BASSETERRE, St. Kitts - TAMU PETRA BROWNE of St. Kitts and Nevis is about to make a difference in the lives of many who are eager to move ahead educationally but who, due to domestic and/or economic issues, have had to stop dead in their tracks.
This innovative educator has launched her business venture which allows persons to register for online classes that will prepare them to sit Management of Business and Information Technology at CXC’s Advanced Level.
Any person in any island can now register on the site www.innovativetraining.webs.com for online classes that are delivered either directly to his/her email inbox, or s/he can take the class in the virtual classroom, whichever s/he prefers.
This bold and innovative move to offer an alternative solution to traditional classes will be welcomed by many especially with the widespread penetration of information technology that makes distance dead and puts the availability of new knowledge and great teachers within reach of all who yearn to learn.
SKNVibes sought out Ms Browne to hear directly from her what could be expected in this new paradigm shift in education and what prompted her to become a pioneer in this field.
From the exclusive interview with SKNVibes, it was clear that this was a person who was eminently qualified to pursue such an undertaking – she holds a Masters in Management Information Systems (MIS); she has the experience – she taught these subjects for six years at the CFB College here in St. Kitts; and most of all, her love for teaching gave her the attitude or mindset to want to produce an innovative, interactive learning experience.
Her recognised eminent qualifications for her new venture are as follows:
• BSc. Management Studies, University of the West Indies.
• MSc. Management of Information Systems Duquesne University.
• Diploma in Education, University of the West Indies.
• Certificate in Online Teaching, Humber College, Canada.
• Certificate in Events Management, Barbados Community College.
“I meet people every day,” Ms Browne explained, “and they say ‘I want to come to the College; I want to do ACE but I have children, or I work shifts at Marriott’ and so on, and I thought, well, you know this is the Information Age and I have a Master’s of Science in MIS (Management Information Systems) and I always had a love for technology and so I thought this would be a good marriage.”
It was clear that her plans had been carefully thought out prior to launching this venture.
“I think my target market would not be this generation; it would be the older generation like myself and a little younger than myself (thirties plus) -the ones who have families and obligations and so on... that didn’t have the opportunity and may have done 3 or 4 CXC subjects and may be looking for a way to move ahead.
It’s an initiative I’m taking to the region as there is a lot of access now to internet."
Did she fear that persons would be hesitant as they would be, well, guinea-pigs in trying out the system at their expense?
No, because she had already tested the system with some students.
“I have had a few candidates... I’ve been testing it for two years...so the modules are complete... I’ve had some adult students in Nevis and they have all sat and passed – so I used them over the two years as feedback for content and so on... So the modules are done. I’m presently working on the marketing initiative.”
With regard to the choice of subjects being offered, she further explained:
“I’m offering CAPE Management of Business and CAPE Information Technology and I’m offering those, for those are my areas of speciality. Those are what I have taught for the past six academic years and I think those are the subjects people seem to want to add to their portfolio or qualifications... a good mixture.”
It was more than noticeable that Educator Browne was passionate and excited about her business venture.
“I’m excited about it,” she beamed, “and I love teaching you know ....I love education; It’s a lot of work but anything that is worthwhile will take a lot of work; I’m optimistic ... a realist still. I know that it will take time to penetrate, like everything else...but I am excited about it.”
Above all, Browne wants to keep students engaged and works hard at using innovative ways to create interest in her teaching. In her modules, she is making full use of all the technology at her disposal and this includes YouTube channel with lectures, power point, virtual classroom, emails, and videos.
“Content is key,” she says, “but delivery is also important. I worked on the modules to ensure that there was no verbiage or the language was not too lofty. I’ve tried to cater to different learning styles - audio ...visual.. etc. you know.., you have to do something to make it interesting!
“Every packet has something for everyone. I’m excited about it. In July or August I might have an open house and explain to everybody what it is all about.
“The students have two options to take their classes ... they can have their packages emailed to their inbox weekly and the packets will consist of the videos, the power point and the lectures...everything,
‘Or they can register in the Virtual Classroom; the advantage of the virtual classroom is that the material is there all the time so it never expires so you can log on and go through ...it’s the same fee ...most of my students prefer to do the accelerated course and get their CAPE certificates in one year instead of the two years; you can do the accelerated virtual course in one year.”
All information is there on her website www.innovativetraining.webs.com but she took time out to explain that she wanted to make the transition easy for everyone.
“We are accepting PayPal ; wiring instructions for people outside and there is a P.O. Box so they can use bank drafts. I will accept payment in person for I want to make the transition easy because it is something that people are not that accustomed to. People are sometimes reluctant to put their credit/debit cards on line.
“Registration is available on line up until August 25. People can call me if they want to register by phone; if they want me to do in-person registration with them, I’ll come to them. I know that it is something different.”
To do their CAPE examinations, students will register with their Ministries of Education as private candidates
There is no doubt that these on line courses in Management of Business and Information Technology will also prove valuable to young entrepreneurs and those unemployed who would wish to make valuable use of their time.
Pioneer Browne must be commended for becoming an enabler and a facilitator and for applying her knowledge and skills to provide a chance to those hungry to learn more and eager to upgrade themselves both within and outside the Federation.
As she tells her students, “You cannot change the past, but you can do something about the future.
