Middle Georgia State Launching Education Degree Evening Track
Author: News Bureau
Posted: Wednesday, May 18, 2016 4:00 AM
Categories:
Faculty/Staff | School of Education and Behavioral Sciences | School of Education | Pressroom | Students
Macon, GA
The University's School of Education is launching an Evening Track in fall 2016, targeting students who have completed the core curriculum and want to continue their studies evenings and online toward the Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood/Special Education.
"Since we began the Early Childhood/Special Education program in 2005 we've had lots of response from prospective students who are interested in the degree but can't leave full-time jobs to return to college," said Dr. Loleta Sartin, assistant professor of Education. "The Evening Track makes it possible for them to remain in their jobs while completing the degree."
One of the difficulties a prospective student who works full-time during the day has in completing an Early Childhood Education degree is fulfilling requirements to get actual classroom experience – traditionally known as “student teaching” - that must take place in elementary schools. The faculty will work with students in the Evening Track to complete some of those requirements in a modified schedule.
For their last semester, students will have to complete classroom experience requirements by working in a school full-time during the day. By that time, presumably, they will be able to leave current jobs as they get close to beginning teaching careers.
Sartin said the Evening Track is designed to be completed in two and a half years, which include two summer semesters. The program targets two types of students:
Student A: A paraprofessional who can spend at least four hours per week fulfilling the requirements of field experience. These hours may be spread over multiple days.
Student B: A person who is not a paraprofessional and needs to complete the degree primarily in the evenings. This student will spend one day per week in a school setting to fulfill the requirements of the field experience.
"The School of Education will provide the same support to Evening Track students as we do to full-time students," Sartin said. "Faculty members will provide advising and close supervision."
The face-to-face evening courses are scheduled to take place on the Macon Campus.
For more information about the Evening Track, call Middle Georgia State's School of Education at (478) 757-2544 or email one of these faculty members:
Molly Kimsey
molly.kimsey@mga.edu
Dr. Loleta Sartin
loleta.sartin@mga.edu
Dr. Shamani Shikwambi
shamani.shikwambi@mga.edu