Blog Guilt Free: Education

Advice on a Career in Education Technology

If you think the educational development career path is where you want to go, then I think you should take a typical job description  from a university hiring announcement and use the duty description as a template to start looking at how you can add skills that support each of the bullet comments.

The first step is to find a fairly standardized job description for a curriculum developer skill set that every college must have in order to meet the needs of the digital age.
 
Colleges and  universities realize that the genie of technology and digital learning cannot be put back in the bottle.
 
In the same way that modern cars are too complex for people to fix on their own and need a skilled technician, colleges and professors will always be the skills of educational mission and translate their knowledge into teachable materials in multiple media.
 
I think you can quickly develop all the skills required to be able to blend the art and science education technology.

But only you can decide if this is an area that you are passionate about and are willing to commit to.
 
If you are, then I think you already know what you need to start doing, which is to begin acquiring the specific skills that employers are looking for in which can be documented without question. In this technical career field, examples of your performance speak volumes.
 
The good news for you is that you have many people available to use as a resource to help you in this specific area since more and more people are choosing this career path. A good mentor will be able to give you a hint and a push every once in a while.
 
A good book that can help you appreciate the technical challenges and rewards of this career field is entitled Understanding by Design, written by Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe 

Understanding Careers That Require Continuing Education

If you are in the process of making a career choice or thinking about a career change, there are a lot of things to consider. You need to find an option that will provide you with enough income to pay your bills and support your family. Ideally, you will choose a career that is fulfilling and brings you some happiness, even if you experience occasional boredom or burn out. Finally, you must find something you are willing to commit to, especially if you opt for something that requires continuing education. Some people work in environments where you have the occasional meeting or consultant came in to give you tips on performing better. But there are other jobs that require a day or more each year of continuing education. These fields require greater commitment because you must continue to learn and grow as your profession changes. Scottsdale jobs in CNA, San Diego jobs in CNA and a variety of other medical careers which require continuing education, as do many other positions.

Teaching is another field in which you will need continuing education.

Typically, states set up requirements and teachers must show proof of their classes or workshops to continue to teach in the classroom. Schools often schedule continuing education so the teachers in their building are able to get their continuing education credit all at once. If you are a parent and notice your child is off for an in-service day, this is probably your child’s teachers get continuing education.

Similar to teaching is the childcare field. While childcare providers may not need as much continuing education as teachers, they are still required to turn in a certain number of hours or credits each year.

Again, the state regulations vary from one state to another but most require that childcare providers stay up to date with theories, lessons, safety issues and discipline techniques. Continuing education is also a great way to feel rejuvenated about your work and go back into the classroom or learning environment with a renewed attitude and spirit.

Sometimes, sales positions require continuing education. There are typically no government regulations, but your company may require you stay up to date with sales techniques and information about your product. Your employers will more than likely pay for this continued training because it will help you on the sales floor, ultimately making them more money.

Regardless of your profession and its requirements, continuing education is a good idea. Those who are self-employed should seek out opportunities to continue to grow so their business is more successful. Even those who do not work to earn a living and spend their time caring for their children can benefit from continuing education. If you are employed and you think continuing education may benefit you and your success, consider speaking to your employer about opportunities. Chances are; they will be happy to hear you are eager to grow and learn as an employee. Those who are not employees should look into the benefits of enrolling in continuing education on their own.