Birthday Degree Info

Purpose:

As my 24th birthday quickly approaches, I can't help but think about what my next life adventure will be. In an effort to support one of my favorite passions, I'm making an unusual birthday present request this year: financial support to aid in the pursuit of my next degree. This doesn't represent merely another academic credential, this program is the next step towards what I see myself working on in the future!

As the world continues to get more complex, being able to effectively leverage existing technologies, and envision those that don't yet exist, will become increasingly important skills. Education has long been a passion of mine and I believe that utilizing emerging technology will be the only way to increase the effectiveness of current educational methods while also enabling a broader pool of individuals to have access to this life-changing investment. It is my hope that I can use the skills and knowledge cultivated through this degree program to accomplish the following:
Creating more personalized educational programs that adapt to each learner's unique needs, strengths, and interestsBetter understanding how to teach others about best practices for appropriately and effectively using new technology, particularly in an educational contextBecoming a better researcher (particularly important for my future doctoral pursuits!)

The Unique Academic Model of WGU:

Western Governors University is a fully accredited, nonprofit, competency-based university. This fully online school provides both undergraduate and graduate level degrees in four domains which are considered to be the most in-demand: Business, Education, Nursing, and Information Technology.

When you enroll in one of the degree programs at WGU, you don't pay by the class or by the credit hour. Instead, a student will pay for a six month block of time which can begin on the first of any month. Once your term has started, you can progress through the material at your own pace. Once you demonstrate proficiency in the appropriate areas, typically through a combination of objective and performance assessments (e.g. exams, written papers, multimedia presentations), you are able to move forward. This allows motivated students to accelerate through their degrees, ultimately saving time and money!

In April of this year (2018), I completed my first graduate degree from WGU, a Master of Science in Management & Leadership, in one term! This meant that my entire master's degree only cost ~$3,000!

Click here for more info on WGU's story and unique educational model.

Degree Info:

This next degree I'm interested in is a Master of Education in Learning & Technology. This degree is composed of 12 classes spanning many interesting and important areas, including "Instructional Design", "Research Fundamentals", and "Technology Integration".

For more information on this specific degree program, click here!

Additional Info:

The current PayPal Pool goal is set at $3,335. This amount will cover one six month term at Western Governors University (WGU). My goal is to start this program on the 1st of December and finish within six months.

The access the PayPal Pool, please click here.