Computer Skills

My computer skills have  vastly improved since I began this class.  My typing is also much better.  It has been a particularly stressful past ten days, however, I found humorous clip art to use with my PowerPoint and that has made me laugh.  I have decided to keep my blog for myself.  It is a way to to keep a record of events that happen and it is easy to get to.  My dad has just asked if he was conscious last Saturday when I arrived at their house and I was filling him in on what had happened.  Now I have a record of when he began to ask details.  He will also be here about ten days.  This will allow him to recover without us worrying that he may try to do something he shouldn't.  This takes the stress off my mom.  The next thing that I will do with this is get my class material added.

CIS1200

It is Saturday morning and I have so much to do between now and Sunday night.  The wreck has caused problems with my time.  I was on the phone several times yesterday and I had to go pick up another report about the accident and take it to my agent's office.  I am sore, apparently my body was thrown against the left side of the car as I spun around and I'm missing more keys this morning.  It is going to take more time to get my work done.  I have also found out that I got hit by a stolen car and the owner had let their insurance cancel.  I am having to wait on my insurance company to find out about my car, rental car, where I go if I do decide to be seen ,etc.  A wreck just causes problems all the way around.  I went by and saw Toyota yesterday and she looks so hurt.  They said that once they get the okay from the insurance company they will start working on her.  It will be like a facelift.  She'll get new paint also.  She will also get at least two new tires.  One was smushed and another one was having problems.

This Wednesday did not turn out as expected

Well, I guess this is my blog so I'm blogging.  This will also help me remember what happened.  I was hit by someone after I left school.  I remember going in one direction, but when I stopped I was totally in the other direction.  I,m still sort of dazed but okay.  My foot hurts and I'm sore on my left side.  I told Mom that since I'm a little person I just sort of bounced around.  I'll go in a couple of days if I still hurt.  I just wanted to come home when they asked if I needed to be seen.  My car is totaled, she looks sad.  I had her picked up and my mechanic said we can fix her.  We have got to wait for insurance to decide.  I like that I can post a memory that I might  not  recall as well tomorrow.  I'm also impressed that I've only backspaced a few times since I started writing this.  I also realized that my airbag did not come out.  Maybe I have a faulty one.  If Toyota can be fixed, I need to have that checked.

Study Guide for Chapter 10

1. How to gather information before you study.

• Find out the number and type of questions on the exam, consult with your professor.
• Consult with your professor to determine the levels of questions that will be on your exam.
• Determine what your preferred learning style is, however be open to other methods if the professor doesn’t teach to your style or if you’ve had difficulty in the past.

2. How to use the Five Day Study Plan.

• The Five Day Study Plan allows one to increase study time and use the time effectively.
• The material that will be on the exam should be divided into sections, with material covering the same topics being studied at the same time.
• The plan can be modified to best benefit the user.
• This plan also incorporates active preparation and review strategies that allow self-testing techniques.

3. The use of active study strategies.

• Numerous study strategies are covered in this section. There are those that are related to preparation and those that are related to review. Your learning style and your professors teaching style will influence the strategies that work best for you. It is also suggested that all of them are tried as you prepare for different exams.

4. Evaluate your preparation strategies.

• You should evaluate your study strategies as you prepare for your exam. You need to monitor your learning each day of the Five Day Study Plan. When you do this, you will realize what you have missed and what you need to review. It also lets you know how effective a particular strategy is for you.
• Review your strategies by doing a final review of the material before your exam. As you take the exam, take note of whether you are moving quickly through the exam, knowing the answers to most questions. If you are, then your study preparation has been effective. If you are having problems completing the exam, you know your preparation was not effective.
• Evaluate your study plan after each exam. Consider the time spent, material studied and strategies used. Make adjustments as needed and be open to replacing strategies, if necessary, while keeping the ones that work.

5 day Study Plan

The structure and time frame of the Five-Day Study Plan allows it to be an effective strategy toward successful exam study. An important feature is spacing your study time over a period of five days. The number of days can be adjusted depending on the amount of material involved, however the premise is the same. Your use of study time is much more effective if you are physically and mentally aware of what you are doing. Two to three hours of study time allows one to review and retain information that has been learned.

I know from personal experience that a ten to twelve hour cram session does not. I did that on two occasions during my past college experience, along with other classmates. We felt prepared at the end our study session, but when it came time to take the exam we were exhausted and information that was clear at 4:00am was cloudy at 10:00am.

When you make a list of the material to be covered, it allows you to group like or similar material together. You also begin with the oldest information first, allowing extra time to review the older information. You are also reviewing information several times during the time allotted. The plan stresses writing and reciting exercises and format. These methods allow for self-testing. As you review the information, you should be able to recall more from memory.

Week 5 – Preparation & Review Strategies

Week 5 – Preparation & Review Strategies

The three preparation and review strategies that I plan to incorporate as a part of my next exam include condensing my text and lecture material, study sheets and recitation techniques.

I will review the material that I have already marked and highlighted, starting with the oldest material first, creating a study sheet listing the specific topic and important information pertaining to that topic. My choice of a study sheet is because I can review information when I have a few minutes of extra time at my work/school. I carry my clipboard with me throughout the day and I can quickly access a study sheet if I have it on my clipboard. It will allow me to have some additional study time as I prepare for the exam.

The third strategy that I have chosen is recitation. I have not been one to use that technique in the past, because I felt strange talking out loud, to no one. I have however, been doing that recently and I am realizing that it does help me remember information, I am seeing the printed words in my mind. It also helps me put the information into my own words. I know that in the future there are other strategies that I may try. What I am learning now has opened a new door as to how I process learning.

CIS1200 Week Six

I am in the sixth week of my online classes.  The time is going by incredibly fast.  Between school and work the hours and days fly by.  I am amazed at what I have accomplished so far.  My computer skills continue to progress.  My backspace key gets to rest more often.  This past week I had to deal with an issue at work/school that was very stressful.  However, since I had schoolwork to do each evening, I didn't dwell on it like I would have in the past.  I am enjoying being back in school.  I am having a different experience this time.  It is good.

Me and my computer class

I have just finished updating my blog and submitted it to be checked.  I am not sure if that was what I was supposed to do however, it was the only thing I could figure out to do  I have never spent so much time on a  computer in my life as I have with this computer course.  I am doing things that I have never done before.  I have gotten frustrated but I have not thrown the mouse or banged on the keyboard to date.  I am going to refer to my mouse as my mole rat.  I think they have poor vision. Mine must be with the way I hit wrong keys on the keyboard.  Backspace tends to be my most used key.  I am learning though and that is good.

Summarization of the Cornell note-taking system

Summarization of the Cornell note-taking system

The Cornell method effectively utilizes the five R's of taking notes due to the format. The columns are divided into two parts. The right column, six inches wide when using 8.5”x11” paper, is where the main ideas of the lecture are listed, along with lecture notes. When setting up a blank form layout I think of the column sizing as being similar to that a dollar bill, allowing for quick layout, because most people don't carry rulers to lectures.

When recording your notes in the main column, you are entering the first of the five R's, Record. Once you have taken your notes, you reduce or summarize the facts and ideas you have recorded in the main column and enter them in the left, recall column. Reduce is the second part of the five R's.

When you have all of your notes summarized, cover the right column and using your recall notes, recite as much of the lecture information as you can. Recite is the third step in the five R's.

Reflect on what you have written. Ask yourself questions and from your own opinions, arrange the information so that you can make the most sense of it. The fourth step in the five R's is to reflect.

Review the notes you have taken. Question what you have recorded and consciously go back over your notes. If you do this, you should be able to retain the majority of the material you need to learn. Reviewing is the final step to the five R's.

Revising Goal Statements

Revising Goal Statements

1. I want to get an A or a B in this course. I do not believe the statement is well written and I think that by changing the 'want' to 'will' there is a more positive influence. I will make an A or a B in this course.
2. I hope I can make the dean's List this semester. I work hard and apply myself this semester, so that I will make the Dean's list. The use of hope is vague. More specific, positive words need to be used to make the goal more appropriate.
3. I wish I could lose ten pounds before the dance next Saturday. This is an unrealistic goal statement and if the concern is weight, I would revise it to: I know I cannot lose ten pounds by the dance next Saturday or I can begin to slowly loose these excess pounds, so that when another dance comes up, I will not be making the same or a similar statement again.
4. Read all three chapters in my philosophy text before the exam. I believe the statement should be more measurable and specific, such as I will read a specific number of pages in my philosophy text each night, allowing time to read all three chapters before the exam.
5. I will learn everything I am taught this semester. I think this is a well written and attainable goal statement. The term 'will' implies motivation and determination. If one approaches a course with that attitude, they are more than likely to retain what they have been taught.

The 7 Characteristics of Goals

The 7 Characteristics of Goals

Goals are personal. Goals have to be self-generated. Goals should not be reflective of what other people desire of you, rather they should be what you desire of yourself. When a goal is set, it should be done with a sense of challenge. The challenge gives one motivation where they must put forth effort to 

 achieve the goal. A goal should make you expect more from yourself and once you have achieved a certain goal you can determine if you can challenge yourself further. Goals must be realistic and able to be attained through hard work and determination, considering your resources and past history. If you set goals that you will be unable to meet, the end result will a sense of failure and lack of incentive to strive for better. As I move from step to step, I can look back and measure the success of that goal. Personally, when my youngest daughter walks across the stage on May 18th and receives her high school diploma, that that will have been a measurable goal that I have attained, and through hard work and determination I have been able to get b oth of my daughters through private school. My ex-husband, their father, walked out on us three years ago, leaving me with that expense and responsibility. Goals need to be approached with the attitude of “can do, will do.” Can do and will do will accomplish goals, “try and might” will not accomplish any goal.

The Five Steps to Writing Effective Goals

The first step to writing effective goals is to write down what you want to accomplish. The second step is to list any obstacles. This allows you to think about what you need to overcome. The third step is to know what resources are available to you to overcome the obstacles listed. The fourth step is to review and if needed, revise your tentative goal statement. The fifth and last step is to make sure your final statement is well written, concise and takes into consideration the seven characteristics of writing effective goals.s

Advantages of using the S-RUN-R Read/Study System

Advantages of using the S-RUN-R Read/Study System

I like the concept of the S-RUN-R read/study system because you are using five concise steps to enhance your learning and comprehension abilities.

When you survey a chapter, it allows you to get an idea of concepts you will explore while working in that chapter. If you pay attention to headings, and subjects that are highlighted you are preparing yourself to receive that information before you get to it. Rather than wondering what comes next, it gives you a sense of anticipation of knowing what will come next. I have begun to apply this to my course of study. If I quickly go through and check headings and subheadings, the summary and review questions, that information stands out to me as I begin to read.

As I read I am finding that I am paying more attention to the topic being discussed if I do write the headings down in my notes It makes me think about what I am reading and the information conveyed. I have a better understanding of what I am reading. Learning these different approaches has made me wish that I had been introduced to them years ago. I was taught different learning approaches, though nothing as concise as what I am learning now.

Underlining or highlighting the important information in each paragraph just reinforces my retention. My preference is highlighting in yellow.

Once I have completed the above steps I go back and write my notes. Since I have highlighted I am immediately drawn back to the important information.

The last step the S-RUN-R System incorporates is to review. It is helping me become much better with reviewing the material. I am also taking advantage of the review material at the end of the chapter.

Lesson 2

The 9 Habits of Successful Online Learning

• Get an Early Start
• Organize
• Plan
• No Procrastination: Stick To Your Plan
• Stay In Touch and Ask For Help
• Communicate Clearly
• Keep Good Records: Keep A Copy of All Assignments and Keep Track of Assignment and Participation Grades
• Know Your Program of Study and Faculty/Staff Involved in Your Program
• Believe in Yourself

Plagiarism

Plagiarism is the act of using the work of someone else as though it is your own. Although there is much information that is considered common knowledge, proper credit must be given when the subject requires research and information used came from sources other than yourself.

Header Document

“On my honor, I pledge that I have neither given nor received any unauthorized aid on this assignment.”

March 29th, 2013

Brenda Keith