Greek poet Archilochus stated, “the fox knows many things, but the hedgehog knows one big thing.”

Let me elaborate on this parable as it relates to a Moraine Park Technical College education, career, learning and life.

It is impossible to know everything, so most of us find an area of interest and become very good at one thing. Perhaps, as a plumber, electrician, nurse, accountant, cosmetologist, etc.

We are a hedgehog, a singular point of expertise and discipline. The hedgehog specializes in areas that they enjoy and produce value for others and makes a living for self and family and it spills over into the community. The skills of a hedgehog are focus, precision, reliability, tenacity, purpose, and completion. Hedgehogs take pride in their work. Technical College education offers this focus.

What value does the fox offer? The fox knows many things that may be connected or not. Curiosity is a favorite trait of the fox. Always looking for new ways to find solutions to complex issues, figuring out problems that did not exist before, taking a different point of view than the majority, questioning why and how things can be improved. The fox knows how to communicate well with others, understands trade-offs, values diversity of thought and ideas, works with uncertainty when things change, knows that ethical dilemmas exist, adopts and values team dynamics, can make computations and thinks critically. These skills are for careers, life and relationships. Thus, the need for the General Education courses offered at a technical college.

The primary focus and credits earned at a technical college education is a major or trade and becoming great at one thing, hedgehog, but the fox knows how to continue to learn, self-improve and contribute to a complex and changing society with General Education skills.

Both expertise is needed for tomorrow’s opportunities and challenges. Read more about General Education and the different programs offered at Moraine Park.

“I was a new student at Moraine Park in the Fall of 2018 and eager to begin my criminal justice classes. When I enrolled in the Introduction to Mass Communication course with Dr. Rebecca Leichtfuss, I was very unsure of what to expect, but was hopeful I could somehow relate it to my career.”

“Quickly after starting this class, it was clear that this course could be beneficial for any career field.  The course content focused on a different medium of communication, such as news, films, music, and more, throughout the semester. This course prepared you to think and look ahead to possible media trends in future years.”

“I really wasn’t sure what to expect with this class. For most of my other classes, I had friends who had taken the courses in the past so I knew what to expect. I was the first in my friend group to take the Introduction to Mass Communication course, and I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it. The course taught me things about mass media that influences our everyday lives, such as friendships and jobs. In my intended profession, fair media coverage is crucial. Lately, news about police officers has been one-sided at times, so this course really shed a light about the media.”

“No matter the program you are enrolled in, the Introduction to Mass Communication course is essential for a well-rounded education. You need to know how to properly navigate all forms of mass media, as well as decide whether or not to believe the sources. This course helps you be a better informed media consumer.”

Written by: Emma Kuklinski, Criminal Justice Student at MPTC

“As I approached my last semester of the Health and Wellness program, I decided to enroll in the Think Critically and Creatively course. I didn’t think it would be that difficult of a class, but it challenges me in an unexpected way. It’s not your typical classroom set up – group discussions are the norm by talking about what you learned from a video or by using the Elements of Thought model to examine case studies and issues. This class challenges you to really think and use your brain – in a way that, for me, hasn’t been used that way in awhile.

This class will help me become successful in my career because I now have valuable knowledge about how to think critically and solve problems outside the box. When thinking this way, I will be able to come up with new solutions. Thinking critically will be useful in the Health and Wellness field because not everyone is the same so they will need different solutions and ways that they can implement healthy living tips into their daily lives. I have loved this class so far and I think everyone should take it! I’ve learned valuable knowledge from Dr. Rebecca Leichtfuss and also learned more about myself and how to push myself to think differently. “

Written by:  Kelly Prom,
Health & Wellness Program Student

“I graduated from Moraine Park Technical College from the Business Analysis program in May, 2019. I plan to enroll in the Marketing and Social Media Management program at MPTC for the Fall 2019 semester. Having a business background, along with a future in marketing and social media, the importance of mass communication is obvious to me, which is why I took the Introduction to Mass Communication course with Dr. Rebecca Leichtfuss.”

“Mass communication paves the way for various career paths, most specifically, journalism, public relations, event management, advertising, visual communications, and marketing. Mass communication mediums, such as radio, television, newspaper, and social media, represent platforms that individuals in these fields will likely utilize. However, having an understanding of the functions and benefits of mass communication is necessary for success in any career field, because we live in a world that is dominated by mass communication.  It surrounds us.  As new technology and mass media continue to grow and change, professionals in all industries will need to keep up with the rapid changes. Communication skills, such as active listening, verbal communication, and the ability to write well are needed. These skills also provide a strong foundation for potential roles within mass communication fields.”

“I feel that my coursework in mass communications at MPTC, specifically the Introduction to Mass Communication course that I took as an online course, helped to further prepare me for my career in the marketing field. “

Written by: Anjelynn Coyne, MPTC Graduate 2019

“I recognize that developing my critical and creative thinking is necessary for my future career as a web developer. In web development you never stop using critical and creative thinking from the moment you meet with a customer until the time you finish a website.

For example, when you first work with a client, you need to stop and think about who the audience is for the website. Everything needs to be tailored to that audience – just like the first few steps in the critical thinking process. You need to stop, obtain information, and determine what is being asked of you.

However, that’s only the start. Once you identify the audience, you must begin designing the website, logo, and any programs that may be needed. This step requires both a creative thought process and intense critical thinking at the same time. If you don’t critically and creatively think, then it’s likely that the website will appear somewhat empty in places it could otherwise be exceptional. Thus, a lot of innovation goes into web development and coding.

Furthermore, clients always bring new requests, and you need to be the mediator who is able to help them identify solutions and options. This type of situation brings you into new territory every single time you code, and if you want to be a successful web developer, you need to have the ability to create new programs, designs, and templates.

Critical and creative thinking is not just a part of web development, but rather, it occurs in all parts of the job on a daily basis.  Instructors at MPTC and industry leaders stress this fact often by stating that knowing how to code doesn’t necessarily mean anything. Almost anyone can learn to code with enough patience, but knowing how to use the code to create something significant from nothing is what makes a true programmer.  For all of these reasons, I’m glad I chose to take the Thinking Critically & Creatively course at MPTC to help my career as a web developer.”

Written by:  Tierney Cayo, MPTC Student

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

“I think the Introduction to Mass Communication course at MPTC should be a prerequisite for any college student. The amount of knowledge that I attained from this course has by far exceeded my expectations.”

Amanda Rondorf, MPTC Student

“When I first enrolled in the Introduction to Mass Communication course with Dr. Rebecca Leichtfuss, I was not sure what I was getting myself into. I knew I had to take some type of communication course, but I wasn’t sure what this course really entailed until the first week.  It seemed quite simple and easy to understand initially, but as the weeks progressed throughout the course, I realized that this course was much more involved than I had first anticipated.”

“I think the Introduction to Mass Communication course should be a prerequisite for any college student. The amount of knowledge that I attained from this course has by far exceeded my expectations. I never realized how the Internet started and the purposes of social media. Until this course, I took for granted the resources and capabilities of the Internet and media communications in my life.”

“I would definitely recommend this course to anyone who is in college. It gives you a view of how communication has evolved over the years and how it will continue to evolve.”

Written by:  Amanda Rondorf, MPTC Student

“My name is Maria Niederwerfer, and I began my education at Moraine Park Technical College in the Fall of 2017. I completed the Medical Assistant program in May, 2018. After graduating from the Medical Assistant program, I decided to continue my education. I returned to Moraine Park Technical College because of the small size classes, which allow for more interaction with students, staff, and faculty.

I currently am enrolled in the Nursing program and recently completed the Think Critically and Creatively course with Dr. Rebecca Leichtfuss. Taking this course was the best decision I have made because I learned to make better decisions in critical situations. In the medical field, these decision-making skills, along with communication and collaboration skills, will be very helpful. For example in the doctor’s office, you work as a team and all members have different ideas or approaches to situations. Your coworkers also have their own opinions, and you need to consider everyone’s opinions to provide excellent care to patients.

Again, I’m so glad I chose to take the Think Critically and Creatively course.  Dr. Rebecca Leichtfuss makes you feel confident about yourself. There are no wrong answers in her classroom; there are only different ideas. She challenges students to think of different solutions to problems, which leads to better outcomes and decisions.”

Written by Maria Niederwerfer, student at Moraine Park.

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

“As a college student, you are urged to obtain all of your necessary credits, but you’re not really sure why you need to take some of the courses. As I enrolled in the Think Critically & Creatively course for my first semester at MPTC, I remember telling myself, ‘I’m glad it’s only an eight-week class.’ I figured this class would be the longest eight weeks of my life and I wasn’t looking forward to it at all. Now that this class has concluded, I realize I gained so much useful knowledge and tools to help me become a stronger critical and creative thinker.

Following the first day of class, I knew this course would be beneficial to my life experiences in the real world and my goal of becoming a nurse. Too often individuals don’t realize how much critical and creative thinking that occurs every day with family members, fellow classmates, and co-workers. Being a good critical and creative thinker will make me stand out in a crowd.  

From this course, I will always remember to identify the purpose of a major decision and how the outcomes from that decision can affect others, too.  Furthermore, being more accepting and open to new ideas can greatly impact my career success, as well as following the critical thinking process when making decisions or solving problems.  I’m so glad that I took this course.  I know that it will only help me to be a great nurse when I graduate.”

Written by Victoria Schimming, MPTC Student.

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

Jeanine Neitzel, a December 2018 graduate at Moraine Park, enrolled in the Introduction to Mass Communication course to fulfill her accounting degree requirements. While she wasn’t sure of the exact relevance of the course, the importance became very apparent after she completed the class.

The Introduction to Mass Communication course at Moraine Park explores communication in media and media literacy by providing insight into the important issues that confront students as consumers and purveyors of mass media within the workforce and in society. The mass media revolution, including media technologies, the evolution of media content and platforms, including new media, the impact of media communications on business and society as a whole, media bias, and media law and ethics provided the focus for this course.

“Last semester I wore many hats as a daughter, a wife, a mother, a friend, a full-time employee, a part-time student, a volunteer, and a waitress, just to name a few. This course explored many of the ways media infiltrates and ultimately impacts our daily lives. I found that learning about the origin of radio and the corruption that ensued to be fascinating. Because I fulfill many roles, (therefore I must relate what I see and hear to the moment I am in), I felt that not only was the course intriguing, it made me step back, and become more critical of what I was being ‘spoon fed’ by the radio, TV, and internet.

This course helped me to critically identify and sift through the media hype. I applaud those sources that stayed to the facts, without politically driven or personal innuendos, and not filling themselves with oxymoron’s, likewise appearing keenly stupid.

The Urban Dictionary defines a truthsayer as ‘a person who speaks the truth, especially when the truth is contrary to conventional wisdom and goes against the norm. In the 14th century, a soothsayer was a person who spoke the truth.’ I am hopeful in that definition lies our media’s future. To stay relevant, the media must be relevant.

To upcoming students, I highly recommend Dr. Rebecca Leichtfuss’ course so they also may obtain a good understanding and realize that the once clear basins of truth are now the muddied waters of persuasion.”

Written by: Jeanine Neitzel, December 2018 graduate at MPTC