Comprehensive Assignment

Hello All,

Well this is the 8th and final week of Introduction to Online Learning. I really enjoyed taking this course and I learned many new things that I will be able to use not only in my future classes but also in my future job. Even with some of the problems I had at the beginning (like being kicked in the eye by a horse I was training), I was able to learn alot from this course. learned many new study techniques, a new note-taking technique, and also a new writing style. Some of the Word and PowerPoint material was more of a review for me because I had previously taken a typing class, but was still helpful. All of the material in this course was very educational and very useful!!

I hope everyone got the same experience that I did with taking this course. I really enjoyed making this, as I have never done a blog before.

Thank you for taking the time to read my blog and good luck in all of your future endeavors!!

Take Care!!

Computer Skills: Presentation Basics

Week 7 was about presentation basics using Microsoft PowerPoint. I am familiar with PowerPoint, so this week was a good refresher course for me on the new PowerPoint.

The objectives for week 7 were:

• Create and edit a basic presentation
• Understand and utilize effective presentation techniques

I found that the reading this week had some great tips for effectively using PowerPoint. There was information on how to use each of the tools with PowerPoint efficiently to make a presentation that is both informative and keeps your audiences attention.

I also found that The 10/20/30 Rule for PowerPoint was a great tool to use. I had never heard of this rule before, but the rules made alot of sense and they were easy to remember and follow.



During week 7 I learned some new techniques and rules for PowerPoint that I will be able to take with me and use in the future. Next week is the end of the Summer Semester and therefore, next week will be my last post for this blog. So far, I have learned many new things that I can use in the future and I am glad that I will be able to use things that I have learned to help me in business as well as in future classes. 

Research and Reference

Week 6 of Orientation to Online Learning covered research and reference. There were a lot of different things to read, but there was alot of useful information in the reading. I learned about the APA style of writing and about the Big 6 Steps used in a successful and organized literature search.

The objectives for week 6 were as follows:

• Compare and contrast search engines and databases.
• Recognize which resources are acceptable sources of information.
• Recognize how to utilize search engines and databases effectively.
• Practice in-text and works cited references using APA formatting guidelines.
• Access and utilize Shorter University's online research materials.
• Utilize available resources in order to conduct effective literature research.

This week I had to learn the APA formatting guidelines. I had never used this format before, so it was all new to me. For me, the OWL APA workshop was a very useful tool. I also learned about the BIG 6 steps to be used in a successful literature search. These included: task definition, information seeking strategies, location and access, use of information, synthesis, and evaluation. I liked how the Shorter University Library Online laid out the resources you can use for literature research (i.e. GALILEO). All of the resources that the library offers is under the Library Tab when you log into your student page.

This past week I learned alot about how to properly and successfully research sources. I also learned how to appropriately cite sources so you can make sure that you are not accused of plagiarism.

I am looking forward to what next week has to offer as we are coming closer to the end of the Summer semester.

Exam Preparation and Success

This past week of Intro. to Online Learning was about Exam Preparation and Success. The information that was covered in the reading had a lot of great tips. I always get stressed out over taking exams, but with the tools that I have be given this week I am sure that I will get better.

 

The objectives for Week 5 were as follows:

• Develop strategies to properly prepare for exams.
• Properly prepare for different exam types.
• Recognize and understand the importance of learning styles in test preparation.
• Identify and select specific test taking strategies

Some of the information that I found useful was the 5-Day Study Plan. This plan was a simple way to break down your study time into 5 days so that you give yourself enough time to study and enough time to review anything that you might not be sure about before the night before your exam. The steps to the 5-Day Study Plan are: Increase your study time, space your study, divide the material, plan active study tasks, and self-test to monitor your learning. All of these steps I found very helpful. I always seem to try to pack everything into a short amount of time when I study, but this plan has helped me not do that.

 

Other pieces of information that I found helpful were the tips for coping with test anxiety. This seems to be my main problem with tests.  The strategies that were in Chapter 11 were very useful as well. These strategies were on the different types f tests and how to take them. The last thing I took away from this past week was the tips for how to take essay exams. These tips I got from chapter 12. This was one of my worst problems. I always freeze up during essay exams, so the tips that were given I'm sure will help me out on the next essay exam I have to take, if I have any in the future.

All in all, this past week was full of great information that I can use in all of my classes in the future. I learned a lot of new tips and strategies that I really needed. I'm looking forward to next week.

 

 

 

 

Goal Setting and Time Management

The past week of CIS1200 was about goal setting and time management.
 I use both of these. not only in my courses, but also in my everyday life. I have had to learn some new time management skills though. With trying to be a full time mom and wife, a full time employee, and a full time student, time management is a must!!

The objectives for week 4 of CIS1200 were:

• Establish and revise learning goals.
•  Assess current time and organization management in relation to social, academic, and professional career.
• Develop a time management schedule and prioritize list of current tasks to be completed.
• Explain procrastination, review main causes for procrastination, and develop strategies to reduce procrastination.

I learned some new goal setting strategies this past week. I really liked that 5-Steps to goal setting that was discussed in chapter 2. The steps are: Step 1: write down what you want to accomplish, Step 2: write down any obstacles, 3: write down any resources, 4: review and revise your tentative goal, and 5: polish your goal statement.

I also learned some new strategies for managing my time. I learned how to set up a fixed commitment calender and a study calender. I also learned how to be organize my study time so that I will be better prepared for class and not procrastinate. I learned how to manage multiple projects so as to not be stressed out and so that I can accomplish everything I need to get done. This was especially useful with my schedule.

There were many helpful and useful tips that I took away from this past week. I am looking forward to next week and am feeling better prepared to get more goals accomplished.

Reading and Organizing Course Material

This week was an interesting one, to say the least! I had a complication Monday that made reading alittle hard for a few days! I am a horse trainer and I not only train other peoples' horses that just need work, but I also break horses as well. On Monday I got kicked in the shoulder and eye by a horse I was training. Luckily, nothing was broken, but my eye was swollen almost shut for a few days and it is still black and still has a cut. My shoulder is also still really bruised.











Anyway, week 3 was titled: Reading and Organizing Course Material. This was put into use alot this past week. I had to be really organized to keep up with my reading and assignments due to me eye and having to read slower because of it.
The objectives for Week 3 were:

• Read assignments for maximum retention and benefit.
• Take notes for in order to enhance learning: Cornell Method, S-Run-R, and Outlining.
• Complete homework assignments in order to enhancing learning and recall.

I learned some new ways to take notes and also some new tips on how to organize homework to make sure that it gets done. In reading the How To Do Homework page, I found that I already use some of the steps that were referenced. I did get many great tips from the reading though. I also learned this week, that I really like the Cornell Method of note taking. I had never heard of the Cornell Method before this course so that was something new to me. I had also never heard of the S-RUN-R reading/studying system before taking this course. That system was also very useful.

Despite being slowed down in my reading by my injury, I was able to take away from this past week alot of great tips and some new ways of reading/studying and also some new note taking methods.

Computer Skills: Word Processing Basics

This past week of class was about computer skills. Specifically, Computer Skills: Word Processing Basics. This was a refresher course on Word for me because I had recently taken a computer course at another college. It was still very useful though because I had forgotten how to do some of the things in the new Word.

 

 

The course objectives for the 2nd week were:

• Enter and modify text: size, color, font style, numbering and bullets.
• Realign text within a word processing documents
• Examine the spacing and margins within a word processing document and alter document as     required.
• Create a word processing document that includes a header and footer.
• Insert an image, textbox, and table into a word processing document.
• Identify the location of and use for symbols and equations in a word processing document
• Fully understand and exemplify academic integrity.

For the course this past week, there were two different readings about writing: Writing Basics and Writing Process. One of the main things I learned from the reading was that it is important to plan ahead. If you plan out your paper ahead of time, then it will be alot easier to write a scholarly paper. You should never wait until the last minute to write a paper because then you have to rush and you may unintentionally plagarize one of your sources.

 

Each of these readings had some tips and steps that you could follow to make writing easier. In each of the readings, they also referenced websites that you could go to for help in the writing process. The first (Writing Basics) had two wedsites that you could visit. The two websites were:  http://owl.english.purdue.edu.... and www.dartmouth.edu... .
The second (Writing Process) offered two other websites. They were:
http://www.bartleby.com/141/ (Elements of Style by William Strunk, Jr.)
http://englishplus.com/grammar/contents.htm (Online Grammar Handbook)
I will definitely be using them for future papers because I sometimes have a hard time with my writing process.

 

I learned some new and useful tips this past week and I look forward to what next week has in store.

Back To School!!!

This is my first week back to school I am starting back to finish my business degree I started 6 years ago. The only difference is, this time I am going to have to learn how to juggle work, family, and school. This is going to take some major time management!

The first week of class covered:
Moodle: Learning System System (LMS):
 The week's objectives were to be able to:

• Navigate and interact with Moodle; our LMS
• Appropriately respond and interact to in the discussion forums.
• Communicate with Instructor and classmates.
• Articulate the special requirements for successful online learning.
• Understand the basic requirements to prevent plagiarism.
• Demonstrate proper netiquette.

During the week, we had many different things to read. Some of these readings included: the basics of online learning, Netiquette, and the basics of quizzes and exams. One of the resources from this week that I found interesting and very helpful was the 9 Habits of Successful Online Learners. I found some very useful information that I definitely could use with this class, as well as my future classes.

Also during the week, we had to read the article Plagiarism Lines Blur for Students in the Digital Age. I thought that the article was very interesting. I knew that plagiarism was a growing problem, but not in the magnitude that it seems to be in the article. I had no idea that there are so many people that do not know what counts as plagiarism and was does not. I also learned steps to avoid plagiarism.

I have learned alot of new information this week and I am looking forward to what's coming up for the next week.