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Motivational advise for why keep doing online learning

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Motivational advise for why keep doing online learning

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1. Look at the price for travel - stay online and save that cost
2. Look at the price for (double) accomodation.
3. Look at the broad pletora of courses.
4. Look at the just-in-time possibility.
5. Look at the self-pacing advantage.

Source: self

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I'm getting into Bullet Journalling. It's a great, flexible, personalized planning system that can help me stay on track. I find that if I don't plan my time, I waste it - it's that simple. Have a look at some websites about planning - you'll find there are thousands of ways to do it. Let me know what works for you.

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Sometimes I find "getting organized" can distract me form doing what it is I need to get done. So I try to keep getting organized simple: prepare for it, make time and get it done! Don't let it get too complicated!

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This picture could assist some learners in staying organized

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This blog post provides a nice roundup of posts with hints and tips from personal experience about the never-ending dilemma about how to get activities like writing or homework done while parenting.

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I continue to be in awe of you parents out there who manage to carve out time for your writing and illustrating in the midst of taking care of children, household chores and (in some cases) a day job as well.

At a recent conference, several working parents told me how they were still struggling to find the time to write and illustrate.

Having no children myself, I can't offer practical advice, but here are some online resources which might help. If you can offer tips from your own experience or know of other other helpful resources, please do post them in the comments below. Thanks!

Some inspiration: Cynthia Lord wrote her first book, Rules, between 4-6 in the morning, every morning. "I have a son with autism and our days have always been full of his schedule and his needs." Her book ended up winning a Newbery Honor! More via Kate Messner's blog.

RESOURCES AND TIPS:

Finding Time To Write - Parents' Version - by Julie Duffy on StoryADay.org. Main tips: coordinate your work sessions with your kids' energy levels, work to an outline, stretch sessions when you can, sit where you can hear your kids, be willing to stop after 2-3 sessions.

Finding Time To Draw - On Step, Skip, Pause. Main tips: Work in the early morning before everyone else is up. Sketch while watching tv, while waiting, on the public transport, at friends' houses, in short snatched moments, at concerts and plays.

Writing and mother: how I (sort of) do both - Shannon Hale explains how she does it. Main tips: Enlist help, constantly reevaluate your balance, set priorities, take a day of rest, commit fully, separate writing from publishing.

Busy Moms Write - A blog by Marcia Fowler, who is a mom of two boys, a freelance writer, and a certified elementary school teacher and reading specialist. "Busy Moms Write is a blog to inspire other moms to finally sit down and write, even if it's only for five minutes a day."

11 Ways Stay-At-Home Moms (and Other Busy Folks) Can Find Time To Write - by K.M. Weiland. Be stubborn and endure, find your focus, connect with family every day, remember there are others in your boat, take your work seriously, it's never too late to start, be realistic in your goals, give up on the idea of trying to please everyone, enjoy your blossing career guilt-free, being a mom and writer are not mutually exclusive.

How Busy Writers Can Stay Productive & Keep Their Sanity - by Jeff Goins. Give up the ideal workspace, don't sacrifice your family, use the "write, edit, write" method (longer pieces) and self-edit method (shorter pieces), know your limits, stay positive and grateful.

A Parent's Time To Write - by Liz Boltz Ranfeld. Prioritize, know what can and can't be done, get up early, ask your partner for help, create a specific writing space but be flexible, carve out time at work to write, let your kids know how important your writing is.

How To Find Time When You're A Busy Mom - on WikiHow. Be prepared, cut down on tv viewing, help your kids understand, adjust your sleep patterns and get up earlier, get the children involved, always carry a notebook, use multiple writing tools or resources, persevere.

Finding Time To Write - by Moira Allen. Treat time as an investment and figure out your "time budget," examine your priorities, eliminate time-wasters, teach others to respect your time.

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Finding Time To Write and Draw: Tips For Busy Parents - Inkygirl: Guide For Kidlit/YA Writers & Artists - via @inkyelbows

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I continue to be in awe of you parents out there who manage to carve out time for your writing and illustrating in the midst of taking care of children, household chores and (in some cases) a day job as well.

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https://online.drexel.edu/uploadedfiles/public_website/content/infographics/infographic-group_tips-2015.pdf

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This is from 2015, but there are some good ideas: https://www.forbes.com/sites/francesbooth/2015/01/12/how-to-get-organized/#785f6b3e5139

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http://online.illinois.edu/articles/online-learning/item/2017/03/15/top-4-easy-ways-to-connect-with-your-online-classmates

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Personal or other resources that we think important should share:

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I wanted to find an image to remind me to be patient with technology. This seemed appropriate: 

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I wanted to find an image to remind me to be patient with technology. This seemed appropriate: 

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I have found this to be the greatest asset of online learning. Karen

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Taking responsibility for your learning as a student isn´t only for online Learning students.

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Faculty Focus | Higher Ed Teaching & Learning

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I've been writing for years that we need to teach in ways that encourage students to take more responsibility for their learning. Recently, it became clear that my thinking on this needed more detail and depth. I've been saying that it means students should be doing the learning tasks that make them stronger learners. They should be figuring out what's important in the reading, rather than having the teacher to tell them. They should be taking notes rather than expecting to get the teacher's slides and notes.

It was a question in a workshop that made me realize my answer wasn't wrong, just incomplete. "In a formal learning situation, like a course, what responsibilities do students have?" After further reflection, my answer to that question is that the responsibilities exist across three areas.

1. Students have responsibility for: One word says it all, LEARNING. Teachers have lots of responsibilities when it comes to promoting and supporting learning and we can do all sorts of things that facilitate the process, but at the end of the day, it's the students who have to learn the content. We cannot learn anything for students, as much as we'd like to and as hard as we sometimes try.

2. Students should have responsibility for: All those learning-related tasks that expedite learning and develop learning skills. And it's these responsibilities that students are most reluctant to accept. They'd much rather have the teacher summarize the lecture, solve the problems, provide the PowerPoint slides, and award credit for effort. In many cases, it's more than just a preference. A lot of students believe it's the teacher's job to provide study guides, review sessions, and exams that aren't too taxing.

Unfortunately, a wide-range of teacher behaviors tend to support these student beliefs. Teachers make the decisions and do the learning tasks that should be done by students. If students don't want to make decisions related to learning or we worry they won't make very good decisions, we go ahead and tell them what to do. We specify word-counts, font size, number of references, and deadlines. We require attendance, participation, and strictly enforce deadlines. In our commitment to help students succeed, we do for them what they should be doing for themselves.

If students are serious about learning-even if they simply want to pass the course or their only motivation is a good grade-then students should have responsibility for coming to class prepared, taking notes, voluntarily participating, confronting their preparation and their performance, and developing their skills as learners.

Most of us do tell students that these are their responsibilities, but some (often it's many) students do not believe us or chose to ignore what we say. The alternative is to develop policies, practices, activities, and assignments that hold students responsible for these learning-related tasks. And the pedagogical literature is replete with ideas. This collection in Faculty Focus Premium highlights more than 20 strategies and approaches from a variety of journals and other resources. Preview here "

3. Students could share responsibility for: How the class is set-up and will be run, creating and maintaining climates conducive to learning, decision-making regarding how they will be learning and how that learning will be assessed, and providing feedback that helps their peers improve.

These are areas where faculty typically make decisions but where decision-making could be shared with students. The key is shared decision-making, but with the teacher in charge of what and how much is shared. Students, new to the content and new to college level learning, cannot be expected to automatically make good learning decisions, especially if they are used to teachers making those decisions made for them. It takes time, effort, and experience to become an independent, autonomous, self-directed learner.

However, as you can see in the collection of resources, there are faculty who involve students in syllabus construction. They let students propose policies. They give students the opportunity to suggest additional course goals. Students are given some assignment choices or allowed to determine the relative weight of say, exams and quizzes. Students can set assignment deadlines, sometimes within specified time windows. Other faculty invite students to identify peer behaviors that contribute to or compromise their efforts to learn. If work is completed in groups, students can provide feedback, sometimes evaluate the contributions of group members. Peers, using rubrics and with some constraints, can "grade" each other's quizzes.

When we relinquish some control and empower students to assume responsibility for learning-related activities, their motivation and self-directedness increases. That shared decision-making often motivates students to start taking on even more of those responsibilities essential for learning.
A question for readers: In what ways do you encourage students to take responsibility for their learning? Please share in the comment box.

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Getting Students to Take Responsibility for Learning

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I've been writing for years that we need to teach in ways that encourage students to take more responsibility for their learning. Recently, it became clear that my thinking on this needed more detail and depth. I've been saying that it means students should be doing the learning tasks that make them stronger learners.

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Take responsibility. Once the learner realizes that he/she is responsible for his/her learning and success, then, he/she is on the correct path . Ruthlyn.

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Take responsibility. Once the learner realizes that he/she is responsible for his/her learning and success, then, he/she is on the correct path . Ruthlyn.

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https://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/teaching-professor-blog/getting-students-take-responsibility-learning/

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Time management is about making things happen, rather than having them happen to you. You need to get control!

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Time management is about making things happen, rather than having them happen to you. You need to get control!

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This resource includes planning around technology fails which impact your level of organization as an online learner. No matter what study habits you have put in place, without a plan B or backups to your work online, your efforts will be lost! From Villanova University. https://www.villanovau.com/resources/student-learning/how-to-stay-organized-in-classes-online/#.Wq_Du2r4_Gg

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Contrary to the beliefs of some students, online classes are not an excuse to take it easy. Online classes require just as much time and energy as on-campus classes, and it is vitally important to stay organized and on top of your assignments and exam preparations.

Furthermore, unlike in traditional classes, the responsibility for managing your learning environment and scheduling your time is entirely up to you, and can be overwhelming for students who do not take it seriously. For students struggling with ideas on how to get better organized, here are some tips that may help:

Create a dedicated workspace - Having a specific, well organized workspace can help your mind focus whenever you sit down to work. This space should be quiet and free of distractions, if possible.

Have a "Plan B" - If for some reason you can't work in your normal workspace, it is important to have a backup plan. A list of local cafes or libraries, for example, can help give you a sense of your options if you need a place to study.

Organize your inbox - Emails can pile up quickly, especially as you start to be included in group correspondence. To avoid getting overwhelmed, be sure to schedule some time every day to check and, if necessary, respond to any emails in your inbox, even on days when you are not expecting to receive work from a professor or have something due.

Stay ahead of schedule - While it may be tempting to wait until the last minute and do an assignment on the day before it's due, students should try to have things completed earlier to allow for more flexibility. Ideally, assignments should be finished a couple days before the deadline. You may feel less stressed knowing that if something comes up, your important work is already finished.

Take regular breaks - It is also important to budget your time effectively so you can take breaks when things become overwhelming. We can only concentrate for so long before our minds need rest; try not to push yourself too hard and allow yourself time to step away and rest periodically.

Use bookmarks - As you get used to completing assignments, you may find yourself using the same websites again and again. To save time, bookmark these websites and keep them in a place where you can easily access them whenever you have work to do.

Set reminders - Using the reminder and calendar functions on your phone can be another way to stay on top of tasks. If you have an important assignment coming up, schedule it in a planner and try using a timed reminder to help keep you on track.

Create backups - Technology failures can happen at any time, even if you have a newer computer, and a crashed hard drive is no excuse for a late assignment. Try to make sure that you always have an up-to-date backup of anything you're working on. A variety of free cloud-based storage solutions are available to help you keep everything in sync.

Have a Plan

With proper attention paid to your workspace and organizational strategy, transitioning into an online degree can be a smooth process. Remember to take things seriously: Working from home can be distracting for some people, and it is up to you to have strategies and backups in place if things start to get out of hand.

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How to Stay Organized While Taking Classes Online

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Contrary to the beliefs of some students, online classes are not an excuse to take it easy. Online classes require just as much time and energy as on-campus classes, and it is vitally important to stay organized and on top of your assignments and exam preparations.

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Getting organised in online learning  Kester Omoregie

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Getting organised in online learning  Kester Omoregie

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We need to create a productive Study Pace

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How to Create an Organized, Productive Study Space

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I found this graphic to be useful to remind me about what to do

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I found this graphic to be useful to remind me about what to do

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Have a question about job search?

ASK YOUR QUESTION HERE

Looking to pick up a new skill, but don’t have the time to do so? Do you want to go back to school but need to take some classes beforehand? Or, do you not want to go to school at all, but are looking to change careers? We’ve got the answer for all those problems: online classes.

They’re shorter than a college semester, they’re typically self-regulated, and they cover just about every skill, topic, or hobby you can possibly imagine.

But with this luxury comes great responsibility—mainly, the task of finding a site that works best for you. Have no fear, we’ve done all the hard work for you and compiled the ultimate list of resources that offer free, cheap, and quality classes right here on the internet.

Now all you have to do is sign up for one!

1. ALISON

ALISON has a large range of free, comprehensive classes on financial literacy, personal and soft skills, digital skills, entrepreneurship and then some. It targets all kinds of learners, from professionals and managers to teachers and freelancers.

2. Udemy

Udemy has plenty to offer for the learner on a budget, from completely free courses taught by experts, professors, entrepreneurs, and professionals, to frequent discounts and class specials. In addition to classes in tech, business, and marketing, you can also explore options in productivity, health, hobbies, and lifestyle.

3. Coursera

If you want to receive a college education without the high cost of tuition, Coursera is the best stop. This website offers amazing courses in all kinds of fields, from professional development to psychology, history, and literature—all created and taught by professors at top institutions nationally and across the globe. Their universities include Princeton, Johns Hopkins, Stanford, and plenty more.

4. edX

Just like Coursera, edX offers anyone, anywhere the chance to take university classes in various departments—and get certified. Some of their big partners include Harvard, Berkeley, Dartmouth, Georgetown, and the University of Chicago (and that’s not all!).

5. Udacity

Udacity focuses on software development, offering free courses in programming, data science, and web development. The website also offers a nanodegree program for individuals who want to master a skillset or pursue a full-time career in tech.

6. Lynda

By subscribing to Lynda, you’ll have access to thousands of courses in business, design, art, education, and tech. And it offers a free 10-day trial so you can test the waters!

7. General Assembly

General Assembly offers both online and in-person classes, as well as full-time and part-time options. It focuses mainly on digital skills, covering subjects such as digital marketing, iOS and Android development, data analytics, and JavaScript.

8. Skillshare

Skillshare provides “bite-sized” classes to learners who only have 15 minutes a day. It has over 500 free classes and several thousand premium classes to choose from in topics such as film, writing, tech, lifestyle, and more.

9. LearnSmart

LearnSmart’s orientated toward career development, which is why it’s a great place to learn about IT and security, project management, Office, HR, and business.

10. Codecademy

Codecademy wants to teach you how to, well, code—and for free. It covers all kinds of programming, including JavaScript, Ruby, HTML, CSS, and Python.

11. Pluralsight

After subscribing to Pluralsight (or using its free trial!), you’ll be able to explore classes in software, 3D development, VFX, design, game design, web design, and CAD software.

12. Adobe TV

Not sure how to use Photoshop or InDesign? Don’t worry, Adobe TV will walk you through all its programs with tutorials, manuals, and more.

13. FutureLearn

FutureLearn’s completely free, with classes taught by universities and special organizations. Its big topics are business and management, creative arts, law, health, politics, science, digital skills, sports and leisure, and teaching.

14. Academic Earth

And if you’re looking solely for academic classes, this website is perfect for you. It has courses in the arts, science, humanities, economics, computer science, and more, all for free.

Still don’t know where to start? Try Class Central—it personalizes your class search by asking you from the get-go what you’re interested in learning and from whom. Then, it pairs you with options from Coursera, edX, and other forums to find what best suits your needs, making the process even easier!

Photo of man sitting courtesy of Hero Images/Getty Images.

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As an Editor for The Muse, Alyse is proud to prove that yes, English majors can change the world. She calls many places home, including Illinois where she grew up and the small town of Hamilton where she attended Colgate University, but she was born to be a New Yorker. In addition to being an avid writer, Alyse loves to dance, both professionally and while waiting for the subway.

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Click below to see a great blog posting about a Five Step Strategy for students to be successful in the online environment.

https://onlinelearninginsights.wordpress.com/2012/09/28/five-step-strategy-for-student-success-with-online-learning/

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5 Tips to Organize Your Home Study Space

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5 Tips to Organize Your Home Study Space

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1. Organize studying materials
2. The importance of being comfortable
3. Keep your books close and your pencils closer
4. Get rid of any distractions
5. Motivation, motivation, motivation

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Are you over 50 and have just decided to continue your education? Maybe you wish to secure a peaceful retirement, or you're just keen on lifelong learning. Whatever the reason, going back to school is not easy, especially when you have been away from an educational environment for some time. Start from the beginning by organizing a study space in your home and creating an environment that will help you achieve your goal.

[Explore the world of online learning with degrees, certificates, and online courses.]

Here are some basics to get you started.

1. Organize studying materials

Start organizing your studying materials from day one, do not wait for them to pile up. Organizing your studying materials will keep you from wasting time on going through all of them to find the one you need. Place them in separate binders or drawers and label them clearly so you would know exactly what is in each binder/folder without opening them. Bulletin boards and calendars also help, not only to organize the materials, but your time as well. Post your course timetable and exams schedule on the board as a reminder.

2. The importance of being comfortable

Find a place in your home that you will turn into a study-only zone and arrange it so that you feel comfortable spending time there. One of the most important elements in your study room is the furniture. Namely, a good chair and desk to keep your posture up straight. Straight back will allow the oxygen in your body to flow freely, increasing your circulation and improving your concentration. Maybe throw a thick soft Zado rug under your feet to make them comfortable too. Position your desk so that natural light comes in from your writing hand side. If you study by night, buy a desk lamp and place it on the same side.

3. Keep your books close and your pencils closer

Find a convenient place on your desk for all those books and supplies that you will use most often. Some of the essentials that you should keep at hand are: a pencil holder with at least few pencils, sticky notes, paper clips, and highlighters. Those that you use rarely, get them off your desktop, as clutter is one of the major distractors. Consider placing them a few steps away from your desk. So, every time you need them, you will have to get up and stretch your legs. This will give you an instant boost of energy.

4. Get rid of any distractions

Number one distraction, as we mentioned, is clutter. Before you sit down and concentrate, tidy up your desk and the area around it, and return all things to their designated place. Unplug. If you have a job that requires you to be available all the time, this might be a problem. Otherwise, turn off your mobile phone, your TV, and ask your family for some quiet time. Try playing some soothing background music to block out any distracting noises. If you find the music distracting as well, use earbuds or headphones.

5. Motivation, motivation, motivation

This is not an easy path that you have chosen and no matter how determined you are, chances are that you will occasionally ask yourself if you really needed it all. When this happens, you will need something to motivate you to keep going. Write down your motives on a piece of paper and post them in a place where you can see them. Whenever in doubt, look up and remind yourself that you are doing this for yourself and for a chance of a better future: a new job, a higher pay, secure retirement, or personal growth.

Hopefully, these tips will make your decision seem easier. Test them to see if they work for you.
Lana Hawkins is an architecture student and a food lover from Sydney, Australia. She contributes regularly for Smooth Decorator, and loves reading about sustainable design. She loves spending her free time cooking for her friends, or outdoors, cycling.

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5 Tips to Organize Your Home Study Space

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Are you over 50 and have just decided to continue your education? Maybe you wish to secure a peaceful retirement, or you're just keen on lifelong learning. Whatever the reason, going back to school is not easy, especially when you have been away from an educational environment for some time.

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Hello- to add a post to the wall, double-click in any open space and a text book like this should open for you.

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Hello- to add a post to the wall, double-click in any open space and a text book like this should open for you.