I love how creative this program has made me as a teacher. It truly helps me think outside the box. Many of my students are gifted with strengths in the areas of cultural knowledge and vocabulary. Through the online MA in Special Education (Gifted and Talented Certification) program I have learned that giftedness crosses many domains.
The professors were able to use FaceTime with me while I was teaching in Singapore. We communicated a lot through email, and the projects were completed through Blackboard. For many of the assignments I used screen casting which was helpful.
UA’s faculty and staff were flexible and great to work with. They all care about me, so I think that helps when the professors care. You can tell they are passionate about teaching.
I plan to incorporate what I learned through my coursework into my lesson plans. Hopefully, I can help develop the gifted program at my school since we currently do not have one.
The hardest thing about teaching kindergarten in Singapore is that the children are told to think in a box. That is sometimes very challenging — trying to help the kids think outside the box without infringing on their cultural beliefs and what they learn at home.
Many of the children I taught in Singapore moved from place to place, so they tended to close themselves off to a lot of people. They don’t ever get to make decisions on their own. The decision-making talent I learned in class helped me teach these kids that although we don’t always get to control things, we can protect ourselves. It helps them feel like they have some control over their lives since, oftentimes, they are moved from place to place which diminishes the feeling of belonging somewhere.
See program website for detailed admission requirements. Those who currently hold an Alabama Class B teaching certificate or equivalent if certified in another state are eligible for this program.
Published: March 16th, 2018