Here's my final POL presentation. Please feel free to take a look!
If you want to download it, click down below.
davids_pol_powerpoint.ppsx |
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Here's my final POL presentation. Please feel free to take a look! If you want to download it, click down below.
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We got some more POL responses in today's blog post! While working at my internship site, I developed a greater appreciation for rabbits. Who'da thunk it? This is, most likely, due to the fact that I have been around them so much for the past few weeks. Originally, I thought them to be clueless dopes like rats, mice, hamsters, and other rodents. Getting to be so close to them has shown me that they are more like dogs and cats in how they act. Some even lick your hand if they like you. These floppy eared fluff balls are great pals to have.
The best qualities I have noticed about the people I work with are the can-do attitudes they all possess. Whatever job it is they've been assigned, they go into it happily. I always get my work done, but I'd like to be able to have an attitude like them where I go in without any doubts. If I manage to gain a similar mindset, I think it would help a lot in school. I would probably be able to get my work done faster and more efficiently if I were more positive about it. To be truthful, my outlook on life didn't change much during my internship. I became much more knowledgeable, yes, but nothing really had a huge impact on me. I think this is due to the fact that I already have a job at a supermarket, which changed my outlook considerably. After I got my job, I started having to file taxes, manage a bank account, sign up for the Union, etc. Nothing like that really happened here, but I still think my time as an intern was a wholesome experience. Prior to my internship, I knew I wanted to go into a field where I could spend a lot of time around animals. I thought vet work might be a good choice, but giving check-ups to the rabbits at my internship has showed me that it might not be the most suitable field for me. I did, however, enjoy getting to be in the pens with the rabbits while I cleaned. This is good because I had also considered getting a job at the zoo. If I get a job at the zoo after college, I hope I can get a position similar to my one here where I can spend time with the animals while I'm cleaning or playing with them. My work here has shown me that organization is an extremely important part of a job like this. Keeping track of things like when the rabbits litter boxes were changed, when they last went out to play, and when they last got a check-up are essential. There's also a lot of record keeping and filing to be done. All this organization is an important part of communication and collaboration because it helps to inform the other volunteers of what's been completed already. If we didn't keep track of this stuff, nobody would know when the correct time to do something should be. Well, that just about covers the subjects I wanted to cover in my POL. Thanks for taking the time to read about my experience so far. It's been really fun. In today's blog post, I'll be reflecting on my internship as a whole. I feel that I made a very meaningful contribution to my workplace. Every morning I would get the rabbit pellets and feed the bunnies before any other volunteers got there. When some had arrived, I would help clean all the rabbit pens so that they would have a healthy environment. This includes occasionally cleaning their litter boxes. When they were all clean, I would go load up the laundry and take a lunch. After my lunch, I would help some more with the laundry, set up playpens for the bunnies, do health checks and grooming on them, stock some items in the store, and tidy up their pens a bit more after they had made messes. Sometimes I would help the managers file stacks of paperwork and alphabetize things, but I tried to mainly focus on the bunnies. I think that my work was meaningful to my education because now I know how a nonprofit organization is handled. They operate similarly to other businesses and organizations, but they rely entirely on volunteer hours. The amount of volunteer hours they get helps determine how much grant money they can earn. All the sales from the bunny store go towards helping the bunnies get nicer stuff. In addition to these things, I feel that I have learned about responsibilities by working with these animals. Rabbits require a lot of care and attention in order for them to live a happy life. They are not throw away objects that you should buy as an Easter present. They need to be groomed almost weekly, have their litter and hay changed every two days, have their ears checked and cleaned weekly, and, most importantly, to be loved. My goal after college is to get a job at the Zoo, and these rabbits have helped open my eyes to the kind of care required with such complex animals. The project I originally had in mind was to create a short film about the different rabbits at my workplace. However, due to the limited technology and internet connection at the SDHRS (and the lack of time not spent helping out around the building), I decided to take pictures of the rabbits and turn them into memes. I plan to upload these memes to the SDHRS Facebook page so that the world may bask in their shining glory. Here are a few that I've made. I learned that I'm a lot more capable than I originally thought I was. I don't feel afraid around the territorial rabbits anymore and I genuinely feel like I'm making a difference in the world. I move a bit faster than I used to because we are always trying to complete certain tasks on time. I think this internship has helped me in more ways than one, and it has opened up many opportunities for me in my future, something that a job as a store clerk can never give me.
There are a lot of things at my internship that I would like to see implemented into our school, but I'm not sure if any of them would work. While our school offers a lot of freedom and flexibility, it would be nice if the students themselves could coordinate what goes on in the class and who does what. However, a lot of students would not probably, but DEFINITELY slack off, leaving only a few people who are actually working on projects. This is why communism failed.
I think I myself have learned a bit about work ethic. While I always complete my projects on time, I sometimes don't do them until the last second. This can lead to them being of lower quality. At my internship, there are many mini projects that need to be finished quickly. This means that I get to work on them right away. I think this experience will help me start on my projects quicker so that they'll be better in the end. I've really enjoyed my internship. I like school, but I'm going to miss all the rabbits that I've met. Maybe I'll go back to visit sometime. Today, I looked at three other people's fabulous blogs. I looked at Steven Carrol's (http://stevencc.weebly.com/internship-blog.html), Michael Gonzalez's (http://michaelgonzalezinternship.weebly.com), and Jake Sinsay's (http://esinsay.weebly.com/internship-blog). Michael's and Jake's internships look similar to mine: lots of physical work and getting close to nature. Steven's looks a lot more comfy and technical, with an office space and lots of couches. I'm still happy with the internship I chose, though. I like getting to spend time with the rabbits.
My first full week is done, and it went pretty well! One of the major differences between my week at SDHRS and my usual weeks at school is that there is always something for me to be doing. At school, if I'm done with all of my work, I usually go on my phone. There isn't really any time for that at SDHRS. There's always a pen to be cleaned, some laundry to be done, or a bunny to be groomed. Another difference is that the people who visit treat me more like an adult than the people who visit our school. When people from other high schools come to ask us questions, I always feel like they're treating me a little dumb. When people come into the bunny store at SDHRS, they treat me like an expert. It feels great!
I think internship has really helped me focus on where I plan to go forward in life. I'm willing to do anything as long as I get to spend time with animals while I'm doing it. I really hope that I can get a job in a field that closely ties in with animals. Since I have so many responsibilities at SDHRS, I think I have learned a bit about time management. The people at SDHRS have schedules littered throughout the building to make sure we always stay on track. This trait is definitely something that I can take back with me to school, as I used wait for the last second to do something. Maybe I'll actually start making planners now... I've had a blast at SDHRS so far, and I'm looking forward to the coming weeks. Hopefully I can become best friends with all the bunnies there before I have to leave. Good luck to me! There are many things to keep me occupied at the SDHRS, all of them varied. I don't tend to focus on one thing for too long. The only thing that I've been working on for the past few days that I would consider a project is the Volunteer Appreciation Party Planner that I've made. Last year's Volunteer Appreciation Party was successful, but it required work from some of the volunteers. I wouldn't feel very appreciated if I had to make my own party. To prevent that from happening this year, the shelter managers thought it would be a good idea to go bowling, mini golfing, y'know, something that doesn't require the volunteers to build or cook anything. Naturally, they entrusted me, the magnificent David DeVol, to find a good place to party (in an acceptable price range!). That's how the Party Planner came to be. So far I have a couple of ideas. One idea I have is going to Kearney Mesa Bowl. I've looked into price ranges, foods, etc. and it's looking pretty promising. Another idea I have is going to Belmont Park. There's a mini golf course there, so everyone who's too squeamish to go on rides can golf while others ride the tides of the Big Dipper. The document is on the SDHRS computer, so I am unable to share it with you at the moment. I'll continue to work on it when I'm not petting rabbits.
My workspace at the internship is quite tidy. Upon entering through the front door, you will find a nice little store filled with bunny-related items. Welcome to the Bunny Store! Occasionally, a fluffy bun named Snickers will be wandering around the room greeting people. But this store is just the gateway to the legendary rabbit sanctuary. Going through the next door will lead you to the Adoption Center. This is where most of the SDHRS bunnies live. There are many rows of fluffy friends. Some of the bunnies live in their pens alone, while others have soulmates or partners to keep them company. On the side of the room is where the bowls, plastic igloos, hay, some blankets and towels, litter boxes, food, and lockers are located. All of the essentials are close to home for them, huh? Finally, there are some couches folks can sit on if they want to play with a rab for a bit. Get it? RAB for a BIT? Turning left at the Adoption Center's entrance will take you to the office. This funhouse is where all the filing takes place. There's also some printers. Not really a whole lot to say about the office. My favorite part of the day is cleaning the pens in the Adoption Center. No, not because I get to wipe up pee. Because I get to spend some time with the bunnies! Each rabbit has their own distinct personality, whether they be sweet, devious, or confused about what species they are. You're not a puppy, Sprout! My favorite one currently at the SDHRS is Zahzu. There he is! The last location on our safari is the intake room. You can get here by going down a couple doors then heading right after you enter the adoption center. The intake room is where all the new bunnies, relinquished or found, are evaluated. There's a scale for weighing them, some pens for housing them, and some medicine for medicining them. Right now, a mama and papa bunny are being kept here so that they can have some bonding time. U a real playa, eh Din Din? Thank you for choosing D-Vall's touring program. You can find David at the SDHRS building Monday through Friday, from 9:00-5:30 on Mondays and Wednesdays, and from 9:00-3:30 on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. He will be there through January 29th, 2016. Cheers!
Another fun day at my internship! Today, I learned how to groom the bun buns. This involves brushing their fur and cleaning their scent glands (those are located near their no-no parts). After that, I decided to interact with some of the bunnies. My favorite one that's there right now is Sprout. He's a friendly fluff ball that likes to sniff people and climb up on them. He's just like a puppy. Next, I got to watch Jennifer attempt to bond someone's rabbit with one of the buns in our building. Some of them got into a scuff with her, but others were totally fine. Those were the biggest highlights of my day. I look forward to my visit on Monday!
Phew! Bunnies are a handful! But they're also lots of fun. My first two days have gone pretty well. I never find myself without anything to do. When the building first opens up, volunteers begin by cleaning up the bunny pens and giving the buns delicious kibble. This takes a while because there is a plethora of poo waiting in the pens. This morning, I had to clean a bunch out of the litter boxes. Ewww! Once the buns are cleaned and done, I start on other tasks. Yesterday, I organized some bunny adoption files by name. I like that sort of thing, so it was a-ok. Today, i helped give some bunnies a checkup. This involves inspecting them, weighing them, and giving them treats for being good buns. In addition to these things, I sometimes get to play with the bunnies. Each bunny has a distinct personality, and I love all of them (even the one that growls and charges at me)!
I think one thing that I'll need to work on is doing things faster. I'm still learning the ins and outs of the organization, so I'll get better over time. I don't really have any dislikes about the place (except for all the poop). Everyone who comes in is very nice and polite, contrary to my job at Albertsons. I look forward to continuing my internship, and I hope I can get to know all the bunnies well before I have to go back to school. |
David DeVolHi! I don't much care for blogs, but I'm gonna write about my internship experience here just so my achievements will be catalogued. ArchivesCategories |