Do you coach and teach?

Do you want to earn a master’s degree?

Would you apply to an M. Ed. program
that does NOT interfere with your coaching duties?

If your answer to these questions is “YES”,
Columbia College has a program for you!

Program Information
Columbia College offers the M. Ed. in Divergent Learning program for coaches in a 15-month format that does NOT interfere with teaching and coaching duties. This practical, relevant program crosses all subject areas and grade levels and will teach skills that will make you a more effective coach and teacher.  

What is a DIVERGENT LEARNER?

• A divergent learner is a student of average to above average intelligence
• A divergent learner does not easily relate to traditional curriculum, methods, school rules, and values
• A divergent learner is no more likely to have learning disabilities than others
• A divergent learner experiences difficulty in a traditional learning environment unless the coach/teacher recognizes his/her innate personality traits and employs strategies to engage the divergent learner.

Recognizing the characteristics of divergent learners and knowing how to relate to these students is critical in coaching and teaching them effectively.

If you are ready to improve your effectiveness in working with student athletes who exhibit divergent characteristics (and MOST do), you are an ideal candidate to apply to the M. Ed. program offered by Columbia College.

Program Benefits

• You already use authentic learning in practice on a daily basis. EXAMPLE:  when a football team runs the same play 20 times until they get it right on a hot August afternoon, this is authentic learning.  This program will teach you how to improve your ability to design practices based on authentic learning, and it will teach you how to motivate student athletes that are not performing up to their potential.
  
• Once you learn how to ENGAGE all your student athletes and motivate them to perform at the top of their ability level, you will have improved outcomes.
  
• You will collaborate with other coaches who experience the same challenges you face and will use ‘collective brain power’ to develop strategies and techniques that will improve performance.
  
• You will learn how to identify divergent tendencies and employ methods that will CONNECT student athletes to the behavior and skills that will help them meet their goals.
  
• You won’t be assigned ‘busy work’ in this program. You will have practical, relevant assignments.
  
• You will be assessed in the same ways that you will learn to assess your students. No more memorization and regurgitation.

FORMAT

Summer I semester begins in late May

• Students take four classes
• Classes meet six times, only on weekends
• One of the classes is a technology course that is offered online
• Students begin learning correct research format and exploring potential research topics

Fall semester – Students take a research class. Students meet with their professor in person, by phone or email, and occasionally as a class – meetings will not interfere with coaching duties.

In consultation with the professor, students choose a question that is answered by the data collected in the classroom or on the field during the research process. The goal of the research is to study an actual situation in order to understand and improve instruction and student achievement. The final paper is a journal article based on the action research and is appropriate for publication and professional presentation.

Spring Semester – Students take the second and final research class and meet with the professor in person, by phone or email, and occasionally as a class – meetings will not interfere with coaching duties.

• Students analyze their research
• Students write the research paper.

Summer Semester II

• Students take four classes
• Classes meet six times, only on weekends
• Students have a choice to take EDU 765 (Math for Divergent Learners) or EDU 785 (Methods and Strategies). EDU 785 is an online class

Request information - https://kc.columbiasc.edu/ICS/Admissions/Request_Information.jnz .

Class schedule - http://www.columbiacollegesc.edu/graduate/divergent_schedule.asp.

Course descriptions - http://www.columbiacollegesc.edu/graduate/divergent_courses.asp.

Contact Information
Joann Nagy, Assistant Director of Graduate Admissions
800.277.1301 or 803.786.3191
jnagy@columbiasc.edu