Hi there, would like to seek for some advise.
My plan is to become a k-12 credential teacher, and I like to have more teaching ideas or pedagogy on classroom teaching experience. Which course would be a better option?
Would prefer to focus only on music subject itself.
Thanks in advance
You need to find out which of the programs you are looking at will lead most directly to certification in the state you want to work in. If both are equivalent, then choose the one that has the best track record for student teacher placement, and for job placement, in the location(s) where you want to start your career.
Usually, MAT programs are one-year programs and M.Ed programs are two years. The reason for this is that generally, MAT programs focus only on the educational and pedagogical aspects, whereas an M.Ed will also include coursework in the subject area.
Compare, for example, the MAT in music education from the University of Puget Sound to the MA in music education from University of Washington. UPS’s MAT program offers more generic courses like Adolescent Identities, Literacies and Communities or Educational Thought and Practice. UW’s music ed program includes more specific classes, like Introductory Music Methods, Instrumental Rehearsal Techniques, and Comprehensive Music in the Secondary School. UPS’s program assumes that you have a bachelor’s degree in music or music education, and will have learned that foundational stuff in undergrad.
However, take this with a grain of salt because programs vary a lot. For example, the University of the Arts MA program does have very music-specific coursework.
So really, what you need to do is compare each program on its individual merits and coursework, and not just the type of credential it is.