PYP Online Certification?

[dragonguy]

Has anyone out here taken any of the ONLINE IB certification courses? I’m specifically interested in the PYP IB certificate in teaching and learning. I’ve done some of my own research on IB’s website but hoping for some specifics from those of you in the know. There’s about 50 Universities around the world that offer the certificate, face-to-face, online, and/or blended. I’m only interested/able in the online option. When I looked at the “Universities at a glance” page I see the following that offer both the IB Cert I’m looking for and the online option:

Uni of Bath
Bethel Uni
Cal State Uni-San Marcos
Uni Camilo Jose Cela
Deakin Uni
Uni of Dundee
George Mason Uni
The Ed Uni of HK
Loyola Uni Chicago
Uni of Melbourne
Uni of Montana-Missoula
Murdoch Uni
UNLV
SE Louisiana Uni
Uni of Tsukuba
Western Uni
Uni of Windsor

Bottom line is I’m looking for which one(s) are the cheapest and easiest? Also, some of these seem to be attached to a Masters or Bachelors program (definitely not interested in that).

Anybody have any advice, experience, or recommendations with any of these Universities or Online IB certification?

I’m American so I was leaning towards an University from the states but I suppose that doesn’t really matter? as long as the course work is in English ;)

Actually the University of Windsor is in the lead in regards to the requirements I’m looking for, Cal State, San Marcos looks like it fits the bill ok too.

In case you’re wondering my motivation:
I’m a veteran teacher of 20+ years, been in the International scene for a decade (but never at a school with PYP), 20-21 will be the last year at my current school, just looking to add one more thing to the CV, and my current school has a pretty good PD package.

I’ve read pretty much every debate on this forum about hiring IB schools not caring unless you’ve actually been teaching it and “Well at least workshops and online courses show some initiative to schools. I’m not looking to specifically target IB schools, but we all know how competitive things can be, if it’s between me and someone else and I have a certificate and they don’t, I figure it can’t hurt.

Any other thoughts or ideas, please let me know?

Cheers

[sid]

It’s not a certification in the sense that it’s not a legal qualification. It’s a certificate, more like the many certificates you must have collected over the years for two hours on differentiation or a day’s training on supporting ELL. So proceed with caution. You’re in a better position than some, in that some people out there, lacking actual certification, invested in an IB certificate believing it would open doors the same way that a teaching license does. One of my new hires has a spouse in this position, and they expected to go recruiting this year as equals. Instead, he has a teaching job, and she will be subbing part time and starting over in an actual certification program.
Presumably that won’t be you. But plan wisely. It might get you extra consideration against a field of experienced IB educators. But at least to me, it’s not as good as a masters degree or being an active member of IBEN. And IBEN makes you extra money, rather than costing.
Good luck.

[shadowjack]

Why not just attend a F2F IB workshop, or failing that, spend the $600 bucks and do an online PYP Cat 1 or 2 course (as an experienced educator, I would recommend Cat 2, but read From Principles into Practice PYP section and Teaching and Learning in the PYP (or whatever IB has titled that document).

[PsyGuy]

I disagree with @Sid. Its not a credential in the sense of admitting you to membership as a professional edu. It does meet the IBs requirements for IB authorization and if thats all an IS cared about or needed, you could teach in IB ISs with just that or even a workshop certificate. Which isnt the same for the PD certificates you collect from various events.
That said and youve already read, the IB T&L certificates arent worth very much outside of a few foundation IB ISs and the regional IB offices. You will get more recognition with a workshop certificate than you will a T&L certificate.

Aside from an online workshop, the cheapest is UPe (University of the People) its a Masters program (M.Ed) but it meets all IB PD requirements, the cost is USD$2660.

[dragonguy]

Hi all, thanks so much for your thoughts and feedback. I did end up enrolling in the IB PYP online certificate programme, with the University of Windsor. I’ll take the following courses, it’ll cost $3000 Canadian total ($2,100USD). A good portion of this will be covered by my current school's PD fund, the rest I’ll be out of pocket. Time will tell if this turns out to be a good investment, it could very easily never be needed or maybe it will be the extra consideration needed against the competition. In the end the pros outweigh the cons and the ability to blast out almost half of the programme over the most boring summer ever, helped me make my decision.

Starting June 8th, 2020, here's the breakdown of my programme

IEC 000 Curriculum Processes - $675.00 (prerequisite course)
IEC 001 Teaching and Learning - $675.00 (prerequisite course), I’ll take these 2 prerequisite courses this summer
IEC 002 Assessment and Evaluation - $675.00, I’ll take this course Fall, 2020
IEC 003 Professional Learning - $675.00
IEC 005 Professional Learning Community - $300.00, I’ll take the last 2 courses Winter 20/21

@Sid yeah, already got the Masters, I will definitely look into IBEN membership, I don’t know much about it.

@Shawdowjack, I thought long and hard about just racking up some cheaper/quicker workshop certificates but in the end just figured I go this route, the timing and pacing of it all works best for me and I’m hopeful this certificate will be a bit more appealing to recruiters than attending a couple of IB workshops, but it sounds like PsyGuy agrees the workshop certificates go a little further.

@PG, I’m hoping this does reign true for me “It does meet the IBs requirements for IB authorization and if that's all the IS cared about or needed, you could teach in the IB school with just that…” I do kinda wish I knew the workshop certificates were just as or more valuable before I committed, but with me being “trapped” this summer without the normal travel opportunities, I don’t have any regrets.

[PsyGuy]

@dragonguy

Its like traveling a grey area thats a path a quarter of a meter wide but some number of km long. To one side is a wall covered in spikes, to the other a vast body of unknown water. As long as you stay on the path your fine. Though you can not see where or when it will the end, best to step surely and slowly.