New Title, New Focus, New Updates

Welcome to the revised international education blog, Experience-Based Learning. This blog supports several goals the bloggers intend for the site. 

First, we want to promote the experience-based learning opportunities the college provides students. While Moraine Park Technical College is an advocate for performance-based learning, students with MPTC will find Experience-Based Learning opportunities substantial supplements to their education. These opportunities include not only the international education voyages you've learned to follow through this blog but also the service-learning experiences many students acquire as part of their curriculum with the college.

You will still get the updates and photos to support the international travels, allowing you to follow your friends and colleagues as they engage in college-related travels. We have a familiarity excursion to Morocco scheduled for January, spring break travels to London, and end-of-semester treks to Germany (and additional locations--Italy? Paris? Amsterdam? Where will James' side trip be this year?). As a first, the college will be represented in Costa Rica for a service-oriented trip to increase international education opportunities at community/technical colleges. This venture combines international education with a service component--and the service takes us to the other aspect of the revised and renovated blog.

The college is committed to enhancing community connections, and service-learning experiences infuse aspects of the community in students' courses. With reflection being key to this fusion of curriculum, theory and application, service-learning activities support our role in the community and allow us to connect with community partners. Just as the Costa Rica trip extends and blends service and travel, a trip to the East Coast is being planned to support service to communities in need. A group of MPTC students plans to volunteer with Hurricane Sandy clean-up and assistance over spring break.

Please support us as we move forward with this new goal for the blog. Share us with your friends. Follow us. Better yet -- join us for experience-based learning, both on the local level with service-learning and at the global level through international education.