Welcome students!

John Dewey, father of the Progressive Education Movement, believed that students "learn by doing." In just 3 words lies my educational philosophy. We can lecture, preach, and teach, but until the students actually perform given tasks, true learning cannot take place. I believe that the classroom should be student-centered, not teacher centered. The teacher should act as a "manager of the learning environment." This is much as a stage manager/director of a play. I use observation as my overall strategy to provide guidance and direction when and where needed. The classroom should be organized, but not authoritarian. The classroom should represent a beehive of activity. Learning should be "active" not "passive." In accomplishing this philosophy, I use the "directed discovery method" of teaching. If students are able to start at the beginning and come full circle on a topic, they will accomplish more out of the assignment. This is opposed to lecturing from a text, chapter by chapter.

Contacting Dr. Ruby:

Dr. Ruby can be found in his office (419C) at the Business Building. On this page you will find a list of classes, with course numbers, that Dr. Ruby teaches. Students will also find descriptions of his classes as well as his course syllabi. If you wish to contact Dr. Ralph Ruby, Jr. concerning any of the classes he teaches, his office hours are at his students' convenience. To set up an appointment all you have to do is call him at 870.680.8022 (office), 870.819.1770 (cell), or email him at rruby@astate.edu.

Association of Information Technology Professionals

A.I.T.P. is the professional association comprised of career minded individuals who seek to expand their potential  employers, employees, managers, programmers, and many others. The organization seeks to provide avenues for all their members in the IS field, all in an effort to become more marketable in rapidly changing, technological careers. It is the mission of A.I.T.P. to provide superior leadership and education in Information Technology. A.I.T.P. is dedicated to using the synergy of Information Technology partnerships to provide education and benefits to our members and to working with the industry to assist in the overall promotion and direction of Information Technology. For Membership Information, please contact Dr. John Seydel, Office 313, jseydel@astate.edu. Dues: $40.00 ($35 national, $5 local), or visit AITP at http://aitp.astate.edu for more information.