Are there any books that I can read to help me decide if an educational leadership degree is right for me?
A wide selection of books, from philosophy to graphic novels, can help you decide if educational leadership is right for you. To start, you can check out Walden by Henry David Thoreau. He examines the importance of social experimentation and the ability to critique, which are 2 essential qualities of strong educational leadership.
Wendy Kopp’s memoir One Day, All Children. . . :The Unlikely Triumph of Teach for America and What I learned Along the Way appears on the syllabi for courses in many online educational leadership degree programs because it illuminates the triumphs and the practical difficulties of teaching in public secondary education. Reading a book that shows the ups and downs of the educational profession can be of great value to you as you decide if this degree is right for you.
Diane Ravitch’s The Death and Life of the Great American School System: How Testing and Choice are Undermining Education explains the roles of school testing and the distinctions between traditional and charter schools. It may spark your interest in educational leadership by showing you ways the system can be improved and how you could make an impact.
Warren Bennis’ book On Becoming a Leader: Qualities that Define Leadership discusses “understanding the basics” of leadership skills. You can also expect to acquire many of these skills if you decide to pursue a degree in educational leadership.
David’s Schwartz’s The Magic of Thinking Big will encourage you to approach work, resources and relationships positively and creatively. If you find these concepts interesting, you should research some accredited educational leadership degrees that may expand on these ideas even further.
What are some online resources that will give me ideas about how to use a degree in educational leadership?
There are many credible online resources that will help you gather information on how to use an online educational leadership degree. The Institute for Educational Leadership shares updates on innovative efforts that bring together leaders across various sectors of education and also provides information on training opportunities.
The ASCD, formerly the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, is an educational leadership organization that advances best practices and policies in education by providing educational leadership literature and professional development resources. They also have live conferences that you may attend or you can view their virtual conference archives online.
Journal of Cases in Educational Leadership publishes peer reviewed cases that prepare education leaders by offering a wide range of relevant cases that embody pertinent issues in educational leadership today. This could be a great resource if you are looking to get into the research side of educational leadership.
Besides the resources listed above, an interesting blog you can follow is called The Next Generation of Educational Leadership. It may spur your interest in how to use your degree by giving you some abstract ideas about new developments in the education field.
Another resource that may help you decide how to use your educational leadership degree is The Whole Child Podcast. The podcast takes on different learning topics and student needs and it may spark your interest in starting your own website or podcast.
What organizations accredit on-campus and online educational leadership degree programs?
There are several organizations that accredit on-campus and online educational leadership degrees, including 2 organizations that are recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as accrediting institutions.
The first is theNational Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE), which is a council of educators that accredits teacher certification programs and degrees in U.S. colleges and universities. NCATE accreditation is specific to teacher education, and will provide you with greater preparation for a career in educational leadership.
The second organization is the Teacher Education Accreditation Council (TEAC), which is dedicated to improving academic degrees for professional educators through accreditation. TEAC’s membership represents a broad range of higher education institutions, from small liberal arts colleges to large research universities.
Several educational leadership online graduate programs have been accredited by NCATE and TEAC. These online educational leadership degree programs include University of Cincinnati’s Master of Education online degree program and Stony Brook University’s School of Professional Development.
Is a degree in educational leadership recession proof?
Education services continue to see a consistent rise in employment rates. In 2011, education services had the highest growth in employment numbers, hovering right around 38,000 new hires. No job is ever recession proof, but employment statistics within education have been remarkably stable compared to other industries.
Currently, traditional degrees are preferred over online degrees. However, educators have noted that the rising investments in online educational programs might eventually erase the divide between online educational leadership degree programs and traditional programs. As suggested in past studies by the U.S. Department of Education, the best online degree in educational leadership may actually be more effective than some traditional degree programs.
One educator suggests that the future of an educational leadership degree online may play a major role in the way that employers look at degrees because there are many factors that will decide how to select employees.
Is there any open courseware available for online educational leadership courses and classes?
MIT and The Open University offer a diverse range of educational leadership classes online through open courseware including The Open University’s online course “Leadership and Context”, which focuses on how global settings often impact the implementation of educational ideas. Different educational leadership roles and issues are explored through the lens of global educational organizations.
The course “Career and Guidance” at The Open University offers educational leaders an opportunity to think critically about how transitions impact students’ decision-making processes and goals. It focuses on the roles that educators play in securing successful transitions for their students, emphasizing career education and guidance.
As the economics of education becomes 1 of the most crucial topics for educational leaders and institutions today, MIT offers a course entitled “Economics of Education”. Topics in this course include state standards and educational technology in improving K-12 education, the labor market for teachers and educational administrators and funding opportunities for public education.
MIT’s open courseware also offers “Introduction to Education: Understanding and Evaluating Education”. This course examines vital topics in education such as the design and implementation of successful curricula, addressing the needs of diverse students and methods of instruction.
What blogs or other online resources might be useful in my educational leadership courses and classes?
There is a wealth of relevant online resources, including blogs, available for you to read and use as you take educational leadership courses online.
Education Week is a blog run by Editorial Projects in Education (EPE), 1 of the premier sources of news and information for American pre-collegiate education. The website explores critical issues for educational leaders in secondary education, including funding sources for programs and important updates on AP testing.
Joanne Jacobs’s blog, Linking and Thinking on Education, is often cited as the most popular educational blog
on the Internet. Jacobs, the author of Our School: The Inspiring Story of Two Teachers, explores controversial issues that educational leaders face today. Posts include “College Credit Without College Classes” and “Common Core Doubts.”
In 2009, Docere Est Discere was named the best student teacher blog by Scholastic. The blog was created by an English education graduate who was preparing for his first year of teaching. Written from the perspective of a savvy educator who purposes pedagogical and leadership questions, the blog is applicable for educators, students and school administrators alike.
What magazines or journals can I read while I study in my offline or online educational leadership classes and courses?
There are several magazines and journals that you can read while you take educational leadership classes online. These publications explore topics ranging from educational reform to the role of technology in educational institutions. They also serve as helpful career resources for educators since educational leadership jobs are frequently posted in these journals.
The Chronicle of Higher Education is 1 of the premier journals in higher education today. The journal’s website includes current news, information and job postings for college and university faculty and educational administrators.
ESchoolNews is an online journal that focuses on technological news for K-20 educators. The web journal includes an educator resource center and explores issues such as web literacy and creating positive learning environments for students in both online and traditional university settings.
The International Electronic Journal for Leadership in Learning is an excellent research tool for students taking educational leadership courses online or offline. The journal promotes the scholarly study and discussion of substantive leadership issues that are of current concern in educational communities. Past issues have included distributed leadership, outcomes of teaching action learning, instruction reformation and common obstacles that school leaders face today.
What other areas of study are related to my educational leadership program?
There are several other areas of study related to educational leadership programs, including social work, school counseling and post-secondary teaching. Some of the best educational leadership online programs will speak to and refer to these relevant fields.
Social work education often comprises a bachelors program that prepares students to enter supervised social work practice, while graduate programs that lead to masters in social work degrees prepare students for advanced licensed practice. Social work programs also stress competence in problem identification and developing intervention plans. Programs for social work, similar to other educational leadership programs, emphasize strong communication and group dynamic skills.
School counseling, another area of study related to educational leadership, often requires a masters degree. Comprehensive counseling programs offer graduate level training in career counseling theory as well as in organizational behavior and administration. Both school counseling and educational leadership programs, then, emphasize the importance of setting long-term educational goals for students.
Post-secondary education involves instruction in a variety of academic and vocational subjects beyond the high school level. To teach at the college level often requires a PhD, although this might vary depending on the subject being taught and the institution. Similar to educational leadership programs, post-secondary education programs emphasize students’ ability to clearly communicate complex ideas to a range of different audiences.
What internships should I pursue during my on-campus or online educational leadership degree program?
There is a diverse range of internship opportunities available for both undergraduate and graduate students pursuing accredited online educational leadership programs. These opportunities include:
As a highly competitive internship, the District of Columbia Public Schools’ Urban Education Leaders Internship Program (UELIP) provides opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students from the best educational leadership programs to conduct research and work on education policy projects.
Competitive educational leadership internships are frequently offered by school districts throughout the country, matching students from the best educational leadership programs to middle or high schools. For example, Fairfax County’s Summer Program Educational Leadership Internships are available to students enrolled in a regionally accredited program.
The U.S. Department of Education also offers valuable internship opportunities to students enrolled in traditional or educational leadership online programs. These internships emphasize the intersections between public policy and education, providing students with responsibilities and experiences in higher education, leadership and teacher development, international education and other related fields.
Students pursuing their education leadership studies through an accredited online program are welcome to apply to each of these internships. As in all competitive internship opportunities, applicants should begin correspondence with internship contacts early on during the application process. Most competitive internships also require 2 to 3 recommendations, so students should inquire with professors about prospective recommendations and employers well before the application due date.
Are there any movies or TV shows that I might enjoy during my educational leadership degree program?
There are a great number of critically acclaimed films and TV shows that students can enjoy while pursuing top educational leadership programs online. Here are a few noteworthy highlights:
Dead Poets Society is a film about a charismatic teacher who encourages his students at a boarding school to “seize the day” and not be afraid of breaking the status quo.
Waiting for Superman is a documentary that highlights some of the most pressing issues affecting public education today. It illuminates the importance of effective educational leadership as the potential of promising students becomes limited by an otherwise inefficient school system.
Stand and Deliver is a film about a magnetic and unconventional mathematics teacher dedicated to helping his students, who have been sworn off by the educational system, pass the rigorous Advanced Placement exam in calculus.
Friday Night Lights is a show that is as much about the intense football culture of Texas high schools as it is about school bureaucracy, how class and race politics shape education and how strong educational leadership can help students achieve what at first seems insurmountable.
21 Jump Street is a crime drama television series that focuses on high school cases that involve a range of issues from drug trafficking to homophobia to hate crimes. The show offers an intriguing outsider’s perspective of the social complexities that most high school students experience and the issues that many educational leaders must deal with on a day-to-day basis.
Are there any accelerated campus-based or online educational leadership programs to help me finish my degree faster?
There are several accelerated options available for students interested in pursuing accredited online educational leadership programs:
The College of New Rochelle’s accelerated doctorate in education in Executive Leadership program is an executive leadership program that serves as a viable alternative to more traditional doctoral programs in educational leadership. The program is multidisciplinary and can be completed in 28 months. All applicants, however, must already have a masters degree in education or a related field.
Ohio State University’s Accelerated Licensure Program in Education Administrationwas developed by an educational administration faculty and follows a cohort-model program uniquely tailored to specific school districts, including urban centers. As a licensure program, it can be completed in a 15-month period.
Fordham University’s Accelerated Master’s Program in Educational Leadership is an intensive 1-year masters degree program in educational administration and supervision that prepares future school leaders and qualifies graduates to take the New York State Building Leader Certification Examination.
