To date, over 600 class sections have moved from a face to face format to online. This means that there has been a lot of adapting and change by students and instructors.

Danielle Cook, surgical technology instructor, is embracing this ‘new normal’ and has been looking for innovative ways to stay connected with her students. She shared with us how she is finding success during these challenging times.

“When COVID-19 hit the US, we had team meetings to discuss how we could move to the digital format if the virus spread to Wisconsin. Less than 2 weeks later, we had to put those plans into place. Here is a glimpse into how the Surgical Technology program is enabling learning from home.

Second-year students were fortunate enough to have met the clinical case requirements set by our Accreditation body, thanks to our strong community partners who work with our students in clinical. Due to this, we can do simulation for their last rotation. Here is where the free mobile app Touch Surgery comes in. Touch Surgery has almost 170 free surgical cases on it and you first “learn” the procedure by going through the steps and virtually completing the surgery. After each section, you test your skills with a short quiz. The students are assigned various cases to be completed and tested on in Touch Surgery and they upload their test results into Canvas. The students are also completed Surgical Case Study Reports and we have a weekly Zoom virtual class and discuss the reports and other things as they arise. While they all miss the operating room, they are happy to be able to still practice virtually, and look forward to being in the workforce in May!

First-year students have one course that was already on-line and two that were blended. We have Zoom virtual classes twice a week to go over their assignments, worksheets, study guides, etc. I have also created short videos of how to use practice passing instruments, utilizing everyday stuff you can find at home. This course is trickier because we will need to be back in the lab to complete the work, but these students continue to review old skill videos and are excited to get back to class.

The Zoom virtual class is what I believe is keeping us all together as a program. Seeing and hearing each other at least once a week keeps that connection, and I bring encouragement to those who are feeling down and unsure right now. I have an awesome group of 20 students. They have been patient and understanding as we navigate this pandemic. Being prepared ahead of time and having the support that the College has provided has helped to make the transition to the digital world much easier. I am very thankful for everyone at the College who has supported the faculty and staff, and most importantly, our students. “

A sincere thank you to all of the Moraine Park instructors, and students for their patience as we move through these times together.

For more information on Moraine Park, visit morainepark.edu.

Due to the still-evolving COVID-19 pandemic, Moraine Park Technical College has decided to postpone its 2020 commencement ceremony, originally scheduled for Saturday, May 16.

While the situation is still fluid, the College is moving forward with a new commencement date of Saturday, June 27, at 10 a.m. The ceremony will also be held at a new location, the Beaver Dam High School Field House, 500 Gould St., Beaver Dam.

Regalia (caps, gowns and tassels) will be available for purchase through the College bookstore online. More information, including purchase dates, will be available on the student portal in the coming weeks.

The College has invited Beaver Dam Mayor Becky Glewen and Moraine Park graduate Barbara Turner to participate as speakers at the ceremony. Commencement is expected to last approximately one and a half hours. 

College officials continue to monitor state and national regulations related to the COVID-19 pandemic. If social distancing guidelines are still in place, further extended or enhanced, the commencement ceremony would then be canceled. If cancellation occurs, graduating students will be offered the opportunity to participate in the 2021 commencement ceremony and celebrations.

“We recognize how significant the commencement ceremony is to our graduates,” Bonnie Baerwald, president at Moraine Park Technical College, said. “Commencement is also an opportunity for families, friends, and Moraine Park employees to surround our graduates with support and offer congratulations for this momentous achievement. For these reasons, we are hopeful that by postponing the date, it will allow all of us to celebrate together.”

For Moraine Park’s COVID-19 updates, visit morainepark.edu/coronavirus.

Moraine Park, as well as other Wisconsin Technical College’s, are working to find a solution to the shortage of face masks at our local healthcare systems.

Kim Olson, a mechanical design technology instructor at Moraine Park, has been working virtually with colleagues to design and print masks on a 3D printer.

He has successfully designed and printed some samples, but is working on efficiency and waiting to see if they can get approval for these to be used in a medical facility.

“The masks need to be approved for efficacy by the medical profession, and we need to become a certified manufacturer before a healthcare facility could accept them,” Kim said. ” We aren’t sure if the state will have the ability to certify each technical college, but if they can, we will be ready!”

Kim’s hard work is just one of the ways that Moraine Park is working to provide solutions during the COVID-19 outbreak. The College also made a significant donation of PPE to local healthcare facilities in our district and the College’s culinary program donated their perishable foods to local food banks.

For more information on moraine park, visit morainepark.edu.

There is no greater sacrifice than that of our Veterans: past, present, and future. Guillermo Avilesperez of San Sebastian, Puerto Rico, a fourth-generation veteran, made that sacrifice when he enrolled in the Marine Corps after high school.

“I graduated high school in 2012 and enrolled in the Marine Corps a year later,” he said. “I served in the infantry unit for four years and traveled around the world.”

Guillermo was deployed twice. He spent his first tour in Spain, where he did infantry training with the local embassy. During his second tour, he was stationed in Japan and Korea.

As his contract came to an end, he decided to seek out his next steps, and his girlfriend suggested he come to Moraine Park. He connected with the College while he was on base and planned his college journey before even seeing the campus.

“Moraine Park is a perfect fit for me,” Guillermo said. “The class sizes are small, the instructors are knowledgeable and teach you the skills you need for the career, and the learning is hands-on.”

His military contract ended in May 2018, and he began the Criminal Justice program that fall.

“I’m looking for a career similar to my military life,” he said. “I enjoyed my work in the Marine Corps, but I look forward to having the option to clock-out and go home at the end of the day.”

He is scheduled to graduate in May 2020 and has goals to someday serve full time on the Milwaukee Police Department SWAT team.

“My transition to civilian life is still ongoing,” Guillermo said. “Every veteran’s needs are different, but for me, it worked well to come here directly from my active duty. It has been stressful at times, but the support and resources at Moraine Park have helped me through.”

morainepark.edu/ican

With the statewide school closings, Moraine Park Technical College Culinary Arts Department found itself with pounds of fruits, vegetables and cheeses that would not be used as planned. However, this also presented an opportunity to reach out to the community.

Associate Dean of Trades, Steve Horvath, organized Culinary Arts staff to clear out the coolers. Together they were able to package the abundant and healthful product for distribution through the Fondy Food Pantry and the Broken Bread program at St. Paul’s Cathedral in Fond du Lac.

Both organizations were very grateful for the donations and Culinary Arts is grateful that the food programs saved the food from being a total loss.

This donation, is just one way that Moraine Park is working to help during the COVID-19 outbreak. The College also donated over 37,000 items to local healthcare facilities.

Stay up to date on Moraine Park’s COVID-19 updates, at morainepark.edu/coronavirus.

Moraine Park Technical College will host Tech Knowledge College, a summer camp for students entering grades 6 through 9. This event gives participants an interactive look at the skills and careers needed today and in the future.

Registration is now open for this annual three-day camp, held August 4-6, at Moraine Park Technical College’s Fond du Lac campus.

New for TKC 2020!
• Registration exclusively online.
• Open to students entering grades 6-9.
• New sessions: Dog Rescue, Drones, Photography,
Social Media Influencer, and more!

$125 includes: three full days, two sessions, lunch and
snacks, and busing from Beaver Dam and West Bend.

Session space is limited. Register by May 29 to secure your spot!

For a full list of sessions or to register, visit morainepark.edu/tkc.

As we see so often during difficult times, people always find ways to keep a light shining by helping others.

Such is the case at Moraine Park Technical College. With the coronavirus continuing its grip on local communities, our nation and the world, the College is doing what they can to help.

Nearly 37,000 healthcare and safety-related supplies, including N-95 masks; disposable gloves and gowns; surgical gowns, hats and shoe covers; face shields and more, were collected from each of the College’s campuses – Beaver Dam, Fond du Lac and West Bend – and have been donated to local healthcare facilities in those communities including Marshfield Medical Center (formerly Beaver Dam Community Hospital), Froedtert and SSM/St. Agnes.

The healthcare supplies came from several of the College’s more than 60-plus programs, including:  Associate Degree Nursing, Nursing Assistant, Respiratory Therapy, Surgical Technologist, EMS and Cosmetology.

The College is also loaning respirators SSM/St. Agnes according to Barb Jascor, Moraine Park’s dean of health and human services.

“In addition to the need for healthcare and safety supplies, we were also seeing an ever-increasing need for ventilators,” said Jascor. “We wanted to do what we could to help and it made sense to loan our ventilators in advance, as a precautionary measure, should the local need for ventilators surpass current capacity of our community health care partners.”

For COVID-19 updates at Moraine Park, visit morainepark.edu/coronavirus.

The Fond du Lac County Department of Community Programs office will be utilizing Moraine Park Technical College’s district office, at 235 N. National Ave. in Fond du Lac, to continue to provide mental health services during the COVID-19 outbreak.

Previously, their offices were located in a nursing home facility, however, with the COVID-19 outbreak requiring enhanced restrictions on guests entering the facility, the Department of Community Programs needed to find a new location.

The Department of Community Programs provides a wide range of mental health services to Fond du Lac County, including Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse (AODA), crisis intervention, and prevention/education.

The move is scheduled to happen on Wednesday, April 1.

“This extraordinary opportunity will allow us to continue to provide mental health services to the residents of Fond du Lac County.”- Erin Gerred, Fond du Lac County director of administration.

morainepark.edu

fdlco.wi.gov/departments/departments-a-e/community-programs

Written by: Mindie Boynton, EWD Business Representative

Most business professionals went from primarily working in an office setting to working virtually with less than 24 hours of notice this past week. This required many of us to think creatively, paper-less and connect with co-workers and clients in a new virtual world.  In less than a week, I have had meetings using 6 different software applications and wanted to share my feedback to help businesses during this transition.

1. Zoom

Zoom has been the most user-friendly application for me so far but I did have an account set up prior to quarantine but rarely used it previously. It was quick and easy to download the app to my phone and schedule meetings. There are also live training sessions and video tutorials free on their website. There is a screen share function and also a polling option which can be helpful for teaching or making group decisions. One downfall is that without a paid license account you can only set up meetings or classes for up to 40 minutes but you can have up to 100 participants with a basic (free) account.

2. Skype

Skype for Business is a supported software by my organization and so it is really easy to set up meetings with my colleagues because there is a button right in Microsoft Outlook calendars. I would recommend this for 1:1 meetings rather than larger groups. I have experienced more technical difficulties with audio and video as more people are added to the meeting. Skype also allows for screen sharing and there is a little paper clip for sending files. Other handy features include live subtitling of conversations, and the ability to record chats. Some of the companies I have tried to connect with through Skype do not allow for the download and install of software due to security or bandwidth. There is a free version and app that can be downloaded for up to 50 people group video calls.

3. Facebook Messenger

Facebook messenger is mostly used for one-on-one or group messaging, but it can be used to send images, emoji and video chat. Messenger is a great application for friends, family and any co-workers that you have added as “friends” on Facebook.  This works for quick chats but I have not used this application for scheduled conference calls or meetings. There are concerns regarding privacy issues as with most Facebook applications and that it can drain your phone battery.

4. GoToMeeting

GoToMeeting was developed for hosting business meetings online and works well if you have global clients. It has screen sharing with the ability to take over another person’s machine if they are struggling with information or a presentation. The only thing that is required is the meeting link and access the GoToMeeting software. There are options to host up to 250 attendees so you could host an all-company event or large training/webinar. There is a free plan that allows up to 3 participants to meet for 40 minutes maximum. There are different levels of monthly paid plans available that offer a suite of resources.

5. Google Hangouts

I tried to set up a video conferencing hangout with a teacher to get instruction for an assignment and was unsuccessful. Google Hangouts has a desktop and mobile application that can also be used in a web browser. The Hangouts chat function can be used for up to 150 people but video chat is limited to 10 participants. This is typically good for smaller groups and participants that have Gmail accounts already set up. It is currently free but requires an invitation from someone that is using a Google+. There have been concerns with security and privacy.

6. Microsoft Teams

If your organization has Office 365, then Teams might be a great option.  Teams gives you the option to set up phone calls or video conferences with two to many people.  I’ve used it very successfully this week for individual meetings and group sessions.  The benefits of Teams is that all of your contacts are already there, it’s pretty intuitive to use by clicking on the Calls section and putting in the email address of the person you want to reach.  The downside, they won’t get the call if they aren’t also on Teams.  My suggestion is to send the meeting invitation in Outlook, with the location of the Teams site you want them to go to.  If you have multiple people, you have to invite them all.  If you contact the same people often they will show up in your favorites or frequently contacted list, making those invitations easy.