Decision

For my situation Alternative Certification through iteachTexas is probably the best way for me to go. The program will save me time, money, and stress. I will feel better knowing that i can work a full time job and still be able to go to school without worrying about driving to campus. I can work a full day and then go home and work on my course work. Also i wont have to worry about money so much as i can stay with my parents. Going through iteach will also keep me on my schedule to graduate in 2012 which means i wont have to worry about not being able to get financial aid. The cost of iteach is also something i could probably pay myself, so i wont have to worry about paying the money back or adding to my already increasing debt.

Sam Houston Education Courses

SED Program Courses as of 2008 Catalogue:

-SED 347 Human Growth and Learning

-SED 383 Media and Technology in Schools

-SED 464 Methods of Teaching in Secondary Schools

-SED 475 Problems

-SED 476 Developing a Professional Teacher Portfolio

-SED 480 Responsibilities of the Professional Educator

-SED 494 Classroom Management for Secondary Schools

-SED 496 Student Teaching in the Secondary Classroom

-SED 497 Student Teaching in the Secondary Classroom

* Note that iteach does not offer a course on Developing a Professional Teacher Portfolio which might be beneficial to me when applying for teaching jobs.

**Also, Sam Houston does not offer SED classes for a specific major. For me it is important to learn not only basic teaching skills, but those specific to my theatre degree.

Text Books

2 considered a must for all new teachers:

- How to Be an Effective Teacher: The First Days of School by Harry K. Wong and Rosemary T. Wong. Must be read before begining EDTC 5400

- Assertive Discipline: Behavior Management for Today's Classroom by Lee Canter. Any addition is acceptable.

* Many articles are provided via internet links

Another advantage iteach has over the Sam prgram is that it only requires two text books and they provide the rest of the material for you. Each class for Sam will most likely require a new or different textbook for each course adding to the already high cost of tuition. Also, some books are not able to be sold back as they are replaced with newer editions or because they are loose leaf instead of a hard back.

Pace and Course Objectives

iteachTexas is designed to be self-paced but introductory course EDTC 5000-5600 are designed to be completed in six-month time span. You are progressed no faster than one instructional course per 10 days and each course is equivalent to a three hour course.

Course Objectives: Each course has its own objective. The following objectives are covered to ensure that each candidate possesses the identified teacher dispositions:

-Instill belief that all students can learn based upon the stages of human development

-Develop respect for individual differences to ensure a democratic classroom environment

-Foster commitment to inquiry , self reflection and assessment

-Promote intellectual curiosity and enthusiasm about learning based upon the importance of literacy

-Examine openness to new ideas in behavioral management

-Value positive interactions

-Perform all practices responsibly and ethically

The iteach program has similar courses to that of Sam Houston but they are condensed into a shorter period. Most of the information is the same it just has the advantage of being quicker. If i go through the SED program at Sam doing my methods alone would put my goal of graduating and being done with school back a whole other year. Plus doing the methods part of the program would require me to commute to either Conroe or the Woodlands making it harder for me to work enough hours at my job to pay my bills. Alternative Certification through iteach is currently taking the lead.

Syllabus

Courses:

EDTC 5000- Overview of the Road to Certification
EDTC 5100- First Year Teaching and Best Practice
EDTC 5200- Educational Pedagogy and Stages of Learning
EDTC 5300- Planning Instruction and Assessment
EDTC 5400- Best Practice and Classroom Environment
EDTC 5500- Literacy
EDTC 5600- Special Education/Multiculturalism/Diversity

Review

- Comprehensive review

Field Experience: the classroom teaching experience

-Content specific course

IteachTexas Program Fees

Total cost(non-refundable) 4,250.00

-Application Fee 50.00

-Program Access Fee(10% down) 375.00

-Online Course Instruction Participation 2,800.00

-Field Experience Fee 1,025.00

-Contigencey, Admission, individuals applying prior to graduation 100.00

Exam Fees Payable to Education Testing Services

-TExES/ExCET(each) 120.00


Certification Fees, Payable to SBEC

-Probationary Certification Fee 52.00

-Standard Certification Fee 77.00

-Fingerprinting 47.00


Renewal Fees

-Instructional Renewal 300.00

-Extension Fee 500.00

Timeline

This is the timeline for certification through the iteachTexas program:

2 full school years to complete all certification requirements, including field experience
-once you obtain feild experience, you must complete all program requirements by the end of field experience .

Field experience Options:
Option 1: 1yr full time paid teacher in your content area and recieve the salary and benefits of a first year teacher. You must secure this position on your own. Prior to interviewing for internship you should accomplish 30hrs of observation, 80hrs of instruction, and take and pass the content area test.

Option 2: clinical teaching- 12-wk 5 day-a-week full day clinical teaching. Placement in a public school by iteach under the direction of a classroom mentor teacher. Failure to follow directions or guidance of mentor teacher will result in release from program.
-placement must be in a public school
-placed in content area (ex. theater, art, english)
the mentor teacher must be certified in Texas and have a min of 3yrs teaching experience.
You must also complete a criminal background form

So the question is which works better for you?

The iteach program is as fast as you want to make it. You can either take the full two years to get certified or you can complete the material as fast as you would like. If you do the SED program at your university it's going to add another year to the amount of time you will be in school. plus you are required to attend classes with only a limited amount of sick days and you are required to keep up with the pace of the class. Howerver, you will have the advantage of being able to meet with a teacher and discuss things that are giving you trouble or something you are not quite clear about.

Advantages of Alt. Certification

iteachTexas: Advantages of alternative certification through this program

Continuous Enrollment: which means that there are no deadlines and upon acceptance you are immediately enrolled in instructional course work.

Web Based Instruction: you can work on your own schedule and you can still have direct online interaction with an instructor. since there are no onsite meetings or classrooom work you can have a full time job.

Observational Videos: these videos are approved as meeting the required field experience hours and they have a good selection of authentic classroom videos.

Two options for field experience:
12-wk Clinical Teaching- unpaid position
2 semesters as teacher of record- paid position
-iteach has close relationships with school districts and job placement can be obtained in any school district or TEA recognized private school
-districts can search iteach database to find teachers
-iteach customizeses instructional coursework for school districts

Extensive Classroom Support: iteach has experienced field supervisors and do observations throughout field experience.


So, if you are trying to work full time and get your teacher's certification alternative certification through an organization such as iteach might be a good option to consider. The advantage of not having to get up and go to campus or how many absences you can have is something that is an important factor to consider for me. I like the idea of being able to come sit at my desk and do whatever i need to for class instead of having to go back and forth to campus and worry about parking. Also the convienence of creating my work schedule around me and not my school would be great.

Phases of iteach Certification Program