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Over the last seven weeks I have been taking a class called Online Learning Strategies and Skills (ESEPSY 1159). This class has taught me many things in just seven weeks; not only have I gained useful skills for using the web efficiently, I have learned a great deal about myself too. This course made me realize that I was a procrastinator that sucked at managing time! But that isn’t the case seven weeks later. Today I took the same assessments that I did seven weeks ago and both my scores have improved, but I didn’t need an assessment to tell me that. I can tell in the way I approach my assignments and studies that I am no longer the sucky time managing procrastinator that I once was. I have also come to realize that, while I thought I was good at using the internet, my internet skills could defiantly be better. I wasn’t using tools/resources to their full potential because I wasn’t aware that I could do so much more. This class and my peers have showed me and taught me many new skills that I will forever be grateful for. Learning how to correctly use limiters when searching the library database is by far the best thing this class has taught me. It used to take me hours to search for articles. Then when I was exploring the website, myself, I found the advanced search box and that cut my time in half but now I have cut that time down again. After this week’s lesson it now only takes me 15 to 20 minutes at the most to find what I am searching for (at least it only did today, I still need to practice).

My most meaningful experience that came from this course was finding the tools online to make me a better student. I have learned a great deal about technology and how to overcome disadvantages with the help of online tools and resources. My peers have shared tips and website that I wish I knew about years ago! Before this class I didn’t even know what Google Drive was, but now I know how to use this fantastic tool/resource. Technology was made to make life easier and I didn’t always see it that way until I was taught how to properly use search engines to my advantage. Everyone has weaknesses but instead of letting them defined you, find a way to better yourself and improve your weak areas.

This class has taught me many things I will apply to my life now and in the future. The first thing I currently (and will in the future) apply to my online communication is some “net etiquette” techniques. Most of us know what is and isn’t appropriate to say and do online, but occasionally we still do it anyway. Another tool I will use in the future is making sure I always check and use certain criteria to evaluate online sources before I use them. Also, I will take advantage of the many online studying websites/tools that are FREE and easy to use to help me with my studies. This class has helped me in many ways and can help you too if you want to improve your web skills!

As College Students, we must develop a certain set of skills in order to efficiently use resources available to us. The Ohio State University has well-developed library databases available to students that contains a collection of books, articles, journals, and media etc. Throughout your college career you’re more than likely going to need to use one or more of these databases at some point. While the databases are great and very helpful they can also be very overwhelming and difficult to use; unless you know how to use limiters and extract information that is relevant to you, you may be searching through thousands and thousands of files. I found this out the hard way when I needed one more source for a paper I was writing that was due the following day. I tried to search the databases for a general topic, but that resulted in thousands of articles and I did not have time to look through them all. I was extremely frustrated and was on the verge of giving up until I noticed the “advanced search” tool. When you open the advanced search box there are various limiters you can use to reduce the amount of results drastically! I highly recommend using the advanced search to make life a little easier. Also, if you do not want to spend the time teaching yourself how to correctly use the limiters just Google or YouTube tutorial videos to help you.

Another set of skills that are important when gathering online resources involves knowing how to. When looking for resources online it is necessary to know what criteria to apply to evaluate content. You should always check the credibility of the source before you use it. Look to if the sources are reliable; check to see if contact information is available, the authors’ credentials, and if the content has been peer reviewed or not. You should also pay attention to the quality and utility of the information; look for consistent and up to date information that is accurate. Only use sources that seem creditable or it could hurt your grade.

Growing up in a world that is run by technology has it pros and cons, but in this blog post I want to focus on the pros. I’m sure many of you reading this post use the web on a daily basis for many different reasons, but are one of those reason to help you learn? If not it should be! There are many web-enhanced listening and viewing strategies a student can use to assist them in learning. You can use technology for note taking no matter what the subject is. You can use the web to fill in gaps in your note, listen to podcasts to get a better perspective on a subject/topic, and even learn from online videos. The possibilities are endless when it comes to online learning as long as you know how to use the information. Simply watching a video or listening to a podcast will not help you learn unless you are actively engaged in the information. So make sure when you pick videos to watch or podcast to listen to they are interesting to you and teach you something new or help you better comprehend information. If you watch or listen to something that you already know more than likely you will not be interested. Therefor you will not actively engage yourself and learn from whatever source you chose to use. In conclusion, I want you to know that technology and the wed can have more pros than cons if used correctly. So learn how to take advantage of resource that are at your fingertips!

Have you ever heard of the Electoral College? If so, do you know how it works? I didn’t! I am currently taking an American Politics class and while I have heard of the electoral college I had no idea how the process worked! If your wondering yourself  then check out this brief 5 minute crash course video:

http://youtu.be/W9H3gvnN468

After watching the crash course video on the Electoral College I hope you now have an understanding on the following key points the video described. The first is how the Electoral College works. The Second is why we even have this system in the first place. The third is why the Electoral College matters to citizens of the United States. I believe this video did a great job of explaining the three key points every citizen should know!

This particular video helped me understand the key points of the Electoral College because it was fun and engaging. The video was just long enough to explain the key points and hold my interest without going too much into specific detail. It also used animation to explain the Electoral College making me actually interested in watching the video. Also, the video communicated the information so that an average person could understand the process.

Whether you are using the internet for an online course or a course you’re taking on campus, it is very important to know how to get the most out of using the web for college. The internet can be your friend, but then again it can turn out to be your enemy. In order to know how to use the web to best suit your needs you need to get to know yourself and what strategies work for you! Then once you figure out the most effective ways to help you learn you will need to learn how to “manage your learning”. When taking an online course you do not have anyone but yourself to rely to make you learn. So setting up a schedule is the first thing you need to do. Then you need to make sure you follow that schedule and do not let yourself fall behind. After that you need to make sure that you engage in your readings, studies, and communications online. If you do not take an active role in your reading, studying, or communicating then you will not learn anything. There are MANY MANY MANY online resources that can assist you in learning so explore them and get to know what could help you be the best that you can be!

A majority of students going off to college are beyond excited to start class, but for all the wrong reasons. I, myself, was part of that majority; I couldn’t wait to be on my own, answering to no one, and partying with new friends. However, when classes started my excitement slowly started to vanish and reality set in. College for the most is nothing like high school. You (the student) are the only one held responsible for your actions; there is no one else to blame when you forget an assignment or sleep in and miss class. Also, you have to teach yourself new ways of learning to adjust to the life of a college student. The number one thing you must learn to do, to be successful in college, is how to use the internet appropriately and efficiently!

In college the internet is the foundation for all kinds of thing; College students have to use the internet to turn in assignments, posts discussions with other students, communicate with professors, and to check grades. So learning how to use the internet appropriately and efficiently is key to making it through college. I have a few tips that might help ease your transition to college. First, explore and test out any systems or sites that are new to you. For example, when I transferred to OSU, I was new to Carmen but quickly familiarized myself with the system by testing it and exploring the features. Next, get to know your class mates; especially the ones you are going to be engaging in discussions with or doing group assignments. Knowing at least one person will reduce any stress or tension you might have and help you move forward. Thirdly, practice good “netiquette” no matter what you’re doing online. Be professional, courteous, and responsive when interacting online with anyone even if it is just a friend and not a professor. Lastly, pay attention to what you’re doing online! It is easy to click a button and send someone the wrong email, delete an assignment without uploading it, or offend someone because they did not get your joke. Please remember to check your grammar, attach a subject to emails, pick the correct recipient, and keep sarcasm and joking out of online communication.

Remember college isn’t just one big party; you the student are responsible for you and you only! To be successful in college you must learn to use the internet appropriately, efficiently, and embrace technological changes throughout you college career!

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