LIMA, OH (WLIO) - Bowling Green State University is helping fill the need for teachers by helping professionals get their teaching license.
Dr. Angela Thomas spoke to the Lima Rotary Club about their alternative program to get a teaching license. Professionals with bachelor's degrees in STEM or who have worked in related fields can take a one-year course to get certified to teach math and science in middle and high schools.
Bowling Green State University got a grant that could help pay for the program. Around 95% of the coursework is online.
"Each science or want to be math teacher is aligned with one of our educational faculty on campus that are either a math educator or a science educator. So, they have that same professor that teaches the face to face classes, teaching their online classes and there for them 24/7 to answer questions," says Dr. Angela Thomas, associate professor of education BGSU.
The university is using some technology to help future teachers get some real-world experience in a virtual classroom.
"At Bowling Green State University, we have the only Mursion program in the state. And what Mursion does, it puts you into real simulation that you experience as a teacher in a classroom with Sims. So, we have a graduate student working behind the scenes and they are taking the role of the parent in a parent conference, or a small group of students, or a large class, and we design what these scenarios will be. Whether it's a math lesson, or a science lesson, upset parent. Whatever the case may be," adds Dr. Thomas.
If you would like to know more about the scholarships available to help pay for the course, log on to bgsu.edu/teachstem.
