John Bergstresser: ECOT Prepares Students for College

John Bergstresser, Class of 2009, is still in his first year of college, but he’s already getting comfortable with life on campus. John attends Bowling Green State University where his major is Middle Childhood Education.

Moving from an online educational environment like ECOT to attending face-to-face classes everyday may seem like a large transition.

By taking classes through the Post Secondary Enrollment Options (PSEO) program, John was able to take college courses while learning at ECOT. John says his experiences at ECOT helped prepare him for BGSU.

“PSEO definitely helped me when I was in my senior year of ECOT. If I didn't have PSEO as part of my course in my senior year, I would say it would have taken longer for me to get used to the classes. But really, since all my work is still due on a weekly basis, it is very similar to ECOT,” John said.

In addition to PSEO, the technology used by ECOT helped prepare John.

“Many courses require that assignments be turned in through dropboxes, or exams have to be taken online. A lot of these have very similar traits to what ECOT was like, so I already knew how to do many of things that most students here do not,” John said.

One of the keys to John’s success on campus is getting involved in university life. John is a part of a learning community, Partners in Context and Community, focused on education in urban settings. Part of the program requires him to teach 50 hours a semester in an urban school.

Also, the learning community provides social activities for John and the other members. Having a leadership position on campus has also helped John understand how his college operates.

“I am on the executive board that makes decisions for my learning community. Also, I am on the faculty advisory board that is made up of different directors from the College of Education that sits in and advises on what our learning community is doing right and wrong. I am also part of the Long Range Committee that is set up to create programs for the learning community for the next five years,” John said.

John’s career goal is to teach English and History. At BGSU, he is making positive strides towards reaching his goal.