Education is a degree for people who delight in engaging discussions, enjoy imparting expert knowledge, or find fulfillment around people who are eager to learn. Gaining expertise in any or several concentrations in Education promises a rewarding career path that lets you constantly grow in knowledge, improve your interpersonal skills, and contribute to society.
With an Education undergraduate degree, you can either set yourself up for a teaching or teaching-related career or proceed with earning a master’s degree or doctorate to attain higher specializations.
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There are many Education concentrations and subfields you can choose from. You are best poised to specialize in most of them as work your way towards earning your master’s degree.
Curriculum and Instruction Building
English Language Learners Teaching
Educational Administration or Leadership
Curriculum and Instruction Building
Curriculum building is a mentally-stimulating and developmental task that results in the output of excellent topics of study for a grade level. The coursework consists of evaluating instruction curricula and develop strategies and solutions to enhance them. It entails an application of research in Education trends and theory. Students can opt to develop their own curricula for middle school or higher grade levels. You can make the most out of this concentration when you earn a master’s degree.
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English Language Learners Teaching
Also known as teaching ESL (English as Second Language) or ELL (English Language Learners), this concentration in Education is intended to assist students in understanding or speaking the English language in different fluency levels. This Education concentration lets you work with students from around the world as their English teacher or tutor. Many have had opportunities to make a lucrative career out of teaching kids and adults by work abroad or through ESL learning platforms.
School Counseling
With a master’s degree focusing on School Counseling, professionals can work as on-campus or off-campus school counselors that deal with students from kindergarten to grade 12. As an Education concentration, School Counseling aims to provide students with the guidance they need within the school as they handle stressful circumstances. This subfield entails an in-depth study of human behavior and counseling as a discipline so that professionals can offer sound advice and lasting support to students.
Educational Administration or Leadership
This area of Education concentration is ultimately aimed at seeing graduates become efficient school leaders such as principals and school administrators. Students of this subfield in Education are usually practicing teachers who seek to rise through the ranks and become school leaders and administrators. Educational Administration and Leadership students learn clerical tasks, organizational skills, and leadership functions. Depending on your state, this concentration may have certification requirements and usually require an internship.
STEM
Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics or STEM equips Education students to develop comprehensive and high-value teaching curricula for their students. Besides dealing with the fundamentals, the STEM concentration in Education also assists instructors in curriculum reformation, particularly in the physical sciences. By specializing in STEM, you can create instructional techniques and methodologies that may be copied and upgraded.
Educational Technology
Technology is vital to the Education sector. As a master’s degree holder, you can specialize in Educational Technology and become a technology coordinator in your local school district. As a professional with this concentration, your insights on technology programs. Technology coordinators also conduct training sessions and assist in developing or fine-tuning the STEM curricula.
Special Education
Special Education is a concentration in Education that typically requires a master’s degree. In working with children with cognitive limitations and physical disabilities, Special Education students learn the fundamental concepts of behavioral support and management. They also understand and uphold in Special Education laws that are critical throughout their practice.
READ: Top 20 Online Bachelor of Special Education Degree Programs for 2018
Assistive Technology
Special Education students can focus on the use of technology as a vital aid in the teaching profession. Today, Special Education teachers utilize technological breakthroughs such as interactive software and reading skill software that is often customizable. Special Education instructors need to be proficient in the use of these tools to enhance the capabilities of children with disabilities.
Autism
Special Education students who focus on instruction for children with autism require either a bachelor’s or an advanced degree depending on the educational institution and the state. They also need to undergo specific teacher training programs where they learn about behavior encouragement, assistive learning, and socialization.
Read: Best Online Schools for Masters in Autism Spectrum Disorders
Early Childhood
Early Childhood Special Education prepares teachers to teach children with special needs that are up to eight years of age. In preparing future educators, the curriculum involves a dynamic interdisciplinary education program with courses that focus on early intervention, early learning, learning disabilities, emotional and behavioral disorders.
Read: 20 Most Affordable Online Early Childhood Education Degree Programs
Severe Disabilities
Children with severe disabilities are not equipped for the usually complex thought processes and require specialized support. Future Special Education teachers focusing on this subfield are usually required to earn a master’s degree. In this program coursework, future instructors are taught severe behavior support, as well as personalized, one-on-one teaching. The courses emphasize research-based methods for student assessment.
Visual Impairment
Children with visual impairment have difficulty picking up books, reading, using educational tools, and surveying surroundings. A master’s degree is usually required to focus on a Special Education Visual Impairment Program that equips students in conducting assistive technology evaluations with visually impaired children and providing them instruction with collaborative consultations. Special Education with a specific focus on Visual Impairment caters not only to students who are blind but also those suffering from low vision disorders that affect their learning capacities, such as cataracts and glaucoma.