Unique Adult Education Programs

Jennifer Warrner commented on Group 1 and Group 5.
Sarah Smurr commented on Groups 1, 3, 4 and 5.  :) 

Program #1: Nina Monstwillo

Program #2: Carrie Clymer

Comparison: Sarah Smurr

Implications: Jennifer Warrner

EDAC 631: Unique Adult Education Programs

Programs: CourseHorse, NYC & The Riley Institute, South Carolina

October 26, 2014

Introduction

There are numerous adult education programs, and comparing them is very difficult.  Therefore, one approach is geographical and topical.  These two programs are regionally different for comparison’s sake, one in the North and one in the South.  Both also have diversity as an innate aspect either as a direct outcome or as an indirect possibility.  Diversity means a program that builds perspectives and awareness of other views.

Program #1: Coursehorse NYC

CourseHorse is a resource which provides learners in the New York City area with a huge variety of learning opportunities.  New York City is itself a diverse population of individuals. Therefore, there are hundreds of classes and learning opportunities which are available to teach about diversity through experiencing different cultures.

Location

One aspect of an interesting comparison is to explore the educational opportunities provided within one of the most populated cities within the United States.  According to the U.S. Census Bureau, it was estimated that as of July 2013 the population of New York City was at 8,405,837 (World Population Review, 2014).

Educational Purpose

Through the website “Coursehorse.com,” learners in the New York City area are provided with an online opportunity to explore courses, workshops, and certificate programs which are taught within the city.  This website has the ability to connect individuals to “more than 20,000 classes from 500 class providers” (Chen, 2012).  When searching for classes, individuals can seek courses which are categorized under several different labels:  Art, Acting, Cooking, Dance, Fitness, Kids, Life Skills, Language, Professional, Tech, Music, and Deals.

Educational Perspective

Individuals have the opportunity to learn everything from Cheese 101 to Immigration Rights.  There are also classes found in New York City, which provide opportunities to work on advancing the learner’s career through professional certification classes, or for enriching an individual’s life through arts, cooking, or fitness.  The “Coursehorse” website creates a very “Life is a Journey” outlook on educational opportunities for the learner.  This website also creates an encouraging environment for individuals to embrace the feeling that learning is a lifelong process.

Learners

According to census data for New York City, the demographics are comprised of 44% of the population as white, 25.5% are black, 12.7% are of Asian decent, and 28.6% are Hispanic of any race.  The New York City population is also estimated to have a large representation of income, “the median household income for a wealthy citizen was $188,697 per year, and the poorest median income was reported at $9,320” (World Population Review, 2014).  Even though any age group can find courses in New York City, there are not too many free educational opportunities provided throughout the city.  Therefore, it can be assumed that the learners utilizing these courses are individuals who have the resources to pay for the classes.

Program Organization

Forbes (2012) magazine wrote an article about the startup and success of this online resource.  This website was built upon the idea developed from two individuals who recognized a need to link together students and schools.  They discovered the smaller educational establishments did not have the resources to cheaply and effectively promote courses which were available to the community (Chen).  This website was developed as a means to cheaply and easily connect the community to the number of opportunities available within the city.  Over the last couple of years the website has expanded to include classes in Los Angeles and Chicago.

Program #2: The Riley Institute Diversity Leaders Initiative

The Riley Institute Diversity Leaders Initiative is a program that allows leaders in the community to contemplate challenges and opportunities that can present it self through diversity and cultural backgrounds. In the past, South Carolina has had cultural and racial divisions that have divided that state and still has an impact on the progress socially and economically.

Location

The Riley Institute provides educational opportunities for community and business leaders that live in South Carolina where there is a cultural divide.

Educational Purpose

Business and community leaders in South Carolina are provided with the opportunity to meet with others in the class “four times in monthly sessions during which participants acquire frames of reference and skills to be effective leaders in South Carolina’s increasingly diverse social environment” (The Riley Institute).  The Riley Institute Diversity Leaders Initiative has its participants lead community service programs where it has them work with individuals with various backgrounds. The institute’s hope is that the “participants acquire diversity leadership skills absolutely invaluable for addressing diversity efforts in the workplace and in the greater community” (The Riley Institute).

Educational Perspective

Since the beginning of the organization, it has had 1,300 participants that were CEOs of corporations, mayors, city and county council members, school superintendents, pastors, non-profit heads, chamber of commerce directors and many more where many are in a place of power and can make critical decisions for the organization.

Learners

According to the United States Census Bureau, the demographics for South Carolina are comprised of 68.3% of the population are white, 27.9% are black or African American, 1.5% are Asian and 5.3% are Hispanic or Latino.  South Carolina has a large population, but there is not much diversity in the business owners in the state. For an example, the total number of firms is 360,396 with only 12.1% owned by black or African Americans and 1.8% owned by Asians (United State Census Bureau).

Program Organization

With many recognizing the urgency for diversity driven programs, the Riley Institute and the American Institute for Managing Diversity created programs that pushed community leaders “to consider the challenges and opportunities presented by the facets of diversity in our state, including among others, differences in cultural backgrounds, language, gender, and physical ability” (The Riley Institute).  Since 2003, the Riley Institute Diversity Leaders Initiative has received many awards such as the Greenville NAACP’s award from helping create an understanding of cultural differences for all people and the organization also received the MLK Dream Weekend “Champion of Diversity” Award.

Comparison of Organization

First of all, both programs are specifically aimed at adult learners and both suggest diversity.  That is their primary objective. But their approaches and goals are very different.

CourseHorse offers a general approach to target as many adult interests as possible with diversity being implied by stimulating choices.  The website is very self-directed so that the independence of city populations is clearly considered.  The New York City (NYC) approach is based on city culture.  People in big cities are used to convenience and speed.  They want to know their options quickly and easily.  CourseHorse’s solution for getting these kinds of adults to participate in adult education is to provide that ease and accessibility of options all on one website.  This approach addresses all four of the learning motivations of adults.  There are many situational solutions to account for time and money concerns as well as institutional barriers.  The informational barrier is also eradicated by the extensive listings.  Possibly dispositional barriers could also be overcome since adults could find a niche for any level of learning and a community of similar learners.  Additionally they can browse online anonymously without revealing their own insecurities and allow the seeds of interest to take root and blossom.  The organization of the program is not specific towards any one adult learning goal.  Instead the offerings cover the gamut including phases of life, development of maturity stages, life events, and transitions.  For example, a sampling of the courses include West African drum class, Chinese, French, Italian, Spanish, German, Portuguese culture, Culture and Conflict, Arab Spring: Where are we now and how did we get here ($10), data governance and best practices, conflict resolution, empowerment, women leaders summit: empowering women forward, changes, transitions & strategies, advocacy unlimited: the path to empowerment, as well as a variety in typical adult classes for business skills and hobbies.  There is potential for transformation, but that is certainly not an overt goal.  As in self-directed learning, the student takes away whatever learning they want to find for themselves.

            On the other hand, The Riley Institute has a very specific focus and personnel.  The program is organized and prescripted by the Institute.  The goal of diversity is combined with involvement with community and society.  The personnel do not need to overcome learning barriers.  But the potential for transformation is much higher and seems to be an overt goal.  In this case, the adult learners are now self-directed in the content instead of in the choice of direction.  Additionally, it is situated cognition where learning is socially constructed with other senior level peers of leadership in business, government, and community organizations.  The focus is on “diversity leadership, community building, and communication and collaboration skills” (The Riley Institute).  Furthermore, it is activity oriented where the learners work on real-life Community Action Projects that cover a variety of real-world needs including such topics as: Community involvement, diversity awareness, education, environment, health, housing, racial and gender issues, and transportation.  These projects are planned, implemented and evaluated by the participants that could clearly lead to transformation: meaning from experiences that change a person’s perspective, shapes people. This program also may appeal to learners as they mature to higher stages of moral development and as they go through later phases of life where they want to make a difference in the world.   

            In summary, CourseHorse is organized to offer adults many choices in an assumption that there will be interest and self-direction in a big city in the North where such pastimes are valued, common and sought-out as long as they are easy to find.   The Riley Institute is organized as fulfillment to a need for a specific kind of education (diversity leadership), specifically in the South, where leadership is a social solution to a social problem entirely community based.  The assumption is people might not recognize this need for themselves or know how to learn without guidance.  Both are products of their environments and the kinds of adult personnel they serve.

Implications

            Both CourseHorse and The Riley Institute provide insight into the nature of adult education.  Adult education is a diverse field that encompasses a wide range of topics offered in a variety of delivery methods.  CourseHorse and The Riley Institute are examples of this diversity.  The developers of both of these programs recognized a need of adult learners in their region and then established these programs to help meet those specific needs.  Adult education professionals need to utilize that same principle to help best meet the needs of adult learners in different geographical areas.  Both programs have been successful, which demonstrates that adults are interested in participating in learning opportunities.  CourseHorse shows the importance of the ease of finding adult learning opportunities.  Before this website was developed, New York City had plenty of adult education opportunities, but people were not able to easily find those opportunities. Adult education professionals should consider the ease of access when creating, marketing and promoting adult learning opportunities.

            Both of these programs also demonstrate that successful adult education initiatives have the ability to grow and to reach a broader audience. CourseHorse began in New York City and has expanded to Los Angeles and Chicago. The Riley Institute began by offering classes in the South Carolina Lowcountry and then expanded to the Midlands. Adult education professionals need to recognize this growth potential and develop strategies for programs to extend their reach.  

            The success of both CourseHorse and The Riley Institute can help adult education professionals develop learning opportunities that will benefit adult learners in all geographical areas. 

Table 1. Summary of Unique Adult Education Programs

	Coursehorse NYC	The Riley Institute Diversity Leaders Initiative
Locations	New York City, NY	South Carolina
Educational Purpose	A website that allows learners to explore courses, workshops, and certificate programs taught in New York City and connects individuals to “more than 20,000 classes from 500 class providers.”	The institute’s goal is that the “participants acquire diversity leadership skills absolutely invaluable for addressing diversity efforts in the workplace and in the greater community.”
Educational Perspectives	“Life is a journey outlook”: creates an environment for adults to embrace that learning is a lifelong process.	Targets learners who are in a place of power and can make critical decisions for their organizations.
Learners	Open to all learners, though classes may be cost prohibitive.	Open to business and community leaders in South Carolina.
How was the program organized	Developed as a resource to connect students and schools and as a means to cheaply and easily connect learners to the number of opportunities available within the city.	Developed in 2003 “to consider the challenges and opportunities presented by the facets of diversity in our state, including among others, differences in cultural backgrounds, language, gender, and physical ability.”
Why were they organized differently/similarly	The organizations are in different geographic areas and have unique approaches and goals. CourseHorse targets a variety of interests, and students gain the learning they want for themselves. The Riley Institute focuses on diversity leadership with a specific focus and personnel.  Adult learners are self-directed in the content, and learning is socially constructed.	Both organizations are aimed at adult learners and have the primary objective of diversity.
Implications	Adults have diverse learning interests and should be able to easily find adult learning opportunities.	Adult education should be developed based on the needs of adult learners. Successful initiatives can grow and reach a broader audience.

References

Bishop Holston selected for Riley Institute at Furman’s diversity leaders initiative’s 8^th class. (2014) The South Caroline United Methodist Conference. Retrieved from http://www.umcsc.org/home/bishop-holston-selected-riley-institute-furmans-diversity-leaders-initiatives-8th-class/

Chen, Liyan. (2012, December 10).  From $75K To $500K: How NYU entrepreneurs challenge kickstarted CourseHorse.  Forbes.  Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/sites/nyuentrepreneurschallenge/2012/12/10/from-75k-to-500k-how-nyu-entrepreneurs-challenge-kickstarted-coursehorse/

Coursehorse. (2014). Showing 57 classes for “diversity”. CourseHorse, Inc.  Retrieved from http://coursehorse.com/search-nyc/kw-Diversity?suggest=true

Davis, A. (2014, June 9). Riley Institute at Furman marks 10 years of progress. GreenvilleOnline.  Retrieved from http://www.greenvilleonline.com/story/news/local/2014/06/09/riley-institute-furman-marks-years-progress/10265603/

Pollizter, W. (2012, October 9). Diversity leaders initiative. Low Country Weekly.  Retrieved from http://www.lcweekly.com/local-color/2866-diversity-leaders-initiative

The Riley Institute.  (n.d.).  About the initiative. Furman University.  Retrieved from http://riley.furman.edu/diversity/about/about-initiative

SC DLI.  (n.d.). University of South Carolina School of Medicine in Greenville. Retrieved from http://www.greenvillemed.sc.edu/scdli.shtml

World Population Review. (2014).  New York City population 2014.  Retrieved from http://worldpopulationreview.com/us-cities/new-york-city-population/

Leading Adult Educators

Sarah Smurr commented on: Group 3 and Group 4. 

Jennifer Warrner commented on Group 1 and Group 3. 

For this assignment:

Sarah Smurr and Jennifer Warrner collaborated on the section about Dr. Rachel DuBois.

Nina Monstwillo and Carrie Clymer collaborated on the section about Madam C.J. Walker.

Leading Adult Educators: Dr. Rachel DuBois and Madam C.J. Walker

Dr. Rachel DuBois and Madam C.J. Walker are two examples of female professionals who contributed to the field of adult education. DuBois and Walker had varied backgrounds and worked in different industries, but both women made significant contributions during their lives.

Dr. Rachel DuBois

Dr. Rachel DuBois was an educator, author, lecturer, and organizational leader who focused her work on pacifism, diversity and improvement of racial and ethnic relations.  She also was an innovator for female contributions to the field and a progressive thinker ahead of her time.    

DuBois was born Rachel Davis in 1892 into a Quaker farming family in New Jersey.  The Quaker religion had strong beliefs about diversity and equality and believed that all persons have worth regardless of their gender, race, age, nationality, religion, or sexual orientation (Robinson, 2009). These Quaker beliefs impacted her education and life’s work. At a time when few women went to college, DuBois graduated from Bucknell University in June 1914 with a degree in natural sciences. In 1915, she married Nathan Steward DuBois.  With few career options for women with degrees in natural science, DuBois accepted a position as a teacher (Totten & Peterson, 2007, p. 101).  DuBois eventually earned her doctorate at Columbia University and taught there as well as at New York University (Lambert, 1993).

DuBois’ philosophical perspective began from her religion and childhood experiences.  Her Quaker beliefs taught her to “see God in every man,” and she spent her childhood doing just that by playing with Italian and black hired hands (Lal, 2014, p. 18).  She even said that these experiences shaped her lifelong interest in interracial/intercultural relationships.  The Great War was the next building block to her perspective.  She became a pacifist and, guided again by her religion, looked for ways to take action and end the tensions differences cause (Lal, 2014, p. 18).  She saw those tensions reflected in the United States in urban, mostly black schools and developed her perspective there.  To really make in-roads in differences, she did not believe in the melting pot but instead in what she called “cultural democracy” (Lal, 2014, p. 20).   To reduce prejudice, she strove to create “satisfying experiences” in the classroom by focusing on three tenets: emotional, situational, and intellectual.  Intellectual is to teach students about the reality of the experiences of and the valuable contributions of other cultures. Emotional is to make other cultures fun.  She would give the students tangible experiences like food and festivals to make a personal connection of enjoyment to those cultural activities.  Finally, she developed ways for students to meet and interact with other cultures to put a face to that culture in a small scale way (Lal, 2014, p. 20).  The last piece of her perspective is the two-ness of being an American born child of an immigrant.  On one hand, students tend to try to shed their culture of origin to be more “American.”  On the other hand, shared minority experiences of discrimination form a bridge between minority groups.  Her solution of cultural democracy is to accept that all cultures have positive contributions and that basically reality is chosen, not right or wrong.  The structure of society is constantly changing and adapting.  One way to do that is to incorporate the benefits of having so many cultures in one country and embrace all of them equally (Lal, 2014, p. 21).  Hence, her life’s work was in pursuit of this idealistic but reasonable goal based on social psychology.  

DuBois made significant contributions to both organizations and thought.  She founded the following: the Inter-Cultural Education Workshop, Fellowship Farm, Workshop for Cultural Democracy, Livingroom Gatherings and the Atlanta Dialogue Center (Lambert, 1993).  Many of these were for educators to learn the approach as well as to conduct research to find “best practices” for the kinds of questions to ask to enhance tolerance and critical reflection of personal beliefs (Immigration History, 2004).  She also developed group conversations, which use common experiences to create meaningful interactions that reduce hostility and promote understanding.  For the U.S. Department of Education, she did a radio show called “Americans All, Immigrants All” in 1940 and worked with Martin Luther King, Jr. and Margaret Mead (Lambert, 1993).   Dewey would applaud her progressivism.  Everyone else should applaud her unending faith in humanity and complete optimism about all cultures.   

It is difficult to find overt articles discussing her impact, but she definitely has made many ripples in the field of adult education.  One very common structure of adult learning is discussion.  Sharing experiences for mutual analysis and digestion is a cornerstone of many adult education programs.  Additionally, people continue to strive for minority education and valuation.  This movement seems to be gaining traction lately, both with race and economics.  By working in New York City, she had an ideal population to develop solutions for the tensions that permeate American culture.  Although idealistic, she based her approach on real people making strides in deeply polarized populations; scientifically she has validity.  Finally, she seems to have developed a sort of feminine solution that could be inspirational as a role model for what women can accomplish and the worth of feminine contributions. Hopefully, policy makers will read her ideas and see the wisdom and value her approach could give to this society. 

As far as adult education, DuBois’ approach to social problems is immensely applicable today.  People are so polarized in this society from politics, religion, region, gender, education, and even sports teams.  Somehow it has become a society where people tell each other not to talk about religion and politics because it causes passionate disagreements.   That is the heart of the problem.  Without meaningful dialogue, people cannot build tolerance.  Agreeing to disagree and not engage is not the same thing.  Tolerance is being able to interact with people with whom there may be significant differences but to then see their rights and their humanity as part of the same community rather than apart from each other.  It is fascinating to read about ideas that could be incredibly useful for the turmoil Americans continue to face that has only been exacerbated from not having those conversations. 

Madam C.J. Walker

Madam C.J. Walker was a business woman and philanthropist that became one of the first self-made African American women millionaires. Walker was born Sarah Breedlove on December 23, 1876 in Delta, Louisiana to former slaves and died on May 25, 1919 in Irvington, New York. In the early 1870s as a black female child in Louisiana, she did not have the opportunity to attend school.  At the young age of seven, Walker was orphaned and began working in the cotton fields. When she was fourteen, she married her first husband, Moses McWilliams, and had one daughter named A’Lelia. After the death of her first husband, she moved to St. Louis, Missouri where several of her brothers had become barbers. In St. Louis, Walker worked as a laundress and received help learning how to read and write through a group of women at her church (Walker, 2012).  While in St. Louis, Walker began to lose her hair as a result of the lack of plumbing in early 1900s American homes. During the World’s Fair in St. Louis in 1904, Walker found “The Great Wonderful Hair Grower,” a product developed by Annie Turnbo.  This hair supplement made a significant difference with Walker’s hair, and within a year, she began to sell Turnbo’s product as a local agent (Gates, 2013).  Shortly after becoming a local agent for Turnbo, Walker started dating Charles Joseph Walker who was a salesman from St. Louis.

Trying to make a career for herself, Walker moved to Denver in 1905 to step away from her boss.  Charles Walker followed her to Denver where they were married in 1906, and Sarah Breedlove officially changed her name to Madam C.J. Walker. She developed a product to grow hair and called it “Madam Walker’s Wonderful Hair Grower.”  Walker then founded the Madam C.J. Walker Manufacturing Company as a way to “sell her treatment, and her door-to-door saleswomen because familiar figures in the black communities of the U.S. and Caribbean” (Britannica, 2012). In 1910, Walker decided to move her company to Indianapolis, Indiana where she also established a laboratory and a beauty school.  

Over the years and after proving herself to be an enterprising young woman, Walker continued to work on her education by hiring a private tutor (Walker, 2012).  Considering that Walker continued to show an interest in enhancing her own education throughout her life, it makes sense that along with the success of her business, she provided educational opportunities for other women.  After her time in Denver, she founded Lelia College in Pittsburg, “which offered a course in her methods” (Indiana, 2014). 

Walker not only focused on business opportunities, but worked on creating educational opportunities which might not have been available to African Americans. As Walker continued to build her business, she also worked on establishing the Madame C.J. Walker School of Beauty Culture throughout the country.  Other than domestic or manual labor jobs, this was at a time in history when black women would have had very limited career options.

As part of her beauty schools, Walker worked on creating knowledgeable agents who could sell her products. However, it is also noted that “the function of the Walker agents throughout the country was not merely to sell Walker products, but to educate customers in hygiene and in the value of good personal appearance” (Indiana, 2014).  To keep her agents loyal to her company, Walker offered incentives for agents who promoted the company’s values.  Walker stated, “I am not merely satisfied in making money for myself” (Gates, 2013).  In addition to her work with her agents, Walker established the National Negro Cosmetics Manufacturers Association in 1917.  

Throughout her successful career, Walker demonstrated an understanding of her position of leadership.  Walker began public speaking and used this opportunity to build confidence, encourage education, and create opportunities for civil rights activism of those around her.  Madam Walker was an active philanthropist whose financial contributions often included the beneficiaries of African American educational foundations such as Mary McLeod Bethune’s Daytona Educational and Industrial School for Negro Girls in Florida and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (Indiana, 2014).

            Walker’s success shows how one person can have a significant impact on a large number of people.  With her products, she recognized a problem, developed a solution, and then shared the solution with others. That solution led to monetary success for Walker but also to careers, training, and learning opportunities for other women. Her success as an adult educator can serve as motivation for other adult educators. A simple idea for an adult education program or opportunity can be successful and can have a far reaching impact.

Photograph of Madam C.J. Walker’s students:

Photograph of graduates of the Walker School of Beauty Culture in St. Louis:

Table 1. Summary of Leading Adult Educators

	Rachel DuBois	Madam C.J. Walker
Time Period	1892-1993	1876-1919
Background	Pacifism, diversity, and racial and ethnic relations	Diversity, business woman and entrepreneur, promoted education for women and minorities
Profile	Married, earned Bachelors at Bucknell University and a doctorate at Columbia, worked as a teacher and professor	Married twice, one daughter No formal education, but sought informal education opportunities
Contributions	Founded the Inter-cultural Education Workshop, Fellowship Farm, Livingroom Gatherings and the Atlanta Dialogue Center Developed Group Conversations Worked with Martin Luther King, Jr. and Margaret Mead	Entrepreneur of hair products and cosmetics Founded the Madam C.J. Walker Manufacturing Company Founded Lelia College in Pittsburg Established training programs, the Madame C.J. Walker School of Beauty Culture, and the National Negro Cosmetics Manufacturers Association
Impact	Discussions Minority education and valuation Role model for women	Leader Created employment opportunities for women, particularly African American women Realized the importance of learning, training, and continuous education Philanthropist
Implications	Importance of meaningful dialogues and tolerance of others’ opinions	No idea is too small A simple idea can lead to success and can impact a large number of people Training and continuous learning are important

References

Bundles, A. (n.d.).  Madam C.J. Walker: A brief biographical essay.  Retrieved from

http://www.madamcjwalker.com/bios/madam-c-j-walker/

Gates, Jr., H. (2013, June 24). Madam Walker, the first black American woman to be a self-

made millionaire. Retrieved from http://www.pbs.org/wnet/african-americans-many-

rivers-to-cross/history/100-amazing-facts/madam-walker-the-first-black-american-woman-to-be-a-self-made-millionaire/

Immigration History Research Center (2004).  Bureau for Intercultural Education,
records, ca. 1940-1960.  University of Minnesota.  Retrieved from http://www.ihrc.umn.edu/research/vitrage/all/bo/GENbie.htm

Indiana Historical Society. (2014). Madam C.J. Walker (1867 - 1919) Papers, 1910 - 1980 [Data

file].  Retrieved from http://www.indianahistory.org/our-collections/collection-guides/madam-cj-walker-papers.pdf/?searchterm=Madame%20C.J.%20WalkerWalker,%20Madam%20C.J.

Lal, S. (2004, May). 1930s multiculturalism: Rachel Davis DuBois and the Bureau for Intercultural Education.  The Radical Teacher, 69, 18-22.  Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/20710241?seq=5

Lambert, B. (1993, April 2). Rachel D. DuBois, 101, educator who promoted value of diversity.

The New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/1993/04/02/obituaries/rachel-d-dubois-101-educator-who-promoted-value-of-diversity.html

Robinson, B.A. (2009). Quaker beliefs and practices. Retrieved from

http://www.religioustolerance.org/quaker2.htm

Totten, S. & Pedersen, J.E. (2007). Addressing social issues in the classroom and beyond: The

pedagogical efforts of pioneers in the field. Charlotte: NC: IAP.

Walker, Madam C.J. (2012). In Britannica concise encyclopedia. Retrieved from

http://proxy.bsu.edu/login?url=http://search.credoreference.com.proxy.bsu.edu/content/entry/ebconcise/walker_madam_c_j/0

September Summary

By: Carrie Clymer

September has flown by and I can't believe it is already October. The semester will be over before we know it. During the first month, the class determined the groups and set up the blog for the group discussions. Sarah was wonderful with quickly setting up the blog and I am so very thankful for that. This is my first time using and interacting with a blog. As everyone can tell, I need a lot more practice with using the blog. Hopefully I get better soon!

I was placed in a group with three wonderful women that are great to work with. For the first part of the group assignment, Jen emailed the group to get the ball rolling. Jen proposed we split the work into two groups. We decided to team up and email our individual work to Jen by Saturday. Sarah and Jen will work on Rachel DuBois, and Nina and I will work on researching Madame CJ Walker.

So far in this semester, I am feeling very overwhelmed and scared, but I am hopeful this feeling goes away very soon. I am looking forward to the rest of the semester with you all.

Posted Comments in Blog: Nina's September Summary and Sarah's September Summary