In Conclusion

In conclusion, I'd like to say that I have enjoyed our CIS1200 class. Being as this was one of my first classes at Shorter, I wasn't sure what to expect. However, now that my first session is nearly over, I can write that, not only have the classes and the learninghouse portal met my expectations, they've greatly exceeded them. The learninghouse portal is very user-friendly, the links are well organized, and uploading assignments is a breeze. My experiences with the other students through the forums has been very positive. Everyone is very friendly and helpful. My professors have also been very helpful, with quick turn-around time on my emails and grading my assignments.

From: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shorter_University

Overall, I'm happy to say that I wish I had apply to the Shorter online program sooner. I cannot say enough good things about this program.

As for our CIS1200 class, I feel I have greatly benefited from the textbook chapters on Time Management and Study Skills. I have learned new ways of taking notes, such as the Cornell Note Taking System, study plans, such as the 5-day study schedule, and I have a new self-awareness of how I can more efficiently use my time. I feel that these are strategies that will continue to help me in the future.

Well, that's all for my blog! I'm awaiting Shorter Online Session II.

Powerpoint: Handouts

Powerpoint is not only a great presentation tool, it can also be a useful tool for studying. Sometimes professors use powerpoint presentations in their class lectures. For the Shorter online program, and other online classes I've had in the past, online professors sometimes make powerpoint presentations available to download and view. I've made it a habit to print a copy of these presentations in the Handouts view. They make handy sheets to take notes on and review.

From: http://blogs.mccombs.utexas.edu/the-most/2009/07/09/make-powerpoint-handouts-in-word/

To print a copy of a powerpoint presentation in the Handouts view using Microsoft Office 2011 for Mac, a student would follow these steps:

• Select Print.
• Once in the Print dialog box, next to the text "Print What" select how many slides you want per page, between 2 to 9.
• Generally, three slides per Handout is the right amount to take notes with. Powerpoint prints the page with nice lines to take notes on.
• Next, decide if you want to print in Color, Greyscale, or Black & White (printing in Black & White can save ink and money!)
• Then, hit the print button and gather your pages.

From: http://www.wa.gov/esd/training/quickguides/xp_pptwordprint.htm

Now you have another helpful study tool!

Powerpoint 2011 for Mac

In addition to the links listed in our CIS1200 class this week, I am also posting these Powerpoint 2011 for Mac Youtube videos for future reference. While Powerpoint for Mac and Windows is basically the same, some of the commands for Mac will be different. Also, our class covers Powerpoint 2007, and since I have an updated version, I think some of the buttons are arranged differently. I found these videos to be helpful in completing my assignments this week. Youtube is full of great how-tos when it comes to software.

Powerpoint Presentations

I can't believe it's the last week in CIS1200 already! Time has really flown by. This week we're reviewing how to use Microsoft Powerpoint and some tips on how to create and present better presentations.

From: http://www.atrixware.com/blog/wp/what-makes-a-powerpoint-slide-good/

Here are the Powerpoint links that I've looked at so far:

http://www.microsoftbusinesshub.com/News_and_Updates/Presenting_With_PowerPoint

http://presentationsoft.about.com/od/powerpointinbusiness/tp/bus_pres_tips.htm

http://blog.guykawasaki.com/2005/12/the_102030_rule.html#axzz0svfkdioL

I plan to look back over them in the future, because I know I'll probably be creating more Powerpoint presentations in other classes.

Now for some tips that I've learned.

• Using the Powerpoint image example above, you notice that the background is kinda busy. This background might work well if you were selling vacation packages or presenting a personal presentation on your summer vacation. Otherwise, in other settings, it might not look professional. Although using vibrant colors is important, it's also important to keep the presentation simple. If a beach theme doesn't reflect your topic, then don't use it.
• It's also best to avoid fancy fonts. The heading of the example is a fancy font. While, to me, it looks okay as a heading, it would not look okay if all of the text was set in that font. If you had twenty slides and all of the text was in that font, it would be annoying to read after a while. It's best to use a standard, tried-and-true font like Times New Roman or Arial.
• With that said, the link to the 10/20/30 rule blog post was very insightful. It's a good idea to limit the presentation to 10 slides, only 20 minutes, and use 30-point font. You certainly want everyone to be able to read your slides clearly and you want to hold people's attention spans.
• Make sure that the presentation can run on any computer! This is especially important for me, since I'm on a Mac, I've got to make sure that my Powerpoint presentations will work on any Windows computer that I use.

APA formatting

Here are some good youtube videos on APA formatting:

For Microsoft Office 2007 for Windows:


For Microsoft Office 2011 for Mac:

Using GALILEO Search

Some of our assignments this week call for using library databases, such as GALILEO. I found a very helpful Youtube video titled "Getting Better Results in GALILEO" that I wanted to share here for future reference.

APA Writing Guidelines

This week we're reviewing how to use the APA writing guidelines. APA was developed by the American Psychological Association. For school purposes, it is mostly used in Psychology and Science classes. The majority of the papers I've had to write in my school career have required the MLA citation style. However, it's important to review the proper way to cite APA, as not to confuse it with MLA, because while similar, they do have their differences.

From: http://theportableblender.info/apa-style-term-paper-sample-6/

One of the first differences between MLA and APA, that jumps out at me, is the fact that APA requires (if the professor requests it) a title page and an abstract.

According to Hodges' Harbrace Handbook, fifteenth edition, a title page includes:

1. The manuscript page header
2. The running head
3. The title
4. The author's name
5. The author's affiliation

An APA abstract is basically a short summary of the paper, not over 120 words.

A great link that I found from the Lesson Lecture APA Tutorial shows an example of a correct APA title page and abstract: http://supp.apa.org/style/PM6E-Corrected-Sample-Papers.pdf 

From: http://jeps.efpsa.org/blog/2012/07/10/the-origins-of-apa-style-and-why-there-are-so-many-rules/

Another difference between APA and MLA, is that APA only requires the author's last name and the publication date for a source quoted within the paper's text. In MLA, a book's page number is used.

All of the sources used are organized alphabetically on the Reference page. Here is a link for an example of a correct Reference page: http://flash1r.apa.org/apastyle/basics/data/resources/sample-references2.pdf

Essay Exams

Essay exams - I don't think I'd be alone in saying that they're my least favorite. You definitely have to use a different preparation strategy for essay exams. Figure 12.1 from our textbook displays a great strategy:

From our textbook: "Orientation to College Learning"

Predict, Plan, and Practice!

1. Predict Questions - From the material covered, try to guess what the essay questions may be. If the professor focused on a certain topic more than others, that might be a good hint. In the past, I've had teachers give the essay questions out before the actual exam, or give a list of possible questions to go by. But that's not always the case.
2. Plan - Once you know or narrow down what your essay questions may be, it's a good idea to review and gather correct information for your answer. Re-reading a section in your textbook or creating a study sheet or outline from your notes would be helpful. The more organized your information is the easier it will be to remember.
3. Practice - After predicting the questions and planning your answer, it's helpful to practice your answer several times. You might write it out once, read and study over it a few times, and then create a mock self-test to measure how much of your answer you're recalling from memory. If you're not doing well, then start the process over again and study more. It may be useful to use Mnemonics (memory cues). For example, to remember the states of matter, I might think PLSG: "Please Let Sally Go," for Plasma, Liquid, Solid, and Gas.

Preparing For Exams

This week I've also learned some useful tips for preparing for exams.

From: http://www.unilodge.com.au/Melbourne/Swanston/newsletter/november-2009/

Our textbook, "Orientation to College Learning," lists the different levels of questions that we might find on an exam. For future reference, they are:

1. Knowledge-level questions: Questions that can be answered by remembering key terms, dates, lists, etc. This is by far the easiest level of questions.
2. Comprehension-level questions: Questions that challenge you to recognize the answer when it's phrased differently.
3. Application-level questions: Questions that ask you to apply the information in a new way. In science class, you might have to answer an example applying what you know.
4. Analysis-level questions: Questions that challenge you to break down a complex concept. A lot of essay questions are at the analysis level.
5. Synthesis-level questions: Questions that require information be brought together as a whole. Essay questions may also involve synthesis.
6. Evaluation-level questions: Questions that usually require both analysis and synthesis. Evaluation challenges you to make a judgement about a certain idea. They are the most difficult to answer.

From: http://www.study-habits.com/how-to-prepare-for-an-exam

To help me prepare for all types of questions, I can:

Preparation Strategies

1. Answer Questions – if there are review problems at the end of the chapter, textbook, or on the textbook’s website, working them out or answering them can help me prepare for possible real questions on the exam.
2. Develop Study Sheets – using my notes, the key terms, and review problems, I can create clear, well-organized study sheets that will help me learn the information and review it quickly.
3. Make Self-Tests – creating a self-test over the information that I am studying would be a good way to prepare for the real exam. It would also help me to measure how much I’ve learned so far.

Review Strategies

1. Do “Missed” Problems – focusing on the problems that I’ve missed on my self-tests or practice quizzes on the textbook’s website will help me make sure that I remember them in the future.
2. Explain the Material to Someone else –Discussing the subject with someone else would be a good way to measure how well I know the topic myself. The other person may also have information to add to the discussion, which would help me remember it later.
3. Recreating Charts From Memory- This would also be a good way to self-test myself. Being able to mentally visualize a chart on an exam would be helpful for both multiple choice and essay questions.

Test Taking Anxiety

Test taking anxiety can be tricky to overcome. I think that everyone has probably experienced one form of test anxiety or another, be it over a final exam or a major exam like the SAT or GRE, LSAT, MCAT, etc.

I generally notice that I am usually most anxious about the first exam of any class and the final exam. Normally, it seems that the first exam sets the stage of what to expect on future exams for the class. With the first exam it's easy to be nervous because I'm never sure if I've under studied or not. As for final exams, sometimes if they count of a large portion of my grade, I'll feel anxious because it could determine if my grade goes down a letter.

From: http://www.localschooldirectory.com/k-12-articles/87

While in high school and technical college, I used these strategies to cope:

1. Don't arrive too early - I noticed that it was hard for me to focus on reviewing my notes as the other students filed in before the exams. So, I found it better to study in the library or in my car and arrive right on time.
2. Take my vitamins - It's easy to get sick when your stressed and taking an exam while your sick can feel like a nightmare. Taking a multi-vitamin and vitamin C can help boost your immune system.
3. Don't overeat - I was surprised to read in this week's wikiHow article on "How to Ace a Test" that guys do better on tests with a slightly empty stomach and ladies do better on a full stomach...I must not be a typical test taker, because I've noticed if I eat a heavy meal before a test and I'm nervous, I'll end up feeling sick. So for me, I usually eat something light on test day, like apple slices or toast.
4. Aromatherapy - Lavender is a scent that is claims to be calming. It could just be a placebo effect, but wearing a lavender scented lotion or body spray has made me feel better in the past.

Here are some tips that I read this week that might help me in the future:

1. Repeat a positive mental script - I'd do well to give myself a mental pep-talk and think "STOP IT" when I have negative thoughts.
2. Answer the questions I know first - This would probably help calm me and motivate me that I'm doing well and I can handle the other, more tricky questions.
3. Use visualization - Visualizing myself doing well on the test would also be helpful. Since I'm an online student now, it's easier to know that test taking area is going to be a quiet space.
4. Go with my first answer on the exam - I really need to follow this advice. I'm bad about going back and changing my answers at the last minute. Then, afterwards, when the test is graded, I'll notice that my first choice was right. I don't need to over-think the answers, just go with the one that I recognize first.

Motivation and Time Management Update

Here during Week 5, we are focusing on preparing for exams and test anxiety. However, I would like to update and blog about my motivation and time management improvements.

Last week, I listed that I would benefit from switching subjects to stay motivated. I applied this strategy after taking my NAS1510 midterm. I knew that my husband would be off early on Friday and that we would be driving up to our hometown. Our relative's baby was born early, so I wanted to get some pictures for a photo book I plan to make for them. Therefore, instead of taking the rest of the day off last Wednesday, I took a short break, and then switched my focus to our CIS1200 class. I'm happy to write that I finished nearly all of the assignments ahead of time.

Hello world! There's a new lil cousin in town!

I also worked extra hard Thursday and Friday to finishing my reading and notes for the next chapters of my NAS1510 class. By carefully managing my time and staying motivated, I was able to have the rest of the weekend free to visit with family and enjoy a football game at mine and my husband's old high school.

Our hometown high school football team

Staying Motivated

This week I also learned some tips on staying motivated from the textbook, Orientation to College Learning by Dianna L. Van Blerkom.

From: http://kumardeepak.wordpress.com/2012/05/15/why-motivation-works-and-when/

Generally, most of the time, I'd like to think of myself as a fairly self-motivated person. However, I've noticed since high school that I usually start with high motivation at the beginning of school or start of a class, then I seem to suffer from a mid-point slump halfway, and become motivated again right before the final exam. I would really like to improve on this. Reading through the textbook, here are some things that I think would help me:

1. During my long morning study block, I should switch subjects about every hour. Sometimes focusing on one subject for a long time can feel overwhelming. Feeling like I'm gradually making progress on both subjects would probably help me stay upbeat.
2. Since I honestly know that I suffer from mid-point slump, I should schedule small, reasonable rewards for myself to stay motivated. Maybe having a small piece of chocolate after I complete my assignments or an hour to play a video game.
3. I should learn to set better priorities. I want to do well on everything, but sweating the small stuff, or the smaller assignments, when I also have bigger, important exams and papers to work on, can lead to burn-out.

Better Time Management Skills

Back to Time Management Skills, one thing I honestly admit that I need to work more on.

From http://thorntoncenter.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/time1.jpg

This week I learned a lot about myself from the My Daily Schedule Link. Breaking down my typical weekday helped me to revaluate how I'm spending my time. Right now, I think I'm doing pretty good. I figured that I spend about seven hours doing assignments, reading, and studying for my classes. I credit this to turning over a new leaf and starting my work early in the morning instead of at night. I am naturally a night owl, but with assignments being due around 11pm on Wednesday, it isn't practically to start working after dinner. It's better for me to start work in the morning and have the night free for time with my husband and hobbies.

I have been an assignment calendar creator gal since high school. I don't use a day planner anymore, but I do write my and my husband's assignments on our livingroom calendar. Since beginning this class, I have also discovered the iCal(endar) on my Mac. This has been helpful because I do most of my work on the computer now.

I have also been a "To Do" list gal for a long time. However, I would benefit from making my lists more like the daily Figure 3.4 example in the textbook. In the past, my "To Do" lists have been a little unrealistic, asking too much of myself in one day. Breaking the tasks into study goals and personal goals is a really good idea.

So far, I haven't had a problem staying motivated on a typical weekday. It's on untypical weekends when we visit friends and family three hours away that I fall into trouble. I seem to run into the thinking, "I have to go visit, etc., with so-in-so because I so rarely see them. We can't hang out any other time this month because I live too far away." Which is fine in theory, if I scheduled time to study afterwards on those nights, but I find myself wanting to do other things instead of study. Another problem I have, since I'm still more or less a newlywed, is still feeling like a guest in my in-laws' home. The only rooms I have to study in, while there, are my husband's old room and the livingroom. If my husband is watching tv in his room and my in-laws are watching tv in the livingroom, I feel rude asking them to stop because it is their home. And, unfortunately, there isn't a library nearby that is open at night.

So, right now my strategy is to work ahead as much as I can when I know we are going to visit. I also plan to ask if it would be okay if I bought a desk and set it up in their basement. Having my own desk, in a part of the house that is off to itself would be a quiet area to help motivate me to get work done while visiting.

Goal Setting

Here during Week 4 one of our focuses is Goal Setting.

From http://www.austincc.edu/

I enjoyed reading the chapter on setting goals from our textbook: Orientation to College Learning by Dianna L. Van Blerkom.

I had not previously heard of the Seven Characteristics of Goals or the Five-Step Approach. I found the assignment in which I listed my own five-step approach to a college and life goal to be very helpful. I don't often type or write out my goals on paper, so being able to take time out from everything else and type my goal was a good way for me to visualize my goal and motivate myself. I feel like I would benefit from typing out other goals that I have using the Five-Step Approach. Planning my way around obstacles that might come up is a good way to ensure success.

From: http://www.healthylifestyleplus.com/

As a review and for future reference, here are the Seven Characteristics of Goals and the Five-Step Approach method in my own words:

The Seven Characteristics of Goals:

Self-Chosen: Your goals should be something that you truly want to do or achieve. It should not be only influenced by your friends or family. Your goals should make you happy first, and then others secondly.

Moderately Challenging: You should think about what you have achieved in the past and add a little more to that to challenge yourself to do more. Don’t over or under challenge yourself.

Realistic: Think about whether or not you can really achieve your goals. Are you dreaming or being hopeful, or can you really do it? Think in real terms of how to achieve the goal.

Measurable: Make your goals clear and specific, so that they can be compared to past and future successes.

Specific: Your goals should plainly state what it is you want to do. Be clear and certain of your goal, so there is no room for confusion or backing out.

Finite: You should set a time limit on your goals. A goal with endless time might ever be finished. Think realistically, and set a date for your goal to be finished.

Positive: State your goals in a positive manner, so you’ll feel more motivated to achieve them and more successful when you do.

The 5 Steps to Writing Effective Goals:

Write Your Goals Down: Clearly state what it is that you want or plan to do. Writing it out can help you visualize your exact goal.

Write Your Obstacles:  Think honestly about all the realistic factors that might come up and get in the way of your success. Clearly write down these obstacles.

Write Your Resources: Think of what will help you get around the obstacles you might face. Think of your own strengths, people that might be able to help you reach your goals, and the ways that you will succeed.

Write Your Motivations: When obstacles come up, think of what keeps you motivated. What will keep you going when the going gets tough? What will make your goals all worth it in the end?

Write Your Final Goal: After carefully thinking your original goal over, review and revise it if needed.

Onto Time Management Skills

Here during Week 4 we are discussing Time Management Skills.

It's interesting that we've moved to that this week, after my time management skills were challenged over the Labor Day Weekend during Week 3.

I feel some explanation is in order. My husband is a 3rd year medical student, whose awesome time management skills I certainly can learn from. He only has major holidays, one being Labor Day, off. So we planned to drive back to our hometown, which takes about 3 hours. Previous to starting the Shorter Online Program, me and my mother-in-law had planned to give a relative a baby shower on that Monday, September 3rd, Labor Day. However, being as we don't visit often, other relatives also wanted us to go to church with them, have a home-cooked lunch with them, and visit a restaurant for dinner on Sunday. And that was fine. But I also wanted to visit The Decatur Book Festival, another an hour and thirty minutes away from our hometown, to see some of my favorite authors that Saturday.

Author Meg Cabot speaking 09.01.12

It was looking like a very packed weekend. On top of the fact that I still had assignments in our CIS1200 to do and very difficult Chemistry chapters to study in NAS1510.

Although, I was very distracted and my motivation was low because there were so many other things I wanted to do, I am proud to write that I did study a little each night. I knew if I put off doing anything until Tuesday and Wednesday, I would be very stressed out during those days, because I would have to make up for the free time by working non-stop. But everything turned out well.

So, I guess, I realize that another disadvantage of online classes is the fact that there are no true days off, except for breaks in-between the semesters.

From the baby shower I helped host

I'm hoping to learn more about how to better manage my time this week, because I know I will have to balance my time in the future when we visit for Thanksgiving and when our relative's baby is born.

Since I already have a plan of action for typical weekdays, it seems like I need to come up with a strategy for weekends that I'll be away from home.

Cornell Note Taking System and S-RUN-R

From http://tlcommunityunitec.ning.com/notes/Workshop%3A_Facilitation_for_New(ish)_Teachers

This week I learned about the Cornell Note Taking System and more about the S-RUN-R reading/study system. I had previously heard of S-RUN-R aka

Survey
Read
Understand
Note taking
Review

I had never heard of the Cornell Note Taking System, so it was a new concept for me. In order to complete the Cornell Note Taking assignment over the New York Times article on plagiarism, I used an Internet search to find more examples. Here are the helpful links I used to better understand the Cornell system:

Bucks County Community College example

KIPP Infinity’s Reading and Writing Resources

Teaching & Learning Community at Unitec

Personally, I think the Cornell Note Taking System would work best for notebook paper (although I could be biased and old-fashioned because I'd rather write than type). Working with tables in Word can be a little tricky at times. But, overall, I think it's a good way to organize notes and review!

That's A Wrap For Week 2

Goodbye Week 2, Hello Week 3!

From http://www.wmich.edu/registrar/calendars/

Since beginning the Shorter Online Program I've noticed some major differences between the online classes and traditional classes. Here are some of the advantages for me.

1. Online classes are more flexible. Instead of being required to meet on campus at a certain room at a certain time, I'm able to study and complete assignments day or night, as long as they are turned in by the deadline.
2. Online classes allow me to plan ahead. If I know I'll be having a busy weekend, I can work extra hard during the week to get ahead. Or I can plan accordingly to work on-the-go if I'm traveling to my hometown to visit family.
3. Online sessions I and II, I think it's so wonderful how the classes are covered in a shorter time span. I'd rather focus on two classes for a shorter period of time, than have four or more classes going at once over the course of an entire semester.
4. Online classes seem to foster more thoughtful replies between students. Sometimes it's hard to know what to say to other people on the spot. With online classes, it gives you time to think of a genuine, helpful response.
5. So far, I haven't had any problems getting in contact with my professors. All of my emails have been replied to in a quick turn-around. So I'm not worried about getting help when I need it.

And, here are some of the disadvantages. But luckily there's only a few of them.

1. Not getting to meet the other students and professors in-person. With online classes sometimes a person's personality doesn't show through as well as it would with a face-to-face meeting.
2. Living so far away from campus, it'll be harder to be a part of campus life and network with other students. Since there's no online student clubs/forums that's ruled out. However, I do hope to make it to a football game or play while I'm visiting family in the west Georgia area.
3. Also, living so far away from the campus bookstore, I'm going to have to order books and merchandise online, paying the extra shipping costs each semester.

But I honestly feel that the advantages outweigh the disadvantages.

Helpful College Writing Links

From: http://farafinabooks.wordpress.com/

Here are some helpful college writing links that were mentioned during Week 2. I am posting them here for quick future reference.

• Purdue University ’s OWL Online Writing Lab
• Dartmouth Writing Guide
• Elements of Style by William Strunk, Jr.
• Online Grammar Handbook
• Example of APA style guidelines

I plan to use these links, along with some I have discovered on my own, to continue to improve my writing skills.

• Modern Language Association (MLA)
• APA Style
• Cornell University Library
• Transitional Words
• Writer's Block

Plagiarism - Week 1 & 2

From http://www.plagiarismchecker.net/

During Week 1 our class read a New York Times articles on plagiarism and discussed the author's viewpoints and our own on one of the class forums. This week in our resources we have an anti-plagiarism tutorial that includes examples of plagiarism and how to avoid it. According to this week's resource, plagiarism is mainly caused by these errors:

1. Procrastination 
2. Incomplete Understanding of Original Material
3. Citation Mistakes
4. Poor note-taking

To avoid plagiarism avoid procrastination! Start on your work early and break it into manageable chunks. If you don't understand the material that your reading, read and re-read it again. Ask a friend or a teacher to clarify the information. To avoid citation mistakes invest in a new reference book with examples of MLA and APA style. Also use free citing resources, such as your library or online at EasyBib.com. Also, make sure you take clear notes, don't rush. Be sure to mark which ideas or thought are your own and which are from other sources.

From http://sociology.camden.rutgers.edu/

Remember that plagiarism, cutting & pasting someone else's work, is the same as stealing.

What does the Bible say about stealing?

“You shall not steal; you shall not deal falsely; you shall not lie to one another." - Leviticus 19:11

Bible quote from: http://www.openbible.info/topics/stealing

Welcome to my blog!

(From Shorter University website)

Hello and welcome to my e-Potfolio blog, part of a comprehensive assignment for CIS1200 Fall 2012.

I can't believe that week one of class is already done and we're on to week two! I just want to write that I am so thrilled to be back in college, at last, as a Shorter University student. I'm really thankful for the online program, because I feel that it really fits my life better than traditional brick-and-mortar classes.

So, with that said, CIS1200 is one of my first classes as a Shorter online student. Last week I became more familiar with the online learning portal Moodle. I found the "Watch This First" video to be very helpful. Since first exploring the portal I've successfully used the Quickmail, Forum, and Grade features.

I'm looking forward to learning more on how to become a better online student!