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Final Blog

Coming into an online class I wasn’t so sure of what to expect. I knew not being in a class setting would be different but I was excited to see what this class had to offer. Once i received a welcoming email from my professor, I knew that I would enjoy this class and I was anxious to start the online learning process. When the first week came around and I took all the procrastination and time management surveys, I knew that my procrastination and time management skills needed to improve. One of the lessons said to set goals and that is what I did. Using Google Docs to help set up a schedule for my weekly schedule was very beneficial and showed me how to manage my school work and my social life. Once I managed my school schedule wisely, lesson 4 taught me to read before I started any type of work to get background knowledge on what I was about to read. While reading, taking notes and putting them into Google Docs. You can also use the highlighting features in the PDF to help recognize important words. There are many online creative study tools used for studying. The most beneficial study tool that I used throughout the semester was the animations which I used for my Spanish class. Flashcards can also be used on Google spreadsheets which is also a very helpful online study tool. Online study tools are also more effective because they allow you to use the left and the right side of the brain. There are many online strategies to  help with notes for class. If a teacher puts the notes online before class, you should print out the notes where it shows several slides per page. Once the notes are printed, bring them to class and add on any additional information that is given in class. Podcasts are a type of technology that can help improve your note taking. Online videos is a new type of technology that also helps going back and reviewing your notes from class. Khan Academy is a website that has many different classes and uses online videos to explain different topics and it is very beneficial to improve notes. Throughout the course I have learned that in the beginning I was a very big procrastinator. Once I was introduced to all different types of study resources and different types of technology I realized there is no need to procrastinate. When I was introduced to online resources, my procrastination slowly got better because these resources were beneficial to my school work. The most beneficial experience in this course was taking the time management and procrastination surveys. This experience was the most beneficial because it showed me that I needed to improve how I manage my time and that I need to not wait until the last minute to complete my work. Once I realized this, my grades began to improve and I was very happy with the way I was putting in a lot of effort. After completing this course, I came to the conclusion that I will use a lot of the information I learned into my future school work. I will continue to use Google spreadsheets to help manage my time. I was also continue to use online study tools and continue to use Khan Academy. This class was very beneficial and I am very happy how it helped my time management skills.

module 6

Most people do not know that searching and researching are two different things. When it comes to academic papers, both are needed. Academic and research papers are used a lot throughout college. Once you get your information for your paper, credibility is needed for the resources that you used. Wikipedia? Wikipedia is used as a source for your general information or to get background on the topic. Do you use your main research from Wikipedia.  There are also other Wiki resources that can be used for your papers. Searching is just as simple as Google, where you type information into the search engine to get answers, where research is not and is a lot bigger spectrum. Search engines are very popular and there are three major different ways that the search engines search which are keyword, category and metasearch. Once your research is collected and you have enough information to write your paper you are going to need to organize your research. Most papers that are written in college require a bibliography. Creating a bibliography on your own is difficult, that’s why there are many “bibliographic managers” to help cite your sources. Sources that are available to you are easybib.com and many more.  It is recommended to use these websites to help cite your resources and make them more organized.

Educational Videos

Spanish alphabet and pronunciation

This video is a video that i have used in my Spanish educational classes. This is a very educational video because it helps go over the Spanish alphabet written out in English but it is pronounced in Spanish.  Once it goes through the whole alphabet it helps you pronounce the letters in Spanish and it gives you references and a picture to help you pronounce the letter.

Active listening and observations are needed throughout this video. The narrator is going through the alphabet which is written in English but pronounced in Spanish. The narrator goes very slowly so you can practice what he is saying and how to say it. Once you keep listening you will hear how the letter in pronounced and will help you say the letters correctly.

Module 5

Note taking is very important when it comes to college. If your in a lecture and recitation which most students are, a professor will send you the lecture notes before class. Use this to your advantage by printing them out and taking them to class and add additional notes as the teacher goes on. When a video or audio play comes on in class, you can also break up your notebook into sections based on topic, then write down the URL so you can go back to the video for future reference. A template is also another options of taking notes while in lecture. Template allows you to divide your notebook into sections where you write down what the professor says and also what your thoughts on the topic are. There are several technology tools that can help improve your note taking throughout college such as;  one note and mind maps. Podcasts are great way to learn because they give you a different perspective of learning and you can listen and review while doing other things. Online videos help with studying also because if you do not understand it the first time you can go back as many times as you need. Also, there are many different perspectives with online videos which helps getting different perspectives on the topic. Note taking and studying is a very important key to success in college.

Module 4

Are you ever distracted when you are in the process of studying or reading? Before beginning to read or study you should always remove distractions away from your study area. Skimming or pre-reading before you begin is a good study tip that will help you have a better idea as to what you are about to read. Highlight, take notes, remember key points while you are reading. Once completed with the reading, summarize. There are two different types of readings; traditional and online. Throughout college you will need to use both of these readings and maybe even  readings different than these two. Studying is obviously a major part of college. Creative studying can benefit students in many ways. Traditional studying can get boring and going over ever index card is not creative. Make up different study techniques that can help you with your studies. While getting creative with studying there are many tools that you as students can use to help make studying more enjoyable. Animations, mind maps, timelines and many more are tools that can help you  get creative while studying. If you are a classic flashcard type of person there is a more advanced way of using flashcards instead on writing out each index card. Google docs which is used throughout college very often, gives you the option of using there website as a flashcard maker. This requires a few steps to make the index cards but in my opinion, it is worth it. Study tools are very effective and throughout college study tools will benefit your studies.

Module 3

Netiquette?A word used for etiquette of the computer. Just like using an inside voice, using caps while communicating through the web should be avoided unless otherwise needed. As my great grandparents would say ” stop using those slang words” is also applied to communicating on the web. You should try to avoid abbreviations, sarcasm and “slang” words. When it comes to communicating through email there are ups and downs. The downfall of email is misunderstanding, or not receiving a full response. The ups to email are getting in contact where ever you are or when ever you need. You can send an email any time and any place. In today’s society we are so used to the format of a text message. The format of a text message is completely wrong when it comes to writing an email.  There are five main parts to writing an email; greeting, introduction, request, acknowledgement and a closing. When it comes to Carmen and discussion posts, make sure to use spell check, go over what you have written, adjust settings and write a well composed post. Replied discussion posts are used to not only interact with fellow students, but to build your communication and comprehension skills. Blogs and group projects are a used to show what you as an individual and as a whole are thinking. Blogs are used to express what you have learned and or thinking and group projects are used to prepare for successful collaboration. Group projects also encourage good working relationships which helps not only in school but in the real world and the business world.  Google Docs, scheduling polls, and wikis are all tools to help you gather information together, balance your information, time management and so much more.