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Learning Online

 

Online learning is an interesting but rather confusing thing.  It’s hard to study with so many distractions, such as the Internet and iTunes.  However, there are many useful resources on the Internet.  For example, there are multitudes of flash card websites discussed in a previous post.  Also, there are website that help you create citations for your papers in different formats.  Also, a very useful tool is Google Docs. You can create schedules, to do lists and even connect it to your gmail account.  Finally, videos are also prominent parts of online resources.  They are very underrated.  You can go onto youtube.com and search through many videos that will explain to you, in a visual format, any questions you have.

Also, taking this class taught me a lot about how I study.  When I tracked how I spent my time, it was obvious where I procrastinated.  I learned that I can’t accomplish work after 11PM.  It showed that I would begin to procrastinate and then watch TV.   I also learned what kind of learner I am.  First, I am a sequential learner, which makes sense. I study by making a list of steps to follow to complete the problem at hand.  Also, I learned I am a visual learner.  This means that I like to have diagrams to learn.  I am also a sensual learner. This means that I like to know how the information I am learning is going to be used in my real life or in a future job.  This definitely makes sense because classes that have no real meaning to my major are difficult for me.  Finally, I learned I am not as big of a procrastinator as I thought, but there are definitely times when it is hard to get started on work.

The most meaningful thing I experience I have in this course was the Time Tracking assignment.  I think everyone should try this at least once a semester.  Tracking what you do every hour helps you see where your flaws in studying are.  Also, it shows when you sleep and how you can get more, which is every college students dream.  Finally, this was very meaningful because in the beginning of the semester I had trouble finding time to eat.  My schedule was so hectic that I would forget and I would get sick or end up eating very unhealthy at night.  Looking at how I spend my time during the day helped me figure out when the best times would be to eat.

I will apply a good amount of the information I learned in this to my life in the future.  I learned about many useful study websites, which I used for my finals.  Also, every semester I am going to make a time tracker to see where I can make my time more efficient.  Overall, the information I learned about the Internet has made me more aware and definitely more successful in my other online class.

Searching and Researching

Writing an academic/research paper can be a tricky and frustrating thing, however, there are steps that can ensure your paper turns out the strongest it can be.  The first is your sources; this can make or break your paper.   Your sources should be reliable, have quality and have utility.  To determine if they are reliable, check if the contact information is available, if it is peer reviewed, and the creditability of the publisher.  To check the quality, look for citations, up to date information and if it is biased or not.  Finally, the determine utility, read the information and see if the information can be used in your paper.  For example, is the information appropriate to your audience and does it have enough or too much detail for your purpose.
Another tool to create a well-written paper is Wikipedia.  It is great for basic information, but because people can edit the information, it is not always accurate.  If you are going to use this information, double-check it.  Also, don’t use it as a source; use the basic information you get to search for another source.
Finally, when looking for information, use a multitude of search engines because each uses a different way to search for information.  For example, Google is by keyword and Yahoo is by category.  So if you don’t get the desired website on one search, don’t give up hope!  Another engine may give you exactly what you are looking for.

Inflation Research Paper

If I were to write a research paper on Inflation, I would use this website.

http://usinflation.org/us-inflation-rate/

It passes the reliability, quality, and utility test.  It is reliable because it is a organization, nonprofit website (.org), which is reliable.   Also, there is a contact section with information to be reached at and a quick answer section where you can send a email to the head of the website and have your question answered.  Another reason why it reliable is because when you google the author and website, the reviews are positive.
The quality is also very high.   Also, there are many tabs to redirect you to other information about inflation.  Also, the inflation rate is updated daily and there is a table that shows the past inflation rates from 1980, monthly.  This shows the data is current and up to date.
Finally, the website is useful which allows it to pass the utility test.  For example, there are graphs, which show the direction and patterns of inflation, which is extremely relevant to my topic.  Also, the information isn’t too much info that it is overpowering however there is a good enough information to write a paper and understand inflation.

Web-Enhanced Listening Strategies

Listening, writing, watching and learning all at the same time in a crowded classroom can be difficult, but there are many tips that can make you successful in these types of situations.

Many teachers use PowerPoint slides to teach to lectures.  One way, and in my opinion the most effective, is to print the slides prior to class beginning.  When doing so, make sure you go to the “print what” section in the print location and select handouts.  Next, select 4-8 slides per page.  This allows you to have room to write on the margins of your slides, as well as saving ink.  This strategy is especially useful for people who learn better with hard copies rather then online.  For people that like to learn with a computer, there is a section at the bottom of slides that allow you to add your own notes.  Also, if you are tech-savvy, you can add text boxes directly to the slides with your input.  However, some teachers do not provide the slides to you, therefore, you must take your own notes.  The best way to do this is through the Cornell Note Taking Method.   During the lecture, split the loose-leaf in half, with one side being the notes directly from lecture and one side being your own thoughts, with the bottom being a summary of the notes.  For the online learner, there are always to take notes without the PPT slides.  For example, you can create a Cornell set up on word or create your own tables to input notes.

Although creating your own notes is helpful, there are also resources that can help you.  For example, Microsoft Office has One Note.  This combines all of the Offices, excel, PowerPoint, word, etc, into one program.  Basically, OneNote creates an online binder, with different pages and classes.  This program is particularly great for online learners.  Give it a shot!

Creating a Cover Letter

This video discusses how to create a cover letter.  It gives simple steps to make sure your letter turns out in a professional way.  Also, along with the steps, it tells you where to find the information you want to include in your letter.  Finally, at the conclusion of the video, it gives you a website to find more information and examples on cover letters.
Watching this video is extremely helpful when preparing to write a cover letter, especially if you are new at composing them.  It gives simple steps to follow, which makes the anxiety of creating a cover letter much simpler.  Also, along with the steps it gives, it gives you tips to to follow when completing the step.  This helps ensure your letter will come out professional and correct.

How To Be Successful Online

Learning can sometimes be a daunting task, especially while online.  However, there are steps that can be taken to make this process easier.  Before you being your online learning, make sure you remove any distractions.  This just leads to procrastination, so close out Facebook and twitter and just focus on the lesson.  Sometimes it can even help to turn the Internet off if you do not need to access the web; for example, if you are writing a paper.   The next step for success in this online class, or for that matter any class, is to scan the syllabus.  This will give you an idea of the each week will look while taking this class and you can plan in your head when you will complete the tasks.
While reading there are also tips that ensure you understand the material at hand.  Personally, the tip that helps me the most is summarizing the material on a piece of paper at the end of a chapter or an assigned reading.  This makes sure you comprehended what was read before moving on.  Also, keeping a record of the reading where you write your own notes is also very helpful.  For people who like hard copies of notes, print the reading or lesson and annotate, highlighting key words and phrases.  For people who are comfortable with the online scene, copy and paste the reading into a work document and highlight there.  This way you can save the information as well.  This way of learning is called “active reading”.

Finally, a great a way to prepare for an online class is by using the technology you are on.  For example, there are many websites out there that help you with studying.  Also, Google-docs allows you to create your own flash cards.

Communicating and Collaborating

The internet is a very useful tool, but the way you communicate on the internet is very important.  It is a reflection of your personality  and values, which is hard to accurately portray without a face to face meeting.  This makes it crucial to have proper netiquette while on the internet.  Also, using the proper techniques makes it easier and more efficient to complete academic projects.
One way to use netiquette to make projects easier with a group of people is to convey a professional, calm tone.  This can be done by avoiding completely capitalized words  and not overanalyzing situations.  Also, emails are a prominent tool in communicating during group projects so knowing the proper way to write these are essential.  A tip with these emails is to create accurate subject lines so the recipient knows exactly what will be included in the email.
During these projects, emailing a professor might be needed.  Emailing a professor can be tricky; make sure you include your full name to avoid confusion and be straightforward/professional.  However, don’t make assumptions or seem pushy with the professor.  Also, always be thankful for their help and ask if it is possible.  People respond better to kindness rather then demanding help.  Finally, end the email with your full name and contact information where you can easily be reached.
Following these steps will ensure you will succeed with proper netiquette on the internet!