Are you considering going back to school for your Master’s in Education with a specialization in Curriculum and Instruction?  The below interview with a current teacher, Brandi Flannery, will give you detailed information on her experience with one particular program – the Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment program at Regis University.  She discusses the length, cost, curriculum, likes, dislikes and the career opportunities associated with this program.

Q:  What school did you attend?

I attended Regis University at the Lowell campus.  This was a hybrid type program where most of the classes were online, but a couple were campus based.

Q:  What was the exact name of the program?

The name of my program was Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment.

Q:  Can you give some examples of classes that you had to take?

I had to take some multicultural classes, assessment classes, classes about best practice in instruction and classes that analyzed available curriculum.

Q:  Can you give an example of a book that was required as part of your program that you particularly valued?

A particular book that I liked was Classroom Instruction that Works by Robert J. Marzano, Debra J. Pickering, Jane E. Pollock.  It had great information about instruction that I’m able to implement often and it is a quick read.

Q:  Can you give an example of a teacher that you particularly liked and why?

A teacher that I really liked was Sharon Sweet.  She was pretty intimidating, but I think that made my work better.  I knew she would take anything that was less than perfect and I worked harder to meet her higher standards.

Q:  Can you give an example of an assignment that challenged you and provided you with significant learning value?

The most meaningful assignments were in my multicultural classes.  It gave me perspective into the lives of not only ELL [English Language Learner] students, but SPED students [Special Education students] as well because there are a lot of overlapping needs/characteristics.  It held a lot more meaning for me because I worked on them most of the time when I was in Mexico which made it much more authentic.

Q:  What were your favorite classes and why?

My favorite classes are the same as above, the multicultural classes.

Q:  What specific lessons did you take from the program that you actually use in your everyday job tasks?

The lessons that helped me the most were ones on differentiation, cooperative learning and setting meaningful goals with the students. These lessons of course help with my everyday tasks because I get to use these skills with the students if I am going to provide effective instruction.

Q:  What was the most important class from the program?

The most important class in this program was the one that pulls everything together, which was the research project class.  Knowing how everything fits together and having to produce a meaningful project is the most important thing you can do to become a better teacher.

Q:  Why did you choose to go back to school?

I value education and wanted to deepen my background knowledge.  There is not a set curriculum in special education and I wanted to feel like the program design that I make for my students has meaning and is the right approach.

Q:  What did you learn with this specialization?

I learned a lot about differentiation in core curriculum and how to develop meaningful assessment as well as best practices in instruction.

Q:  What career paths does it open up within education for you?

From this point on I could take a position outside of the classroom and work on finding and developing curriculum for school districts.

Q:  How would things be different for you if you hadn’t received this training?

If I didn’t have this training I wouldn’t have as many opportunities as I do now.  I also wouldn’t have the depth of knowledge that I do or the confidence that I now have for designing program plans for students on an IEP [Individual Education Plan].

Q:  How long was the program?

This program was two years long.

Q:  How much did it cost for you to complete the program?

It cost around $10,000-$12,000 total which included tuition and books.

Q:  Did you receive any financial aid or scholarships?

No, I didn’t.

Q:  Did you go to school on a full-time or part-time basis?

I went to school on a full time basis.  So I worked all day then worked on my class work at night and on the weekends.

Q:  Did you consider other programs?  If so, why did you choose the one you did?

I didn’t consider other programs.  I only looked into doctorate work for adult learning so that I could teach college.  I may still one day pursue that avenue.

Q:  Are various programs consistent in what they teach you or will it vary significantly between different universities?

From what I gathered, the information would be pretty similar for Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment no matter which university I attended.

Q:  Were you happy with the training that you received?

I’m in the middle as far as how happy I am with my training.  Some parts were really meaningful and some parts weren’t. Of course I’m happy with the classes that were meaningful for my position and that I thought I could use later in my career.  However, there were some classes that I didn’t think were that beneficial.  If nothing else, at least it taught me discipline.

Q:  What classes did you not find beneficial?  Why?

Once class that didn’t benefit me was a human development class and it wasn’t very helpful because that was all review.  As part of my undergraduate I had to take multiple classes about human development.  Another class that was not very beneficial was an instructional leader class.  It wasn’t helpful because it was unclear what the objectives were, the assignments were poorly developed and I felt it was graded very subjectively.  I made it through okay, but it wasn’t pleasant.

Q:  Would you recommend this school to someone else? Why or why not?

I would recommend Regis University for someone who wants more professional background or wants to change fields into designing curriculum, instruction or assessment.

Q:  Who would be a good candidate for this specialization?  Why would someone choose this specialization?

A good candidate would be someone who wants more background knowledge or wants to develop curriculum, instruction or assessments.  Someone who wants more windows of opportunity would benefit from this program.

Q:  If you could do it all over again, would you?

If I could do it all over again I would.  I think that information I got and the skills I developed were well worth it.

Q:  What was the most difficult part of the program for you?

Writing the research paper was the most difficult part of the program.   It took a lot of time and really required thought from all of the classes.  I had to go back through all of the information I had obtained thus far and then find tons of more information and quickly learn that too.  I wish I had taken a writing class that focused on APA so that writing in that form wasn’t so difficult.

Q:  About how many other students were in your classes?

There were about 15-20 students in each class.  For the research project part one there were six students and by the time we got to part two I was one of three.

Q:  For your particular program, are there any special licenses or certifications that you need to receive before getting a job?  If so, what are they and what do they entail?

Based on my program, if I would like a job in designing curriculum or assessments I do not need any additional certification.  I would only need my transcript and resume.

Q:  How was the experience of online classes versus a classes taught in a classroom setting?

Online classrooms have pros and cons.  The cons are that it is impersonal and you never get to see who you are working with.  You also must have some level of technology skills so that you can learn how to navigate in an online learning environment. The pros are that you can work at your convenience and the learning is more self directed.

Q:  Did you feel that you were able to learn as well as you would have in the classroom setting?

I always said that I would learn online just as well as I do in the classroom, however, now that I’ve done it I have changed my mind.  I think being around people and bouncing your ideas off of each other and having those deeper conversations is much more beneficial when it is done in person. The only downfall is that in our adult busy lives the opportunities for those experiences are less common.

View a list of online schools offering Master’s Degrees in Curriculum and Instruction.