Personal Reflections on MIS 300 Class: Chapters 1, 2, and 3
Maria Taro
Fayetteville State University
MIS 300-01
Professor Charles McKellar
January 23, 2015
Reflections MIS 300 2
Abstract
This is a short paper for the Management Information System (MIS) 300 class under Professor Charles
McKellar. It contains my personal reflections of what I have learned (initially) from the three chapters of
the textbook, Management Information Systems for the Information Age. Prof. Charles emphasized the
importance of giving serious thoughts and attention to this class, as MIS 300 will be the strong student’s
foundation for higher courses on management information systems. Lacking the knowledge and
understanding of such, the foundation for the subject would absolutely be weak. Likewise, Prof. Charles
wanted his students to incorporate in the paper why he or she deserves a six-figure salary upon leaving
college.
Reflections MIS 300 3
Introduction
The year 2014 is already a history, and 2015 has just begun. Transformation from old to new
accelerates in a way that one, including myself, can hardly keep up with it. But that’s how it is. That is
what we call change, and change is inevitable. It’s happening everywhere – in business, education, media,
financial services, travel, medical field, and even in our personal lives. The whole world is changing and
currently in a stage where it is “flattening.” Flattening in a sense mean “we are now connecting all the
knowledge centers on the planet together into a single global network.” [ CITATION Flat \p 8 \l 1033 ].
This single global network, the changes, and the transformation of the world are caused certainly by
information technology. Therefore, if information technology causes these trends, then, it is imperative
for a student to focus and devote particular attention in studying the dynamics of MIS. As American
author and religious leader Gordon B. Hinckley has said, “You can’t build a great building on a weak
foundation. You must have a solid foundation if you’re going to have a strong superstructure.”
Review of Literature: Chapters One, Two, and Three
To build the foundation for the subject, Prof. Charles armed his class with powerful introductory
lecture on technology and technical terms, defining their meanings and functions. These include, for
example, CPU (Central Processing Unit); Ethernet cable Cat 5, Cat 5e, Cat 57; LAN (Local Area
Network); Network Topology; IP Address; Bandwidth; WiFi, and many more. Undoubtedly, I found this
lecture informative and beneficial, considering the fact that I am not a high-tech person.
