Incentive to Start WGU in 2015

With the new year right around the corner, now is the perfect time to start planning your education for the coming year. Instead of making a resolution that doesn't stick, why not make one you can start working on right now? 2015 is a particularly good year to enroll in WGU Indiana simply because they just released $400,000 in scholarships, many of them for new students only.

So, why start working on your goal now?

• If you haven't already filled out a FAFSA for the 2014-2015 school year, you need to do it now so it can be processed.
• Paperwork that is processed by the 15th of the preceding month leads to enrollment in the following month. So, If you start processing your enrollment in December and you get it done by the 15th, you can start in January. In some cases, you may need more time to get everything together, so starting December could mean you can start classes in February.
• Everyone needs some light at the end of the tunnel. A degree in your chosen field can be that light and there is no better time to start than at the beginning of the new year.

Let's just add a little more incentive to the pot. Let's talk numbers.

WGU Indiana charges from $2,890 to $4,250 per term, with only one degree being charge the higher amount. That tuition hasn't changed since 2008! Now, what's a "term"?

WGU Indiana is a knowledge based program, so you can test out of areas you are familiar with and move on at your own pace. The "term" last 6 months and in that 6 months you can complete as many classes as you would like...without paying a penny more. Complete 4 classes or complete 20 classes, it's all the same, financially speaking.

Now, why do I care?

I run this blog because I love my school and it saddens me to see people pay so much to get the exact same degrees I have, when they don't have to. I don't get paid by WGU or anyone else to do it. But, I am a member of the Chancellor's Club and that means from time to time I do get some great deals to hand out.

Today I happen to have 3 grants to hand out. These are on top of any other grants and/or scholarships that you may qualify for and qualifying for these particular grants couldn't be easier. Essentially, if you are enrolled in a degree program by Feb. 1, 2015, you qualify because your enrollment indicates that you've met all the other qualifications.

Each grant is worth $200. Combine them with your PELL grants, scholarships, or loans to help you get through your first session at WGU Indiana.

I'll even go one step further. If you enroll and use the grant, I'll be your on-call study buddy. I finish up my degree very shortly, but I won't ever forget how certain people helped me, even if it was just by listening to me vent because I'm a single mother and business owner who got overwhelmed by life now and then. If you are interested in the grant, leave a comment here or contact me at kfoust1 at wgu dot edu.

First Day of the WGU Indiana Contest

**Contest on hold until there are more participants**


Last week I talked about doing a contest here on the blog and after a bit of technical difficulties, here it is!

First off, it occurred to me that you all might find it odd that I would run a contest offering WGU Indiana swag as the prize because, well...who am I? Really, I'm no one important, just someone who is in the master program and graduated from WGU Indiana. I love this school and until they give me a reason not to, I'll promote it. If you want to know more about me or why I have a blog at all, feel free to visit Student of Motherhood.

WGU Indiana swag prizes

Since I have Lose the Wait swag and WGU Indiana has put a lot of effort into promoting the Lose the Wait concept, which is basically a "what are you waiting for?" kind of push to help people get started  in school and even includes the Lose the Wait scholarship, this contest is going to involve a lot of numbers.

Here are the contest rules:
Wednesday, Friday, and Monday there will be questions asked, starting today, Wednesday, February 19, 2014. Answer the questions in the comments. I will record the answers you give. On the day of the new questions, I'll give the answers once the entry time is over, at 5 o'clock CST on the day following the questions. For example, the entry time ends for today's question at 5 P.M. CST Friday.

The person with the most correct answers wins the top prize, the next in line wins the second place prize, and the third in line wins the third place prize. If there is a tie at any point, the winner will be selected via random drawing and the person who loses the draw will go on to the next slot.

I'll announce the winners next Wednesday, here on the blog.

Today's questions:
What year was WGU Indiana established?
and...
How much is the Lose the Wait scholarship worth?

As for the prizes, they include a lightbulb clock that glows in the dark, pen with digital clock embedded, and a Lose the Wait t-shirt...at least. WGU Indiana was kind enough to donate these prizes and I happen to have a bit of swag around here myself that I will probably throw in.

Cool fun fact: Some prizes that you win through this contest and the WGU Facebook contests can only be obtained through winning them; you cannot purchase them.

Have fun and good luck!

Disclaimer: If the blog owner determines that there are not enough participants, the contest is cancelled and the prizes will be used later for another contest.

WGU Indiana Contests

If you haven't been paying attention lately, let me just say you are missing out on some great WGU Indiana swag right now. The Lose the Wait campaign didn't just launch the Lose the Wait scholarship; it launched a series of contests that are really simple to win and offer some of the great WGU Indiana swag we are all so fond of. And by fond, I mean addicted to. No, seriously. I have a WGU Indiana BA and I am working on my M.Ed. so I got two of the welcome packages, but I am also a writer, so the two different WGU Indiana post-it note holders are part of the tools of my trade. But, I digress.

If you want to get in on the WGU Indiana swag fun, head over to the WGU Indiana Facebook page and watch for contest updates. Along the way you can learn a lot about WGU Indiana, the staff, and how they compare to other schools.

I decided it was time to get in on the fun, so I'll be running a contest of my own. WGU Indiana graciously donated some prizes to give away--swag I have never seen before actually. All I'm going to say for now is that I had to pry two of the prizes away from my 13 year old son's hands and I'm still not sure if he's forgiven me. (I'm kidding. I just took the iPod until he handed over the swag.)

I'll give you a hint though, one of the items is one of the coolest office supplies I've seen and another is a large, timely reminder to "lose the wait", and the other will have you even more excited about spring so you can show it off.

So how do you win? All you need to do is know some info about WGU Indiana and share it here. The contest starts Monday, February 17, 2014. Be sure to check back then to get started because it's going to run all week.

Here's a hint: Answers to the contest questions can be found through WGU Indiana, their Facebook page, or right here on this blog.

How Many Attempts Does Taskstream Give You?

As a student of WGU, WGU Indiana, or any WGU state college, you need to become very familiar with Taskstream. Not only is Taskstream the place where you will take all of your performance assessments as opposed to your objective assessments, it is also the place where you will develop and house your professional portfolio.

Navigating Taskstream is simple enough and you can find some great Taskstream tips on this blog, but you need to understand how it works for your particular program. While WGU Indiana does not have a GPA, they do have scoring standards. Those scoring standards change with your level in the program.

• You have 4 total attempts for each task. You will have your original submission and then 3 attempts to complete any revisions with the required scores.
• If you are completing a task with a 3 level rubric, you need to score a "2" or "satisfactory" on each portion of the task. Even if you score a "3" in every portion but one, you will not pass. These are competency based courses that are aimed at developing your understanding of individual elements, rather than being aimed at cultivating an average score. Success in all portions is mandatory.
• If you are completing a task with a 5 level rubric and you are taking a lower level course that will be marked with an asterisk you will again need to score a "2" in each portion, indicating that the level of performance is minimally competent. These will be the courses that may not be a part of your core program, such as general education courses.
• If you are completing a task with a 5 level rubric and it is part of your core area of study or you are working on the graduate program, you need to succeed with a score of "3" or higher.

Taskstream is not difficult to navigate if you take it sept by step and use it along with your course resources to complete each portion of the assignment. You can also  speak with your class mentor or community if you need more help understanding specific tasks.

WGU Offers a Scholarship for Forward Thinking

I have to say, WGU Indiana may just be one of the only businesses I don't mind getting mail from. Everyone else just sends me bills. WGU sends me swag. Since I already love this school, I am happy to make use of the swag. they tend to get pretty creative with it too, which always helps. But enough about me. Let's talk about yet another scholarship that WGU offers.

New students have a chance to start their academic career at WGU Indiana, off right.

This new scholarship valued at up to $2,000 and payable in four $500 installments over four sessions, requires only that you be a new student seeking admission and that you complete the essay "How My Degree at WGU Indiana Will Impact My Life". Completing the essay doesn't mean that you will automatically get he scholarship because you are in competition with other students, but since they plan to award more than just one or two, you probably have a pretty good shot. Check out some of the benefits of competing for this WGU scholarhsip.

• You get to define your goals. Because you are writing about how your degree can change your life, you have to sit down and think about why you are getting the degree in the first place. This encourages you to come up with a plan...maybe a five year plan that includes plans beyond obtaining the degree?
• If you win you basically just got paid $2,000 to describe a realistic dream about your future. I write for a living folks. Amounts like that are nothing to sneeze at.
• You are setting the tone for your academic future. Other than just applying for a scholarship, you get to take a long hard look at your future and how you want to handle it. There are plenty of opportunities for success at WGU Indiana, but you have to be willing to take steps toward them. You can do that before your classes even start by applying for this scholarship.

What do you have to lose? You get to take the chance that you will be paid to daydream? I'll even give you a head start by helping you avoid the application fee. Just type in IND1 when you apply and you won't have to pay the application fee.

Oh yeah, this is actually called the "Lose the Wait Scholarship" and you can get even more from WGU by posting a picture of a clock or watch on the WGU Indiana Facebook or Twitter page. In return, as a new student you will get some swag in the form of a Lose the Wait t-shirts. If you don't have a picture like that or the camera to take one, feel free to borrow mine at the top of this page!

WGU Indiana Degrees

Obviously I'm a big fan of WGU Indiana, but you have to understand that there is a reason for it. I am a fairly intelligent woman with pretty limited levels of patience. That means I don't want to sit through a lecture on a subject that I am already very familiar with. WGU Indiana offers a competency based approach that allows me to simply do my work using the resources they provide. That means I don't have to sit through lectures I don't need, but I have educational resources at hand so that I can put in extra time on subjects I'm not familiar with.

I'm also a big fan of saving money. WGU Indiana already has a very cost effective program that allows me to take as many classes as I want to in a six month period. For less than $3,500, including books and technology fees, I can take as many classes as I can get done in that time frame and not pay a penny more. So far I've put the focus on the Teacher's College, but WGU Indiana offers more than that.

WGU Indiana offers bachelor as well as graduate programs in business, IT, health professionals, as well as teachers. Another benefit is that you don't pay any more for the Master program than you do for the bachelor program.

If you want to get started today on one of WGU Indiana's degree programs, you can. Classes start every month and when you enter IND1 when it comes time to pay the application fee, you don't even have to pay that. WGU Indiana also has plenty of other scholarships and other ways to save money, so if you want a degree and you don't want to go broke getting it, this is the place to go.

Taskstream Tips

If you go to WGU, WGU Indiana, or another school that used Taskstream, you have no doubt found that some days it just doesn't make sense. If you don't go to any of these schools, I suggest you check them out and don't forget to use the code IND1 for waiving the WGU Indiana application fee. You're welcome. Now on to some tips...

Directions
First of all, it seems to work best if you actually print out the task instructions. Then you can take notes, check off the elements as you complete them, and have a ceremonially burning when it gets accepted. The directions don't always seem clear, so be sure to make use of your mentor for that class. While they don't grade the tasks, they are well versed in exactly what is expected. Also be sure to use the course details where you can get step by step explanation of what is expected from the task.

Submission
Submit your work in .rtf format to avoid issues. In some cases you are asked to use multi-media as the format. You might assume you have to use a slideshow or video, but you can also use things like a blog. Don't be afraid to think outside the box. I'm a freelance writer so working with a blog takes away the element of anxiety that other formats create for me.

References
Many tasks ask you to indicate your references in APA format. Yet you may be using knowledge you gained through your own experience. If you don't have any references, indicate that at the bottom of your page or in the message box that appears before the work is actually submitted. A simple "No references were used as the resource was my own experience" can go a long way toward avoiding losing points because you didn't provide a reference page.

Revisions
You have as many revisions as there are elements of the task. So if there are 3 elements, you can have up to 3 revisions. There are a few things to keep in mind when you do revisions. These things will help you get them back faster and may promote a higher quality of work.

• When you first do your task, do it as you understand it best. Skip over the intimidation of the task by reminding yourself that you will have a chance to revise it if needed and the errors will be pointed out in detail.
• Highlight the  changes. The process seems to go faster if you highlight the changes that you made. I imagine that the graders have access to past reports and may just look for the changes if you let them know the changes are highlighted. Otherwise they have to comb through the entire thing all over again. When you resubmit, use the message box that pops up right before you resubmit to let the grader know the changes are highlighted.
• Resubmit all documents. It doesn't matter if you didn't have to revise all the documents. Resubmit all of them. They may not go to the same person for review, which means that a document which has already been reviewed might get reviewed again and not submitting it could mean you will have to go through the process all over again.

Most Affordable Degree in Education

When you look at the salary you will make as a teacher, a degree in education starts to look far more expensive that it's worth. However, people who feel a calling to this profession won't let salary limitations deter them. They will just find ways to get the most affordable degree in education and search for more benefits as a teacher.

In order to make the most out of your degree in education, you have to start by limiting costs, including student loans. Let's start with your school of choice.

Tuition
WGU Indiana charges $6070.00 per year, not semester. The year is broken up into two six month sessions, during which you can take as many classes as you like without paying a penny more. That tuition includes your books. As a new student, you might also get a welcome pack that includes a USB drive so you don't even have to buy that. Since this is a knowledge based program, you may even be able to test out of some classes right away, so you can spend the rest of your session completing tasks for other classes. You also get to eliminate the foreign language requirement that most other schools make you take, whether you are going to use it or not.

Students Loans, Grants, and Scholarships
Like many schools, WGU Indiana offers their own scholarships based on a variety of qualifications from income to where you transfer your credits from. They accept financial aid including the PELL grant and student loans as well.

About those student loans...
Did you know that you can have part of yoour student loans forgiven? After 5 years as a teacher, $17,000 can be taken off. After 10 years in public service (including teaching), your balance is forgiven provided you were never in default.

Don't take out more than you need in student loans, but don't let them scare you either. You can combine them when you are done and pay them back based on your income. This can help balance out the starting rate of $32,000 for a new teacher.

Applying
In case you think things are still looking too expensive, let's just get rid of the application fee. Almost all schools have an application fee, but if you apply to WGU Indiana and enter the code INDI, your fee is waived.

Check back here frequently to learn about more benefits of going to WGU Indiana as well as benefits that come with being a teacher. You can even get a house for 1/2 off!

From Constructivism to Behaviorism

The image you see here is a printable lesson plan. This lesson plan is an example of constructivism. The students are building on their own knowledge and using insight they already have in order to create writing that fits within the given parameters. They complete a task and share it with a fellow student in order to get the perspective of not just a fellow student, but a reader as well.

If I were to try to adapt this lesson plan to fit another learning theory, I would use behaviorism because that is how reality will teach them these same lessons.

As this lesson is aimed at writers who look to write online as a means to make a living, it is vital that they understand how their mistakes can result in the consequence of little to no income.

I would reward the students for accurately completing the assignment and I would reduce the workload. I would also increase the workload for students who did not complete this accurately because that is exactly what would happen to them in the real world. Specifically, students who did not write the first paragraph correctly would need to rewrite it again until it was done correctly.

Because I want to encourage the students to keep trying to meet the goal of writing online, I would use the original lesson plan rather than using behaviorism. Behaviorism can discourage the student because of the consequences, as realistic as they may be. Constructivism allows them to practice their skills and see the response of readers without feeling the pressure of more work. This helps cultivate writers who write for the sake of writing rather than for the sake of rewards. A writer who cares for what the reader thinks will naturally end up cultivating rewards as a by-product of their effort.

If you have trouble viewing the image, it is pasted below.

Lesson Plan

This lesson plan is created to help traditional writers relearn some of the basic typing and writing skills that they learned as youths. Because these writers wish to make a living by publishing written work online, they have to adapt to meet the needs of the online audience. Part of adapting to meet those needs requires the use of specific tools. In this lesson plan, students will learn how to use those tools and how to not rely completely on those tools.

Pre-Assessment to Identify Skills

Students will receive the following paragraph through email and will follow the instructions to adjust it.

“You did not no that we was going to the smith County faire. When the thyme was write, we called ewe to join us. You did knot answer your foam because ewe was following us. We new your cell phone service was bad, so wee wasn’t worried about it.”

Instructions: Copy and paste this paragraph into a new document. Review the paragraph. Use current American English grammar and punctuation rules to correct the mistakes. You are free to use Spell Check. Embed a link to any cell phone carrier in the three word phrase that most aptly describes the link.

Students who score 80% will be considered to be well-versed in the topic.

Presentation of New Information

Review papers with students via email correspondence. Discuss areas that were incorrect and present a printable sheet for students to use in order to follow step by step instructions. Include the instructions in the email. Ask students to meet in an online group at a specific time. During the online group, discuss the spacing issue of putting a double space after a period. Using the original paragraph, demonstrate that “faire” would be acceptable using the UK English feature, but not the American English feature. Direct students as to how to change this setting. Demonstrate how to right click on a word to get Spell Check to offer you different spellings, and then discuss the importance of reviewing the writing for errors that Spell Check did not flag. Demonstrate how to find and embed a link in the appropriate key word phrase using the original paragraph as well as the cut and paste feature. Demonstrate how to type in a site to embed if you do not have one copied.

Guided Practice

Offer the students the original paragraph. Ask students to first review the paragraph for spelling. In order to become familiar with Spell Check and its flaws, students should write down one instance in which Spell Check gave them the wrong option, and one instance in which Spell Check did not flag something that should have been flagged. Students will then correct the spelling in the document to fix misspelled words as well as replacing antonyms with the correct word. Students will then read the paragraph again and correct any errors including spacing, and sentence structure. Students will then embed a link to any county fair in the appropriate place.

Independent Practice

Students will each correctly write a five sentence paragraph using “generic key phrase” as the key phrase. The paragraph can be about anything, as long as the key phrase is used once and it makes sense in the paragraph. Students will embed a link to a relevant site in the key phrase. For example, a student might discuss sewing and embed a link to a fabric site. However, a student may not discuss sewing and embed a link to a dog food site. Once students have completed their papers, they will share with another student for editing and feedback.

Closing Event

Students have traded papers. Each student will read another student’s paragraph. Students will then discuss whether the grammar was correct and the link was relevant. They will also offer insight as to whether the paragraph offered new and usable information. The task of the writer may be to entertain the writer, but it is also to provide information. Students will offer a 5 sentence written review of the paragraph they read and name 2 pieces of information they got from the paragraph. They will include the original embedded link as an embedded link in their review of the paragraph. Students who complete the task with 80% accuracy will be considered proficient. Scores are as follows.

·        Each sentence is worth 3 points. 1 is for correct grammar. 1 is for correct punctuation, including spacing after punctuation. 1 is for correct spelling. A total of 15 points comes from correctly written sentences.

·        A correctly working, embedded link is worth 5 points.

·        The paper is worth 20 points, with 80% being the minimum score objective.

 

Are Online Teaching Degrees Respected?

In the year 2013 with gas prices out of control, federal funds for education being more tightly regulated than ever, and so many families working more than one job, I am amazed that people still question online schooling. Some people are even startled that you can earn a degree in education online. Head up people, I did not just get mt BA online; I'm now working on my Master. So I thought I would share some of the advantages of getting an online degree in education as seen through the eyes of the professionals that matter.

Let's begin with the fact that WGU Indiana earned 3 out of 4 stars when evaluated by the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ). That's out of 1,100 colleges by the way. What were they rated highest in? Student teaching best practices. That is pretty interesting when you consider that WGU Indiana students are not going to a daily class to try to get pointers for their student teaching experience. Do we get assistance? Sure, but we have to make it a point to ask for it. When it is asked for, there is no question that WGU Indiana is top notch at responding to student requests.

Moving right along...

WGU Indiana is not just another online school. Their program is competency based, which means you don't have to listen to lectures on material that you are well versed in. You go at your own pace, so you get time to focus on the areas you need the most instruction in. How do employers see this? How about seeing that you did something like 80 credits in 2 years? That's a pretty significant show of motivation.

Employers today are looking for people who are motivated. In the field of education, it is part of your job to go above and beyond. In fact, one system of measuring teacher competency allows for 15% of your total score to be based on your volunteer activities. If you aren't motivated as a teacher, you aren't going to be employed. Period.

The bottom line is that in the field of education, online degrees are earning respect. In fact, I recently learned that 90% of the employers who hire WGU graduates are pleased with what they got. 99% of them would hire another WGU Indiana graduate. Are online teaching degrees respected? I would say that the answer is a resounding "yes".

Online Nursing Degree Scholarships

Although my degree is in education, I find it amazing that WGU Indiana also offers an online nursing degree. Many of the people I know who want to be in a nursing program simply do not have the time it takes to drive to South Bend on a regular basis or pay the fees that are involved at the only local college. An online nursing degree is exactly what they need to pursue their degree in nursing.

WGU Indiana offers knowledge based learning so that you can use what you already know. If you are someone who wants the degree more than you want the time sitting in a classroom, this might be the program for you.

To top it off, WGU Indiana is now offering $30,000 in nursing scholarships, with  maximum of a $2,000 scholarship for each individual. When you consider the fact that tuition is around $3,000 and includes as many classes as you can handle in 6 months, the scholarship coupled with a PELL grant means you can get your nursing degree without having to resort to student loans.

What is the WGU Indiana Chancellor's Club?

WGU Indiana has recently created a Chancellor's Club. It's a secret group where we build homes with mysterious hidden messages and are not allowed to admit to the existence of the group, much less our own membership.

Just kidding, but membership does come with a very cool to go coffee cup that is exclusive to the members of the WGU Indiana Chancellor's Club. Yes, I got one and as you can see by the picture, it is the coolest every to go coffee mug.

But I am an introvert so why did I join a club that is based on promoting the school I graduated from? Honestly, because I promote it anyhow so why not do it with a cool mug in hand?

The Chancellor's Club really boils down to a group of graduates who have seen first hand how awesome WGU Indiana is and want to share that with people who simply don't know. There are tons of online schools and some are even referred to as "diploma mills", so the main question is what makes WGU or WGU Indiana any different than those?

Knowledge and motivation is the best answer I can give.

I don't want to sit and listen to lectures filled with material I already know. I don't want to pay astronomical tuition fees just to visit a discussion board every week that is really nothing more than an attendance method. Because of WGU Indiana, I don't have to do any of that. I learn what  I have to do and then I supplement my exiting knowledge with new knowledge to complete the tasks. In other words, I am actually learning something. Why am I talking in present tense if I am a graduate? Because I was so motivated by my undergrad experience that I chose to move on to my Masters.

Organize for Success

There is one thing that tends to get in the way of student progress whether they use knowledge based learning or more traditional formats. That one thing is organization. I am a single mother of one, living in a remodeling project while working as a freelance writer and trying to grow a full garden. You could say it is a bit overwhelming at times.

When I graduated from WGU Indiana with a BA in Special Ed/ Elem Ed, I felt a huge weight off my shoulders...until I entered the Master program. I assume that most people have more than they can handle, even if they don't have kids or they work a "normal" job. So I assume in turn, that they could use a few tips to get organized.

• Create a physical and virtual folder for every class you are enrolled in.
• Print out all tasks from Taskstream.
• Create a schedule that includes a bit of work on one task at a time for set amount of days a week. (Personally, my son goes to his dad's every other week during the summer, so my goal is to complete a task a day while he is gone and then only do revisions as needed while he is here. Otherwise I am trying to work around him and one or two of his friends.)
• Use the tools WGU Indiana gave you. My absolute favorite tool from the Success Package is the door hanger. Everyone knows to only open the door it is hanging on if there is a fire or a significant amount of blood. (If you don't go to WGU or WGU Indiana, create your own door hanger for your doorknob that says "Studying" or something similar. After you have to point it out to a couple of people in your house as you are under obvious stress, they will take it seriously.)
• Reward yourself. Short term goals make the world go round. Not one invention would have been complete if it didn't go beyond the first step of thinking about it. Set a goal you can achieve for the day/week/month and reward yourself. For instance I finished my work and my homework for the day and I plan to give myself some quiet pleasure reading time or a good movie. I was tempted to do more work, but am hoping to avoid burnt out by just keeping a steady pace.

Tips for Education Degrees at WGU Indiana

I'm about to wrap up my BA with WGU Indiana. The experience has been good enough for me to decide that I wanted to continue on with WGU Indiana and get my Masters through them. At the moment I'm considering the Biology Education program because I love biology and I know science is a high-need area in the field of education. Because I am about to receive my BA in Elementary Education as well as Special Education and I plan to teach in Indiana, I thought I would offer some tips for those who are going through the same, or similar program at WGU Indiana.

• When you apply for your license to teach, don't forget to click on the "out of state" portion of the application. WGU Indiana is a state school, but they are still going back to WGU for the credentials on that end.
• Tasks get through Taskstream much faster if you make the changes stand out. I personally go over mine with yellow to make it easier for the graders. In fact, I found that this worked well when I got a task back for changes, but didn't actually change anything. They had somehow missed what they were looking for. I made it easier to see and the task went through.
• Attend the makeup cohort meetings, even if you didn't miss any. There is some really valuable information offered in those!
• Go over the items for your portfolio before actually using it. Just because something got through Taskstream, don't assume it is perfect, especially if you made changes and made them stand out.
• To submit your portfolio, click on "attachments" like you would for any other assignment. Instead of clicking on "browse" after that, click on "get items from folio" right below it. (The task and the resources both leave that info out of the instructions.)

And one more thing...stalking Taskstream does not help your items get reviewed any faster. I know it's almost impossible to stop, so just walk away from the computer. (All kidding aside, it is almost impossible to stop stalking them, but we probably aren't doing ourselves any favors by slowing down their servers with our compulsive hitting of the "refresh" key.)

Purdue and Praxis: FAIL

Last Saturday I went to take my Special Ed Praxis exams at Purdue University-Calumet. I was stressed to the point of feeling ill because, well these exams are not about classes. They're about professional licensing. And, to be honest, tests just stress me out. Going to Purdue to take them didn't help either just because of the reputation of the school. I'm not sure what I was expecting but if a high level of professionalism was one of the things I thought I would find, I was sadly mistaken.

No, I won't talk about the tests themselves because, well I would actually like to work in the profession that I'm studying in and sharing info about the details of a Praxis exam is a big no-no. What I will talk about is the fact that the very method for handling the Praxis will no doubt lead to many students failing the test out of sheer test center induced anxiety at Purdue University-Calumet.

The Praxis ticket states that you need to be checked in by specific time. Assuming we're all adults working toward a profession, showing up on time for a test you actually had to pay for seems like a simple thing. Wrong again. As we all waited for the test to start, we were informed that we would wait an extra 15 minutes to make sure any late comers could get in. Lose one point for professionalism right there.

The fact that the person administering the test made everyone clean off any study materials while we were waiting for the these late arrivals seemed a bit redundant as well. Of course, the best part of the process was waiting for her to read through the post test materials which instructed us to get forms from her...that she didn't even have. Nice. And this was just the first test of the day. Was this supposed to be a living example of how not to be a professional? If so, great job Purdue!

Fast forward to test 2.

Picture, if you will a hall full of student who rushed back from a snack, break or bathroom time to adhere to the "be here on time or forfeit your fee and test" mindset that the Praxis ticket indicates, all anxiously awaiting the start of the second test.

Wait for it....wait for it....and...continue to wait for it for no less than 45 minutes!

Of course, since we weren't already anxious enough, a student from one testing room over assures us that this hour long test will turn into an episode of Gilligan's Island as we all take a 3 hour tour of the inside of this classroom. She continues to spew her negativity (apparently the anxiety level wasn't already high enough for her) until I mention that we should just think positive because submerging ourselves in mass hysteria isn't going to do a damned thing to raise our test scores.

Of course, to those of us who love psychology and sociology, this created an opportune moment to explore the possibility that this was really just some sick sociology test about group anxiety about waiting in line. We were waiting for a "Lord of the Flies" incident, which thankfully didn't happen.

Let's get to the point. The way the testing center handles the testing process is every but as influential and important as your study habits prior to the actual test. Take that to heart. Avoid Purdue University-Calumet for your Praxis test at all costs. I sincerely think I would have had less anxiety had I taken the test centered in the middle of an over-populated daycare.

Note: This is no reflection on WGU or WGU Indiana itself as they have nothing to do with these details and I continue to experience good things from this institute of higher learning.

Applying for Supervised Teaching in Indiana

This month I'm wrapping up all the requirements to be met to submit my application to do my supervised teaching. I love it that student teaching is the only portion of the online education degree from WGU Indiana that I have to leave the house for. But, for me it's a grueling experience simply because I want to get through it a little faster than the original plan calls for.

I think that many people are under the impression that an online education degree or getting a license to teach online is an easy thing to do. Let me clear that up right now. If anything, getting a degree to teach online is more difficult than it would be if I actually attended a school. That's because there is no teacher to tell me when an assignment due or anything like that. It's a trial of self motivation. With that being said, know that WGU Indiana does a fantastic job of guiding students through the process. I don't talk to automated systems. I don't wait days for a call back, if I even have to leave a message. I get my answers the same day every time.

Just so you know basically what has to be done to apply to do the supervised teaching in Indiana, let me give you a general breakdown. Note that this is just to apply and does not include what you have to get done before you actually do the supervised teaching through WGU Indiana in an Indiana school.

Complete Praxis I and Praxis II, as well as having any other Praxis exams scheduled by the date set: For instance, I'm doubling up and becoming licensed for Special Ed. as well as Elementary Ed., so I have to take content exams for both of those. If I want to do supervised teaching in January, I have to have those exams scheduled to be taken by July 31.

Meet Basic education requirements: Basically this means that you have to have all the general ed classes done. These are classes that pretty much every student has to take, regardless of their major.

Professional documents turned in: You'll need to have submitted a resume, professional photo, thumbnail photo and your teaching philosophy. Note that the photo you submit to be approved is not necessarily the one you have to use when you apply to schools.

Specific Exams: These are exams that assess your general knowledge of the legalities and responsibilities of the education system.

Submit background check: You'll have to get a background check done and submit it to WGU Indiana. You can get your Indiana background check online for less than $20.

Pass at least one specific task: Once you get into the program, you'll be dealing with a program that lists tasks for you to do. Once you get beyond the general studies, there are specific tasks that need to be done to how your understanding not o subjects, but how to teach subjects. One of those tasks need to be done to be able to apply for the supervised teaching.

Submit application for supervised teaching: Once all of the requirements have been met, you submit your application for student teaching by the date specified. For me, it has to be done by May 31 if I want to do supervised teaching in January.

So there you have it. An education degree online isn't easy, but Indiana needs good teachers if we're going to move forward.

Crunch Time

This month is crunch time for me. So far I had to get a new laptop, new router, reconfigure everything and hung out with a friend n ICU. These things do not go well with making serious progress toward my online teaching degree at WGU Indiana.

Deadlines hover over me this month. In fact, if I want to meet the early application deadline, I have to finish an unholy amount of tasks. Yesterday I tested out of one of my core classes and today I hope to complete 2 more classes; one by test and one by task.

I'm here to tell you that people seriously underestimate the amount of education that elementary teachers work through, not to mention the special education portion of my particular degree. Of course, it makes sense because elementary teachers teach in every subject.

If you think it's any easier to earn an online elementary education degree just because the classes are online, you're sadly mistaken. It takes a certain level self motivation that I don't always have. WGU Indiana does make the process go smoother by offering tons of things in the way of motivational tools and the tasks to be completed are organized in such a way as to make the process easy to navigate.

BUT...yea, you knew that was coming...

But, it's hard work and you have to be careful not to fall into your own personal pitfalls. After all, if you go to a traditional school, you know you have to be in class at a certain time and so forth. Earning your elementary education degree online means that you determine when you go to class. In turn, that means you have to put personal distractions out of the way and at the same time convince people that there are certain times when you simply can't be bothered because you have schoolwork to do.

I have every intention of meeting my educational goal in the time limit I've set for myself. Failure is not an option. I've also got to say that my mentor, Melissa is fabulous. She's done her best to encourage me and keep me on task, even when that means dealing with me 8 cups of coffee into a personal crisis!

FAFSA Facts

As I was working on my FAFSA this morning, it occurred to me that putting some information out there about the FAFSA might just be a good idea, especially since sometimes it's hard to find the school code for the school you're looking for. I also thought that I could clear up some confusion about the FAFSA. So, here goes...

Does every school require a FAFSA? Yes. The FAFSA is like the mother of all financial aid documents. There may be other documents that you need to fill out for your college, but the FAFSA is a must!

What is WGU Indiana's school code? As far as I can tell, WGU Indiana is still listed under WGU for coding purposes. The school code for WGU and WGU Indiana is 033394.

Do I need to file my taxes before I file my FAFSA? No, you do not. When you go to file your FAFSA, the form will ask you if you have filed your taxes. Simply check the correct answer. Remember that you need to submit the FAFSA by March 10, 2011, but you can always go back and correct it later.

What's the big deal with the FAFSA deadline and state grants? Anyone can file a FAFSA at any given time during the year. The problem is that if you file after the deadline, you lose eligibility for state grants. So, even if you don't have all the right information, just make sure that you file your FAFSA on time. As I stated earlier, you can always go back later and correct any mistakes.

What is the timeline of the FAFSA? Many people are confused about how the FAFSA works for their school year. The FAFSA that you file in the spring applies to your financial aid for the fall of that same year. When you think of the FAFSA timeline, think of the normal school year. It starts in the fall and ends in late spring. The FAFSA actually goes through the summer as well, but since the summer pell program is over, you don't really need to worry about that.

How are the budget cuts going to impact my financial aid? There was no reduction to the financial aid for the regular school year. For a brief time, there was a summer program that allowed students access to summer funds to pay for summer classes. The Pell grant now only runs through the normal school year as part of this year's federal budget cuts.

Don't sweat the small stuff. The FAFSA is fairly easy to fill out. It literally guides you step by step. If you don't have all the information you need, that's okay too. Just fill it out as best you can and submit it. The main thing is to have it submitted by the March 10, 2011 deadline. Changes can be made to the FAFSA anytime during the year without penalty.

Ivy Tech and WGU Indiana

by Kathy Foust

Almost everyone who knows me knows that I got my AS from Ivy Tech. I've promoted Ivy Tech from the beginning because I had a good experience there, though the quality of that experience got lower with every semester.

When I compare WGU Indiana with Ivy Tech, there really isn't anything good to say about Ivy Tech other than the fact that they have partnered with WGU Indiana to offer a scholarship for students transferring from Ivy Tech to WGU Indiana. Other than that, there isn't anything to recommend.

I got a call the week before Christmas from someone who was concerned about getting their books and so on for their classes at Ivy Tech that were scheduled to start Jan. 13. The call was concerning the fact that their financial aid had yet to be processed and they wanted to know if I would check out their account to make sure everything was in order on their end. Why me? Because this person was going into their first semester and really didn't know how to navigate the site.

So, I checked around and everything seemed to be in order, though the financial aid hadn't been processed. I thought I would call the school and see if they had begun to process financial aid yet, making a general inquiry rather than one specific to this student so I wasn't asking to violate any privacy laws.

Ivy Tech had a message on their phone that the office was busy and they would not be answering the phones until January 10. Mind you, this is the week before Christmas break and classes start Jan. 13.

After Christmas break, the student and I both called the school, only to get the message that financial aid wouldn't be answering their phones that week.

Eventually, after the semester started and about 50 failed phone calls later, the student was told that they didn't have his FAFSA, though he had put their school code in it. And since the semester had already started, he can't enroll.

Ivy Tech has grown 8 times in size since I started. That's 8 times the amount of students it had when I started. That means they've surely hired more staff...doesn't it? No, apparently not.

After speaking to a woman who works at Ivy Tech, who I have respect for not to name, I found out that the school has added.....0 members to handle the growing student population. Ivy Tech FAIL!

After dealing with the consistent assistance at WGU Indiana, I can't say that I could in good conscience ever again recommend Ivy Tech. Before WGU Indiana, I didn't even know that university staff could be that helpful or responsive. There is always someone there ready to assist me with any questions I have.

When I expressed concern about not having enough funds to finish my degree, they went out of their way to help me find the funds.

When I got frustrated with a test I was struggling with, they simply gave me more study aids and words of encouragement.

WGU Indiana doesn't offer and associate degree, but they do offer a bachelor and Master degree. If I were to start over today, I wouldn't bother with Ivy Tech. I'd just go straight to WGU Indiana because these days an AS doesn't hold much water so you pretty much HAVE to go for more than that and you may as well start out on the right foot with people who use the tools they have to help you along the way.

Scheduling at WGU Indiana

Lately I've had a couple of people ask me about WGU Indiana. Some of them are concerned about having to wait to enroll until the summer or fall session. They're also concerned about being overwhelmed with classes as they make their way back to school. Because of these questions, I wanted to clear a few things up.

WGU Indiana starts a new session every month. Yep, every single month. If you get your info in before the 15th, you'll likely start classes the next month. So, for those of you that missed the January deadline or got the shaft from Ivy Tech because they just now realized they didn't have your FAFSA, you can get busy enrolling in WGU so that you can start on whatever month meets your schedule.

Now, as far as being overwhelmed with classes..not gonna happen. WGU lets you officially work on 2 classes at a time. You are able to access the other classes, so you can work ahead if you like, but your main focus is going to be on those 2 classes at a time. Your personal WGU Indiana mentor is going to contact you every week to help you set goals and answer any questions you might have. BUT...you still also have a mentor available for every class as well. That means you can get help from them if you wish, but you are not obligated to.

Really, it doesn't get any easier than this. They guide you through everything. All you really have to do is complete the course work.