Archive for June 2010

The iPad is the latest in mobile devices created by Apple that seeks to change the way we live and the way students experience education globally. First it was the iPod, then the iPhone and now the iPad. The iPod ushered in the iTunes U movement, the iPhone increased the number of educational apps, and the iPad wants to change the entire way we learn all together.

The Future Bookstore

What will the future bookstore look like? The current campus bookstore stands to be the biggest loser according to research by the National Association of College Stores (NACS), campus booksellers netted $4.4 billion in soft goods sales (t-shirts, sweatshirts, etc.) of its $10.2 billion in total sales in 2009.

If students can purchase e-textbooks will they need to come into a physical campus bookstores? The business model of campus bookstores must change. Currently Scroll Motion is developing eBooks for major publishers: McGraw-Hill, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Pearson, and Kaplan Publishing. It is just a matter of time before we are downloading our all of our textbooks.

Changing the Educational Experience

Once upon a time education was a top-down process where the instructor had all the power and information. With tools like the iPad the process is changing the instructor will be a curator of a conversation that is powered by students that engage a global community creating a richer multi-media learning experience.

• Real-time Learning: Students will have the ability to automatically update content. Imagine reading a case study on BP Oil and being able to hit a link to watch the CNN video of the story versus a two year old case study in a hardbound textbook.

• Social Engagement: Mobile devices like the iPad will foster and encourage social engagement during the learning process. Students will have the ability to tweet or connect within their global network. They will have the ability to share links in their ebooks. The Blackboard app for mobile learning was just launched in June 2010 social engagement as well.

Look for Michigan Technological University School of Business and Tech MBA Online to progressively innovate the online learning experience and be a major player in distance and online learning.

Posted by Hajj Flemings who is the Tech MBA Online Program Ambassador. You can follow him on twitter @hajjflemings.

This blog post kicks off the Tech MBA Minute video series produced by the School of Business and Economics at Michigan Technological University’s Tech MBA Online program. Through this series we will talk with business leaders, the media, and thinkers to discuss ideas that power business.

Today’s conversation with Stephen Clark WXYZ Channel 7 News anchor (Detroit, MI.) focuses on how traditional media is changing and its parallel with the automotive industry. Detroit has changed dramatically since the height of the automotive boom. The automotive sector is not the only industry that has been impacted by the economy, technology and globalization, traditional media has been forced to change like many other industries.

Stephen Clark is a non-traditional man when it comes to media he uses twitter, he is on Skype and even blogs to tell an engaging story that a wired generation wants to hear.

About Stephen Clark
Stephen Clark has been a member of the Action News family since 2001. He anchors Action News at 6 and 11 with Diana Lewis and Action News at 7 with Carolyn Clifford. Clark, a veteran broadcast journalist, brining nearly 30 years of experience to the Channel 7 family.
Stephen Clark started out as a newspaper photographer in Colorado. Since then, his career has taken him from radio reporter and D.J. to TV photographer, reporter, and finally the anchor’s chair. He has worked across the country in markets from KRDO in Colorado Springs to Washington D.C. to Denver’s KCNC, San Diego’s KGTV and WCBS New York. Stephen’s covered momentous events including the conflict in Bosnia, the L.A. Riots, California wildfires and the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.

Follow Stephen Clark: @sclarkwxyz
Follow Tech MBA Online: @TechMBAOnline and www.mbaonline.mtu.edu

Posted by Hajj Flemings who is the Tech MBA Online Program Ambassador. You can follow him on twitter @hajjflemings.

The Michigan Tech – Tech MBA Online #mbachat has been moved to Thursday’s from 8pm-9pm EST.

The MBA Chat (#mbachat) is a 1-hour discussion on Twitter where anyone can participate in our open source conversation. The Twitter Chat on Thursday, May June 24^th 8:00pm-9:00pm EST will include Ryan Rancatore (@RyanRancatore) and Hajj E. Flemings (@HajjFlemings) who will answer questions.

Topic: Personal Branding vs. Career Branding

Noted web strategist Jeremiah Owyang recently posted this article debating the merits of “personal branding” and “career branding”. Understandably, Owyang is a proponent of building a career brand, as he has utilized this method for more than a decade. Let’s explore the differences between personal branding and career branding, and determine which path is right for you.

Show Bios

Ryan Rancatore – www.PersonalBranding101.com

Ryan is the advertising creative coordinator for a Fortune 500 financial services firm on the West Coast. His experience building the brand of a globally respected firm helps provide a unique perspective on the world of personal branding. Read more from Ryan at Personal Branding 101 .

Ryan’s role as advertising coordinator for a major financial services firm allows me the opportunity to work on both media plans and ad production – the science and the art of advertising, respectively.

His real passion is in the creative development of ads. I’ve helped develop television spots, print and online creative, social media strategy, and more.

Hajj E. Flemings – www.BrandCampU.com

Hajj is the founder of Brand Camp University and author of “The Brand YU Life: Re-thinking Who You Are Through Personal Brand Management.” He has been featured on ESPN.com, BusinessWeek.com, BlackEnterprise.com and travels nationally speaking as a branding expert enabling personal and business brands to remain relevant. His branded clients include Walt Disney, NFL athletes, Ford Motor Company, Skechers Footwear, U.S. Department of Defense (Telecom Division) and numerous colleges and universities to name a few. His book was selected as one of Fast Company Magazine 2008 Readers Choice Business Books of the year.

How to Follow and Participate:

To participate you can use http://search.twitter.com or http://tweetgrid.com/. Watch for tweets with the hashtag #mbachat and follow the conversation on the @TechMBAOnline Twitter account.

This chat is sponsored by Michigan Tech MBA Online program: www.mbaonline.mtu.edu.

How valuable is an MBA? Can an MBA open up doors? A real world example was in Crain’s Detroit on June 6, 2010. Detroit Mayor Dave Bing recruited eight highly recommended MBA students to work an unpaid summer internship in exchange for real world experience.

Facing a nearly $300 million general fund deficit in the City of Detroit Mayor Bing assembled a turnaround team to focus on this crisis. The team had 100-days to assess the financial and operational issues.

“With zero budget and plenty to do, co-chairs Freman Hendrix, former deputy mayor; attorney and business owner Denise Ilitch; and retired Ford Motor Co. executive Joe Walsh went to local business schools for help.

They ended up with eight highly recommended current or former MBA students who agreed to work an unpaid summer internship for the team. They were Catherine Anderson, University of Michigan; Rosaline Brown, Walsh College; Jim Gardziola, University of Detroit Mercy; Jessica McGrath, UD Mercy; Naila Payne, Walsh; Saritha Puttagunta, UM; Jonathan Sanders, UD Mercy; and Rajani Yellamanchili, UM. All had a passion for the city of Detroit, as well as interest in one of several areas: treasury, accounting, procurement or information technology.” (Source Crain’s Detroit:  Registration to Crain’s Detroit Online site is required to review the article)

The end result was a 150-page report of their recommendations for Mayor Bing to consider which included the following: cutting payroll costs, outsourcing, consolidating city services where appropriate, bulking up revenue and trimming expenditures, identifying major issues, and analyzing their root causes.

The Tech MBA Online program is preparing students for the same real world experiences which is why we have integrated two national and one international residency into our online program. We understand the value of working on real world projects.

The #mbachat is a 1-hour discussion on Twitter where anyone can participate in our open source conversation. This Twitter Chat is on Monday, June 7^th 7:30pm-8:30pm EST with host Hajj E. Flemings and the topic is “How do I Become a Subject Matter Expert?”

How to Follow and Participate:

To participate you can use http://search.twitter.com or http://tweetgrid.com/. Watch for tweets with the hashtag #mbachat and follow the conversation on the @TechMBAOnline Twitter account.

This chat is sponsored by Michigan Tech MBA Online program: www.mbaonline.mtu.edu.

Why should I get an MBA? It’s a question that we hear quite often. So we decided to list the top 24-reasons to get one. This blog post focuses on some of the tangible benefits of obtaining an MBA.

1. Skill Gap – In the new economy addressing a skill gap is a very important reason to get an MBA.
2. Promotion – The requirements for the new job you seek could require an MBA.
3. Expanding your social/professional network – Getting an MBA puts you into a totally different social/professional network or circle. It is one of the leading reasons that people get MBAs.
4. Change your Worldview – Getting and MBA changes the way you see the world and business opportunities.
5. Seeking new job were skills don’t transfer – After graduating with a bachelors in one field you might want to change to a different field and your skills might not be directly transferable.
6. Make more money – Advanced degrees are typically a requirement to get a new job and make more money.
7. Teach on college level – To teach at a university a graduate degree is required. My MBA was the key for allowing me to teach at Michigan Tech.
8. Requirement for lateral move – The job that you are seeking might be a lateral move with no pay increase but requires an advanced degree like an MBA.
9. Adds credibility – Whether an MBA is required or not it can add creditability especially if you are an entrepreneur.
10. Think Business – In management especially, there is a zero learning curve and you are expected to think like a business person. Having an MBA prepares you to think like a business person.
11. Business communication – There is a language that comes with having an MBA.
12. Solve problems – Obtaining an MBA teaches you how to think critically and to solve business problems.
13. Apply class work to real problems on the job – There is nothing like getting a degree in a field that is as applicable as an MBA.
14. Alumni Network/Benefits – Networking events for alumni and have access to alumni of the institution that you attended.
15. Invest in Human Capital – With the housing market and Wall Street being so unpredictable the best investment you can make is in yourself; your human capital.
16. Increased flexibility to obtain MBA – The options to obtain an MBA has never been this diverse: online, on-campus, executive, and evening programs.
17. Job Security – In today’s job market there are things you have to do today not for advancement but keeping your job.
18. Increased opportunities – An MBA opens up doors to career and business opportunities because of the social network and or career level.
19. Confidence – Having confidence is something you can’t put a price tag on. Adding an MBA can add piece of mind and additional confidence.
20. Brand Equity – Going to specific programs allows you to add the equity of the institution.
21. Cross-cultural Awareness – Most MBA programs have integrated a cross-cultural experience. For example in the Tech MBA Online program there is an international residency that all students experience. Most MBA programs have cultural diverse students in their program. This allows you the exposure of other cultures and an international experience.
22. Sharpen your tactical skill – Getting an MBA sharpens how you tactically approach problems.
23. Become a Critical Thinker - Getting an MBA changes the way you think.
24. Get promoted within your own company – Promotion within your own company might not require an MBA but can give you a distinguished advantage over your competition.