Maximize Your Learning

Maximizing your Learning

You probably were never aware of the "order of things" in your traditional classroom. Since your teacher was doing the "guiding," you may not have realized the helpful processes.  For example, that reviewing the homework came before a new lesson for a reason. There are ways to maximize your learning. Here are some tips to keep you focused while you work in our blended classroom:

• Check your e–mail before you start working. You may have a note from your teacher that will change what you work on for the day.
• Check your e–mail daily. This is your instructor's way to communicate.
• Look at your reviewed work. Any work with a zero or low grade probably has comments on how to make it better. You can then resubmit it for a better grade.
• Look at your schedule and decide what lesson you want to complete during your work time. Go to the lesson. Call your teacher if you are not getting it.
• Once a week, you should check your grade book. This will help you organize your completion of assignments. You should never take a test or move on in the course until you have completed all the assignments in the module.

Organizing your Work Space

Before you start doing work:

• Get a notebook for any print outs you want to keep, and more importantly, for the notes you take while you work.
• Create a folder in your Google Docs (Google Drive) school email account to keep your assignments. If you do not know how to do this, please ask the tech expert in your household or call your teacher.
• Make sure you have a space to work at home. Be sure to stock your workspace with pencils, pens, paper, and a printer. If you are working in a lab at school, be sure that you bring all your materials with you so you will be able to work efficiently during your time in the lab.
• There are two items you will want to always have at your fingertips. Keep a copy of your schedule for the course and a contact sheet for your instructor. These items will answer the most often asked questions, "Where am I supposed to be in the course?" and "How can I reach my teacher?"

Organizing your Time

The most common mistake of online students is to mismanage their time. When you are working independently, it becomes your responsibility to manage your learning. This is probably a new experience for most of you. Here are some tips for making the most of your time.

• Make a schedule.
  This is particularly important if you are involved in a lot of school or extracurricular activities. You can plan that it will take you about five hours per week to do your required assignments. This can be managed in many ways.  Talk to your mentor about how you work best, and together decide on a schedule that is personalized for you.
• Become familiar with your teacher's schedule.
  Although your instructor is available to you many times during the day, evening, and weekend, there will be "office hours" that will enable you to get a quicker response. It will not always be possible for you to work during your teacher's hours but if you can arrange your schedule to do so, you may have better access to help.
• Stay focused on the task at hand.
  Do not search the web, play games, chat with your friends, or watch TV while you are working. All of these activities may make it seem that you are "working" on your computer, but in actuality you will not be getting anywhere in the course.  Can't seem to get yourself to focus?  Join a million others and check out some of these apps to help you stay task-oriented.

Netiquette

Etiquette (called netiquette in cyberspace) exists in the wide world of computers. Perhaps just as important as "real world manners,” netiquette is necessary because readers draw inferences from your words rather than nonverbal body language.

Although there is no one set of guidelines for writing and sending emails, here are a few suggestions for you to follow.

• Email messages should be written in a more formal manner than instant messaging but not as rigid as a business letter.
• Grammar and punctuation should be consistent with rules of English. For example, capitalize the first letter of a sentence, correct spelling, use punctuation marks, etc.
• Do not capitalize all letters when writing as this means you are shouting!
• Refrain from using abbreviations or use sparingly as your teacher may not be able to decipher what it means. (For example, TIA—Thanks in Advance)
• You may use emoticons to express feelings, but remember there is no substitute for a clearly written email.
• Always sign your first and last name to your emails so your teacher knows with whom they are working.
• Please do not send chain letters or spam material of any nature to your teachers or fellow students. This is most inconsiderate!
• Last but not least, think before you send an email. You are unable to stop the email after it has been sent.