Hello! My name is Katelyn Thompson and I am currently a student at CSN. I am currently working on my Associate of Business degree. I aspire to continue my education after earning my Associate Degree with my end goal being a Master of Business Administration.
One of the classes that I am currently taking is Information Systems 101 (IS101). This class is designed to help elevate digital literacy and helps with understanding key concepts and functions of different computer programs such as Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. My first impression of this course is that it requires you to be very engaged and involved. There are many components to understand the basic concepts of digital literacy and making sure that you are utilizing each concept or the tips for better efficiency of each functionality requires a great deal of attention to detail.
During this course, we use a program called LabSim to study each chapter section. I have found this very helpful because it allows you to watch videos that explain each concept with visual representation. Additionally, there are also summaries for each concept allowing you to read about the concept. Having multiple ways of learn the concept has helped greatly in making sure that the material is fully understood. LabSim also has labs at the end of each chapter section that allows you to practice the skills learned in the chapter studied. The set up of using LabSim for the course is wildly different that just sitting in the classroom, listening to a lecture while trying to keep up with notes, and then being expected to understand enough to perform well on exams.
One of the sections that I recently completed is on Network Servers. A network server provides services such as email, file sharing, online gaming, and printing. I have used network servers for data storage/file sharing for many years, because of my employment. I have been in my field for over 6 years and I use the network server everyday. I work at a law firm, so in order to access any client folder, document, photo or video, I need to access the server to view it. The server is our community data storage so that anyone in our firm such as attorneys, paralegals or assistants can access a client folder and the files within. This helps minimize the problem of saving files to a personal desktop, which means that if someone is out of the office, nobody has access to files that may be needed. This has been a holy grail and we like to treat it in a way where “if it’s not in the server, it doesn’t exist”.
Your end goal is a Master in Business Administration? Though I earned my in 1998, I believe this is still an excellent and practical goal!
ReplyDelete"Very engaged and involved" definitely describes IS101-3205, Spring 2025! I hope you found your other courses to be the same, Katelyn :-)
Thank you for sharing a real-life example of how network servers are used in your workplace ^_^
Hey Katelyn! It’s great to have a fellow classmate with such a strong drive for business and education. IS101 has definitely been more engaging than I expected too, and I agree, LabSim is a game-changer for learning! Having both videos and summaries makes it so much easier to absorb the material. Your experience with network servers at your law firm is really interesting! I love the “if it’s not in the server, it doesn’t exist” mindset! Looking forward to learning alongside you this semester! ^-^
ReplyDeleteHello Katelyn! I know you will succeed and reach your end goal! I am rooting for you! You are definitely right. I am more engaged in this course than I have ever been in my other courses, especially when it comes to presentations or discussion posts. LabSim is such a great program. I love the way it breaks chapter concepts down with videos and reading concepts just to refresh the memory, and then you get a lab to test out what you learned. Just amazing! Network Servers are such a helpful tool to keep everyone's documents in reach at the office rather than keeping them on a personal desktop and minimizing the problem of someone not being able to get a file when needed.
ReplyDeleteI too have found LabSim to be helpful. I use Outlook and Excel on a daily basis to some extent at work. I was surprised at how much you can actually do in Excel. Network servers are a life saver in the work place!! We can always see any updates to work schedules, meetings or medical procedures in the hospital without have to directly send them to each other. I hope this course helps you achieve you career goals.
ReplyDeleteHi Katelyn! You made a lot of great points as to why you found LabSim to be very helpful. I enjoy how LabSim provides some interactive simulation lessons to help get familiar with doing certain tasks. I am taking a Network+ course this semester along with IS101. It was great reading your experience on how your workplace utilizes network servers for business operation. It makes me realize how network servers are a valuable resource for businesses and clients.
ReplyDeleteKatelyn, I really love how you're diving into the material and appreciating all the different learning methods in IS101! Your real-world experience with network servers at the law firm is also really interesting, it’s great to see how you’re able to relate what you’re learning in class to your work environment. I can totally understand the importance of a server now, especially with how it keeps everything organized and accessible to the whole team. Keep up the great work, and I’m sure all your hard work will pay off as you pursue your MBA!
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ReplyDeleteHello Katelyn, I agree that when working in a professional environment, like a law firm, many people need to be able to access files without any hassle with a simple push of a button. Network Servers are the easiest way of achieving this.
ReplyDeleteI hope you are successful in your journey to achieve a Master of Business Administration.
Hi Katelyn!
ReplyDeleteWanting to become a master of business administration sounds quite a challenge, but I know that you got this. Working at a law firm sounds intense, but taking on IS101 sounds useful for your workload, and it's great that you find LabSim useful. The fact that you can apply what you are learning directly to your field of work is amazing, not a lot of people get to have that experience in real-time. Understanding network service is probably not an east feat, but I am sure you will accomplish it like a champ!
Hi Katelyn,
ReplyDeleteLike many others, I too agree that this course is very engaging and requires a lot of time commitment. I’m a fan of the video guides. The fact that you are pursuing a goal of getting a Master’s degree in Business Administration makes it a smart move to take this class. I don't know your level of proficiency with Microsoft applications, but I'm sure you/we are all learning something new.
I could never see myself getting a master's degree, I wish you the best of luck in your endeavor!
ReplyDeleteHi Katelyn,
ReplyDeleteLike you, I find LabSim very helpful. I've used other programs for other courses and this seems by far the most helpful. I also appreciate the videos, the notes, and the labs to test out what you learned. I am a visual and hands on learner so LabSim is perfect for my needs as well.
I wish you luck and success in the future!
Hey Katelyn,
ReplyDeleteYour journey in business and your goal of earning an MBA sound really exciting! It’s great to see your commitment to learning and expanding your skill set. IS101 seems like an incredibly useful class, especially in today’s digital world where understanding programs like Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint is essential for efficiency.
LabSim sounds like a fantastic tool for learning—having videos, summaries, and interactive labs must make grasping the material so much easier compared to traditional lectures. It’s great that you find the multiple learning formats helpful, as not everyone learns the same way.
Your experience with network servers at your law firm is really interesting. It’s amazing how something as fundamental as shared data access can streamline workflow and prevent issues like lost or inaccessible files. I like the philosophy of "if it’s not in the server, it doesn’t exist"—that’s a great way to ensure consistency and accountability in document management. Your real-world experience must give you a unique advantage in this course!
Looking forward to hearing more about your journey. Wishing you the best in your studies and future MBA goals!
I admire you working towards getting your business master degree. I have been thinking on whether or not to continue my academic journey to earn the same as well, so hearing your story and plan is inspirational. I agree LabSims is a very helpful and good way to go about learning this course.
ReplyDeleteHello Katelyn,
ReplyDeleteI am also pursuing my Associate of Business degree, but it is rare I meet someone pursuing a master. Usually at CSN the business majors plan to switch to something like accounting when they transfer to a four year college.
Hi Katelyn, just like you and many others I am also pursuing my Associate of Business degree. I am know realizing how competitive this field is. IS101 helped me stay on top of my classes as I have to check canvas and my email everyday for assignments. LabSim has a different approach of helping students learn. I like the last part you inputed about Network Services.
ReplyDeleteHello Katelyn, you will reach your end goal!
ReplyDeleteLabSim is helpful and it lets you try multiple times if you have to, which I love. That’s true I feel like LabSim is our homework and without practice its hard to learn new skills. Also giving different examples, simple and hard tasks challenges you to figure it out if it wasn’t shown on the videos or on the learning tips.
Hi Katelyn,
ReplyDeleteI have never met someone who is pursuing a Master's. I have also found it navigating LabSim to be simple and very straight forward.
Hi Katelyn! Super cool seeing another person who is going into the world of business. I am sure you are going to succeed! I also really like your background, is there a reason why butterflies?
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