Archive for the ‘online education’ Category
Activities to Keep Kids Away While You Study
Thursday, December 11th, 2008
Getting one step ahead closer to your online degree is always a benefit of distance learning students. Here are some activities to keep kids away while you study.
Decorate a canvas pocket organizer. Pocketed canvas organizers that hang on doors can be a great way to harness those straying shoes, small toys or other items. Have your kids decide what the organizer will be used for and where it will hang. Then, give them fabric markers or paint to decorate the organizer using bedroom colors, favorite cartoon characters and anything else they can think of. After the organizer is thoroughly dry, have your kids place items in the pockets.
Holiday preparations and thank-you notes. Do birthday or holiday gifts need wrapping? Set out the supplies on the floor or table and put your children in charge of wrapping and decorating gifts. Remind them to stick nametags on the gifts! Recipients will love seeing that your kids did the wrapping all by themselves.
Trim and water plants. Kids will love being gardeners for a day. Show them how to use small clippers to trim bushes and snip off dead leaves and flowers. Have them put on bathing suits and use a hose or watering cans to water the garden. If your green thumb is the indoor variety, show kids how to water the plants in a controlled way. If you have plants with large, waxy leaves, have your kids”dust” off the leaves using damp paper towels.
Involve young children.Even young toddlers can grab a dust cloth and copy older siblings as they clean. Of course, everything including the dog may get dusted, but that’s okay. As long as your kids are focused and cooperative, they are getting the job done.
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Online Course - a New Way of Learning
Wednesday, December 10th, 2008
So you are embarking on a different way of learning — an online course. Good for you! But before anything else, you have to be sure that you are ready for what is ahead of you. Although studying online seems pretty easy, it should not be underestimated. Some preparations have to be made.
You must learn the layout of your online classroom. Check out the course Web site by logging into your course (or a demo course if your course is not available) and familiarize yourself with the space. Think of the space as a classroom. Click on all the links, check out the discussion board, the assignments page, the e-mail system, and anything else you can access just as if you were checking out the physical space of a classroom. Every online course is built in a course management system (WebCT, Blackboard, Angel, Desire2Learn, Sakai, etc. - some schools have proprietary systems). It is to your advantage to learn how to navigate the course before you begin class. (Hint: nothing adds to frustration more than having to learn how to do something or where to find something when you face a deadline.)
Try and scope out the course. Find the syllabus and read it. This will give you an idea of what you are going to study, how much reading there will be, what kind of assignments you will be doing, and generally acquaint you with the professor’s expectations. (Hint: knowing what to expect will help keep you focused and not overwhelmed.)
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Advancing Distance Learning
Wednesday, December 10th, 2008
Distance learning is a great and convenient way to advance your career and education. In fact, online courses are much like face-to-face courses in that they must meet the highest standards of quality design and instruction. But that also means they come with the same fears of “can I handle the coursework,” etc.
Visit the bookstore. Once you’ve logged on, locate the bookstore and order your books for your course(s). (Hint: Sometimes it takes 10 days to get the book to you, so you want to do this right away.)
Find the important offices and contact information. Locate any offices you might need, like the computer help desk, business office, the advising office, the department teaching your course, and the library. Lucky for you, you don’t have to learn about the dining halls (if you’re an off campus student) since your own kitchen will be your dining hall (and snack bar). Schools vary greatly in how their Web sites are laid out, but most provide links, numbers, and e-mails for all the services you will need as an online student. (Hint: Knowing where these things are will save you time and effort when you are trying to get information in a hurry.)
Locate the login and password for your course and the directions for logging in. Most of the time, your login and password for your class will match your login and password for the school. (Hint: you don’t want to find yourself without this essential information when the help desk is unavailable and you have your first assignment due, so make sure you can log in, even if you can’t access your course right away.)
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Handling Distance Learning Education
Wednesday, December 10th, 2008
Worried about being a newbie? There’s no need to worry if you follow these simple tips to ease your transition into online education.
Make sure you have everything you need to start. Locate the computer requirements document on the school Web site. Make sure your computer fits the requirements and you have the right peripherals (printer, speakers, microphone, etc) and software (Adobe Acrobat to read .PDF files, Microsoft Word for writing papers, etc). Once you have those things in place, make sure they all work!! (Hint: most schools provide the software as downloads from their technical support page, so check that out before you buy software).
Set aside an area in your room for your books and other class requirements and important school documents. It is important to have some organization, even if it’s just two folders — a physical one for important papers and a folder on your computer where you put all your final written papers. Put your books, some blank paper, a pen, and a highlighter all in one place. (Hint: if you are planning to use multiple computers like one at home and one at work, buy a backpack to keep all you stuff in so it is portable and handy).
Know the school landscape. Just as if you were walking around a new campus, you will need to “walk” around your virtual campus to learn where things are. Log into the school Web site with your assigned login and password as soon as possible. Click on different links to see what is available and get a real feel for your school. (Hint: Most schools hide important student information behind a firewall to protect you, so you will need to have a login and password to access it.)
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Maintaining Your Study Space at Home for Online Classes
Wednesday, December 10th, 2008
Maintaining your study space for online classes can be a lot of work. A messy area can lead to coffee-stained papers, damaged textbooks, and misplaced notes. Give everything a designated area on your desk and shelves. Use an old coffee mug to hold your pens, pencils, and highlighters. Use bookends to keep your books stacked nicely on your desk. It is essential that you keep your notes up-to-date. Have a filing system, so that you can file away new papers, graded assignments, and exams. This will prevent lose papers and keep your desk tidy.
If you enjoy a cup of coffee with your daily textbook reading, be sure to take the empty mug back to the kitchen sink when you are done. Remove all dirty dishes after use so that they don’t pile up and consume precious space on your desk. Another consequence of leaving old dishes around? They might begin to attract bugs and other unwanted critters, as well as dishes getting smelly or moldy! By taking a few minutes every day to keep your work area neat and tidy, you can come home and start your work right away without searching for items or getting distracted by useless clutter.
For effective studying concentration, use your room for studying or your home’s quiet area - away from any distractions. Avoid the temptation to your home office for other projects. If you enjoy crafting, building models, knitting or anything else, do not bring them into your work area. Though these activities are great hobbies and smart stress-relievers, they will lure you away from your academic goals. Also, if you’re a parent taking online classes, try to dissuade your children from using the space. It is okay to have a place you can call your own!
Studying in a shared space? Not everyone has space or an extra room in their home just for their studies. If you are studying in your living room, den or another shared space, be sure to communicate your needs to others. Maybe put up a sign that reads, “Quiet, please – Working,” or “Reserving the Living Room from 8 – 10 Tonight.” If you are trying to write a paper in the kitchen, but you can hear the television in the next room, you may want to purchase noise-cancelling or noise-reduction headphones or ear plugs.
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