{"id":449,"date":"2014-12-19T23:04:43","date_gmt":"2014-12-20T07:04:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/?p=449"},"modified":"2024-04-02T15:23:47","modified_gmt":"2024-04-02T22:23:47","slug":"a-smart-investment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/a-smart-investment\/","title":{"rendered":"A smart investment"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Dan Miles<\/em>
\nDec. 19, 2014<\/i><\/p>\n

\n

\"Molly<\/p>\n

Molly Sherman, a teacher in Crescent City, California is\u00a0 earning her Master of Science in Mathematics Education through Oregon State.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Molly Sherman has education in her blood.<\/p>\n

She is a fourth generation teacher in Crescent City, California, and she is passionate about connecting with at-risk learners in her middle school and exciting them about mathematics.<\/p>\n

“I like being able to make an impact on students’ lives, mentor them and build genuine relationships,” she said.<\/p>\n

Molly loves math and she’s really good at it, especially when it comes to measuring return on investment. So she took a hard look at the numbers when it came to evaluating options for a master’s degree. She chose to earn a Master of Science (M.S.) in Mathematics Education online through Oregon State University Ecampus because she knew the investment would pay off.<\/p>\n

While California teachers are not required to hold a master’s degree, there is an income incentive that makes it worthwhile. In addition to a salary increase, having an advanced degree opens up opportunities for Molly to teach in different capacities and in other educational settings.<\/p>\n

But the decision to enroll online with Oregon State wasn’t purely financial. Molly \u2013 despite some initial reservations about online learning \u2013 found tremendous value in the educational experience at such a highly respected university. “At first I was afraid that a graduate program online would be too disconnected from the learning community,” she said. “I was used to one-on-one time with professors, as well as numerous study groups. I was pleasantly surprised to find that the online community at OSU is every bit as vibrant as I experienced on a campus.”<\/p>\n

Having a degree from Oregon State was important to her. She knew her OSU education would give her the credibility to be a leader in her district. And she’s already providing guidance to her school in making curriculum changes to meet new Common Core standards.<\/p>\n

She appreciates the value of the “theory to practice” approach where she applies her knowledge directly into the classroom. One newly acquired strategy involves having her students demonstrate the concepts they have learned with authentic products.<\/p>\n

For one project, she set up a website where students gathered and compared weather data over time. Through self-directed learning, they made their own conclusions. They presented their findings to the class and supported their claims with data-based evidence.<\/p>\n

“Kids who normally would not do homework got really excited about this project” she said. “Through this advanced program, I feel very prepared to meet the needs of my students.”<\/p>\n

That’s where Molly’s investment is truly paying off.<\/p>\n

<\/h2>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

<\/span> 2<\/span> minute read<\/span><\/span>By Dan Miles Dec. 19, 2014 Molly Sherman, a teacher in Crescent City, California is\u00a0 earning her Master of Science in Mathematics Education through Oregon State. Molly Sherman has education in her blood. She is a fourth generation teacher in Crescent City, California, and she is passionate about connecting with at-risk learners in her middle … A smart investment<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[673],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-449","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-archives"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7BNSE-7f","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1581,"url":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/public-health-masters-erin-devlin\/","url_meta":{"origin":449,"position":0},"title":"Oregon State Everywhere: ‘I am so grateful to have taken this path’","author":"Erin Devlin","date":"November 1, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"\"If it weren't for the online program at Oregon State Ecampus, I would not have had the chance to get the Master of Public Health. I wouldn't have complemented my work in OSU Extension Family and Community Health with classes that taught me the science behind program decisions. And I\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "All Stories"","block_context":{"text":"All Stories","link":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/category\/all\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Oregon State University Ecampus Master of Public Health student Erin Devlin sits on a lakeshore with her daughter, Molly","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Erin-Devlin-MPH-student-2020-daugther-Molly-744x478-201026.jpg?fit=744%2C478&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Erin-Devlin-MPH-student-2020-daugther-Molly-744x478-201026.jpg?fit=744%2C478&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Erin-Devlin-MPH-student-2020-daugther-Molly-744x478-201026.jpg?fit=744%2C478&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Erin-Devlin-MPH-student-2020-daugther-Molly-744x478-201026.jpg?fit=744%2C478&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2732,"url":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/online-mat-sped-degree\/","url_meta":{"origin":449,"position":1},"title":"New special education master\u2019s degree aims to fill workforce gaps, increase inclusive teaching practices","author":"Molly Rosbach","date":"March 7, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Editor's note: This article was originally published by Oregon State University's Office of Media Relations. Amid a rising number of students with disabilities and an ongoing shortage of credentialed special education teachers, Oregon State University\u2019s College of Education is hoping a new master\u2019s program will help bridge some gaps in\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "All Stories"","block_context":{"text":"All Stories","link":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/category\/all\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Two individuals in a secondary education classroom setting, one seated and focused on a laptop, while the other stands, pointing at the screen.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/MAT-SPED-Photo-05-800x450-1.jpg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/MAT-SPED-Photo-05-800x450-1.jpg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/MAT-SPED-Photo-05-800x450-1.jpg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/MAT-SPED-Photo-05-800x450-1.jpg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":109,"url":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/mat-beaverton-school-district\/","url_meta":{"origin":449,"position":2},"title":"Oregon State, Beaverton School District to deliver new hybrid teacher licensure program","author":"Heather Doherty","date":"April 5, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"The Master of Arts in Teaching with an option in Clinically Based Elementary program is a two-year, full-time master\u2019s degree program that immerses students in the classroom from day one, where they will co-teach and work side by side with experienced Beaverton School District educators.","rel":"","context":"In "Archives"","block_context":{"text":"Archives","link":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/category\/archives\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"A teacher works with four students in the Beaverton School District. 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