King’s College Secondary Certification Fast Track Program FAQS

What is the King’s College Secondary Certification Fast Track Program?

• First 5 classes towards earning secondary PA teaching certification can be taken online (or at King’s one evening per week)

• 1 flexible schedule field experience requiring 20 hours of observation/small group practice teaching in the schools is required

• 1 independent study with flexible scheduling and flexible location

• 1 class (classroom management and field experience) must be taken at King’s (one evening per week) with flexible scheduling available for the required practice teaching in the schools

• Student teaching is full time for 14 weeks in the schools

• In summary, students can:

• Complete certification by going part-time (other than student teaching), year-round in 1.5 years (18 months)

What are the entrance requirements?

• Earned undergraduate degree from accredited institution with major in Biology, Chemistry, English, French, General Science, History, Mathematics, Political Science or Spanish

• at least a 3.0 GPA

•  Basic computer skills including, use of the World Wide Web, email,  and a working knowledge of Microsoft Office.

Are there any additional PDE requirements?

• All secondary teacher certification candidates must complete six credits of college level mathematics and six credits of college level English

How does one continue in the program?

• Maintain at least a 3.0 GPA
• Earn at least a rating of 2 or higher on all key performance based assessments
• Pass all mandatory Praxis Exams
  • Reading, Writing, Mathematics (PPST's) Praxis exams may be taken at the Sylvan Learning Center in Clark Summit by calling 570-586-2254 to make an appointment Monday-Saturday 5-7 days before you want to take the test(s)
  • Paper and pencil exams normally given at King's 2x's per semester -- for details see: http://www.ets.org/praxis
• Take EDUC 350 at King’s and demonstrate dispositions for teaching (criteria for demonstrating professionalism defined in course project grading rubrics)

What are the credit totals and costs?

• 33 credits  (22 credits of coursework , 11 credits student teaching)
• $210 per credit ($630 for 3 credit course, $6930 total for certification)

What certification will I earn?

• By completing the King’s College Secondary Certification Fast Track Program, and meeting all other requirements, you will earn a PA Teacher Certification to teach the content area from your undergraduate degree (i.e., Biology, Chemistry, English, French, General Science, History, Mathematics, Political Science or Spanish)

What clearances will I need?

• Prior to taking EDUC 266, 350, student teaching and any other experiences requiring access to schools, updated Child Abuse & Criminal Record Clearances required (FBI check also required beginning, April 2007).

How do I apply?

  Contact:

            Center for Lifelong Learning

            King’s College

            Wilkes-Barre PA 18711

            Phone:  (570)-208-5865

The call will connect you to a program counselor who will answer questions about enrollment, financing, and program requirements.

Once you have been accepted into the program you may register for classes.

How do I register for classes?

• Obtain a “Planner” to see when courses are regularly offered by
  • going online http://staff.kings.edu/kdils/ Click on Fast Track Certification and then Planner
  • or, contacting the Center for Lifelong Learning online http://www.kings.edu/ or at (570)-208-5865

• Then, register for classes through the Center for Lifelong Learning:

Center for Lifelong Learning

            King’s College

            Wilkes-Barre PA 18711

Call (570)-208-5865

When can I start?

• Classes may be taken at any time. Check the Planner schedule for dates and times of courses offered or contact the Center for Lifelong Learning

How do I get more information?

Call the King's College Center for Lifelong Learning  (570)-208-5865

 What are "online" courses 

• Online learning is an option for students who wish to learn in their own environment using technology and/or the Internet.
• At King’s we use Web CT as our online learning platform

What is WebCT?

WebCT is a Web based set of Course Tools designed to deliver online learning which enables the design, development and delivery of learning materials, learning opportunities, communication, student assessment and student record keeping. It is presently being used by universities and colleges all over the world. Some of the WebCT tools used to support online learning include:

homepages                        e-mail                                chat                               

discussions                        calendar                            quiz

How do I access WebCT?

WebCT is on the King’s server, so it’s not at webct.com—you can access WebCT from a link at http://my.kings.edu or at http://www.kings.edu/webct. It wouldn’t hurt to bookmark or add this site to your favorites, since you’ll be accessing it regularly for the next few months..

Login to blackboard

You will receive an email from King’s College that included your username

and password. Use that information to login to the system and begin the course. If you cannot login after several tries call the King’s College Helpline at 208-5900

Students that are new to the system will have a few more steps that will be explained in another handout.

How often do I check WebCT?

This is solely up to your instructor  but we suggest checking WebCT at least on a daily basis, so you don’t miss any information or assignments.

The Course Homepage

After logging in to the course the Home Page will appear. We suggest you click on the calendar icon to view the assignments for the week. The Assignments icon is also available and will direct you to the necessary requirements, exams, or readings for that week.

What about my computer?

WebCT’s optimal conditions are on a broadband internet connection (like cable or DSL), but it will function properly on a regular phone line connection. The only issue would be download speed, which could vary depending on whether your instructor uses PowerPoint presentations or PDFs. Larger files will take longer.

The following are the minimum computer requirements your system must meet to successfully use the King’s online system

.

1.       Pentium 1 GHz processor

2.       512MB RAM

3.       30MB free Hard Drive space

4.       56k modem (DSL, ISDN, or Cable Modem recommended)

5.       4x CD-ROM

6.       Windows 95 or later

7.       Internet Explorer 7.0 or later

8.      Microsoft Word 2003

9.       Internet Service Provider (AOL is acceptable with stipulations)

10.   QuickTime software

11.   Adobe Acrobat Reader 4.0 or later

12.   Flash 7.0

13.   16-bit Soundcard and speakers (for online lectures)

So what will I do, exactly?

Online courses vary as much as classroom courses. You will be taught by the same professors who teach on campus, experience varied teaching methods and you will earn the same degree as on campus students The most commonly used WebCT tools are  Discussion/Bulletin Boards, Chat Rooms Assignment Dropbox, and email . Each of these tools will be explained in-class and various tutorial resources are available online if you should ever need help re-learning the tools. You can access and complete assignments anytime and anywhere twenty four hours a day.

What if I need help?

That’s what we’re here for! If you have technical problems along the way, we suggest you email your professor first and if the problem continues contact webct@kings.edu. This email address automatically forwards to three people..  

How do I get more information?

             Call the King's College Center for Lifelong Learning (570) 208-5900 ext. 5865