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I wouldn’t say that I am extremely efficient when it comes to technology and online tools. I would say at the beginning of the course my knowledge about online learning strategies and skills were fair. I was capable of understanding basic material, but I was certainly not confident about knowing how to navigate the different online tools. Now, I am much more confident about how to navigate many different online tools and websites. For instance, this blog website in particular is somewhat intimidating at first and it is difficult to navigate to the right page or post. Now it is much easier, thankfully, I understand this website due to this class among other online classes that have utilized this website.

The other main issue that I have been having is knowing what search engines to use and what research databases to use in particular. After taking this class, I learned how to better utilize research databases. For instance, the library.osu.edu website. I believe that the worldcat@osu.edu database is the most direct and efficient database to use. One of the most useful things that I have learned through taking this course is how to create online planners. I have lost hard copy planners or they have been destroyed, so creating online planners through tools like the google spread sheet is very beneficial. This can be used for many courses that I will be taking down the road and for other areas of my life, such as, work and exercising plans.

I have learned that I am capable of learning how to navigate different technological tools, and that they are not always as difficult or intimidating as they initially seem to be. Rather, many of these strategies and tools are quite helpful and make life a lot easier. The most meaningful experience was actually creating the online google spread sheet, this was the first time that i really focused on how I was using my time on a daily basis. I color coded all of my activities and this made it easy to recognize where I could be using my time for important tasks and I could limit leisure time. For instance, I noticed that I was spending a lot of time working out. Even though this is really important, I knew that I needed to be using that time to study more often in order to get the grades that I wanted. It was really a time of recognition and reflection, and I began to change my schedule. I will be able to apply everything that I have learned in the class to other areas of my life, mainly other classes that I will be taking. Especially, when it comes to researching and creating planners.

After reading Chapter 5 of the “E-Learning Companion” book, I learned a lot about how to better manage my time. There are nine total steps which I would definitely recommend to anyone who is taking classes or working a lot of hours in order to manage their time more efficiently. One of the great tips that I read in the book is to, “stay focused, evaluate your time management skills and preparations. Manage your time more effectively.” Below is a list on how to manage time: (Corry, pgs 106-115).

1. Don’t procrastinate.
2. Don’t wait for perfection.
3. Combine activities.
4. Don’t expect your instructor to always be online.
5. Keep to the schedule.
6. Use your free time wisely.
7. Learn to say no.
8. Make use of technology.
9. Manage the time you spend online.

Knowing how to research for specific material that will guide the researcher to success is very important. Researching itself is not extremely difficult, there are multiple search engines that can be used which can at least provide the researcher with basic background information. However, researching for quality sources rather than quantity sources is somewhat tasking. The reading from this week’s Module 4, E-Learning Companion has been very helpful. One of the tips for evaluating and determining credible sources is to gather information about the author of the source (Pg. 67). Knowing who the author is, is essential in researching. This is because if the researcher chooses to cite a certain article, or book it is important to know that the author is respected and considered valid in a certain field. To start, the researcher should first determine if the source is peer-reviewed. If the source is not peer-reviewed than the researcher would be wise to use the source as a guide for general background information rather than as a reference. One of the other informative topics can be found in the “Source Reliability (Blogs)” section (Pg. 68). I made a mistake recently in another class where I chose to cite a blog instead of a journal, and it was because a credible researcher wrote this particular blog while the journal was referencing and citing this researcher on the same topic. However, after reading this section in the book, I now understand that even though the blog may be extremely informative because the researcher wrote it; the blog isn’t credible because it has not been peer-reviewed. It is not valid to use the blog as a reference in this case due to potential bias.

Overview: Numbers in Spanish

1. Pronunciation of numbers

• 1-10
• 11-19
• 20-29
• 30-99

2. Commonly asked questions:

• How much is it?
• What’s your phone number?
• How old are you?

3. Translation of the questions:

• Cuanto cuesta?
• Cual es tu numero de telefono?
• Cuantos anos tienes?

4. Answers to the questions:

• Cuesta seis pesos.
• Mi numero es cuatro-uno-seis/siete-siete-seis/dos-ocho-cero-siete.
• Tengo veintidos anos.

5. Translation:

• It costs six dollars.
• My number is, 416-776-2807.
• I am 22 years old.

Learning Overall:

There is so much to learn, especially when taking a language course in college. I am taking a Spanish course, and we are learning about many different areas. However, one of the areas that I am struggling with is learning the numbers in Spanish. As Ana explains in this video, knowing how to properly spell, pronounce, and utilize the numbers in Spanish is extremely important. For instance, knowing the numbers will allow you to provide your phone number and address. It will also allow you to provide or ask for the date and time. Of course, discussing money is also very important in every day life. This video has helped me out a lot as far as pronunciation and spelling.

Taking notes is important in just about every class in college. But knowing how to take notes quickly and in a way that they are still legible and useful later on for studying is sometimes difficult. This is where Module 5 of ESEPSY 1159 is very helpful. This module provides three styles of note taking that can benefit students. The three styles are known as the, Cornell Method, Keyword Method, and the Mind Map Method. All of these styles seem very beneficial. Personally, the Mind Map style is my least favorite. This is because it is set up in a “brainstorm” type fashion, which tends to be slightly more disorganized and sporadic. However, the Cornell Method and the Keyword Method are very similar and entail jotting down notes quickly and concisely. These two styles allow the student to read and recall the main points which can help with memorization. For instance, I was able to use the Keyword Method in an English class recently. Having access to the keywords allowed me to recall the main points, and then I was able to write down a few important aspects about each point that helped later on with discussion. It is very important to have this information for general discussion as well as for exams and quizzes later on. The following links contain the information for each style of note taking.

KEYWORDS: http://learninghub.une.edu.au/tlc/aso/aso-online/learning-strategies/pdf/Podcast-Keywords_example.pdf

CORNELL: http://learninghub.une.edu.au/tlc/aso/aso-online/learning-strategies/pdf/Podcast-Cornell_example.pdf

MIND MAP: http://learninghub.une.edu.au/tlc/aso/aso-online/learning-strategies/pdf/Podcast-Mind_map_example.pdf

It seems like every semester I have the same dilemma, and that is time management.  Balancing the workload is a constant struggle.  It is difficult to find the time to accomplish everything that needs to be done when considering all of the areas that I spend my time.  I figure in time spent with family and friends, classes, studying, working, leisure time etc.  That is why I became very interested in the online Google Calendars that I can create for free.  The online calendar is accessible, it also means that I cannot misplace it or ruin it somehow, which in my case is a definite possibility.  This tool allows me to keep track of the deadlines and allows me to create deadlines of my own, which is helpful when there is an ongoing group project for example.  This tool came into use with a group project that I had with another class recently.  Usually, I am the one asking my classmates when homework is due and what needs to be accomplished in order for everything to keep running smoothly.  However, with this tool, I am now able to provide the due dates when classmates ask.  Being aware of when things are due and staying organized provides a feeling of control, which has helped reduce my stress.  Chapter 1, page 11 of E-learning Companion discusses how staying organized by creating calendars is a great way to be successful overall in every aspect of life.

Google docs is one of the most beneficial online tools that students can use to communicate and collaborate.  I am currently participating in an online group project, and google docs has helped a lot as far as editing the final presentation.  It tends to be quite hectic when various people are struggling to add their individual contributions to a single presentation.  However, this online tool reduces some of the stress.  Everyone in the group is able to add different information when it is convenient for them, and this also eliminates the time conflict by having to meet in person.  Group members are able to work on the project at their leisure and edit the presentation as necessary in order to achieve success.  Ultimately, after editing for the past week or so, my group is making the final finishing touches to the presentation and we will be presenting our work to the class and the professor tomorrow evening.  Often, communication is difficult in group projects, especially in online group projects because all of the members have different schedules and prior commitments.  This is why tools like Google Docs are so important to utilize so that the project can move smoothly without too many issues.

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