It’s Been One Week

Week in Review: A Reflection of January 21 – 27

How nice it was to see a familiar face in my first class of the semester on Tuesday.  She’s a friend I met in a previous semester while working on a group project. We are in the same program so naturally there was good chance we’d have class together again. The instructor said this course would be a hybrid class so we’ll meet in class part of the time and the other part we’ll be online using the discussion section of eCollege. During the first class meeting we spoke about the importance of managing records and the consequences of companies who had poor document management. It’s one of the easiest ways a company can loose money, time, privacy, and the trust of their customers and other stakeholders.

My last remaining general education class is Team Building and Problem Solving. I elected to take the in-class version of this course. We started with a “web icebreaker” in which the class stood in a large circle and passed a ball of yarn around while holding onto the thread that linked us together. We discussed what this activity meant when it’s applied to working in a team. Later on during class we watched a video about a fish market in Seattle. They have a certain philosophy when it comes to work that makes it fun for them and for the customers. There are some really good strategies that can be applied in a team setting.

The first week of classes went by quickly and we’re already onto the next. Besides going to my new classes during the second week of the semester, I also have a few other things to attend on campus. The first Lunch ‘n Learn is on Tuesday at noon on the West Bend campus. Student Senate has sponsored a free massage day, and I have signed up for a time slot before my class on Wednesday. Speaking of Student Senate, our first meeting is on Thursday at 10:30 a.m. If you’re at the West Bend campus, come check it out!

What is the A.R.T.S. Club at MPTC?

My meeting was canceled; so since I was already on campus, I decided to check out this new club. A.R.T.S stands for Adults Returning to School. Along with meeting new people, I also met the Vice President of Student Affairs who stopped by to speak with us.

The club members introduced themselves to me. I heard a little bit about their bake sale fundraiser and their plans to decorate trees on the West Bend campus. They’re trying to come up with a community service project to undertake, hopefully before the end of the semester.

Everybody had the chance to talk about what was going well and what wasn’t going well. It’s good to know that others are having similar difficulties you’re having so you don’t feel alone.

Something great about the club is that you can still be part of it if you aren’t able to come to the meetings. There is an online portal you can have access to if you ask for it. It is the same system we use for our online and blended classes. There is supposed to be lots of resources and a place for online discussion.

The A.R.T.S. club meets approximately every other Wednesday on the West Bend campus in the afternoon. Look for flyers around campus or contact Kathy VanDemark for more information.

Top Places to Study on the West Bend Campus

Staying focused can be difficult. I find that the best way to get my assignments done is by doing them on campus. Sometimes it’s just easier to focus on academics in an academic setting. Here are a few places I like to work on homework on the West Bend campus:

Sitting Areas

The area outside the library has chairs, a couch, and computers in a relaxed environment. I’ve seen people work on group projects here. The Web Developer club hangs out here before our meetings.

If you peak around the wall, there are chairs and tables near the main entrance.

A lesser-known area has comfy seating on the upper floor. Take the steps or the elevator in the T hallway.

  

Cafeteria

The booths in the cafeteria are a great place to set up your laptop. You can easily plug it into the outlets above the tables if your battery is low.

Open Lab is Now Open

The open lab hosted by the Web Developer Club is now open at Moraine Park Technical College at the West Bend campus. On Monday nights, room S-112 is open for students taking web design classes to get help with their assignments from other web design students. I have class in that room, so after my class is over at 4:30 p.m., I’m already there for the open lab time. Students can work in the lab until the next class starts at 6:00 p.m.

This past Monday we had a great turn out. Just about every student was paired up with other students. It’s what we hoped the lab would be, a place for students to learn from other students. It’s a good learning experience for both parties.

Another student and I were able to help one of our classmates understand how to do an assignment. He was pretty thankful. Last year, when we had the open lab, one of my classmates who wasn’t in the Web Developer Club but wanted to use the open lab time to work on her homework was able to help me a few times. She was such a big help. She really eased my frustration.

I hope that people continue to come to these open labs. We should be able to do this again in the spring semester and maybe every semester after that.