original graduate work, if not more so.

[TechWife]

I took one education course - Education 101. It was my senior year, and I hate to say it, but i needed an easy A.

 

The prof even asked how many non-education majors were in the room for the easy course.

[myfunnybunch]

I voted that I took graduate ed courses and found them useful, but if the poll had been multiple choice, I'd also have chosen undergrad--useful and undergrad--ridiculous.

 

My courses for my master's program were very good and specific to my field of study, early childhood special ed. My undergrad courses were a mixed bag. Some were great. Music ed and a course on *teaching* math, for example. Some were ridiculous, like the entire term spent learning to use a laminator and overhead projector and the like, all of which I could have either figured out on my own, or found out in five minutes from someone who knew how to use the equipment.

 

Cat

[Scuff]

Thanks for the option for the rest of us. I like seeing the results without another click.

[Dana]

Didn't think of multiple choice. :blushing: Still... first poll & all...

 

I did some tutoring as an undergrad and learned that I was good at teaching & I really enjoyed it. Decided to get a MAT degree and attended a uni where I took graduate level courses in math and education and got credentialed.

 

I had no undergrad education courses.

 

My graduate education courses were such a joke that it was just depressing.

The fact that I have the graduate hours in math is what got me hired at the cc and lets me continue to teach part time at the cc.

 

I have friends who did teach in "good" high schools here (some that make the national lists). They've both left and teach lower level classes at the cc and avoid the type of infighting that goes on at the hs. (You've still got politics at the cc but not at the same levels... at least that's my impression here...).

 

Sorry for not having multiple options... I did have one course from the education department that wasn't just a waste... but that was only one out of two years! My experience would have me do away with education programs and only have content areas. But I also am aware that there may be good education programs out there; I just wasn't exposed to one.

[imagine.more]

I have a bachelor's in English Education (grades 6-12)

 

90% of my courses were regular English courses, same as any other English major would take and those were excellent. Also, my specifically English Ed classes were very good, 2 were even excellent and very challenging. However, all of the regular education courses (Child Psych, Classroom Management, etc) were a joke and an easy A for anyone who can read and write at a 5th grade level.

[Just Robyn]

I took a few undergrad early childhood education classes. I also took a few undergrad TESL (teaching ESL) classes. I found them all ridiculous excepting about half of my TESL practicum.

[tiredmommyof8]

I took undergraduate and graduate level education courses and most were useful and others were not. I took one class at the undergrad level and then the next quarter after being admitted to the graduate program I took the exact same class at the graduate level because it was stupidly required again. Although it was silly that I had to take it again I loved the professor and the class.

[Coffeemama]

I voted 'graducate classes useful', because most were...BUT, a few were ridiculous!

[Daisy]

My husband says the only part of his education (undergraduate and graduate) degree that he found useful was the actual practicum and the methods classes. The rest of it was either common sense or political brainwashing.

[Kirch]

My undergrad ed classes pretty much varied between "useless" and "ridiculous." Even the ones that weren't ridiculous (like the ed psych class where the prof READ THE TEXT OUT LOUD and then "rephrased" it by repeating it to us almost verbatim) were pretty useless. It was mostly common sense stuff, things I'd already learned in other classes, etc. If they had combined some of the classes, there might have been enough useful info to make it worth one class. My music ed classes (where we actually learned how to teach music classes) were very helpful, though.

[BarbecueMom]

On the first day of Foundations of Education, the professor walked in and wrote "fishbowl", "Meryl Streep", and "Thomas Jefferson" on the dry erase board, told us to brainstorm to figure out what they all had to do with each other, and left the room. Thirty minutes later, she returned and asked us what we had all guessed. Right before class ended, she told us we were going to watch an education documentary the next day, narrated by Meryl Streep. I don't know if we ever figured out what the fishbowl and Thomas Jefferson had to do with anything.

 

The rest of the classes were equally ridiculous. I wrote my paper on inner-city home education as an alternative to failing public schools, and the professor gave me an A. I don't think she read it.

 

ETA: This was one of the few pre-education courses that were offered to undergrads. Everything else was for grad students. I think this was more of a useless prof than a useless class.

Edited August 26, 2011 by BarbecueMom

[DawnM]

:iagree:

 

Now, some of them were a waste of time, but many were useful and all were hoops that needed to be jumped through.

 

I liked it so much I did two grad degrees in Education fields. :D

 

Dawn

 

I voted that I took graduate education courses and found them useful. I had some that were down-right HARD (educational stats/research and behavior management in the classroom are ringing a bell - this was 12 years ago), but I think it depends upon the professor and where you are getting your graduate degree as well. I went to a small, private college that is well-known in New England for its education programs.

 

A few of mine were fluff, but for the most part, they were challenging, required large amounts of analysis, and they forced me to reach beyond my comfort zone in order to be successful. I felt very prepared to step into teaching as we were required to do an extensive amount of time in the classroom every semsester prior to having to do our actual internship at the end of the program. They wanted to weed us out, and they did a good job of it. Fwiw, I managed to get a 4.0, but I worked for it (dh can attest to that as I practically abandoned him for 2 years while earning my M.Ed! :D).

 

It bothers me that grades are being inflated in some programs because it lessens the value of our degrees for those of us who have been in programs that don't coddle future teachers. :mad:

[DawnM]

Did you go into education? I am curious as to why you took just a few and quit?

 

Dawn

 

I took a few undergrad early childhood education classes. I also took a few undergrad TESL (teaching ESL) classes. I found them all ridiculous excepting about half of my TESL practicum.

[bettyandbob]

I couldn't vote. I took graduate courses. I didn't find them useful. I didn't find them ridiculous either. Ridiculous suggests lacking in intellectual content to me. I was in sp ed. My undergrad was chem. So, I remember all the scientific research on psych issues being really interesting. The classes were pretty intellectual. It didn't occur to me at 21 that it wasn't practical for the career I was pursuing. Now, if I'd decided to pursue a PhD and do serious research, I think some of my masters courses were good for that. Unfortunately, no one in my program was going in that direction. I went to William and Mary for both undergrad and masters. It is a pretty rigorous, intellectual institution.

[angela in ohio]

I was an elementary ed major for a very short time my first time around. I took three inane classes and changed my major. Dh got his degree in special education K-8.

 

This time around, I am a secondary ed major. It's like night and day. I am getting what amounts to a degree in each of my majors, plus some education courses on top of that. I will be incredibly well-prepared. Sure, I had a few "values realignment" fluff courses, but for the most part, I'm taking courses in my major. My adolescent psych course was incredibly helpful, though.

[FairProspects]

This time around, I am a secondary ed major. It's like night and day. I am getting what amounts to a degree in each of my majors, plus some education courses on top of that. I will be incredibly well-prepared. Sure, I had a few "values realignment" fluff courses, but for the most part, I'm taking courses in my major. My adolescent psych course was incredibly helpful, though.

 

:iagree:This was my experience with my education as well.

[MindyD]

I haven't taken education classes, but most of my friends in college did including my roommate. I watched them make all kinds of projects, read a million children's books, stress over making bulletin boards...you know the drill. If they got overwhelmed and didn't finish something on time, they could ask for an extension and it was no big deal. I would make fun of them because they had it so easy! They knew it too, they would say they could never do what I was doing with my major. I will also add that my roommate is a gifted, natural teacher. I would let her teach my kids any time. Some of the others...well, there's a reason I homeschool.

[twoforjoy]

I took graduate education courses (I spent two years in an English and education grad program, transferring from an English literature grad program, but the ed component wasn't a certification or terminal master's program). I found them theoretically interesting and useful, but not particularly practical. They weren't really designed to be, though.

[daffodil]

I have a bachelor's in English Education (grades 6-12)

 

90% of my courses were regular English courses, same as any other English major would take and those were excellent. Also, my specifically English Ed classes were very good, 2 were even excellent and very challenging. However, all of the regular education courses (Child Psych, Classroom Management, etc) were a joke and an easy A for anyone who can read and write at a 5th grade level.

This was my experience as an English Education major, too.

[Jyniffrec]

The education courses at our college were a factor in why we decided to homeschool. If what was being taught at that college was being taught everywhere then we knew we could do a better job at home with the degrees we earned.

[NittanyJen]

My parents and uncles and two aunts were all teachers, who graduated from a variety of public and private universities. To a person, they told me, "Do NOT major in education or take any education courses. You will not tolerate them or learn anything from them."

 

I was not sure for a very long time whether this was their assessment of the courses or of my temperament-- I now believe it was both (my mother pretty much thought her education courses were a waste of time-- she felt she pretty much knew how to teach, and wished she'd had more time free to pursue more academic AND interest courses, which would have allowed her to become a better teacher. She still talks derisively about the course her entire class nicknamed, "happiness" in elementary ed). My parents both agreed I would have been a good teacher, except that I would have flunked myself out of school in frustration if I tried to take those courses.

 

True? Not true? We'll never know. They were both teachers; I pursued other careers and ended up "teaching" in various forms in other walks of life . . . until now :). Hence I voted, "I just like to vote in polls."

[leeannpal]

I have a B.A. in English and a master's degree in education with a conentration in social sciences. The education courses were o.k., not ridiculous but not rigorous either. Most of my classes at the graduate level were subject matter courses. I enjoyed those very much and do feel like I am well equipped to teach English and social science classes at the secondary level.

[KrissiK]

I hold 2 California teaching credentials and a MA in Education: Teaching and Curriculum. All I can say is, I paid for the paper. I'm sorry. Here in California (I'm not sure if in other states) you don't have to major in Education to become a teacher. You just have to have that 5th year credentialing program. My undergraduate degree was in Food & Nutritional Sciences. I learned something there. I got my credential in the height of the "Whole Language" movement and my teaching college fully embraced that movement. So, basically, that was a waste of time. I got my MA just because.... well, I had to take CE classes anyhow so I figured they may as well count for something. The classes were ok. I don't know. It's unfortunate because I have paper credentials, but I don't feel like I learned much. I learned all I really needed to know when I was actually teaching in the classroom.

[Rosie_0801]

My dh did a general education course because it is the prerequisite to the teacher of the deaf course. From speaking to others, it seems his course was worse than most offered in our city, but he found few of the courses useful, and some downright stupid. One lecturer was really into using music in the classroom and when dh went to ask if he could do his essay on something different, since music isn't really appropriate for profoundly deaf students and he'd learn more by doing a different project, the lecturer told him that he would find a way to use music if he thought about it properly. :confused: And no, the subject was not about music in education.

 

Rosie

[Deb in NZ]

You need more choices. I have an education degree & some graduate courses under my belt. Some of my ed. courses were useless, some were great (both at the undergraduate & graduate level). Over all my grad. courses were more meaningful, because I had more life experience to relate to the topic matter.

 

Now if you're asking if my ed courses were useful for homeschooling, I'd have to say none of my ed courses were of any use. :tongue_smilie:

 

OTOH now that I've gone back in to the classroom as a relief teacher (substitute teacher) I've found what I've learned over my 10 years as a HSer is priceless in the classroom. :lol:

 

JMHO,

[Joules]

I wasn't an education major as I already had my M.S. in Physics. I took graduate level classes to get my certification. Most of my classes were good and useful. But I was in a unique post-bac program. All of the students already had degrees in their field of study and were just taking the education classes to meet certification requirements. There was a very high caliber of students from diverse fields and we had great time learning from each other.

 

From the other thread, I will say the classes were too easy for most of us. We were used to the rigor of our degree programs. Some of the ed profs seemed out of their element teaching that group. Sadly the program was discontinued 15 years ago and those with a degree in field have to go through the entire M.A. program now.

[athena1277]

Educational Psychology - The biggest waste of tuition money there is. I have a friend who called the class Ed Psycho because it's that bad.

 

The only ed class that I remember being in any way helpful was called Reading in the Content Areas. Basically, it was dealing with the students reading to learn. I thought it was interesting because as a Math Ed major, I had never really thought about a student's ability to read their math book! now if the textbook people wouldn't make the texts sooooo boring, maybe kids would actually read them once in a while.