Student Profile: Kara
Lubbock, Texas
Master of Arts in Teaching Science Education, UT Dallas
Expected graduation: Summer 2008
UTTC: Kara, you are a Texas Tech alumna and live near campus. Why did you choose to earn your master’s from UT Dallas online?
Kara: I did graduate from Texas Tech University, so I have a great university in my own backyard, but never checked into it for the master’s. I had a friend that went through the UT TeleCampus online program at UT Arlington and loved it, so she helped me get the information about UTD. I was interested in the online format because I teach full time, so my involvement with things at my school make leaving every day to go to class unappealing right now.
What do you teach now, and how do you hope to change your career upon graduation?
I teach 8th grade Pre-Advanced Placement Science at a magnet school in Lubbock – O.L. Slaton Middle School. I enjoy being the classroom very much but I’d eventually like to try something different. I think it would be great to work for a school district helping student teachers at the university level with science curriculum. That would let me help my fellow teachers enjoy the profession as much as I do.
Have you done anything interesting in the way of class projects or research tied to this program that has helped you in your job now…before graduation?
Yes, in fact I have. I actually did a lab using probes, graphing the changing of states of matter, while I was in Dr. Ledbetter’s 5325 class. I did the same exercise with my students in my class the next week! More than anything, my research for class and my thesis has really shed light on my classroom and the needs of my students. I did my research on learning styles and gender, and plan to continue with it in my thesis. There’s not a day that goes by in my classroom that I don’t take mental inventories of my students from the perspective of learning styles. This has really helped me to help them.
What surprised you about online learning? Everybody comes in with certain expectations and then finds a few things they didn’t expect. How about your experience?
The amount of communication still amazes me today. I was very skeptical about how I would communicate with my professors if something went wrong. I was curious how I would be able to do group projects with people hundreds of miles away. The support system is dynamic. Without that – the support between professors and students - this program would not work. I have not had a single bad experience. There were times when I wasn’t sure why we were doing certain things, which could be frustrating, but it was eased by the support system of my teachers and my peers. It’s simply amazing! To say the interaction with my peers is beneficial is a major understatement. I do feel like I know them. I’d love to meet them face to face, and hope to some day. I love getting to see their photos.
What do you think is the best thing about online learning for you and the way you like to learn?
It’s definitely the flexibility. This allows me to go at my own pace and work at any hour I wish and still meet the deadlines. I need that pressure of deadlines to do the work. I also enjoy the fact that I can do all of this at home and not have to go to a physical classroom. I’ve still had to work to balance work, school and family but like everybody I guess, you find what works and go for it.
What do you do when you’re not studying or teaching?
I have been married for four years to an outstanding man. If it weren’t for him, I would never be doing this master’s program. I enjoy running, working out and gardening. I used to coach basketball and love sports. Sports are very important to my husband and I. We’re avid Texas Tech and UT fans what with me graduating from Tech and my husband graduating from UT. He and I are hoping to move to “our city” Austin soon. We love it there.
Great – good luck with getting relocated. Any parting thoughts you’d like to share with people thinking about learning online?
I’d say “Do it!” The MAT-SE program offers an amazing opportunity with an outstanding university. Words will never describe my experiences with the UTTC program and especially the MAT-SE department. It’s the greatest opportunity out there!
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