January 2, 2009, Newsletter Issue #99: Attend Both Traditional And Online Classes

Tip of the Week

Is it beneficial to take both traditional and online teaching classes? Are you doing it to get a different perspective on student-teacher and student-student interaction, or would you take two classes for school credit only? Both kinds of classroom settings can teach you a great deal and help you learn about human nature and communication in different academic settings. On the other hand, with the debate raging about the validity of online classes versus the traditional degree, your best bet is to talk to counselors of all institutions involved before mixing classes. Just because courses have similar, if not exact, course descriptions, it doesn’t mean they will transfer. The first step is to ensure any online program is accredited by the Distance Education and Training Council (DETC.org), then have your individual transcripts and a course catalogues ready when you talk to each of the counselors. Ironically, if you have the course catalogues available, you may find some other classes you took do cover a required class at another institution. This facilitates the counselor’s job as well and can make mixing a much easier experience.

After talking to all parties involved, make sure to get all degree plans in writing, keeping a copy for your files and one for your school files. This will help you later if there is any confusion with your completed and transferred classes. See if taking classes in both settings would help you develop better skills for your teaching career. If the majority or all of your classes are online and it doesn't mix well with traditional classes, you can take a non-credit, continuing education class to find out about the traditional classroom setting.

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