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Module 7: Maintaining Motivation

Welcome back to my blog! This week lets talk about MOTIVATION! No matter who you are, you have struggled with motivation at some point in your life & thats ok! It happens to literally all of us. However, there are ways to combat this struggle and maintain motivation much better than you may have in the past! In this module, I learned quite a bit about this topic and the one thing I feel will help me most in the future is meditation! Yes meditation, never thought I would say that. As I learned this week, meditation has a ton of positive effects on stress and anxiety reduction which are two key factors that go into losing motivation. Don’t believe it? Well, try it for yourself! I used this website called Headspace which helps guide meditation and I can definitely see how it is beneficial now. Here is the link: https://www.headspace.com/

With exams literally only a day or two away its important to stay motivated while limiting stress and anxiety to the best of our ability and meditation is one very effective way to do so! So, when you are feeling like giving up because you have studied until you seemingly cannot go anymore, give Headspace a try and get back to getting 100%’s on all your finals! Thanks for reading!

 

Module 6: Searching and Researching

Welcome back to my blog!

This week in class, searching and researching methods where discussed! It is very important to know how to find credible information when doing papers/projects for classes and in todays world it can be hard to know what is a legitimate source and what is not since so much information is out there. The most useful thing I learned about in this module was something called Google Scholarly. I don’t know about you, but I had never heard of this program before (surprising because google apps and products are everywhere!) Below is a video explaining this program, I highly suggest checking it out!

As suggested in the video, it is important to pay attention to dates that articles/studies are published! There are always new studies and data coming out so you don’t want to write a paper then last minute find out that the facts you used are twenty years old and no longer valid! Through using google scholar you can find a ton of published and reliable work that can help you with whatever the task at hand is for your class.

In the end, no matter how you find your sources for your article, make sure the source is credible by looking into who published it, who reviewed it, what the sources where and making sure there are no glaring errors that may be red flags. If you struggle with this, give google scholar a try and see if it helps! And no matter what you do, DON’T USE WIKIPEDIA! I know many of you know this but I don’t know of a single professor that would say wikipedia is a reliable source due to the fact that anyone can edit it.

Thank you for reading my blog and I hope it helped you in one way or another!

Module 5: Web-Enhanced Listening and Viewing Strategies

Welcome back to my blog! How do you take notes? In this module, the various benefits of different note taking strategies are discussed. Personally, I have always typed my notes on my computer because I have always felt it was easier to stay organized and I can type much faster than I can write. However, after completing this module, I may give taking notes on hand another try!

Now you may wonder, is there really a difference? Well, everyone is different so some may benefit from taking notes on their computer but I believe the argument for taking notes on paper is much stronger. Here is a video listing out a few pros & cons that relate to both!

As discussed throughout the module, taking notes on your computer can lead to a lack of processing the material. I know this is definitely the case when it comes to me. I often find myself just typing words out but not actively processing the material which leads to a lack of true understanding. On the other hand, when writing notes out on paper, you are much more likely to be a more active listener which will lead to a much better understanding of the presented material and in the long run will likely lead to more success in the classroom. After watching the video & reading my reasoning behind switching to writing my notes on paper, are you considering a switch in note taking methods? If you are unsure what is more effective, I urge you to try both typing your notes out and writing them by hand to see what leads to an overall better understanding of the material! After all, it comes down to what works for you!

Module 4: Web-Enhanced Reading & Study Strategies

Welcome back to my blog!

In this module, some clever web enhanced reading and study strategies were discussed! A main focus of the module was being an active reader. I don’t know about you, but I often find myself reading and midway through realize I barely understand what is even being said. Then I go back, re-read the section and finally get it but that is not an efficient way of reading at all. If you are like me and struggle with being an active reader, I highly suggest using the SQ3R reading method that I just learned about in thanks to this module on the 5th slide. While there were many other methods and tips discussed throughout the module, the SQ3R method is the one method that I feel can be most beneficial and I feel that I will actually use it. This method can easily be applied to any kind of reading (whether it is a physical copy or online article/reading) and I definitely see where it will benefit me and hopefully others as well!

Now you are probably are wondering, “what the heck does SQ3R mean and how will it help me be an active reader?”. Well here, I’ll break it down for you! S= Skim! Before actually beginning to read, look through the sections you are planning and reading and just get an idea of how its laid out so you have ideas on what to expect. Q= questions! After you skim, think of questions that you believe you should be able to answer by the end of the reading. This gives you somewhat of a goal which will help you stay much more engaged throughout the reading. I feel this is a great strategy for not only reading but lectures as well. You can always skim through lecture material(if possible) and think of a few questions you want to be able to answer by the end of class. Anyways, the last step to this method is 3R which stands for the three R’s: Read, Recite & Review! After skimming and making a few questions (the first two steps of this reading method), actually read the section then answer your questions. Then recite what you just read by writing a summary of the reading on a piece of paper. Lastly, review everything you have done for the reading and highlight or somehow emphasize the key things you believe are important.

Thats a quick breakdown of the SQ3R reading method! If you are still confused on how this works, I am attaching a video that further helps break the method down. I know being an active reader can be a serious struggle especially when the material is not something that interests us so this method is something I will definitely be using from now on. I have a feeling I’m bot the only one that struggles with this though so I definitely recommend giving this a try and I bet your overall reading efficiency and comprehension of the material will skyrocket!

Thank you for reading!

Module 3: Efficiency in the Digital Age Blog Post

In module 3, strategies involving time management and overall efficiency in the digital age were discussed. These strategies involved how to manage time, prevent procrastinating and use internet tools such as google calendar to our advantage. Concentration was also discussed in this module and tips were given on how to limit distractions to make days overall more productive.

The main strategy from this module that I plan on implementing into my daily life is breaking large tasks down into smaller ones to avoid my struggles of procrastinating along with limiting stress. I plan on doing this by mapping out my week on google calendar and making sure everything is spread out accordingly so I do not have to cram the day before a test or an assignment is due. In the instance of studying this will lead to much better overall retention because I will be dealing with the topics over a week period instead of just scrambling to learn the info a day or two before the exam. When it comes to assignments it will allow me to put necessary time into them to assure I answer correctly instead of just rushing to complete the assignment regardless of its correctness.

For all you students out there, for the wellness of your grades along with mental health plan ahead and do not put studying/assignments off until the last minute! Break them down over a few days (preferably plan them out on a calendar… google calendar is the best) and do them over a longer period of time! As mentioned before, this will dramatically help with retention and overall quality of work and as a result your grades may skyrocket and your stress will plummet. For some help with managing your time to break down these large tasks, watch the video attached to this post! Hopefully you find them as helpful as I did and use them in your day-to-day life.

 

Video Mentioned Above:

https://www.lifehack.org/articles/technology/top-15-time-management-apps-and-tools.html

Module 2: Communicating and Collaborating

In module 2 I learned a few new skills and strategies that can be applied to online courses. One of my biggest takeaways upon completion of this module was to use the “cloud”. This is especially useful when collaborating with other students on group projects because it is synchronized with each member of the group and makes communicating with the whole group easier. This tool is good for group assignments but also for day-to-day assignments. This is because it automatically saves and since its in the “cloud” you can continue the assignment on multiple devices by simply logging into your account. (Video discussing the “cloud”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=143&v=e49iiu5hxZE)

One of the things discussed in this module that I have already put into practice throughout my college career is emailing professors in a professional manner. I have always found this to be important because I believe that the more organized and well-written your email is the more willing professors will be to help. It is good to be formal when communicating with professors via email for the simple reason that professors find it respectful and emailing as if you were texting a friend is not appropriate.

In the future, a skill I want to put into practice is dealing with uncooperative group members better. This module talked about how communication is key in order for each group member to contribute appropriately.  When a member of the group seems to be slacking it is not always because they are lazy but instead they may not know what their role is. To help combat this issue, I plan on making sure roles are assigned and verbalized so that everyone clearly knows their part and what is expected of them. In instances where I do all this and a member seems to still be slacking, I plan on communicating this to the professor as soon as possible and not waiting until the last minute before the project/assignment is due.

For all the students who may be reading this, I want you to know that communication with both group members and professors is essential in your overall success throughout college. Through assigning roles in projects, emailing teachers in a professional manner and using the “cloud” to complete group work, I believe you will not only be more successful in a group setting but also be well prepared for situations later in life when good collaborating skills are needed. As Hellen Keller once said, “Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.” This quote relates directly to this module because in the end, no matter how smart you are, if you struggle to communicate with your professors and group members your success may not reach its full potential.

 

Reference to Video: