Posts

Module 7 Blog Post

The most useful thing that I learned in this module was that setting timers for breaks as well as studying is very useful when completing work. It allows me to keep distractions away for a certain period of time since I know I will be able to access them afterwards, almost as a reward. This also helps keep my motivation up and is more reliable than willpower alone.

An example of what I have already put into practice is, as mentioned above, setting timers for studying and breaks. So far, it has worked out amazingly and I have completed much more work by adhering to this method.

An example of something I can put to use in the future is another app called pocket points. This was mentioned in the slides and its an app where you get points for not using your phone. Since my phone is one of my biggest distractions, this app will add to my ability to keep away from it while I am supposed to be doing work.

Advice I would give to a student based on this module is that breaks aren’t a bad thing. In fact, breaks can help your motivation and keep you doing your work while also enjoying your time. Don’t be afraid to take breaks as everyone needs some sort of relaxation period between work or else they will get burnt out.

Module 6 Blog Post

The most useful thing that I learned in this module is the idea of a resource guidebook. Usually when I use a resource, once I was done with it I would just exit out from it or forget about what I could use it for. A resource guidebook will allow me to keep a list of really useful resources and their uses for future reference.

One example of something I have already put into practice is using resources from my guidebook. When going back to look over my guidebook before I submitted it, I looked at some of the resources listed in it such as Khan Academy and remembered that I could use it to help me learn one of the topics I needed for a class I am taking. I was able to learn more about the topic and then do really well on one of my quizzes.

Ideas I could put into practice in the future are how to best research certain topics. Finding resources and articles for my papers has always been difficult for me and by using the lessons from this module, such as looking for key words in articles and documents in order to get their general idea and its relation to my own topic, I can more efficiently and accurately find articles for my papers.

Advice I would give to students from this module is to keep in mind the different resources that you use to accomplish your work. If the resources you used were helpful, they will most likely be helpful again in the future and it will take you less time to complete the work that you need to while keeping up the quality.

Blog Post Module 5

The most useful things that I learned in this module are the different note taking strategies. I was able to find out how I prefer to take notes and the organizational level which I like, as well as a way to overcome my lack of speed when taking notes, which is by typing them out during the lecture and then rewriting them later.

A specific example of something from this module that I have started to put into practice already is note taking. Although I have not done so through my laptop yet as all my lecture materials are online, I have started to organize the notes in the way that fits me best, which is through strong organization using bullet points and roman numerals. This has worked out very well for the classes that I am currently taking online.

Ideas from this module that I could put into practice in the future are the resources that are given online. I knew about some of them which were stated on slide 22 in this week’s lesson, such as Khan Academy and TedTalks, but also I never have really used Youtube in this way before which I was able to do in this week’s dicussion assignment on Educational Videos. This will allow me to increase my range of topics that I can learn more about online.

The advice that I would give to students based on what I have learned during this module is to try out different note taking techniques before classes start. This will allow you to figure out what works best for you and can help you start off on the right foot in your classes and will increase your success in those classes.

Blog Post Module 4

The most useful thing that I learned in module 4 was the large amount of online resources available to me which can help me with different aspects of my learning. One example of this was a website presented by one of my classmates called Slack. I have used Slack before and I have an account, but I never realized its capabilities in terms of creating study groups and arranging for study times with people in your classes. Through this realization, I have already started reaching out to people on Slack in order to create study groups for different classes in our majors, and it has been successful. I have already created a group for an upcoming major class that I will be taking in the Fall 2019 semester.

One of the ideas that I can put into practice in the future is the use of the mind maps. In one of the assignments for this module, i decided to use the bubbl.us site to create a mind map for a topic that interested me, the Trojan War. Although I will not be dealing with this topic in my future classes, it has provided me with a resource that I can use in the future to better help myself understand topics presented in my classes, such as creating a mind map on the topic of GUIs.

The advice that I would give to students based on what I have learned during this module is to make sure that your learning is structured. By taking what you learn during lecture and the notes that you take, you should then present those notes in a organized structure such as a mind map in order to better understand the topics. This will help you learn more efficiently and effectively.

Blog Post Module 3

The most useful thing that I learned how to do from this module is how to track my time. By tracking my time, I have a better idea on how I spend the time in my day as well as which activities in my day are wasteful. This is a great way to manage your time better as it provides a clear insight into your daily schedule and it allows you to see activities which you can get rid of in order to be more productive and successful.

A specific example of something I have already put into practice is putting away my phone when doing work. It has worked out well so far as I do not have the urge to grab it and scroll social media or play games.

One idea that I can put into practice in the future is to change my settings for when I am doing work. I can do this by moving to a common area or even something like a library instead of doing these things in my room where I have multiple distractions available.

If I could give a student some advice for time management, it would be to do your best to avoid all distractions as they can make your easy tasks take much longer than usual. They can also inhibit your ability to create successful work by taking your mind off of the work and stopping your flow of thought.

Blog Post Module 2

If I could give any piece of advice to future students based off the contents of this module, it would be to consider the differences between online and face to face communication when participating in online discussions.

Due to the vast differences in communication, when you are talking to someone through online methods, you should try to be as professional as possible so that you can start off on the right foot with whomever you are speaking with. For example, under Module 2, the page labeled “LESSON: Module 2” on slide 8 shows how to properly format an email and the reasons for why you should do so. One of the main reasons is that without the proper format, the person you are speaking with may not think that you are treating them with respect and with the professionalism that you should. This could result in a lack of employment in the future and even loss of professional relationships.

Another difference to keep in mind is that even when you are communicating with a friend or someone who you may have a very familiar relationship with, avoid things such as sarcasm or all capital letters, as it may give off the wrong impression. Since through online communication, you cannot see the person’s face or the changes in their voice, so things such as emotion and sarcasm are hard to communicate and can be taken in poor ways by the receiver of the message.

Thank you for reading, and I hope this post was able to help you out!

Intended Audience

Dear Reader,

 

The intended audience of this blog will be a student audience! Whether or not this pertains to you, feel free to keep reading!