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During the semester throughout the course I have been exposed to several new technologies that will continue to enhance my academics in the years to come. These are just a few of the many that I have used this semester.

Zoom

Zoom was first used in the beginning of the semester to connect to our professor and the entire class for an initial online lecture. After that we also used zoom when we were required to post videos to Sarah, mentioning our time management skill tips. Overall, I enjoyed learning about zoom and enjoyed using it throughout the semester. Several of my future classes have applications involving programs similar to zoom so having this prior knowledge will be helpful in the future.

Trello

During our week dedicated to note-taking technology our class was introduced to Trello and Trello boards. Similar to a digital to-do list, Trello boards allow users to organize their assignments, thoughts, and any other tasks on a board that can be customized to the user. Most boards include a doing, done, and still to do list with included due dates. Personally, I have never used Trello before but I will in the future. Trello was very easy to use and was perfect for organizing my busy schedule. An example of a Trello board is posted below.

u.osu.edu Website

The last piece of technology we used this semester would be u.osu.edu websites. These student websites were used to create our E-portfolio final project for the class. I have never used the websites before and now I feel quite familiar with them. They are very easy to use and customize to fit whatever information is required of students. I look forward to using u.osu.edu in the future.

For being a first time online class student I had several concerns prior to the beginning of the year. I had no idea what the online classroom was like or how it differed from other classes. After almost completing my first online class I have made a few tips for people about to start their online class career.

Tip #1: Prepare To Work Just as Hard

There is a misconception in the student community that relates online classes to being very easy. That statement is entirely false and almost the complete opposite. As an online student you are now responsible for not only practicing the material but also learning the material on your own time compared to just sitting in lecture. I spent more time than expected learning material then applying that information to the post lecture assignments

Tip #2: Manage Your Time Accordingly

One of the biggest adjustments I had to initially make was to better manage my time throughout the week. My class similar to most online classes has a few assignments due at the end of each week. When these assignments are neglected by students till the last day they tend to cause a ton of unneeded stress. My advice would be to set checkpoints daily during the week. Try to get one part a day and leave yourself more room later in the week.

Tip #3: Find a Repeatable Study Plan

My final tip for any online class is to find a study plan that is easy for you as a student and that is repeatable. I have found when I find a study plan I can stick to I am more productive during those certain periods. This semester, every day I would sit down at my desk and dedicate at least thirty minutes to this class and I found I was more ahead during the week.

First Takeaway

My first takeaway from this class is that online classes including this one still require just as much time as in-person classes. Personally, this was my first online class experience. I knew very little about what the online classroom was like and what were the standards of online classes. As I finish this class I realize the time spent working and studying are very similar between the two types of classrooms.

Second Takeaway

My second takeaway from ELS 2001 is there are many new and different academic tools available for students. From Zoom to Carmen Connect I have used many different technologies that I have never used before and I will continue to use and explore more technologies in my academic future.

Third Takeaway

My third and final takeaway from this class would be how valuable having time management skills are. Not just in this class, but in my first semester as a full time college student I have learned that correctly managing my time is half the battle. Between assignments, exams, and pre-labs college students are constantly working and it can be disastrous when students fall behind.

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