Make Money Teaching OnLINE

WHO knew you could teach from home and earn a reasonable salary from teaching online courses?  I had no idea that I could participate in an on-line course that could teach me a trade, or a craft from the comfort of my own living room! I know I could always use some instruction on cooking!!  I would also love to learn how to upholster from the comfort of my home!   Authors Dr. Babb and Mirabella in Make Money Teaching Online: How to Land Your First Academic Job, Build Credibility, and Earn a Six-Figure Salary teach you how to make a great living teaching online courses from home.  Admittedly I have not read this book, but with such a catchy title, I couldn't help but look into it for myself.  Many reviews indicate the advice seems honest, and there are many helpful hints when looking into approaching this avenue of teaching.  Where this book falls short is that the idea markets to a particular group of teachers, mainly those with PHD's.  The authors fail to list sources, websites  or service that will provide you with employement opportunities to teach on-line.   Although you have to admit, THE general idea of teaching is a good one.  Why not teach outside universities or colleges?  They missed the boat on that one.  It has been proven face that in a rough economy, everyone goes back to school.  When there is no work, people start brain storming of ways they can start their own business, looking for apprenticeship opportunities, or general guidance to start up a business without experience.  There is a HUGE market for this type of business, and I suppose if you were to look into this direction you could promote a DVD, and sell it on ebay or AMAZON.  AND, while you may think about teaching at a college or university, that simply may not be the case with most working folks.  

Many people are eager to learn how to do house improvements, plumbing, bookkeeping, taxes and any sort of hands on education that they can start on their own.  In this case, we need more instructors who are willing to show others how to do a particular trade.  In a recession or a depression, hands on work never goes out of business, because people always need something fixed. 

If you think you could be a good communicator, why not teach for a living? 

Read the reviews of this book, and think about the avenue of teaching in general. 

ABOUT- Make Money Teaching Online: How to Land Your First Academic Job, Build Credibility, and Earn a Six-Figure Salary

Two professors explain how they discovered great pay, flexible hours, and rewarding work in Make Money Teaching Online: How to Land Your First Academic Job, Build Credibility, and Earn a Six-Figure Salary.  While you may not have ever considered teaching as a profession, this book may open your eyes to the possibilities that may be out there to earn a full time income.

Today, more than eighty percent of learners have taken at least one online course, and those numbers continue to rise. But rather than hire tenure-track professors, institutions are increasingly looking for part-time, remote educators to teach online courses. By teaching multiple classes, you can make much more money than most full-time tenured professors.

Here are some of the key points the book discusses:

-Discover what universities look for in online educators

- From Doc Dave- There was a good deal of emphasis on how to use and maximize current technologies, along with accounts of the authors preferences.

From L Fooks-I bought the book as soon as it came out and read it right away. The most helpful part of the book is the strategies that one needs to take to heart and apply. I was one who had zero college teaching experience two years ago and now teach at 7 regionally accredited Universities (6 online and 1 onsite)..no kidding!I will be adding an 8th school later this year(confirmed). I am ABD and expect to complete my PhD over the next several months What one needs to understand is to get to the 6-figure income will require one to have a PhD and understand which schools pay the most. And whether or not one teaches graduate or undergraduate courses. It also helps to teach courses that are in demand. Understand the different schedules, how the schools hire, understand that most institutions are highly unorganized and that one needs to apply a persistent strategy to get in. Use networking, referrals, do other work etc. It takes time to work up to a 6-figure income teaching online, but it is not impossible and it won't happen without a clear understanding what is involved. This book will help you get on the path.

Here are the Let Downs regarding this book

Jerome Pleasance- This book is written for a very narrow audience - specifically those with Master's or Doctoral degrees under their belt.The author even goes so far as to say that people with "only a bachelor's degree will not be able to make a good living but might find some work at the high school level". There may be a degree of truth to this, but I could not believe they just came out and stated this in their intro. There are plenty of opportunities out there for people with all ranges of experience and abilities, and to throw that wet blanket on the reader right off the bat seems foolish in the extreme - especially given the catchy "Make Money Teaching" title. I almost bought this book based on the title, the premise, and the favourable reviews it received. After reading the first few sections, and scanning the rest, I left it on the shelf with a "phhfft". A better title would have been "How to get into online teaching for those with a post-graduate pedigree and little to no computer knowledge". Pass (on the book) and Fail (to be of value to 99% of the readers out there)

From Doc Dave-The authors provide a nice overview of online teaching, including a lot of important considerations for job seekers (many of which apply equally well to those looking for jobs outside the realm of online education). The advice seems honest, and the authors admit that, unfortunately, there is no single source, website or service that will provide you with access to all the job listings/opportunities that are available. I didn't find anything new among the websites they suggest monitoring for job opportunities, but this doesn't mean that you won't...it may depend on how much research you've already done. Their advice on strategies for making inquiries, even when no opportunities are listed, seems reasonable and should be helpful to many.

Karen Johnson- I purchased this book hoping to expand my online teaching. Most of the information is geared for individuals who have never taught online before or who have limited information about online teaching. The information is accurate and supportive for newcomers to the field, and I picked up a few new tips that may help me build my business. The authors are knowledgeable and forthcoming with information from their own experiences. If you're thinking about moving into online teaching, read this book first!!

From Doc Dave- I had hoped there would be more focus on the actual online teaching process...e.g., tips for addressing common problems students encounter in adapting to discussion forum-based learning, etc. Granted, the advice may help you to be more organized and efficient, and therefore give you more time to think about how to manage e-classroom issues and improve your teaching techniques. Nevertheless, managing relationships with institutions, administrators and other online-teachers is covered reasonably well, but not so extensively for the online student/teacher relationship. I can't fault the book too much for these issues however, as the title is "Make Money Teaching Online," and not "How to Teach Online."

From Rabid Reader- I teach for both a state university and for an online university. I cannot imagine what this author is trying to sell. The money in teaching adjunct and online is notoriously low in most cases. I suspect that if the author is making six figures, it is from book sales. I have never encountered a legitimate teaching institution that would accept less than a master's degree. After viewing the Today show interview, I was convinced that the author was not being wholly honest. Beware.From Doc Dave-  This brings up another aspect that I found troubling, in the subtitle implication that the book will show you how to "earn a six-figure salary" from online teaching. Although I don't doubt that it is possible for those who manage their time exceptionally well, I have my doubts as to whether this is realistic for all but the most committed and hardworking teachers, as well as some others who may likely be precariously overextended and therefore of little utility to their students. The advice in this book may well help online teachers to be more organized and maximize their time, possibly allowing them to take on extra work. However, is it really necessary or advisable to promote online teaching in this way? Overall, the book does makes a pretty nice guide for career exploration, especially for those who already have a little bit of classroom-based teaching experience and are interested in pursuing online opportunities. I wouldn't recommend going into this field if extremely high earnings are your primary motivator however.

- From Diana- Having taken multiple classes under Babb's "tutelage", I can say without a doubt that her methods are geared towards making her rich instead of actually teaching. She does not grade homework nor even look at assignments. She has so many different colleges paying her for different classes that I doubt she would even have the time to pay any attention to a student. Is this the way "teaching online" should be? This book is a disgrace, and so is the field of online teaching for profit.