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Final Reflection

When I first signed up for this class I had no idea what I was getting into. I was told that this class was not too difficult and that I should be able to handle it with my full time work schedule. I had a little fear at first because it was an online class, something that I did not look too kindly upon at the time. Looking back now, I should of never had that fear! Online courses are actually not so bad! Sure, you don’t get the physical interaction with people, but there are different ways to interact.

Throughout this class, I learned a good amount of material regarding technology. First, I discovered how useful Google Docs can be! You can just type up a document and take it with you anywhere you go! It’s quite convenient and I plan to use it more often. I also learned that there are a lot more resources out there than I could have ever imagined. There is pretty much a tool for anything you can think of! There are flashcard programs, time tracking programs, and many others! The key thing is to do a little bit of wandering around on the internet and finding them. When it comes to actually searching the web, I learned a few new tips and tricks that can speed up my searching process. I learned that you can use quotation marks to get exact words in you searches. Also, you can use words like AND, OR , and NOT to eliminate unwanted results. To go even further, you can do an advanced search in most search engines to “super” narrow down the results. Once you find some results that look promising, it is important that you are able to distinguish between reliable and unreliable resources. We learned a few tips about this in class as well. I learned that you can evaluate sources by looking at materials such as the credentials of the author, the site reputation (good ones usually end in .edu or .org), the contact details (good sources usually include some sort of contact information), and internally cited resources. It is also important to not get all your information from one source. This is because you want to make sure the information is consistent by investigating it on another website. Together, all these things are vital for determining the reliability of the site. I could go on and on about more things I learned, but those are the key points that I remember from the lectures.

Not only did I learn a lot about technology in this class, but I also got to learn a little more about myself. Throughout the course, there were a few surveys that “judged” my procrastination and my time management skills. I knew that I was a procrastinator before, but I learned that I was more of a procrastinator than I thought (if that makes any sense haha). To make things a little better, I learned that I was actually a pretty good time manager. This is because I honestly do not have much free time to waste, seeing that I am going to school full time and also working full time. Lastly, I learned that I can limit my distractions by choosing a better work environment.

The most meaningful thing that I got out of this class would probably be how to stop my procrastination and be more productive. I need to tell myself specific things that I need to do in order to actually do them. Also, I can set up incentives for myself to enjoy if I finish a task. Lastly, if a task seems overwhelming and very big, I need to break it down into bite size pieces and attack a little bit at a time. All of this information is very useful and I plan on applying it in the future. How exactly can I apply it? Well, I will keep track of all that is due more carefully by getting a calendar and writing things down on it. If I physically see it, I am more likely to do something about it. Overall, the course provided me a lot of useful information that can be used in a different variety of ways! I hope you enjoy (or at least don’t struggle 😉 ) reading this and thank you for being my professor.

Searching and Researching Blog

Throughout your college career, I guarantee that you will have to do some sort of research. Some students tremble when they hear the word “research”.  If you are one of these students, fear not for I have come to your rescue! Searching the internet can be a tedious task, but with some tips and suggestions it can become easy as cake. The important thing to be able to do is to distinguish a reliable source from an unreliable one. There are three categories that you can use to help you solve this problem:

  1. Reliability
  2. Quality
  3. Utility

First, let’s discuss reliability. It is important to check who the author of the article is and see if they have some sort of credentials to make their work accurate. You should also pay attention to the source where the article comes from to ensure that it is a well-known source that has a good reputation. Usually, reliable sources will come from sites with .org, .gov, .edu . Blogs and wikis are not very reliable because they are compiled by numerous authors and are usually not reviewed. Blogs and wikis can be used as a starting point of researching, but it is not advised to rely on them for accuracy.

Next comes quality. It is important to ensure that the article you are getting information from is of good quality. Make sure the information is specific and not too broad. Check for publication dates to make sure the information is up to date. Things can change pretty fast over a few years! Make sure the grammar is correct, for this improves the quality of the article. Also, try to use articles that have additional citations and references to back up their information. Online databases are usually a great place to find reliable information.

Lastly, we must keep in mind of how useful all this information is. Make sure that your articles relate to the topic that you are researching! You do not want to cite an article that has nothing to do with your topic. Also, make sure that the article provides enough information to even use.

When you put these three categories together, you should be able to pin point reliable articles to use for your research papers. Now you have all your information and are ready to write your paper! There are a few things to keep in mind however. Be careful to avoid plagiarism! Make sure you understand what plagiarism is. It would be a good idea to review your college academic integrity. I know that OSU is very strict about this! If you are not sure about how to cite your sources, just ask your professor and I’m sure they will help you. It is also important to note that paraphrasing can be plagiarism as well. Overall, researching is not as bad as you might think, you just need to follow some simple steps and be careful about plagiarism.

Web-Enhanced Listening and Viewing Strategies

There are many online courses offered at Ohio State and other universities. Online interaction is become more and more present as time goes on. You can pretty much listen and learn about anything online! That is why it is important to know how you should approach such situations. An online class might be viewed as something challenging to some. If you fall under this category, I will shift your mind a little so that this fear disappears! There are basic strategies that you can follow in which an online lecture will not be so difficult. First, it is important to view lecture material before the actual lecture. You need to have some sort of idea about what you are about to listen to before you actually go on to listening to it. If the lecture has slides or notes that accompany it, make sure to print these notes out. As you listen to the lecture, follow these notes and write down on them as you go. Pay close attention to the voice cues that the instructor displays. Also, pay close attention to different tones/volumes of their voice. These things will help you determine exactly what the professor things is the important material that you should know. If the lecture is in a format where you can pause and play it at any given time, make sure you take advantage of it. Pause when necessary to write down notes and whatnot. If you miss something, don’t hesitate to skip back and re-listen to it. Finally, if you still don’t understand the material after listening to the lecture, just search the web. There are endless amounts of accurate information throughout the internet. Search for other professor’s lectures. This will give you a new perspective on the material, and may help you better understand how it works. Overall, there is no need to panic when you have to listen to a lecture on the internet. Just follow these simple tips and you should be just fine.

Whey Protein – Video

Here is the interesting video:

This video talks about a whey protein product. This product is called “Optimum Nutrition Performance Whey.” Pretty much, this is a small downgrade of the product “Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard Whey.” The video goes into further detail about the product and about whey protein in general. Whey protein is easy to digest and is relatively cheap to purchase. It is a great supplement to use to help build muscle. It is absorbed by your body pretty fast. There are two different types of whey discussed in this video. Concentrate whey is the lowest quality because it is not as efficient and not as purified. Isolate whey is higher quality and the one that you want to get. Overall, the product in this video is cheaper that the gold standard, but is still good quality.

This helps me become a more aware customer. When I go to the store to buy some sports supplement, I will have a mild idea of what I am looking for. When I see this product, I will be aware of what it is and what product it is similar to. Also, this video gave me a broad overview of what exactly whey protein is. I am interested in this topic because I work out on occasion and do in fact take this product. I am more aware if how it works, and what other products I can buy that have similar effects.

Web-Enhanced Reading and Study Strategies

We all use computers these days. Whether it’s for personal reasons, work related reasons, or school reasons, we all get on a computer and read something. This blog will go into detail pertaining to the school related area of computer information. So how can we use computers to benefit ourselves when it comes to schoolwork? Well, there are many resources out there on the internet that we can utilize to our advantage. The important thing is that we know how to correctly use all that is out there. To start off, first make sure that your software is up to date. This is important because a lot of programs require updated software (java, adobe flash player, etc.) in order to be used. Usually, when you try to access a website that requires updated software, a message will pop up to tell you to install the latest software. Just accept this message and do the easy installation. Also, you want to make sure that you have an antivirus program running at all times to prevent a risk of obtaining any type of virus. A good one that I use is called Microsoft Security Essentials. It is up to date, safe, and most importantly free (haha). These are the two basic steps to get you ready to use online resources.

There are many different resources out there to help with studying. The thing that we must do is just search the internet to find these resources and put them to use. You can use sites, blog, wikis, etc to help you master material that is being taught. When reading through material, it is important to stay concentrated and keep track of what you read. Here is a list of hints to use in order to stay on top of your studying:

  • Use software/programs to help study (adobe reader, Microsoft word, etc)
  • Underline material
  • Highlight material
  • Comment on material (good for Microsoft word)
  • Write down important info on paper
  • Select preferred screen resolution (easy on the eyes)
  • Skim through material first, then dive into it
  • Print articles for reference
  • Remove distractions

This is a short list of many, but following these tips should help you study. Combining learning with technology is a powerful combination if used correctly.

Module Three Blog

We live in a world that is very dependent on the use of technology nowadays. Everywhere we turn, technology is being used. Communication through the use of technology is another big advancement that we use a lot. People use emails, Facebook, blogs, chat rooms, and many other networks to communicate to one another. That is why there are certain rules and tips that we should follow to avoid problems that arise with these communication methods. I shall share my wisdom and reveal some secrets about effective communication using technological methods.

First, it is very important to use proper grammar when communicating with someone, especially a professor. The last thing you want to do is make a bad impression of yourself and look like a fool. To avoid this problem, be sure to not use any common slang because this could lead to great misunderstanding or even worse, someone might get offended. When you type something on the computer, there is no body language involved. This is why you need to be careful with the words you use so that there are no misunderstandings. This is also where emoticons come in handy. They are there for you for a purpose, use them. Oh, quick tip: do not use all caps. This might seem like you are emphasizing something of importance, but do not fall into this temptation. Those are a few tips when it comes to grammar in the online world.

Next, I want to give some tips regarding emails and chat-rooms/discussion boards. Let us start with emails. I recommend that you have a separate email account for your personal things and one for your schoolwork. This will help you keep track of things and not mix things up. When emailing a professor here are a few things to keep in mind:

  • Have a good subject line
  • Double check to whom you are sending your email to
  • Have clear, punctual dates/problems/solutions
  • Be respectful
  • Do not expect instant reply, could take up to a few days
  • Re read your email before sending
  • Provide a good signature (name, contact information)

If you follow these tips, you should not have any major problems with your emails.

Lastly, I want to quickly brush up on some discussion board tips. If you follow these tips, you should not have any problems with posting material on a discussion board. The tips are:

  • Use Microsoft word to ensure correct spelling/grammar
  • Subscribe to your posts so you can keep track of all activity
  • Don’t wait until the last minute to post things because technical difficulties can occur
  • Play around with the available formatting tools to get use to them
  • Stay on topic and don’t multitask when involved in an active discussion

Overall, communicating via technology is a great tool to have and use. However, when you use this great tool you need to be careful so that there are no misunderstandings. If you follow these simple tips and use some common knowledge, you should be fine.