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I learned so many useful tools throughout this semester, including dozens of helpful online tools, a large amount of resources I never used before, and how big of an impact my study and work habits have on my quality of work. First off, I think online/group projects and research papers are the main part of my academics that are going to improve after this course. The amount of different options and preferences I learned in this course will help my research  become much more detailed and accurate. Pryor to this course, my initial course of action to begin my research would be to type in my subject in the search bar for Google. However, I learned how to change my search preferences, languages, and narrow or broaden my results based on details of my research. Finally, I learned that I personally can benefit immensely from using online resources such as blogs and tutorials. Watching tutorials online not only helped me learned the lessons for the module, but also helped me realize that I am more of a visual learned than a verbal one. This may seem unimportant in the big picture, but actually studying the way I want to study helps me learn so much quicker and more efficiently.

In addition to learning an abundance of online tools and resources, I also learned a huge amount about my own work and study tendencies. Although simply learning about tendencies, such as procrastination, will not change how I work, it is always the first step in fixing any problem. When you have an entire week to do one set of work, it helps you space out your work throughout the week and move away from procrastinating. Another thing I learned about myself is that I like to put work off until it is easiest for MY schedule, which is something I need to fix. For instance, I would much rather put off my homework to Sunday (when I have nothing to do) other than Saturday, when I could hang out with my friends or go out. Although I always had enough time to finish my work, I ran into a few technology problems that  kept me from completing my work. If I hadn’t put it off, I could’ve fixed the problem before the last day.

My most meaningful experience throughout the course was definitely learning about my study an work tendencies. I always knew I had a procrastination problem, but I never really realized how much it affected my studies until now. And like I said earlier, the first step towards fixing any problem is realizing you have it and learning ab0ut it.

I can apply the lessons from this class to so many aspects of life in the future. Putting off work doesn’t only apply to school or work, but also everyday life events and your relationships with different people in your life. Being able to get work done efficiently will greatly improve my quality of work and well being in the future.

Although it was a little time-consuming, Module 6 was hugely beneficial to me for many reasons. To begin, I use the internet for all the research I do. I think it is easier, faster, and has way more useful information that finding hard copies of books or encyclopedias.

When I search for a website while researching for a project, the problem isn’t that the information is not there. The problem is finding it. The multiple tutorials on web searching showed me so many ways to enhance my search, such as limiting results, changing preferences, and advanced searches. All three of these tools are great to know because when there is so much information on the internet, you need to be able to narrow down your results.

This module also helped me to understand the importance of finding a credible source. Pryor to this week, I chose webpages based on the amount of information I could get from the text. However, I learned it is greatly important to take account of the author, citations, and other variables that could affect the information. For instance, I don’t want to be obtaining my research from a blog or a website such as Wikipedia. Instead, I would want to look for “.edu” in the URL and other trusted websites, institutions, and universities.

In my opinion, Module 5 has shown the most important and helpful workshops and lectures that I’ve viewed so far this semester. It seems obvious to me that being able to study and review proper lecture notes is the best way to do well in class. The workshop that went into great detail about listening and note-taking was very beneficial. I had no idea so much went into listening for important things to write down, such as body language, voice volume, etc. I decided to research and find out what type of note-taking strategy I usually go with during lecture and exams. It turns out, I used all three of them at some point in the semester. The strategy I am going to use in the future is the Cornell Method. The way it is structured with its topics, subtopics, and information, it is the easiest to view and comprehend. For skill subjects such as Math or Science, I think it is easiest to use this strategy. However, I think it is easier to use the Keyword Method for subjects that are more informative and “term-heavy”. With that being said, I think it is important to know how all of them work regardless of which one you use. Who knows, switching up study methods could greatly improve your academics.

This academic video describes the era of reconstruction the United States faced in the aftermath of the American Civil War. The video started by reviewing the 3 main points for the reconstruction of the South: “South’s Infrastructure”, “Readmission of Confederacy”, and  “Rights of Former Slaves”. The second part of the video begins to describe the different types of amendments, acts, and laws that were set during this time period. The final section of the video talked about the way the lives of Southerners was affected by the new laws.

I have always been more of a visual learner so this video especially helps me. The way the main topics are in bullet points helps me visually. Also, the pictures of important people in the topic help me remember certain details.

The use of technology in our academic studies today can be largely beneficial, but there are also cons to this usage. In order to successfuly and properly use technology, you must demonstrate the proper netiquette. Netiquette is online etiquette. For example, you must properly censor your words and actions in things such as email and social network. You must remember that whatever you put on the web is permanent. As you continue to use Facebook or Twitter or any other social site, you start to build your own online reputation. Having a poor online reputation could affect situations and relationships you have with people in the real world.

Once you’ve mastered netiquette, you can enjoy the benefits technology has to offer. Group projects are one of the many things that technology can help. For example, you can email the entire group notes about the project. Or you can set up an online chat room such as Skype. Also, you can use google spreadsheet to help plan work periods, times, or amount of work each person has put in. Spreadsheets are useful because you can have all your important information in an easy to read format.

Those were just a few ways that technology can better your academic life. Remember to treat people online as you would in person.

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