In our ongoing series on college-to-career, the Ask a Tech Teacher team has three new topics to share ideas on how t prepare for sought-after careers. Today, “How to Develop the Skills, Portfolio, and Experience Game Design Careers Require“:

Game design looks like one of the most appealing lines of work in the creative world, and in many ways it is. It joins storytelling, art, systems thinking, and technology into a single craft, and the people who do it well shape how millions of players spend their free time. It is also competitive. Studios receive far more applications than they can consider, and the people who stand out are rarely the ones with the most enthusiasm alone. They are the ones who can show what they can do. Building that kind of readiness takes a deliberate plan, and the earlier you start, the stronger your position will be.

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Why Game Design Careers Ask for More Than Talent

Plenty of people grow up loving games and assume that passion will carry them into the industry, only to find that studios hire on evidence rather than interest. The obstacle for many of them is that a bachelor’s degree in game design can feel out of reach once work, family responsibilities, and distance from a campus all pull in different directions. Completing that degree online removes most of those barriers, because the learning travels with the student instead of tying them to one place and one timetable. Studying for a Game Design Bachelors degree online keeps the practical work employers look for within reach of people who cannot put the rest of their lives on hold. That accessibility is what turns an early interest in games into a serious path toward the work itself.

How a Portfolio Shows the Way You Think

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In our ongoing series on college-to-career, the Ask a Tech Teacher team has three new topics to share ideas on how t prepare for sought-after careers. Today, “How Online Education Programs Are Reshaping the Path to Teaching“:

If you’re thinking about becoming a teacher, the route into the classroom no longer looks the way it did ten or even five years ago. Online education programs have changed how you can study, train, and balance real life with career goals. That matters even more in places like Missouri, where working adults, paraprofessionals, and rural students often need flexible options that still lead to serious professional outcomes.

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Flexibility helps more people enter the profession

One of the biggest advantages of online study is that it widens access. If you live in a rural area, commute long distances, or already work in a school support role, flexibility can be the difference between starting a degree and putting it off for another year.

This is where programs like online schools for education become relevant in a practical sense. They give aspiring teachers options to earn credentials while managing jobs and personal responsibilities. For many students, that setup isn’t a luxury. It’s the only workable path.

You can also see why this appeals to career changers. Someone moving from childcare, corporate training, or community work may already have teaching-adjacent skills. A flexible degree format lets them build formal qualifications without hitting pause on rent, bills, or family obligations. (more…)

In our ongoing series on college-to-career, the Ask a Tech Teacher team has three new topics to share ideas on how t prepare for sought-after careers. Today:

A medical device can begin as an elegant engineering solution and still fail where it matters most: in the hands of a patient or clinician. Designing technology for healthcare requires engineers to think beyond mechanics, electronics, or software. They need to understand human behavior, biological systems, manufacturing constraints, risk, regulation, and the consequences of failure. That makes medical device engineering particularly challenging to teach. Students need technical depth, but they also need opportunities to see how separate engineering decisions collide in the real world. The strongest education therefore does not treat device development as a collection of isolated subjects. It teaches students to follow a medical technology from an identified problem through design, testing, production, regulation, and eventual use.

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Teach the Entire Device, Not Just the Engineering

Traditional engineering courses often separate subjects because doing so makes complex principles easier to learn. Medical device education eventually has to put those pieces back together. (more…)

Have you wondered if taking additional classes in business would benefit your career? Maybe an MBA? Or a certificate in data analysis? The Ask a Tech Teacher team as a few ideas for you to consider as you ponder your options: 

Every career reaches a point where hard work alone no longer leads to the next step. Many professionals find that promotions start to depend on a wider set of abilities, such as guiding teams, planning for the long term, and understanding how every part of an organization fits together.

Advanced business education helps close that gap. It gives people the knowledge, habits, and confidence they need to move from doing good work to leading others who do good work. For anyone who wants to grow into a leadership role, learning the language and logic of business can make a lasting difference. (more…)

Learning to use technology has become as important in most jobs as being comfortable with computers was for any post-high school job twenty years ago. Now, thanks to advances, even hands-on professions benefit from solid tech skills. In this article, the Ask a Tech Teacher team explores that reality as it relates to mental health nursing:

Technology has changed the way people learn, communicate, and access healthcare, but that does not mean meaningful careers are limited to computers and engineering. In fact, healthcare increasingly depends on professionals who can combine digital confidence with strong human skills. Mental health nursing sits directly in that space. It requires scientific knowledge, communication, critical thinking, and the ability to use evolving healthcare technology while supporting people through some of their most difficult moments. For students who enjoy problem-solving, digital tools, and work that creates a direct impact, this career path offers an interesting combination of innovation and personal connection. (more…)

Building a high school grad worthy of being anointed ‘USNA midshipman’ isn’t easy, but nothing worth your effort is. As President John F. Kennedy said:

A young man who does not have what it takes to perform military service is not likely to have what it takes to make a living.

Still, many who are completely capable of qualifying will claim they can’t do it, using the most mundane overused excuses. Read these top five, and then say, Bring it on!

1  I wasn’t smart enough

C students rule the world. John McCain finished almost last in his class. Smart isn’t the barometer for success in the world. Hard work, persistence, getting along with others, problem solving certainly makes any plan work better.

2  I wasn’t cut out

How do you know, at the age of 16, what you’re cut out for? Most people never work in the field they majored in during college. I didn’t. Whatever you pick, odds are you’ll do something else.

Nevertheless, read this post on the initial cut for Midshipman applicants,  Am I a Midshipman? and Life the USNA Way. (more…)

Here’s the next in our series addressing topics of college education–its importance in today’s changing work environment, how it translates to success in the classroom, and more. From the Ask a Tech Teacher team: “How Sports Administration Works Behind the Scenes”:

If you love sports, it’s easy to focus on buzzer-beaters, rivalry games, and packed stadiums. The real machinery sits behind the curtain. Every event, sponsorship, media deal, and fan experience depends on smart administration. If you’re curious about careers that keep teams, leagues, and athletic programs running, you need more than game knowledge. You need to understand the business side, the people side, and the pressure that comes with both.

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Education Paths That Match the Reality of the Job

A general business degree can help, but sports administration often rewards specialized study. Programs focused on sports management, administration, law, finance, and leadership can prepare you for the parts of the industry that don’t show up in highlight reels.

If you’re exploring graduate study, masters of science in sports administration programs can be worth a serious look. They’re designed for people who want deeper training in areas like governance, marketing, facility operations, and organizational strategy.

That kind of education matters when you’re competing for roles in athletic departments, professional organizations, and sports agencies. Employers often want candidates who already understand the business framework. A strong program can also help you build industry connections, which is rarely a minor detail in sports. Doors open faster when someone knows your work.

What Sports Administration Actually Covers

Sports administration is the operational and strategic work that keeps sports organizations functional. You’re looking at budgeting, event planning, marketing, compliance, facility management, athlete support, and public relations. It’s part business office, part crisis center, and part logistics lab.

A college athletic department offers a clear example. Someone has to coordinate travel, manage donor relationships, track NCAA rules, schedule venues, and supervise staff. Pro teams deal with ticket sales, partnerships, media rights, and community outreach on top of that.

If you picture sports administration as a desk job with a scoreboard nearby, that image needs an upgrade. The field moves fast, and one scheduling mistake can ripple through an entire season. It’s organized chaos, just with nicer branding.

Why the Industry Needs Skilled Administrators

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Here’s the next in our series addressing topics of college education–its importance in today’s changing work environment, how it translates to success in the classroom, and more. From the Ask a Tech Teacher team: “Should You Study Computer Science in 2026? What You Need to Know Before You Commit”:

Choosing a major can feel like you’re being asked to predict your whole future before you’ve even figured out next semester. Computer science attracts a lot of attention for good reason, but it’s also surrounded by hype, confusion, and some very loud opinions online. If you’re thinking about this path in 2026, you need a realistic view of the work, the skills, and the opportunities so you can decide whether it actually fits you.

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Why the Degree Still Matters in a Skills-First Job Market

You’ve probably seen people say you don’t need a degree because you can learn everything on YouTube, GitHub, or coding bootcamps. Part of that is true. You can learn a lot on your own, especially the basics.

Still, a degree gives you structure, depth, and a more complete foundation. It forces you into concepts many self-taught learners skip, like computational theory or memory management. Those topics aren’t flashy, but they matter once software gets bigger, faster, and messier.

Employers also still use degrees as a filter, especially for internships, graduate roles, and international hiring. If you’re comparing routes, exploring a computer science bachelors degree program can help you see how formal study is designed to build both technical skill and long-term adaptability. (more…)

Here’s the next in our series addressing topics of college education–its importance in today’s changing work environment, how it translates to success in the classroom, and more. From the Ask a Tech Teacher team: “Is a Liberal Studies Degree Online Actually Worth It?”

If you’re looking at college options and feeling boxed in by rigid majors, an online liberal studies degree can look surprisingly practical. You get flexibility, room to explore multiple subjects, and a path that fits around work, family, or a schedule that refuses to behave. The bigger question isn’t whether the degree sounds interesting. It’s whether it can help you build real skills, qualify for jobs, and move forward without wasting time or money.

What a liberal studies degree online really includes

A liberal studies degree online usually blends courses from several disciplines instead of locking you into one narrow track. You might study communication, social science, history, business, writing, and problem-solving in the same program. (more…)

We received multiple requests from readers to address topics of college education–its importance in today’s changing wrk environment, how it translates to success in the classroom, and more. We’ve put together a series of six articles based on the sorts of questions we received, from “Is a Liberal Studies Degree Online Actually Worth it?” to “Should You Study Computer Science in 2026?” and a lot in between. These will be a few a day. We hope you enjoy the conversation.

Here’s our first: “Why an Ed.S Degree is Getting More Attention in Education Reform”.

If you follow education reform, you’ve probably noticed a pattern: schools need leaders who understand teaching, policy, data, and day-to-day reality all at once. That’s a tough mix. Teachers, instructional coaches, and administrators are being asked to solve bigger problems with tighter timelines. An Ed.S. degree sits right in that pressure zone, offering advanced training for educators who want to lead change without stepping away from the field for years.

Where an Ed.S. Fits in the Education Reform Conversation

Education reform often sounds abstract until you’re the one dealing with attendance drops, uneven literacy scores, or teacher burnout. At that point, broad policy talk turns into a very practical question: who has the skills to fix systems without losing sight of students?

An education specialist degree usually lands between a master’s and a doctorate. Northwest Missouri State University offers advanced education programs designed for professionals who want to strengthen their leadership and instructional expertise. It’s built for educators who want advanced expertise without committing to a full Ph.D. or Ed.D. track. That makes it especially relevant when districts need people who can lead curriculum planning, school improvement, professional development, and data-informed decision-making.

You’re not just studying leadership theory for the sake of it. You’re learning how institutions actually change, where resistance shows up, and what meaningful improvement looks like in real schools. Reform work needs more than slogans and strategic plans with glossy covers. (more…)