Philosophy & Course Work
Besides family, education is the most important thing in life. Without education, people are easily deceived, discriminated against, and treated like second class citizens. Democracy without education is meaningless. It is education and enlightenment which lifts a nation to the heights of progress and greatness. Adult education is a powerful auxiliary and an essential incentive to primary education. A working or guiding philosophy of educational practice provides the foundation for all decisions, processes, and actions made about the instruction and learning process. The purpose of all good teaching is to produce changes in human behavior. If humans were given the freedom to pursue their own interests within a supportive environment, human knowledge and understanding would flourish. Education is growth, and any flower growing in an enriching environment flourishes more than not, or it just becomes a weed.
WORKFORCE EDUCATION
I am extremely interested in technology in the adult education space. This class has allowed me to explore the ever changing world of eLearning and the importance that it will have in both the academia and business communites. I was in a group which presented Technology in Workforce Development where we explored both the history and present of technolgy in eLearning, but also the possibilities of growth in the future.
METHODS IN ADULT TEACHING
This class, like the Workforce Education course, has allowed me to explore technology in the teaching environment. Although there were numerous student presentations on various methods teaching adults, I knew I wanted to present technology as it will continue to be a vital tool in the education and development of not only adult communities, but also the youth.
PROJECT MANAGEMENT
This was a very important course in my MBA program and also in my making the ultimate decision to pursue my PhD in Adult Education. As a business owner, I felt it was important to learn the "official" method of overseeing a project from its infancy to completion. In the Adult Education program, I am looking forward to developing curriculum for educational and corporate institutions, and having my PMP (Project Management Professional) certificate is an important step in that direction.
MARKETING CONCEPTS
This was perhaps my most interesting class in my MBA program. I am a marketer at heart and learned alot of concepts in my undergraduate program. This course however, after returning to school following years in the corporate world, allowed me to approach marketing from so many different levels which will only benefit me in the future, both in the academic and corporate spaces. We participated in a marketing simulation and had to report on our findings.
SEC MBA CASE COMPETITION
I was fortunate to be among 4 students selected to represent Auburn University at the SEC MBA Case Competition which was held in Columbia, SC at the University of South Carolina. We were presented a case and given 24 hours to review and analyze the case given to us, and then present our recommnedations.
NBMBA CASE COMPETITION
I was selected to represent Auburn University at the National Black MBA Case Competition held in Orlando, FL. We were asked to analyze and make recommendations to Ford Chrysler Fiat Automotive about 3 vehicle headlamp providers (one a minority supplier). There were 33 teams from around the country who completed. The Auburn University team won 2nd place overall and a $15,000 reward, and I was named Best Presenter.
