The end of an exciting journey of learning, and I leave this class with a great many takeaways. The On Line Learning Strategies class has given me insight into all the current tools that are on the market today. The potential to use these tools to assist me in the learning process going forward has eased the learning burdens because this class offers varying resources that are relevant. In the beginning of this class, I wasn’t sure of all the methodologies of learning that would be explored, but I leave this class with a determination to build on what I have learned.

Often in the business world there are projects in which you have to use what you have learned, or lose the knowledge. Learning to use the animate website, and neat ways to teach others is something that will stay on my radar especially, as I go to teach a pre-k class in the community. Across the board, I have learned to use the RSS feed and share it with others on my Facebook account so that it has become a valuable resource to myself and others.

Further, when hearing about this new technology on television, it always appeared to me that the new offerings were to complex to learn on my own. However, with this class I’ve learned that if I can break down new technology bit by bit, it won’t feel so overwhelming. The extensive learning on research admittedly, was the most time consumer to process all the detail intense instructions; however, it offered me a new angel for learning through the various tools offered by OSU.

In the past my practice was to do a search using Google, but the research would normally be missing sections, and I’d have to switch to Bing.com to fill in those gaps. When you have such extensive research resources in one place, it makes gathering information simpler, and know the need to toogle between sites looking for information has  been reduced.

This class also challenged my time management ability, and I had to take the time to read the instructions thoroughly for  the best outcomes. Most exciting of all in the lessons was the use of the u.osu blog. This blog, opened my eyes to training, and I decided to share what I have been learning in this class on Word Press and Facebook with family and friends. For example, I have a sister that told me she needed assistance on her job with her English skills, or she would be fired.  So instead of having to meet somewhere to tutor her my sister, I started to blog some basic English skills and inter office personal skills so she could improve on the job.

Blogging also, gave me the ability to train members of my magazine team with needed grammar reminders and advice to make their articles pop with life! More than once I have been able to use what I have learned in this class to share with others outside of the class, and I believe that sharing this knowledge is an indication of how valuable this class can be in real time. Without question I will be referring others to take this course when asked, and I would be patiently anticipating taking a part two of this class if it were offered by Ohio State.

On line learning strategies to stay current in the digital age, in my opinion, could be be  publicizing a bit more to people to increase in popularity and how it can add value to students immediately.  Staying current with the latest technology is not so bad when you can combine what is being learned with real life application, great class!

Searching and researching is a needed occurrence on any college campus. The information. tutorials and lesson plans made available to students will be needed resources for the entire college experience. Later these tools will also be needed for the professional world. To be considered a true professional after leaving college, understanding and having a firm grasp on these tools will make anyone a commodity. Employees look favorable on individuals with polished research skills and are able to contribute to the work flow of the organization.

Although knowing the ins & outs of research can be time consuming, it is never a waste of time. Imagine being responsible for a team of writer’s. All the data has been collected and the citations have been place on a reference sheet. As the send button is about to be hit, you notice some very particular about a particle site. With your trained eye from Google search portion of a lesson learned far in the past, you save your company the embarrassment of quoting a non reliable source.

As a professional and a student, I have come to learn that nothing is wasted throughout the educational experience. True, you may use some items less than others, but nothing should ever be discarded as invaluable. Gathering statistics, data and references are highly prized commodities that can bring enormous rewards in school and on the job.  Following the rules in this context is not a bad choice, when the rewards lead a decent job, and gaining a reputation for providing quality work.

Of all the assignments thus far, I think this has been the most challenging due to the use of the video embedded. However, I have to say that the note taking, listening skills, and selection of the video has enriched my learning experience. What I have found in this week’s lesson have made me take the time to learn things that I have put off. As a blogger on WordPress, I send tips on effective writing for the work force, and I will be linking what I have learned this week with my professional communication.

The listening strategies, along with learning styles provide a greater understanding of self, to be able to succeed in a class room or work environment. By far, being able to combine learning skills and hands on experience gives me greater confidence in performing my current job duties in addition to teaching others t. Now what I share with my audience allows me to be relevant and cutting edge, at least in this sense,  that I am becoming more of an expert in my craft of professional communication. 

When I begin this class I had no idea that it would be as useful and rewarding as it has been. Please do not misunderstand, I am not seeking brownie points, this class is one of those pieces of education that ties other skills together, which makes me a more well rounded person. Traveling on the road to having my own book published and trying to focus my spare time in the community teaching writing skills brings me full circle.  When I think of the learning strategies, and how the differing styles help people to recognize where their individual strengths lie this will eventually enhance the educational and employment goals of many.

College students must keep an eye out for the future and the end result of education: to find employment. Opportunities for career develop is one way to boost a resume, so the tools below are items that I believe can assist with the end goal of employment.  

1. http://www.dartmouth.edu/~acskills/success/index.html – Learning Strategies Inventories; Assess How You Learn

Learning, educating, updating or becoming an expert in your individualized learning style will assist anyone with output/production. Life is often not packaged for niche or individualized instructions; therefore, it is important to understand how you learn and process information. This website goes through a series of assessments to assist with locating strengths in the learning process.  Going forward in education and life, this tool provides a valuable resource to tie how the learning style can assist with needed outcomes or results that are required for school and on the job assignments.

2. http://www.studygs.net/timman.htm – Study Guides and Strategies.

This website teaches a series on Time Management. Not only does this teach you tools in which to track and record timed activities, it further goes on to give the ‘why tos’ on the subject. Of particular interest are the definitions to key descriptors that can be analyzed further that give you detail on why one should keep a “to do” list, daily or weekly planner and the long term planner.

3.   https://www.udemy.com/blog/writing-techniques/. 10 Writing Techniques: Anyone Can Write!

Writing for college, personally or on the job is important for all. Many times, if a student is not a writer or have a solid foundation for writing they can often find themselves needing assistance. However, with this website, they introduced to 10 areas that will improve or enhance the writing experience. Most importantly is the fact that anyone can become a better writer by taking the time to understand the rules and the fundamentals of writing.

4. https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/ – On line writing lab

On the heels of writing techniques, is the Purdue On line writing lab. This website provides hands on learning lessons and reminders on how to combine simple grammar rules to assist in the writing process. Learning, should always be a continual process. This tool reviews lessons learned long ago and gives you the opportunity revisit information that may be overlooked.

5. http://www.skillsyouneed.com/interpersonal-skills.html – What are Interpersonal Skills?

Communication with everyone is a process that people indulge daily. However, having the needed skills to navigate at work, at school, in study groups or social events can often leave us lagging behind if we do not know the proper rules of engagement. Therefore, this website gives general understanding of why interpersonal skills are important and what we can do as individuals to assist in our communication skills with others. Tying education, learned skill sets and interpersonal communication are the three biggest areas to successful employment in my opinion; therefore, it is great to have these resources on hand. Not only have I learned more about my learning style and communication process, these websites also provided me with continuous points to improve in the future.

On line discussions are a great way to establish collaborations, generate brainstorming sessions and schedule times of availability. In addition to real time chat lines, on line discussions boards and email, individuals can have flexibility coming together to complete group projects. Further, if adhered to properly, on line activity can bring accountability, as well as, measure the input of others on said projects.  Benefits to online usage also offers more hidden areas of value for individuals that put in quality time learning become experts with these tools.

Time is a valuable commodity these days and having concentrated activity with responsibility offers opportunities to establish discipline in goal completions for future endeavors. Another added value of online group discussions is that it shows great teammanship on behalf of the participants, and showing collaboration on a resume is an incredible skill set to show future employers. Further, providing proof of completed projects on a portfolio to prospective employers can cast an innate view on your ability to perform or get the job done.

Therefore, by learning and participating in these online methods of communication, it increases personal and professional knowledge base for current and down the line usage. As a staff member, I have witnessed, the use of these skills extreme value to my current employer. Often they call on me to train others with the information that I am currently learning in school, or establish tools for co-workers. Without a doubt, I’d say, ‘the more you know, the more you can contribute professionally;’ therefore, I’d advise learning as much as possible and retaining the information for personal advancement.  

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