Training for the Professional Educator

5N581 Hidden Springs Dr        St. Charles          IL 60175          630-377-5035          eknowlton@adventures-in-education.com

Frequently Asked Questions:

Below you will find answers to most frequently asked questions.

Question 1: What are Guided Distance Learning (GDL) Courses?

These courses offer a flexible way to gain the knowledge you need to meet the challenges of your classroom at your own pace and on your own schedule. Teachers can earn graduate credit toward teaching certification renewal and professional development. With these courses you will receive print materials, a handbook and a course guide. Complete the exercises, activities, and/or research, and submit your results to the instructor.  If questions arise, the facilitator is only an email or a phone call away. The curriculum of our courses does not require any presentation or application of the material  in the classroom while taking the course. All assignments can be completed on your own and outside the classroom. All of our courses are offered all year round.

Question 2: Graduate Credit Conversion:

Most colleges/universities convert quarter graduate credits to semester graduate credits using a factor of 2/3, i.e. 3 quarter graduate credits are equivalent to 2 semester graduate credits. However, it would be best if you contacted the appropriate individual at your school/college to confirm the transfer and conversion of graduate credits. This will assure that all questions are answered to your and your school's satisfaction.

1) the grade will show on your transcript as CI 808 (Curriculum & Instruction)
2) 1 quarter credit for 10 hours, so here is the breakdown:
    2 quarter credits = 1-1/3 semester credits (or credit hours)
    3 quarter credits = 2 semester credits (or credit hours)

 

Question 3: Are you an accredited institution?

Optional graduate credit is available through Portland State University. Portland State University is accredited through the Northwest Association of Schools & Colleges:  The credit for continuing education programs has been awarded by the Graduate School of Education, at PSU.  For information on the Graduate School of Education, Portland State University, accreditation, please refer to the website at www.ed.pdx.edu/gse_info.html which addresses the accreditation by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education and by the Oregon Teacher Standards & Practices Commission.

PSU offers a variety of programs and degrees such as advanced licensure, endorsements, Masters, and professional development to teachers. See www.pdx.edu or contact Becky Miller via phone 1-503-725-8279 or email ramiller@pdx.edu for more information.

Question 4: How do I register?

Registration for the courses is through Adventures In Education. I attached a registration form for your convenience to this email. This form also lists the cost for each course. To register for a course with graduate credit, please complete the form, enclose payment(s) and mail to the address listed on the form.  Please attach a check for the course tuition and graduate credit fee made payable to Portland State University or pay by credit card (provide type of credit card, credit card number and expiration date).  However the special fee needs to be paid via a check made payable to Adventures In Education. Upon receipt of your registration information, we will send you the course material.

We do not offer online registration, but an alternative is available, namely registration via email. Complete the registration form and include the credit card information for payment of graduate fee and tuition. You will be able to charge the tuition and graduate fee to the credit card, but the special fee payment requires a check made payable to Adventures In Education which you can put in the mail (Adventures In Education, 5N581 Hidden Springs Dr, St. Charles, IL 60175) after you emailed your registration form. Email the completed form as an attachment to: eknowlton@adventures-in-education.com 

PSU ID#: If this is your first time taking a course with PSU you will not need a PSU ID# only your social security number. In the event, that you have taken a course with PSU in the past, then you should have received a letter with your PSU ID# from Portland State University. However, if you do not know your PSU ID#, your social security number will suffice for registration.

Question 5: Application of courses?

Teachers generally apply the graduate credit toward lane credit and advancement on the salary scale, promotions within their school or toward teacher recertification. All of our courses are approved by Portland State University by the Graduate School of Education through the Curriculum and Instruction Department CI808, not the Math department. Official transcripts are available from Portland State University upon completion of the course(s). Each course is prefixed CI-808 on the transcript from Portland State University for courses taken with Adventures In Education. For example, course 'Math 5144: Using the TI-83+ Graphing Calculator to Teach Algebra I' will appear as 'CI-808: WKSP: TI-83+ Algebra I' on the transcript from PSU.  

Question 6: How many classes can I take at the same time?

Enrollment is limited to 8 credits per term unless officially admitted to PSU (except Summer term when enrollment is limited to 16 graduate credits). See www.pdx.edu for more information.

Question 7: How long does it take to complete a class? Do you have time settings to return all tests and papers submitted?
From time of registration you are allotted 10 weeks to complete a 2.0 quarter credit hour course and 3 months to complete a 3.0 quarter credit hour course. The courses are designed to take approximately 20-25 hours for a 2.0 quarter credit hour course and 30-40 hours for a 3.0 credit hour course. A 3 quarter graduate credit course is equivalent to 30 contact hours and 2 quarter graduate credit course 20 contact hours.

Question 8: When are courses offered and prerequisites?

Our courses are offered all year round, i.e. every quarter, and you can register for a course at the beginning of each quarter (see website www.adventures-in-education.com for details). In order to enroll in a course you must have at least a bachelor's degree from an accredited institution. There are no prerequisites or other requirements except completion of the course within the specified time frame. There are no meetings scheduled at the PSU campus for any of our courses since they are distance learning courses. The curriculum of our courses does not require any presentation or application of the material in the classroom while taking the course. All assignments can be completed on your own and outside the classroom.

Question 9: What will I receive with the course material?

All of our courses include a course workbook which needs to be completed by the student and returned to us via mail.  The TI-83+ calculator courses also include the textbook:  'TI-83Plus, TI-83Plus Silver, TI-84Plus Graphing Calculator: How To Best Use It.'  However, you will need to supply the calculator since we are not providing a calculator or selling calculators to students.  In order to fully participate in the Excel course, you must have Microsoft Word and Microsoft Excel installed on your computer. The only computer skill you will need for any of our courses is performing research on the web. Each course requires the student to complete a certain number of projects/activities, perform research and design a lesson plan with a topic of your choice to receive the graduate credits. 

Question 10: Do you offer a Degree?

Our courses are not in conjunction with a Masters or Ph. D program at PSU, although some of our students have applied certain courses toward a masters degree. However, Portland State University offers a variety of degrees including specialists. Please feel free to contact Becky Miller via phone 1-503-725-8279 or email ramiller@pdx.edu for more information or access the PSU website www.pdx.edu.

Question 11: Is Financial Aid Available?

Fed Financial Aid Federal financial aid from PSU is only available for course work used toward a degree or endorsement or license, and the student has to be
officially admitted to PSU. Please contact Becky Miller via phone 1-503-725-8279 or email ramiller@pdx.edu for more information or access the PSU website www.pdx.edu for more information.

Question 12: When will PSU charge my credit card or cash the check?

Regarding PSU charges or cashing of checks, it is their policy to wait and submit all of the credit card charges and checks at the close of the registration period.  You should see the credit card charges or the check cashed at the end of each quarter. You should also receive a letter from PSU with your ID# once the registration is complete.

Question 13: About the Instructor and AIE:

Adventures In Education (AIE) is an organization dedicated to the advancement of excellence in teaching and is approved by Portland State University as a cooperative agency.  Our primary objective is to provide unique workshops and distance learning courses that enable professional educators to apply immediately the skills they acquire. The approach taken is new, unique, and extremely effective.

Liz Knowlton, the facilitator for all courses, is a faculty member at Portland State University, received her BS in Mathematics and MS in Mathematics with Emphasis in Statistics from Northern Illinois University, has over 15 years of teaching experience at the college level and is teaching as an adjunct faculty at Benedictine University and Midwestern University. During the summer she also teaches workshops for elementary and secondary teachers for Professional Development at Skylight/Pearson. Throughout the year Liz provides In-Service training for elementary and secondary teachers for school districts in the Chicago area and volunteers at the local grade school. Over the years she has attended numerous elementary, secondary and post secondary school mathematics workshops/courses and authored several books. Presently, she is also pursuing a PH. D in Education.

Other accomplishments: Passed Actuarial Exams 100, 110, and 120; Bilingual German/English; Actuarial Analyst for Allstate Re and Statistical Consultant for Abbott Laboratories.

Please visit our website at http://www.adventures-in-education.com and click on Distance Learning.  There you will find a complete listing of our courses as well as information regarding cost for tuition and graduate credit fee. If you would like to receive a complete printed program, please email us your mailing address and you will receive it within a week.

If you have any questions or comments please email eknowlton@adventures-in-education.com.

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