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In the process of completing this course I have learned many beneficial things, but there are three important takeaways that I believe everyone should know and be able to use. The first takeaway from ESLTECH 2011 is to ask questions if you need help. Online learning can be confusing, especially if you have never taken an online class before. Never be afraid to ask questions. Ask your teacher or classmates about things you don’t understand and be honest if you simply don’t get something or get confused. Asking questions when you need help is important to online success.

My second takeaway from this class is to communicate with group members often. Sometimes it can be hard to be the first to act and email or text other group members and decide roles, but being able to reach out and start planning ahead on your project and assigning roles is the first step in completing a successful assignment. After the first initial meeting be sure to follow up with one another and check on everyone’s progress. Communication is the key, without it it’s incredibly hard to create a well designed group project or assignment.

My last takeaway from this class is to create a distraction free environment to do your work in. I’m married and have two kids so this is very important for me if I plan on getting anything done. Be sure to find a nice quiet space where you know that you won’t be interrupted. Also, be sure to put your phone away in a drawer or somewhere where you can’t see it and be tempted to get on social media accounts or text. By creating this distraction free environment you will be bale to maximize the use of your time and get assignments or projects done quickly and effectively.

I’ve learned many strategies throughout this class but there are a few that I would like to share. The first strategy is to create goals and set aside times each week that you know you will use to study or complete work. Creating goals is very important because when you actually write the goals out they become real and important to you. Seeing your goals on paper makes you more likely to sick with them and see them through to the end. Also, setting aside times to study or complete work each week will help with procrastination and ultimately allow you to get your work done effectively and efficiently. Another learning strategy that I have developed in this class is keeping an open mind when it comes to technology. Before taking ESLTECH 2011 I had never attempted to take notes online or make videos to answer discussion posts rather than just slowly typing all my answers out. By keeping an open mind I tried to figure out taking notes online and although it took extra time to learn how to do so, it has saved me an incredible amount of time since then. You never know what’s going to make your life easier and rather than sticking with what you already know you should keep an open mind and be excited to try and learn new things.

Google docs is one of the most helpful tools I have used during my time in this class. Google docs gives students a way to create documents or presentations that can be used and edited by group members at the same time or whenever they get the chance. This tool automatically saves your changes right away and is perfect for group projects or presentations. Other group members can work on their assigned portion of the paper or presentation while you work on your as well. Google docs gives students the freedom to make and work on one document all at once while seeing each other’s work. This makes it easier and much quicker for students to complete their projects and compile everything together rather than making multiple individual papers and trying to copy and paste them together. Google docs is overall an incredible tool and I will continue to use it throughout my education.