Final Post

In this course I have learned so much about technology.  I learned about tons of study resources, as well as websites that help with writing papers.  Each chapter we had a lesson paired with assignments that forced us to interact with these resources.  In completing the assignments, I was able to see how useful these could be.  The mind maps were great for organizing information that I had to memorize as were the flashcards that we had to make and study off of.  Not only did we learn about great web resources, we also learned a lot about how to do well in our online classes and regular lecture style classes.  We were shown many useful strategies such as how to take notes, how to memorize notes, how to prepare for tests, and many more.  We were also shown ways to focus better in our lectures, and if we did miss a part how to go back and listen to the podcast.  From this class, I learned that I tend to procrastinate a lot.  Until I took the class, I thought that what I was doing wasn’t that big of a deal, but then I realized that I have a major problem, and if I change a few of my habits I can greatly improve my grades, and get a lot more out of my classes.  Through the surveys we took, I was able to learn what type of learner I am, and also what ways to study that best fit my learning style.  My most meaningful experience that I had in this course was when I learned about the web based tools that I can use to enhance my learning, organize my schedule, and improve my studying.  I learned how to make a calendar on google that lays out everything that I have to do every day.  This will help me to stay on top of all of my work and plan accordingly.  I also had to make a spreadsheet of my time usage weekly, and this made me notice how much wasted time I had every week, and made me realize that I could put that time to much better use.  The other websites I found useful were the mind maps website, the flashcards website, and wolfram alpha.  I have personally used wolfram alpha many times now for math problems.  It is a great resource to use.  In the future, I hope to apply many of the things that I learned in this class.  I will become much more organized in school, work, and home life.  I will also plan my time often, and make sure not to waste as much time doing sedentary activities.  I also will study more often and more effectively by using the tools that I have now gained a knowledge of through this course.  Finally, in the future I will get more information out of my lectures by employing the listening skills that I have learned and geared towards my style of learning.  I hope that what I have learned will make me a much better student.

Module 6 Reflection

Module six of our class is focused on online learning strategies and skills.  The module focuses mainly on academic papers, and the research involved in writing them.  There are also important slides on source credibility, and search basics and strategies.

The slide on academic papers provides resources that will help with writing academic papers and research papers. It also provides a link to a database with opposing viewpoints to include in your paper to improve your papers credibility.

Source credibility is defined to be made up of three aspects.  These are: reliability, quality, and utility.  A source that is reliable contains such things as the contact info of the author, the credentials of the author, a reputable publisher, and has been peer-reviewed.  For an article to have high quality, it has to be up to date, consistent, well written, unbiased, and provide citations.  Finally, a source provides utility to the reader if it is: related to their topic, written to the appropriate audience, and has enough detail.

There are three major ways the search engines search.  The first way is a keyword search, which is what google uses.  The next is a category search, which is what yahoo uses.  The third is a metasearch, which compiles from many sources.  The module then shows effective ways to go about searching such as boolean logic.

 

Module 5 Reflection

Module five is focused on web-enhanced listening and viewing strategies.  The first strategy discussed offers advice on if your lectures are given via a powerpoint.  The module suggests that you print your notes out in advance, and bring them to class to write on to elaborate on points displayed on the powerpoint.   Another option is to download the powerpoint, and type the notes into the notes section below the slide.  If you are not provided a copy of the slides, it is suggested that you break up sections of your notebook into the main topics on each slide, then write a few notes on each topic.  If your lecturer uses podcasts, or you can view them online, they suggest that you type out well organized notes.  If you miss what they say, simply rewind.  The last option they suggest is using a template, such as the Cornell method.

Module five also provides effective listening and viewing strategies. These strategies consist of metacognitive, cognitive, and socio-affective strategies.  Along with these strategies comes a list of technology that you can use to enhance your note taking.  These consist of one note, lecture recording, mind maps, and wikis.

Finally, the module discusses pod casts, how to learn from them, filling in gaps from lecture using them, as well as video lectures.  They show videos on how they are effective, and how to use them.

Finding a Derivative Using the Definition of a Derivative

This video is very helpful for students who are struggling with finding derivatives through using the definition of a derivative.  The starts off by showing the formula for the definition of a derivative.  Next it goes through each step of the process using a real example of a problem.

At the end you can see the final result of the problem.  This is very useful, in that if you review the video a few times, you should be able to understand how to do it will with practice on your own of other problems from your homework.  If you ever have an issue trying to find the derivative of certain problems, or other areas of calculus struggles, this user has many other videos that are helpful.

Module 4 Reflection

Module four’s lesson focuses mainly on online learning strategies and skills.  The content discussed ranges from online reading preparation from before to during, and after.  Before you read an assigned reading online, it is best to read the syllabus to get an idea of what you are reading for.  It is also good to remove all distractions.  During your reading, you should skim through the chapter first to identify main points, then read in depth.  After you are done reading, it is best to make notes of key points in the reading, and reflect upon them.

This module also suggests being creative with your studying.  It asserts that being an active learner helps you to process the information and organize it better.  It also states that making something helps you learn it more effectively.  The module then displays many useful study tools such as Infographics, mind maps, animations, timelines, and annotated or narrated presentations.

Finally, Module four goes into great detail on making flashcards in google spreadsheets. It shows a step by step breakdown of how to do so.

The conclusion of this module sums up what makes study tools effective.  It explains that you will gain more brain power by use of the left and right brain. It also utilizes dual coding, which consists of both visual and verbal elements. Finally, there are fewer constraints on your creative thought process when using study tools.

Module 3 Reflection Post

Module three focused on Communicating and Collaborating on the Web.  Three main aspects of this are netiquette, email, and discussions.  As a college student today, many of your assignments, and interactions with your professors are over the web.  It is the main form of communicating and collaborating within the large classes that you will face while in school.  When interacting with a professor via email, it is essential that you use the proper netiquette.  This can consist of the obvious things such as grammar, and go all the way to including emoticons.  When speaking with a professor, it is important to use proper grammar, be clear in what you want, and to include a greeting, introduction, request, acknowledgement, and a signature.  It is also important to avoid using slang, foul language, and sarcasm. This also applies to communicating with fellow group members. When posting on discussions, it is important to use spell check, and formatting, and to preview your post before submission.   When replying to a post, make sure to be polite to your peers and professors.  Google Docs is a very great program to collaborate with peers over the web.  You can use the document to add important information that many can see and adjust.  This can be affective in creating study guides for your course.  I hope that these tips will help you with your studies.

 

Thanks for reading,

Steven Nash