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Monday, August 30, 2010

1st Week Back to School

     So, I have decided to go back to school after 15 years due to the fact that my husband is no longer able to work. He has lost alot of vision in his eyes and is now legally blind. Also, my son is legally blind since the age of 2. I am wanting to better our lives by getting my degree.  I am taking online classes because between my family and my job this seemed to be the best choice for me. I have finished my first week in school. There have been so many things I have learned about myself this week. I have learned some great strategies that will help me succeed in my courses throughout college.
http://www.braintrack.com/college-and-work-news/articles/study-challenges-conclusions-of-online-education-report-10071602


     Now, I have been introduced to Moodle. I have to admit when I first heard the name I was nervous. I did not really know what to expect. But after watching videos to introduce me to Moodle, I was feeling alot better. Hopefully before too long, I will be a pro at it.
     One thing that I have found out is that I am a visual learner. This means that I do better by reading and seeing everything. I will have to definitely take lots of notes. Also, I plan to make study guides and take any available online quizzes or tests. I am going to have to adjust my time, so that I make sure to allow plenty for my classwork. I will not be able to procrastinate. I think by using these strategies, my work will be more manageable.



http://studygs.net/visual.htm






  
     I was very interested in an article I read about plagiarism. It was "Plagiarism Lines Blur for Students in Digital Age" by Trip Gabriel (http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/02/education/02cheat.html). I did not realize how common it had become with all the technology that is available. When I was in school we went to libraries or researched from books. Now it has become so easy to cut and paste that lots of students just don't give credit when they should. It made me realize how far technology has come since I had last been in school.

 
      Overall, I think my first week was a success. Mainly because I survived! But, I feel good knowing that I got all my assignments finished. Now it's the start of a second week. I'm still nervous about being able to get everything done, but I think by applying what I've learned this week I will be fine.