Reflective Post #1: Getting Started

Thus far, I have completed twelve hours of internship work at the National White Collar Crime Center (NW3C) in Fairmont, West Virginia. My recent experiences as an intern have been very informative and exciting. During my first day of work, I spent my time getting acquainted with the company and learning about the goals of the organization. As a curriculum development intern, I am assisting in the planning and writing of courses focusing on the prevention of white collar crime. The courses are eventually presented to individuals across the country who work in law enforcement.

Since these courses are designed for adult learners, the curriculum development team uses specific teaching techniques to address the needs of adult students. My manager introduced me to the learning model that the team uses as a basis for each of their courses. I found this specialized approach to learning very interesting. As a college senior, I typically classify students in a young age group ranging from 18 to 25. However, I soon realized that professionals in a variety of fields must continue learning far beyond college in order to remain informed with the most up-to-date information. Therefore, it is important to take note of how these adults, who often bring a greater amount of previous knowledge and experience to the classroom then younger students, will respond to certain teaching methods and techniques. I look forward to learning more about adult learning and how courses created by the National White Collar Crime Center are designed to meet the needs of potential students.

During my second week as an intern, I observed other employees editing and revising PowerPoint presentations. Although I was not entirely familiar with the content of the PowerPoints, I was happy to see that I was already quite familiar with the formatting and visual aspects used to enhance the effectiveness of the slides and the overall presentation. I have used PowerPoint, as well as Google Docs, to create presentations for several of my Professional Writing and Editing courses during past semesters. I feel that this experience will be very helpful in contributing to the presentations created by the curriculum development team. I am also excited to learn more about the techniques involved in creating professional and effectual presentations.