My MDE Journey
As I mentioned before, I spent the first year after college trying to figure out what would really make me happy. After a while, it became apparent to me that education was the way to go, but in what way? I started out in admissions, taking my volunteer work from my college days to the next level. The more time I spent in the classrooms, the more I realized my knack for presenting and teaching. I loved developing presentations, activities, and assignments for the students to help them grow.
However, I couldn’t see myself teaching high school students, especially not long term. I knew that the life I’d planned for myself wouldn’t necessarily allow that. As a future army wife, I knew I needed a career that would allow me to work from wherever the army took us. I started to think about teaching college courses, and even considered online courses. As I looked into programs and options that would allow me to teach college classes, I stumbled upon the Masters in Distance Education program offered by University of Maryland, University College. I was so excited for the program, especially because it was offered as a dual program and I would be able to get an MBA after that. The general idea was to learn how to teach business courses online. I decided that I would specialize in Teaching and Training, rather than technological or administrative aspects.
Enrolling in the program was fairly easy. Because I had not taken the GMAT, I was required to enroll in an extra course, but I appreciated that option. As my significant other was deployed at the time, it was easy for me to work and focus on the courses throughout the first half of the program. I had a great time learning and diving into the projects and papers. The deeper I got into the program, the more I realized how great a decision I made! I was exposed to Instructional Design, an aspect of online learning that would come to be a major part of my career focus. I focussed my projects on ASVAB preparation courses because of my military experience and I loved the real-world application. Designing my own course using the college's learning management system was the highlight of the program for me. I was also able to apply distance education concepts to my experience in corporate training, which led me to my career goal. An exploration of corporate training programs in OMDE 608, and the creation of my thesis, was the culmination of masters program. From my experiences in the MDE program, I realized that I want to develop and facilitate corporate and professional training! What a revelation!
Despite me revelations and enjoyable experiences in the program, it also came with many trials and struggles. As you read through my reflections on my required courses, you will notice when I was frustrated, tired, and distracted. It’s so important to realize, especially as an aspiring adult educator, how difficult it is to learn while working. When my fiancé returned from deployment and I got a promotion at work, things got even harder. The farther in the program, the more my instructors demanded of me. I took pride in the rigor of the MDE program, given that many online schools simply let students skate by and hand them a degree at the end of the given period. Even as I close this program, it is by the grace of an extension given to me by the program chair, Dr. Stella Porto, who has been instrumental in the last stages of my growth.
And so, as I complete my thesis on eLearning in Corporate Universities, I am proud to say that I completed the MDE program at UMUC and I am already working in my career field. Thank you, everyone!
Click here to see my degree planning worksheet
However, I couldn’t see myself teaching high school students, especially not long term. I knew that the life I’d planned for myself wouldn’t necessarily allow that. As a future army wife, I knew I needed a career that would allow me to work from wherever the army took us. I started to think about teaching college courses, and even considered online courses. As I looked into programs and options that would allow me to teach college classes, I stumbled upon the Masters in Distance Education program offered by University of Maryland, University College. I was so excited for the program, especially because it was offered as a dual program and I would be able to get an MBA after that. The general idea was to learn how to teach business courses online. I decided that I would specialize in Teaching and Training, rather than technological or administrative aspects.
Enrolling in the program was fairly easy. Because I had not taken the GMAT, I was required to enroll in an extra course, but I appreciated that option. As my significant other was deployed at the time, it was easy for me to work and focus on the courses throughout the first half of the program. I had a great time learning and diving into the projects and papers. The deeper I got into the program, the more I realized how great a decision I made! I was exposed to Instructional Design, an aspect of online learning that would come to be a major part of my career focus. I focussed my projects on ASVAB preparation courses because of my military experience and I loved the real-world application. Designing my own course using the college's learning management system was the highlight of the program for me. I was also able to apply distance education concepts to my experience in corporate training, which led me to my career goal. An exploration of corporate training programs in OMDE 608, and the creation of my thesis, was the culmination of masters program. From my experiences in the MDE program, I realized that I want to develop and facilitate corporate and professional training! What a revelation!
Despite me revelations and enjoyable experiences in the program, it also came with many trials and struggles. As you read through my reflections on my required courses, you will notice when I was frustrated, tired, and distracted. It’s so important to realize, especially as an aspiring adult educator, how difficult it is to learn while working. When my fiancé returned from deployment and I got a promotion at work, things got even harder. The farther in the program, the more my instructors demanded of me. I took pride in the rigor of the MDE program, given that many online schools simply let students skate by and hand them a degree at the end of the given period. Even as I close this program, it is by the grace of an extension given to me by the program chair, Dr. Stella Porto, who has been instrumental in the last stages of my growth.
And so, as I complete my thesis on eLearning in Corporate Universities, I am proud to say that I completed the MDE program at UMUC and I am already working in my career field. Thank you, everyone!
Click here to see my degree planning worksheet