Studio Presentations

Why time sure does fly. There is less than a month left of class, and so much work that needs to be done. Studio presentations of our class blogs are coming up quick, and we meet again face to face on Monday to discuss the finer details. I think that I have done alright maintaining my blog, and creating a variety of topics to blog on.

I think that this is been good learning process for me. I’ve learned more about time management from finding the time to blog nearly everyday. I’ve also learned when the best time for me to reflect is, which is usually late at night, or between work and classes.

I have also gained some more perspective on just how much dwelling on course work  helps me to retain the information that is discussed in each class. It is easier to forget about lectures and ideas than I had ever realized. This proved to be true whenever I tried to blog about course work two days after the course was held. It was hard to remember just exactly was said, and I do not have that bad of a memory. This blog had acted as a sort of on line note-book, letting me keep my thoughts and reflections all in one place. Instead of sifting through folders and notebooks, while deciphering my sloppy handwriting, I can easily read my thoughts on authors and poetry through a click of a button.

Term Paper

I have completed my term paper for Physical Science. The topic had to be on the future for a type of alternative energy in Minnesota. I chose wind power because it is the first one that came to mind. When I went to college at the University of Minnesota Morris, there was a wind turbine on campus. It is a pretty big wind turbine, over 350 feet tall, powering over half of the campus.

I learned a lot while doing the research for the paper. I hadn’t realized that the state had made mandates that force some businessed to use some sort of alternative resource. Also, businesses that do use wind power get tax breaks. It seems like a pretty go idea to go ahead and use wind power. Not only is it obviously a lot better for the environment, but it is can also be cheaper than coal or nuclear power. This is because the state offers tax credits in order to lower the cost of wind power.

Wind power has also been good for Minnesota’s economy, creating jobs all over the state for builders. More and more turbines are being built each year. This is also good for farmers. The state is willing to pay farmers for partial use of their land, which amounts to a few thousand dollars for each turbine. This means more money for the farmers, and they can still farm there land due to the relatively small diameters of wind turbines.

It’s amazing how much you can learn by just doing a little research.