#i was a student notetaker last semester

[nyaacatboy]

me: hi disability services at my university, i would like two (2) accomodations that would make my life much easier, please and thank you

disability services: best i can do is academic coaching and telling you you have the wrong disability for the accomodations you've requested

[gretavanbear]

The Professor - Joshua Kiszka x F!Reader

[hello :) welcome to my new fic! i hope you all enjoy! I want to thank Allie for inspiring me to write this fic, Molly and Alex for helping me with it, and J my #1 Josh fic supporter!]

SCREENING #1: Citizen Kane

As you carefully selected your application for university, you decided on which classes to take. There were a great variation of different courses available to you due to your selected program; Film Studies. Originally, it wasn’t in your plans to go to university, but you allowed to let yourself be convinced by your favorite high school teacher.

You had just finished unpacking your belongings in your dorm room last night and today you were nervously getting ready for your first class. You decided to dress comfortably for today, the nerves from your expectations for this semester took over you. An oversized AC/DC hoodie with leggings was the safest choice for you. You slipped on your old white vans and grabbed your backpack, which contained your laptop and a notebook. 

You entered the amphitheater shaped classroom which was filled by about twenty people, yet it must've sat at least two hundred. You decided to sit near the front; thinking about how it’ll be easier for you to focus if you aren’t far from the screen. You placed your backpack onto the empty seat next to you, placing your computer onto the little desk in front of you and turning it on. You set up a document for your notetaking and as you set up your workspace on your laptop, you didn’t realize the person who was arriving at the front of the class. 

He looked young, maybe mid-twenties? He had brown curly hair, a short goatee that framed his face perfectly, and round glasses that covered his pretty chocolate eyes. He wore a white long sleeve tee with beige pants and some high top white vans, and a long necklace that reached his stomach. He held a soft-ish aura around him, making him appear so gentle. 

You checked the time on the upper right screen of your computer and realize class had started about five minutes ago. Where’s the professor? You asked yourself as your eyes scanned the room, though they dashed straight to the front as a low, raspy voice emerged, accompanied by some microphone feedback. 

“Good afternoon, lovely people.” his raspy voice took over the room, though as low as it was he still sounded very soft. He was met with silence from your classmates, but it didn’t stop him. 

“My name is Joshua” He cleared his throat. “Josh. You may refer to me with either of those. I am your professor for this course, and I am very excited to teach you guys about the fundamentals of film! Or as seen through your course’s official name… Film Topics 101. We can all agree that name sounds fucking boring.” he chuckled a little which made you smile. He walked around the stage at the front of the class, instantly comfortable in front of all these people. 

“So, for this fifteen week course, my goal is for you guys is to understand the way films are made and why that is important. If you guys could just look up at the screen here, we’ll go over the syllabus together.” He spoke as he jumped down from the stage and walked over to the podium which had a computer on it, he pulled out the syllabus and presented it to the classroom on the big screen. 

You watched Joshua intently as he explained the syllabus, your brain melted at the sound of his voice. How could he look so soft and sound so raspy? He seemed very kind and understanding from the way he presented himself. He spoke with a soft smile, maybe to appear more friendly to the students in his classroom and it was comforting. 

As he finished presenting the syllabus, he walked up to the stage and sat on the edge, taking a moment to drink out of his dark green hydro flask, and then looked around the room for a couple seconds. You couldn’t take your eyes off of him, until his brown eyes made eye contact with you. You felt the heat rise to your cheeks and your heartbeat quicken as he flashed you a small smile before clearing his throat and preparing himself to speak again. 

“For today’s screening, I’ve decided to put Citizen Kane on our schedule.” he paused as a couple students sighed loudly in the classroom, the sound making you huff out of annoyance at their cocky-ness. Personally, you loved that film. “I know.. I know.. But Jooosh we’re film students we alllll saw it already.” He mimicked a whine. “That’s too bad, we’re going to watch it, and then discuss it after the screening. I hope to see you all after that” He spoke, turning off his microphone and setting it down on the podium on the left side of the room. You watched him take a seat in the front of the classroom as the opening shot of the film flashed on the screen. 

The lights turned back on slowly as the credits rolled across the screen, and Joshua got up to announce a fifteen minute break. You watched your peers leave the classroom and as you turned your head back to the front, Joshua stood in front of you hesitantly. 

“Hey there.” He smiled gently. 

You cleared your throat nervously and watched him sit down on a seat in front of you, facing you and flashing you that pretty smile. 

“Hello” you spoke softly, fidgeting with your hands. 

“What’s your name?” He asked, his eyes fixed on you as he waited for an answer. You couldn’t help but smile at him, the way he looked at you made you feel so welcomed in his classroom. 

You tell him your name, followed by “it’s nice to meet you, Joshua” you said gently and he grinned at your name, finally being able to put a name to your pretty face. 

He repeats your name to himself softly, smiling at the sound. 

“What’d you think of the movie?” he leans in slightly, exposing his interest as to what you’re going to respond with. 

“Well.. It’s Citizen Kane” you chuckle, watching him reciprocate the action. “I think.. we’ve all seen it. But, one thing that stands out to me in this movie is the framing. I really love the framing of the characters. I believe Welles did a really good job at positioning the viewer in a place where they can understand Charles’ life story.” You rambled about the film nervously, wondering if he agrees with you. He pauses for a second, listening to your words and replaying them in his head. 

“Spot on. You, my dear, are going to do great in this class.” He smiled, exhaling a little out of his nose as he got up, watching everyone come back in the room. 

“Welcome back! So, what we’re going to do is have a class discussion regarding the film we watched today. Why do you think I decided to put this on the syllabus?” Josh spoke into the microphone, the feedback squeaking a little as the room adjusted to his voice. 

“Yeah, you?” He nodded up at someone who was sat towards the back of the room. 

“Because it’s the movie that created the film industry?” 

“Oh! Great answer! Not the one I was looking for though. Anyone else?” Josh smiled at the person, then his eyes landed on you. In resolution, you hesitantly raised your hand and waited for him to address you. 

He says your name excitedly, followed by “Yes?” He smiled eagerly at what you’re going to say. 

“I was going to say the camera work of the film? If you watch the way Welles decided to frame his characters, it speaks a lot about the position of said characters.” You hesitated, keeping your voice low in case it wasn’t the right answer. 

“Yes! Thank you.” Josh smiled at you. 

You heard someone behind you cough and mumble ‘teacher’s pet’ and Josh shot them a quick glare before addressing the classroom once again. 

“We should focus on the framing of the camera and its effects in a movie. Ask yourself, why did the director choose this angle? Why did he keep that object in the frame? Why is it important to the movie?” He explained, walking around on the stage as he spoke. You nodded slightly at his words; looking down at the screen of your computer and typing out the answers to his questions.

You rarely ever spoke up in class. Maybe it was the way Joshua looked at you, the way he smiled when you decided to say something. He could tell you were nervous, and his brown eyes eased you into the comfort of communicating your thoughts. 

“For next class, I want you all to think about the work that goes behind creating a film; why does a film require so much thought behind it? I want you guys to place yourselves in the point of view of the director when watching a movie or a television show, think about what you’d do differently and we’ll talk about it next class! Good evening guys.” Josh smiled as he turned off the microphone, clearing his throat and taking another sip from his hydro flask. 

You started cleaning up your things, placing your computer in your bag and getting up from your seat. As Josh heard you place your bag on your shoulders, he gave you a little wave and you reciprocated the action, shooting him a soft smile. 

{taglist : @joshsbadussy @alyson814 @ageoffleeet @ashabeannn @schleeble @kennygvf @brokenbe11s @myownparadise96  @gretavansteph @l0vep0ti0ns @welllauragvf @misshunnybee @succeedingsigns @myfavfics01 @whorefourjakekiszka @not-a-hypochondriac @myleftsock @leedleleedlelee003 @beth-gvf @groupiegirlie08 @jordie-gvf @joshkiszkas @oksydneyy @lek-gvf @rad-space-princess @milkgemini }

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[pecadosarepiling]

How did Dani end up at the Lounge?

While yes her dear Seilos is also a patron there, he was not the one to introduce to the Zabrak beauty to the others.

@storm89 @pixiestookourstardust @eyecandyeoz @by-the-primes @gran-maul-seizure @stardustbee

No, this began when Danica in search of knowledge and with a clever knack of sneaking into places sat in on the lectures of one Professor Vorka’adan, to no surprise one of the only Chiss members of the faculty. A hue of blue that reminded her of ocean water and black hair with a distinct streak of gray. Danica always glanced towards him. A set of glasses always perched about his nose. He was handsome Dancia admitted to herself, then again she did have a penchant for eyeing Chiss.

His classes were small, however the lecture halls were more than abundant in their space, Danica took to hiding away in the back. Scribbling away notes. She listened with great interest to what the Chiss Professor had to share. Oh how envious she was of the enrolled students…

She was found out at the end of the second week.

“This is not one of the courses that could be audited, Miss.” it was another of the students who more or less sneered at the zabrak. “Professor, you have a unneeded guest.”

Danica glared at the student who walked past with a triumphant smile.

The Professor walked over as Danica stepped out, discovered she was. “Miss I fear we must ask you…”

He looked at her, he had met Irodians…but this young woman. Bright red and with even darker red markings upon her face. A arrangement horns underneath soft curls, he would claim it was more as if she had a ivory crown. She was lovely…

“I meant no harm.” She apologies in Chenuh. Her voice was like velvet. Smooth and alluring.

“You speak Chenuh!” His gaze softened. A beauty and versed in such a language?

She smiles gently, “ A friend taught me…I do apologize sir, I just wanted to hear more. I know it’s not allowed but i just wanted to know.” She showed him her notes. Beautiful written and with annotations and questions all arranged. Truly a scholar. He dare say she would make a great assistant and of course a note taker for the advanced courses.

He would not wish to deprive such a hungry mind but rules were rules.

“You could enroll the next semester.” He attempted. “It’s too late for you to enroll at this time.”

Her smile cast into a frown, “ I am not a student here.”

“That’s very unfortunate.”

Her frown lingered and she took the notebook, “ Thank you Professor, it was nice while it lasted.”

“Wait miss…”

She turned back from the doorway, eyes bright and hopeful, “ perhaps you can be the class note taker…enrollment would not be required.”

She smile at that, a little half smile that set the day right.

“Well then if it’s possible I should introduce myself, Miss Danica Oppress.”

——

The student who had so confidently discovered Danica was stunned to see the young woman seated in front. How?!

“Everyone, Miss Oppress will be our class notetaker, do not assume that means you are excused from taking notes yourselves. She is doing so in behalf of student accommodations, but should you have a question it is likely she has it written down. “

Danica shot the student a smirk before giving everyone else a sweet smile.

“Oh she’s a cute one.”

“Hello Miss Oppress…”

—-

“Two of your students already asked me out.” She told him as she turned in a copy of the notes. Impeccable work.

“My they work fast.”

“Poor things were so disappointed to learn I’m married.” She said nonchalantly turning to a new page for notes.

“You’re married.” He repeated, trying not to let disappointment cloud it.

“I can say I’m married…” she said with a sigh.

Troubles marriage? What could it be?

“Should you ever feel want to share I’m here to listen.”

—-

Their relationship was steady, a flourishing friendship that consisted of deep discussions Over the lecture material as well as a bottle of wine decanted so the two could vent.

Ka’adan had learned much about Danica and not much at all. The biggest being…she could say she was married but that was the extent.

A fool to leave her. That was what he gathered.

He gave a comforting chat and a shoulder for her to rest on.

—-

It was a vintage wine and enthralling discussion over the literature that lead to a less than planned moment of passion.

Neither resisted and before they could stop themselves their clothes were all about Ka’-Adans office. Danica moaned as she was bent over his desk.

The sound of the desk scrapping slightly against the floor was telling…

He was atop her. Kissing her shoulders and thrusting his hips.

Friends with benefits became the term they used.

—-

It was after this encounter that Ka’adan learned that Danica’s appetite for the flesh was very much in need.

Take notes. Review. A drink sometimes, having a good bout of sex and call it a afternoon….

It was a fine arrangement…

“Really why don’t you enroll?” He has wanted to ask as she seemed to have no qualms about faculty.

“Tuition…rent…” a shy look, “ I’m trying to get funds.” A blush. “The holonet is lucrative.”

It took him only a few moments to realize what she meant. He felt only slightly ashamed to look it up later. Truly lucrative…

“ I can help, a scholarship for someone like you would be helpful.”

She knew he meant her previous academics, the Star pupil, always rivaling that boy he hears so much about, Ava, she would say with such sorrow.

A first love?

She geared toward humor, “ Oh Ka’adan I don’t think giving professors good blowjobs would suffice for a academic scholarship.”

The Chiss blushes purple, “ Danica! You know very well I don’t mean that.”

She laughed, “I know I know.”

He sighed, “ I’ll do whatever I can to help you.”

She smiles at him, thank you on her lips.

——

“Here..” a box is presented to her, it’s contents have her gasping. A beautiful blue Satin gown….

“You shouldn’t have!”

“If you wish you can wear it tonight. There’s a place I want to take you too.” Ka’adaan waits as she prepares. As he knew it she looked beautiful beyond compare.

“Ah black tie? Truly you are spoiling me tonight .”

—-

The Lounge was all it was referred to, with a non descript building entrance and a elevator to take you to the main lobby. Danica was in awe. As if walking past in time. The art deco of gold elements and fan designs on the walls.

Where was Ka’adan taking her?

“Welcome Vorka’adan, we have been expecting you. Is this your guest you’ve been mentioning?” The host asked.

Danica felt her jaw drop slightly, another chiss?

“Yes, Awen this is Miss Danica. I suspect the other guests are here?”

“Yes right this way.”

—

A set of ornate doors and Danica is transported far away into a lounge. Glamor and the grandeur of the decor had her taken back. It was also the guests that had her mesermized…the familiar red eyes glowing and shades of blue all about. They dined and chatted at luxurious booths. Delicate glasses set upon tables…

“Everyone here is chiss?!” She whispered.

“Well mostly…there’s some special guests that are regulars. Possibly if you like tonight maybe even you?”

She glanced everywhere. Thankful for the dark red of her skin. A blush was bubbling. So many handsome chiss…

“Come along, there’s some Id like for you to meet.”

—-

To say the meeting was a triumph was an understatement. Danica was dazzling the guests with her perfect use of Chenuh and challenging more than one chiss to a debate.

“Ka’adan, truly did not do you justice. We thought he made you up!”

“I must admit Miss Oppress you are truly a gem.”

Danica was giddy. Getting compliments and praise from the group of Chiss. It did not help that she also continued to have champagne. The delicate flute emptying once more and her flirting becoming more and more heavy.

Danica started innocently, and with more champagne her flirtations becoming more pronounced.

She could not help it…surrounded by so many. A hand on her knee, she moved up to her thigh. She pouted her lips to tempt a kiss and she giggled when one kissed her cheek.

“ Kaadan mentioned you needed some help? We may be able to help if you like Miss…”

Her buzzed brain realized what was being proposed….

“Only if you want and with only your full consent.”

Danica should feel some sort of guilt, something akin to regret…but no. Nothing of the sort occurred…

She counted. 1. 2. 3 and 4 counting Kaadan.

“I’ll record, if you wish.” Kaadan proposed.

Danica counted again. 1 . 2 .3

—-

Private rooms in the Lounge told Danica that this place was more than a dinner and bar and it’s patrons spared no expense….

—

She was kissed deeply as two others removed her clothes. She moaned as they touched her and explored her.

“You’ve brought us a goddess.”

Danica blushed, “ Well if that’s so, I should be worshipped like one.”

—-

One cock deep in her cunt. Another she sucked off. The third happily being handled.

Danica was thrilled. All her nerves aflame and the second of many orgasms starting to rise.

“Stars, how can one only have you once?”

Danica thrilled in that, and rolled her hips causing the chiss to groan. “ Ahh you minx.”

—-

She lost track on how many times she was passed around, she just happily accepted being filled with a cock throughout the night…

She awoke refreshed and on clean sheets. A tray of breakfast set on the bed and a vase of 3 red roses.

Kaadan arrived with a cup of coffee.

Danica couldn’t look him in the eye, “ I don’t know what came over me.”

“Desires of the flesh…”

She blushed harder, “ to such a extent.”

“Well Miss Danica, your desires are others…” he handed her data pad. Danicas eyes widened…so many credits…

Not enough for tuition but not a bad start, “your performance on the holonet, is indeed lucrative.”

Danica considered it, “ If I continue I could make tuition…and probably also if more I could ensure my expenses are taken care of…and books…even rent…”

She blushed and looked to Ka’adan, “ would it be alright if I could be your guest again?”

“My dear Danica, the Lounge already welcomes you as a honorary member…”

And so her time at the Lounge began…

[trixree]

As a professor, what tips do you have for notetaking in class? Or just tips for getting the most out of college classes in general. What do professors want to see?

Ooooo this is a good question and unfortunately, I don't have a very nice or neat answer! Ultimately, it depends on the course.

I'll clarify what I mean with a few examples... So, I taught a few sections of an introductory biology lab last semester and I'll be teaching a few sections of a bioethics recitation in this upcoming Spring term. These are two very differnet sorts of classes. The former is more traditionally STEM with an emphasis on a short lecture/presentation (10-20 minutes of content) and then the rest of the time dedicated to group lab-work. In this course, my recommendation to students was to take really good notes during warm-ups. For us, this looked like exam-type practice questions and lab-style practice questions. In a course where you are evaluated primarily on your ability to solve/answer questions, you will most likely be best served by practicing solving those questions. Lots of big lectures utilize some form of Clickers or Kahoot to get students comfortable with material - it was most helpful to me to take notes on these questions. Write them out (either on a device or by-hand, whatever works for you) and take some notes about how you should go about solving them/thinking about them.

Now, for a seminar/discussion/socratic style course more like what I'll be doing in the Spring, I'll highlight two things. One, if you're being asked to read ANYTHING (papers, studies, books, essays, etc.) annotate that shit. Either print out a copy or use a PDF-editor to highlight and jam-pack your margins full of thoughts, feelings, and questions. You truly digest so much more content when you actively engage your brain in annotation. Lost on what, exactly, you should be annotating? Here's a list of suggestions to get you started:

Is the author making an argument? Highlight, underline, or otherwise mark places where they do so.

Don't understand something? Write your question down in the margins!

Find something really frustrating/annoying/disagreeable? Mark it in your margins!

Find something really interesting/engaging/cool? Mark it in your margins!

Two, for in-class notes, you can do a few different things and still reap a bountiful intellectual harvest. I'll be real with you, I never really took "notes" in discussion/seminar type courses. I'm naturally chatty and I have a pretty good memory, so I didn't really need to write much down and I found that doing so distracted me from the actual conversation happening. But if that's not for you, I'd recommend jotting down concepts/themes that reoccur during discussion, things that make you go "yes, amazing! That's so well-put!" and things that make you go "jesus fuck, who let you out in the wild with that perspective?"

Hopefully this is somewhat useful to you, anon! And if others have suggestions they want to chime in with, please do! Ultimately, I'd encourage you to go talk to your professors and ask them this question directly. Different teachers have different ways of teaching and evaluating and might have their own recommendations taylored specifically to the way that they do things. Most professors (if they aren't assholes) will be delighted that you asked and happy to give you pointers!

[little-study-corner]

The new semester is coming up! Whether you’re excited or nervous this post is to help you feel ready and prepared for what’s ahead.

1. Reflect on Last Semester and Make New Goals

what went well last semester?

what didn’t go well?

how can you change to make this semester better?

how can you be more organized or manage your time better?

what are your personal goals for the new semester- do you want to improve your attendance, your homework completion, make more friends etc.?

*write all this down and keep it as a reference to stay motivated throughout the semester

2. Decluttering

recycle old homework and papers

sell textbooks that you won’t need

delete old digital files you no longer want

clean out your backpack if you need to

3. Know Your Notetaking and Studying Strategy

figure out where you are going to take your class notes

are you going to handwrite or type them?

what studying methods are you going to use- flashcards, practice tests etc?

*knowing this will help you figure what school supplies you will need

4. Make a Budget and Buy Supplies

Create a budget that works for you

Include everything you need- if you need a new desk or textbooks, or even new clothes include those in your budget as well

Take note of the things you already own as to avoid overspending

Shop around on different websites and look for the lowest price

5. Create a Studying Space

if you have a desk, maybe redecorate it as motivation to study there

create storage for your new supplies

make sure you have good lighting and that everything you need at hand and is easily accessible

6. Gain Some Motivation and Inspiration

write about the type of student you want to be, what mindset you want to have

pick a quote(s) to write in your school notebooks that are encouraging

create a board on Pinterest or create a mood board of images that inspire you as a student

I hope everyone enjoys the rest of their summer and has a good school year!

The picture above is not mine I got it here.

[biggest-gaudiest-patronuses]

Do you have any advice on revising with The Depression and The Executive Dysfunction? I am,,,, v bad at making myself do school work. It is v hard.

oh that’s a tough one. disclaimer: i’m speaking only from personal experiences, i have no professional qualifications, so use your own judgement too. 

it’s been a while since i’ve been in school, and most of the habits i had were unhealthy in the long run. i started as an overachieving student but ultimately performed poorly b/c my mental system and motivation (aka fear & stress) were not longterm sustainable. so if you’re not just asking for tips about operating on a tight timeframe: 

I cannot emphasize enough the importance of seeking a good counsellor + medication management. especially if your school offers mental health services (which most places should) that specialize in helping w/ student needs. the only reason i passed my last college semester was b/c of weekly therapy. 

there are also tutoring/counsellor services that special in helping students w/ executive function (although that’s not usually what it’s called. look for tutoring services specialize in ‘organization’ help). 

in some places mental health/functioning issues will qualify you for disability/accessibility resources, such as extended time, a notetaker, extra help, etc. 

honestly, academic environments are toxic to everyone’s mental health. You need a longterm plan & a support team. This is not something you can, or should, be doing on your own.

but i know these are all hard to implement, so here are some shorter term tips:

TURN IN INCOMPLETE ASSIGNMENTS. making a 40% on an assignment is only technically ‘failing’. IT MAKES AN ENORMOUS DIFFERENCE IN YOUR FINAL GRADE. and teachers genuinely appreciate you turning in incomplete work as opposed to nothing.

one thing that save me was just scrolling through my masterlist until i found something i felt able to do. ‘essay…no i cannot do that. lab…i am not going to do that…no…no….no….problem set, actually i could do some of that right now’

just find something your brain can do at the moment.

study around people. library, coffee shop, wherever. find a regular study place. studies show people literally focus better if they’re sitting at a table silently across from someone, as opposed to at a table alone. obviously not always true, but it’s a good thing to remember if you’re having trouble concentrating.

similarly, try to study in places you reserve for studying, as opposed to places you use to relax. switching to a ‘work’ space literally tells your brain ‘time to taskswitch’

join study groups. especially for large projects e.g. term papers. even if you’re only working individually, this is a good way to stay accountable. 

take pass/fail when you can. ultimately you just need to get the credit.

when choosing your curriculum, always give yourself at least one ‘easy’ class, and something you can skip when you need the time.

EXPLAIN YOUR SITUATION TO YOUR INSTRUCTORS. 

similarly, give yourself permission to ask for help. 

I’m low-functioning atm so this is a mess, but i swear i’ve written more coherently about this before. it’s somewhere under the tag ‘depression’ and maybe ‘study tips’ if anyone can find a better post

[addierose444]

Paperless Student? An Update

One of my all-time most popular posts was about being a paperless student. In this post, I'll be providing an update on my current paper use as a student now that I am back in in-person classes. It is also an update on the post I wrote last fall on the apps I use in remote college. I still try to be as paperless as possible, but unfortunately, some of my professors print stuff out for us or require us to turn in hard copies. The core products continue to be Microsoft OneNote for notes, Google Drive for files, Microsoft Lens for scanning, and PDF Expert for reading and annotating PDFs. A web application and Chrome extension that I have recently discovered is Speechify which converts text-to-speech. This post is broken into sections for each of my courses. For the full list of my current courses, click here. In a future post, I’ll update you all on my current time and task management systems as there have been some significant changes. 

CSC 220

All of our assignments are completed digitally as this is a web programming class. I have been writing code in Visual Studio Code and have been using MAMP as my local webserver. My file transfer protocol (FTP) client is Cyberduck. As for notetaking, I type up my tutorial and lecture notes in OneNote. Rather than use a textbook, we’ve been completing lots of tutorials on a website called W3Schools. 

CSC 223

Our readings and other assignments for this class have been digital so far, but we may end up sketching a few things on paper. We are learning Ruby on Rails and had to install a bunch of software to get everything up and running. The terminal I use is a Linux distribution called Ubuntu. (I also occasionally use this for CSC 220). My text editor of choice is Sublime Text. We also make use of GitHub. During class, I take handwritten notes on my iPad (in OneNote of course). My reading notes are typed up in OneNote and my reading reflections are typed up in Google Docs.

EGR 320

This class is why I can no longer claim to be a paperless student. We get hard copies of all the slide decks and worksheets and must turn in hard copies of our homework on engineering paper. We even need to print out our MATLAB code and figures. I do actually use the paper handouts, but also take some handwritten notes on my iPad while watching the pre-class videos. As for textbook notes, I type them up. Upon getting my homework turned back, I scan the pages (using Microsoft Lens) and upload them to my Google Drive. One nice thing about this class and its paper use is that the professor provided us with a nice binder and dividers to use. For now, I am using my own 1-inch binder, but I’ll probably have to transfer things to the class issue 1.5-inch binder soon as I’m running out of space. We were also given physical textbooks to use for the semester, but I prefer to read the PDF version on my iPad.

EGR 390dc

Like EGR 320, homework must be complete on engineering paper. Fortunately, I don’t need to turn in a hard copy and can simply scan my homework and then upload it to Moodle (and Google Drive for safekeeping). For lab work, we use the Arduino IDE and Spyder (installed via Anaconda) which is a Python IDE. In order to program the Arduinos with Python code, we use a library called pySerial. I do my actual lab write-ups in Google Docs. Fortunately, we were provided with a PDF textbook that I read on my iPad. Just last class we started getting paper handouts in class, but I opted to continue taking handwritten notes on my iPad. I did have to frequently add screenshots from the lecture slides as there were circuit diagrams that would have taken too long to draw neatly. Like most of my other classes, my textbook notes are typed.

ENX 100

For this class, I read and annotate the readings on my iPad in the PDF Expert app. (I first download the files from Moodle and then upload them to GoogleDrive). As for my response papers, I write them up in Google Docs. During our first lecture, I typed up a few notes in OneNote. Since we’ve only met twice, I am still figuring out my systems for this class. 

ESS 945sp

In this class, my journal and weekly papers are typed up in Google Docs. My Fitbit (and the corresponding app) have also been helpful digital tools for tracking my workouts.

ITL 205

Just like in ENX 100, I read and annotate the PDF readings in PDF Expert. Our quizzes are on paper, but we don’t get them back so it doesn’t bother me. So far, I haven’t been taking notes as I prefer to engage fully with the lecture and don’t need to remember super specific and obscure facts to be successful. I have been bringing a paper notebook just in case because the professor really doesn’t want people on electronic devices.

[study-blr]

Laptop choosing guide for students!

I know it can be overwhelming to try and pick one laptop from the sea of choices you have, so here’s a guide to make it a little easier!

GENERAL USE/ESSENTIAL SPECS:

This is the bare minimum you want to have in your laptop so it doesn’t die halfway through a semester:

Memory: 4GB 

Storage: 500GB HDD

Processor: Intel i3

Display: 1366x786

Screen size: 13.5″

Good for: Surfing, playing videos, typing, data storage. Just a decent consumer laptop will last a few years.

Price point: $250-$500

Examples: ASUS chromebook, Intel premium, HP 15

ULTRAPORTABLE LAPTOPS:

These are a good idea if you only plan to use your laptop for light notetaking, or if you need a backpack-friendly machine to supplement your bigger one at home. These usually tend to run smaller, and heat up more easily.

$375 Lenovo ThinkPad Yoga

Intel Core i5 processor, 4gb ram, 128gb SSD, HD 5000 graphics

720p touchscreen display, 3.5 lbs, 11 hr battery life

Heats up easily, but good thinkpad build

$550 Asus Zenbook

Intel i3 processor, 8GB of ram, 256 GB SSD, HD 515 graphics

1080p IPS touchscreen, 3.0 lbs, 12 hr battery life

Generally good laptop, value for money

$700 - Asus Zenbook UX330

Kaby lake i5 processor, 8GB of ram, 256GB SSD, HD 520 graphics

1080p IPS display, 2.6lbs, 12 hour battery

Sleek, scratch resistant body

$1000 - Microsoft Surface Book

Skylake i5 processor, 8GB of ram, 128GB SSD, Intel HD 520 graphics

4K IPS display, 3.5lbs, up to 16 hours battery life

Arguably one of the better 2-in-1s on the market, great build quality and battery life.

$1400 - 2017 Macbook Pro 13" - 13.3"

Intel Core i5 processor, 8GB ram, 256GB SSD, Intel Iris plus 640 graphics

1440p IPS retina display, 3.0 lbs, 10 hr battery

Good build, trackpad, and battery life. I mean it’s a Macbook xD

$1700 - ASUS UX490 - 14”

Specs include Intel Kaby lake i7 processor, 16GB ram, 512GB SSD, Intel HD Graphics

1080p IPS display, 2.4 lbs, 9 hour battery life

Comes with a finger print scanner, has a spill proof keyboard, and is virtually indestructible

HEAVY DUTY/GAMING LAPTOPS:

$350 - Acer E15 - 15.6''

Kaby Lake i3 processor, 4gb of ram, 1TB HDD, HD 620 graphics

1080p display (TN), 5.3 lbs, 12 hr advertised battery

Works for light gaming, can handle DOTA/WoW, but the fan will go crazy

$710 - Dell Inspiron 7567 - 15.6''

Core i5-6300HQ processor, 8GB of ram, 256gb SSD, GTX 960M

1080p IPS display, 5.7 lbs, 10 hour battery life

Again, prone to overheating but has up gradable RAM to help with the speed

$870 - Asus FX502VM - 15.6''

Quad core i5-6300HQ processor, 16gb of ram, 1TB HDD, GTX 1060 dGPU

1080p TN display, 4.9 lbs, 5 hr battery life

Bad TN display, but otherwise incredible at given price point. Upgradable to IPS

$1050 - Acer Predator Helios 300 - 15.6"

Kaby Lake i7-7700HQ processor, 16gb ram, 256gb SSD, GTX 1060 dGPU

1080p IPS display, 5.6 lbs, 6 hr advertised battery life

Great value for money

$2500 - Alienware AW17Rr - 17.3''

Kaby Lake i7-7820HK processor, 32gb ram, 256gb SSD + 1TB HDD, GTX 1080

120Hz 1440p IPS display, 9.7 lbs, 3 hour battery life

Amazing display, great CPU/GPU build quality

$4000 - Razer Blade Pro - 17.3''

Specs include Quad core i7-7820 HQ processor, 32gb ram, 1TB SSD, GTX 1080 dGPU

4k IPS display, 7.7 lbs, 3 hr advertised battery life

Extremely well reviewed, extremely high end gaming laptop. Very sleek, very powerful

I hope this helped. If you’d like a more specific recommendation then fill out the following form, and I’ll try to help:

Budget

2-in-1?

Battery life?

How important is portability/weight?

Gaming? Video editing?

Any other specs you’d be willing to pay extra for?

[thecampusghost]

ATTENTION COLLEGE/ UNIVERSITY STUDENTS TRYING TO MAKE AN EXTRA $100-$400+ A SEMESTER FOR MINIMAL EFFORT!!!

I’ve been meaning to make this post for a while but have been lazy and putting it off... so I’ll post it now. Last semester I received an email from a classmate. In the email, the person claimed to be an “Elite Notetaker” for studysoup.com and included a link to their notes for the week. Because I was curious, I clicked on their link and stumbled upon the easiest way to make money that I have ever found.

Studysoup is a platform through which you post notes/flashcards/studyguides, share them with your classmates, and get paid for them. Yeah. It’s literally that simple. Whether they’re typed notes or written notes, you can make up to about $400 each semester for uploading them. This isn’t a scam or something too good to be true. I’m lazy as hell, yet by doing the bare minimum (by Studysoup’s standards) I made about $200 last semester.

The above shot is of the first two steps of being a Studysoup Elite Notetaker (oh, when I said I did the bare minimum maybe I did a little more than that because this is the absolute bare minimum). Just by listing three courses (sadly you can only earn for three classes per semester) that you will be taking that term and completing Studysoup’s checklist (which consists of simple tasks like confirming your email and whatnot) you’ll start off with $50 already that you can cash out. 

After this, you get paid a certain amount each time you upload a study guide for an exam. It’s really only exam/ test study guides that you get paid for. You get paid for your notes based on the number of views and downloads they get (and you get paid a bonus for them at the end of the semester). After you upload your study guides (this has to be done three days before the test date that you confirm on Studysoup), you will get an email to schedule a conference call with a Studysoup representative. The rep. will then talk to you about what you did well or what you could improve on with your notes. Once the call has ended, the representative will approve for you to get paid and you can go ahead and cash out.

You have the option of getting paid through PayPal or a direct bank deposit. And the money usually appears within 24 hrs. after cashing out.

So... yeah... that’s it. Happy money making! And if you want to sign up, please use my reference code [here] and we’ll both get paid $5.

[studying-is-in-my-genes]

Hi everyone! I've been around for a while, but I'm not very active on here so I figured I'd post a delayed introduction.

My name is Amalie and I am a sophomore in Barrett Honors College at ASU.

I am double majoring in Biological Sciences (Genetics) and Spanish Literature. I took many AP exams in high school, so talk to me if you need advice!

I will be working in a Bee lab on campus! I'm so excited for this because I love bees more than life! My school has a really awesome Social Insect Research Group. They all have their offices and labs on the same floor in my favorite building

I'll be working as an ambassador for the recruiting department of the honors college which I'm also very excited for! I'm super passionate about all the programs they have available for students, so I can't wait to show that to prospective freshman

I've also taken 20 credits hours last semester. Word of advice: don't fricking do it. Like ever. Unless it's absolutely necessary. I'll write a more in depth post on this later

I'm going to be studying abroad this upcoming summer! I received a scholarship, so I'll be going to Spain!

I decided that one language wasn't enough, so I'm trying to learn Norwegian off of Duolingo.

I am a notetaker for one of my classes this semester through our school's Disability Resource Center. Not only is it nice to help someone else in one of classes, but we also receive a stipend of $75/ credit hour for doing something I do anyway during lecture.

That's all for now! I'll be writing more soon!

[advancedscurvy]

weird college and dorm living tips from your local sophomore

so here’s a list of things I wish I had known going into college last year that I think incoming students should know, in no particular order of importance.

-keep a trash can in your bedroom, because there will be a night when you just want to sit in your dorm and cry over your exam tomorrow while you eat a granola bar, and don’t feel like going out to your common area to throw away your wrapper. that’s weirdly specific but it happens to us all eventually. if you’re a girl, also, keep a trash can in your bathroom. I know that sounds like common sense but it’s not something everyone remembers off the top of their heads. also, take out your whole dorm’s trash regularly or else you will start to smell it. there’s nothing like rotting styrofoam to say “home sweet home.”

-know what time you’re most productive. I peak from 7 pm to 11 pm, give or take, so I always plan myself some study time in there. it is not the same for everyone, and don’t force yourself to change it just to make yourself a “morning person” or something. this is just how your brain goes right now. work with it!

-keep oranges or some other fruit or vegetable in your fridge to munch on. it is much more wholesome than most other snacks. and, they’re all natural and good for you!

-most university meal plans will come with money to spend on food around the campus like at the coffee shop or mini mart. it is very handy. but use it wisely and ration it out so you always have enough. my second semester I blew like, $200 of my campus dollars on the chick fil a, so when exams rolled around and I needed coffee, it was not there for me. don’t make my mistakes.

-a lot of studyblrs will post flawless notetaking methods and stuff, but honestly, just do what works for you. I keep everything in one big notebook, and just put tabs in, because that works for me. you don’t have to be perfect.

-you WILL fail a class. it happens. there’s no shame, it happens to everyone. just learn from it.

-you do not get bonus points for perfect attendance, but don’t skip class all the time. If you need to take a day off, don’t be afraid to, but don’t make a habit of it. also, know your class attendance policies!

-most libraries have at least one quiet floor. use it! conversely, don’t be the jerk who brings down a super loud bag of crunchy chips to the quiet floor and watches soccer with no headphones in.

-you will have a lot of different friends with a lot of different interests and you are not obligated to appease them all. just float with your own beliefs and you’ll be alright.

-people will tell you to get involved in school spirit or sports enthusiasm: you do not have to do that. I get people who think it just adds to the experience, but if you don’t like crowds or big events, don’t make yourself do it.

-get involved in your local area community, not just your university community. I love the town my uni is in, and the community events are often much more friendly and safe than the campus-oriented events like house shows or parties. also, you meet some cool people and job opportunities that way. 

-stick with your hobbies. there’s nothing more soothing than still having something to come back to when you’re done with your work for the day, even if it’s just something like knitting or playing a computer game.

-you will be broken up with at least once, and it’ll hurt terribly. but pick yourself up, and keep going. if you’re still not doing well in a few months, there’s no shame in going to therapy or talking to people about it. be safe and secure in yourself first.

-please for the love of god wash your sheets. not only will it feel nice to tuck into fresh, crunchy clean sheets at night, but also, sheets can be a gross sweat trap, and washing your pillowcase keeps your skin clean!

-on that note, get yourself into a nice skincare routine. for me, it’s my nice, nighttime cool down and morning wake up, so I find real peace in having a long, pampering skincare routine, but find what works for you. I’m gonna use this as a plug to remind you: wear sunscreen on your face, every day you’re outside for more than a few minutes. sun damage can make acne scarring worse, age your skin, and maybe even cause skin cancer later in life. I don’t care what you do for the rest of your skincare routine, but please, wear sunscreen.

-get a fan for your room, the white noise and circulation will help loads.

-cooking in your dorm sounds hard, but there’s a ton of things that can be made in a mini slow cooker or a waffle iron, and if you don’t like cafeteria food or miss cooking, then it can really be a comfort to cook your own food.

-try things out of your comfort zone. if you’ve never gone to an all-vegan diner before and someone asks you to, then go. if you’ve never gone to a concert before, then carpe diem. college is all about discovering who you are and hwo you’re going to be, not just grades.

-on that note, lots of professors put their grades online, and a lot more don’t. keep track of that, and write down all your online assignments, or else you WILL forget.

-keep throw blankets around your room. they will be your best friend.

-if you’re in a small major program (like geography, lol), you will know at least half the people in every non-core class. use this to your advantage and make some friends. if you’re like me, you are very introverted and do not like being approached. however, it’s still handy to at least have a few people’s numbers.

[hanawabby-blog]

A 3-Tier Learning System: For Destructive, Easily Scared Students in an Apocalypse

If you are going to high school or college/uni and or if you’re searching for a study system that will help with bulletproofing yourself for exams, this is a great way to start off and you can change it to maximise the benefits to you.

Before class

Check your syllabus

 If you are allowed or given the syllabus by your teachers or professors, make sure to use it carefully. Syllabus tells you the structure of the course, explain which books to get, when assignments are due and when to have chapters read. This is an important step for you to schedule in the due dates of assignments, projects and even small tests (the worth of these that total up to your result by the end of the semester). Then, also check on the list of books recommended and try to find cheap copies of the books. Most importantly, use the syllabus to keep track on early reviews before classes and lectures - which I will explain the next point. 

A not-so Cornell Notetaking System I have heard a lot about the Cornell Notetaking System and how it has been a great useful way to stumble through the semester and ace the test, HOWEVER, for certain case of people (like me), I don’t like how structured and fixed it is. And I’m lazy when it comes to doing the summary. I also don’t really like using it to review for a test. Instead, I decided to revise the system to a better, simpler way of taking notes. It will be used as review materials (where you go back to it and put it away once you got the answer, same as slides or textbooks). Lectures are important and it should be the number ONE material you seek when you are studying: Lectures > Slides > Textbooks

Once you have received your materials (slides, textbooks, etc.), skim through the whole materials. 

Jot down main points, keywords, equation, main-sub points, new words and start to derive questions from those words using the 5W1H: Who, What, Why, When, Where and How.

Then, grab a piece of paper and I suggest to use the landscape layout and divide the paper into two columns (the left side a little bit smaller than the right side). In the left corner, write down all of the questions and close the book. Go to sleep.

During Class

Bring the paper that you have prepared just now and go to your class. During the lecture, write down all of the answers to your questions. You need to use number (so that if you use this note for reviewing purposes, you can find the answer to the question).

If the teachers brought up new topics or concept or new words, write down the new questions and the answers.

For points that are emphasised by the teacher, use a RED PEN and draw an asterisk (*) or an exclamation mark (!) on the question and write the answer in RED PEN.

For definitions, use one highlighter colour and highlight the question of the definition and the definition itself. After class, if you are an avid user of flash cards, you can easily find them because they are highlighted and transfer them into your flashcards.

After Class

Thank you to Sir Feynman, we are gifted with this technique which is known as Feynman Technique and I will teach you how to use it and how it can benefit you. This should be done after class (it can be directly or indirectly).

     If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough

                                                                                          -Albert Einstein

Take a sheet of paper or prepare a book for this, whichever your choice and write the name of the concept/topic you learned just now.

Explain the concept in your OWN WORDS as if you were teaching it to someone else. Make sure to use simple, plain language and it is recommended to work on a few examples as well to show how you’re understanding the concept.

For parts that you can’t remember/shaky with, draw asterisk (*) with RED PEN and move along to the next part that you remember. Leave some space for later.

Review your explanation and identify areas that you are shaky at (the one with the asterisk) and once you have pinpointed them, go back to the source materials (lecture notes, slides, textbooks) and fill in the part with a different coloured pen. Let’s say, I usually used a black pen to write, red pen is already used for marking purposes so I can use BLUE or GREEN or any OTHER COLOUR PENS as a review of your explanation.

If there are any areas in the explanation where you used a lot of technical terms or complex languages, rewrite them in a much simpler term. 

The idea of this technique is to explain it like you’re explaining to a child who does not have any single basic knowledge about the topic. A child would ask a lot of questions, for example: Why does this formula work? How can you know it always work? How did that happen? Can you explain this to me once more? I don’t understand it still and prove it!

Spaced-Repeat-Exercise

This next technique in the system is the derivation from the spaced-repetition technique. It is easily one of the best technique to use. Make sure to review these as much as possible for a month or 21 days before your big exams. For reviewing purposes throughout the entire semester or school year, you can use the printables from @studyquill which is the Curve of Forgetting which helps to remind you when you should go back to review the topic or concept itself. 

If you don’t have access to past year questions or couldn’t find practice questions (you can choose either one): 

Use flashcards + Leitner System I suggest using Cram.com flash card app as it uses the Leitner System through the cram mode. You can also use other flashcards apps that you’re accustomed to but if you’re new to the Leitner System, check out this short video from Thomas Frank.

Use flashcards + Leitner System + Feynman Technique This may sound impossible because you are including not only one but two techniques at the same time but I believe this is the easiest yet effective way to refresh your memories and ace the test - it doesn’t take too long too. Now, you can grab your flash cards or open any flashcards apps out there and make a set titled: EXAMS (SPECIFIC SUBJECT). Write down the name of the concept/topic on the front of the card and write down the points on the back (make these short yet covers the topic as a whole). While going through the cards, teach yourself by explaining it to a wall or using a paper or whiteboard and check the points at the back of the card. If you are able to cover and explain the whole topic precisely, put the card in the second box. If not, leave the card in the first box. This uses the Leitner system.

If you do have access to past year and or practice questions:

Prepare a calendar of 21 days or D-21 On the D-21, take a practice test and evaluate your score and result. Find the part where you’re struggling at. Check your timing as well and if you completely chucked the time away while answering the practice test, take note on it as well. Once you have deduced your mistakes and parts that you have to improve, go back to the first two techniques I have shared above. On D-14, take another practice test and do the same whole thing, evaluate your score, find your weak parts and deduce how you can improve your timing and score and go back to the two techniques. On D-7, take the last practice test and do the same whole process until the D-DAY. However, I encourage to lessen the reading or cramming activities on D-1 and focus on preparing your items, documents and just try to relax. Eat healthily and go to sleep early.

This is my system to study in school and university and I hope that it would be a great help for those who decide to use this system for themselves and for those who decide to use it and improvise the system themselves. Don’t just leave your notes and put them away until a week before exams. Use the links I have provided for the Curve of Forgetting to help you continue to remember or just put a notification for yourself every 3-4 days to review back. Have fun and have a good day.

[cherstudies]

how I study for biology

hey everyone! last year I made a post on how I take notes in general, which you can check out here, but I just wanted to update it a bit since my science course is more specific this semester!

**just pointing out that everything I do works for me but may not for you which is completely fine :)**

1. travel notes

as an ib hl bio student, the website bioninja is a godsend! not only does it include all the information necessary, it also lists the course/curriculum expectations and has some really cool pictures, animations and funky pneumonic devices to help with memory!! I usually start taking notes from this website a 1-2 days before my tests because as a visual/linguistic learner, I find that this is extremely effective in that I can retain the information quickly and easily

anyway, my travel notes consist of simple notetaking but in a really small font size so that I can fit as much info onto one page as possible! I usually fold the piece of paper in half and use two columns. I call them travel notes because before, when I used this method for other subjects, my notes would end up being 1-2 pages or less, which made them easy to carry around with me. however, that is no longer the case with this course!! some of my travel notes have 5 pages!!

materials that I use:

scrap paper (good on one side)

dark blue ballpoint pen for titles and subtitles

any light blue pen (I think the one I’m using is from the dollar store) for normal text

2. this method created by the lovely @studywithmariana !

I found this method to be extremely helpful when taking notes from my textbook! I use pages (the equivalent of word but on macs) to type these notes using the same/similar format as shown in her video and tbh it just looks so sleek!! I organize each file by section in the unit and print all pages double sided to not waste too much paper. now you may be wondering what I do with the pictures I come across on bioninja and the answer is that I copy and paste them into these notes!! and finally, with the pictures and the notes printed, I usually go through it with a pen to correct typos or make comments on the side.

materials that I use:

device to type with

light blue gel ink pen (muji 0.5)

3. watching a bunch of videos

like I mentioned, I am a visual/linguistic learner which means that I also learn quickly when I can see different processes or am presented with information in a visual manner!! I have found that these two channels (1, 2) are extremely helpful!!

the first channel linked is similar to bioninja, in that all the information is broken down into sections outlined by the ib curriculum. this makes it a lot easier when you are trying to retain a specific piece of information because you don’t need to comb through a million videos to find it!! it helps that there are different playlists as well that are divided by units.

the second channel is one that everyone knows and that I have talked about frequently!! the amazing animations presented combined with Hank’s voice and humour make all videos entertaining and interesting!! however, I do find that sometimes the information does not belong in the curriculum or I am not finding what I need. regardless, I usually watch these videos the night before my test or during my lunch break to quickly refresh myself on a couple of concepts.

4. (re)doing questions and activities

I recently went through a unit about genetics where I had to deal with blood types and punnett squares which became quite difficult when more complex concepts (like linked genes and recombination) were introduced!! in order to master this, I kept redoing the questions I got in class as well as the activities I found in my other textbook (biozone).

5. going through the curriculum expectations

the last thing that I usually do is go through a list of the expectations and mentally check off whether I have met them or not. my teacher made a pdf of our curriculum available so I printed it out and put it in a binder! (I also store my textbook notes right after the same unit in the binder) while viewing the youtube videos and taking notes from bioninja ensure that I have met all the expectations, I just do this to make sure there’s nothing that I missed and nothing that I am not confident in!!

and that’s it for how I study for biology!! I hope this was helpful to some of you and that maybe you’ll implement some of these methods in your own studying :) I hope y’all have an amazing day <3

ps I just made a studygram so follow me!! my username is cherstudies_ 😊

[clarabarkton]

I had a deaf student last semester in one of my classes. In talking with the interpreter, had was the main interpreter for our student, so she went to all her classes (and would let us know if she had to have a sub for any reason). This allowed them to create a good working relationship, and she could learn different sign 'quirks' of the student, because there are some signs we all just do slightly differently.

Smthe interpreter expressed how she wished more people would take advantage of interpretation services instead of struggling so much. They understand deafness comes in lots of varieties, and can generally meet you where you are at level of sign kmowledge and complexity if school material. The interpreter was also a great advocate for her student, making sure we knew how to obtain a variety of services available through our accommodations office, including last minute subs if she came to a speaker program and the database of movie/video transcripts through our library.

So, as a college instructor, please PLEASE take advantage of these services and figure out how they can best serve what you need. We want you to succeed, and most of us are willing and ready to help in whatever ways are needed to do that.

As a HoH individual, please PLEASE get the assistance you need. They can also arrange for lectures to be recorded (audio only most of the time, but not exclusively) so you can have access to that help as well, as well as notetakers in case you miss things. Please use everything they've got, even if you don't think you need it, as you figure out what serves you the most and what isn't really useful... because you never know what will help you more than you ever thought possible!

Help!

I officially start college classes in a few weeks and for the first time in my life I’ve decided to go in and talk to disability services about requesting an interpreter.

Does anyone have tips or experiences to share about using a terp for the first time??

Being single sided deaf, no one really notices my deafness until I tell them, so I’m trying to get over the fear of judgment of everyone thinking I’m faking it because I can talk to them normally, but I want a terp in class to make sure I clearly understand the professor and class discussions.

Any input is appreciated!

[jgmac1106]

#EDU106 Student Artifacts and Comments--Needed to do this as feeling blue we missed #edu106 Ignite Talk and portfolio day at @scsu favortie days of semester

Class Description

EDU106 New Literacies: Digital Text and Tools for Lifelong Learning s a technology fluency class I teach at Southern Connecticut State University. We learn a crazy amounts of tech but the class is really one of philosophy of self and growth. The class gets broken into four components

Tell Your Story

Learn Something

Teach Something

Do Something

Due to covid19 outbreak and this hybrid class moving online I removed the "do something" requirement and had students publish their teach something units as a portfolio.

In tell your story we trace the shapes of stories. We started with Kobe Bryant's "Love of Basketball" and then looked at the shape of well written emails. Then we looked at the shape of both qualitative and quantitative research articles and learned how to use these shapes to be active readers and notetakers.

On the technology front we explored the selfie as an artifact of self and wrote About Me pages while learning HTML basics. We then did a photo challenge to practice basics of photo editing. Tell Your Story culminated in an unselfie project.

In Learn Something students focused on collaborative essay writing as we practiced our research writing skills. In small groups the class learned how to write a single case study using basic matrix analysis. They had to choose a community and analyze it from a #connectedlearning lens.

We integrated digital texts and tools as students were tasked to go out and learn anything they wanted but to post reflections on what they learned. First students had to bookmark sources and explain why they chose these as both credible and relevant sources. Basically everyone wrote their own textbook. Next students had to create a podcast and post five episodes reflecting on what they learned.

The outbreak happened just as we finished up our "Learn Something" units. Instead of a community the students had to switch it up and study an online community. I decided to remove the "do something unit" and move into teach something. One outcome of the being locked down was seeing intergnerational learning happening. Daughters working with dads, and sisters with brothers. Family, especially heirloom recipes have always been a feature of this class.

In the final unit students first explored what good teaching looks like and they wrote posts giving advice to SCSU on how they should improve their teaching. We then explored effective screencasts. Students practiced video editing as they had to post a screencast or video teaching something and then an Ignite Talk. An ignite talk is a presentation where 20 image driven slides auto advance every 20 seconds.

For the portfolio final students choose one of four pathways: video, photo, podcasting, or web design and then they had to put together a portfolio of blog posts and videos to teach the rest of the class something. Students had to either use the websites we started in class or choose their own place to publish a portfolio (Blackboard, WordPress, Tumblr). Tumblr was the CMS of choice this year.

Student Portfolio Sites

Some students chose to openly share their portfolios with the world. We learn about the differences between privacy and open and all students are allowed to publish and license their content in anyway they see fit.

Chris's Dungeons and Dragons

Shaoshi's Penny Boarding

Lily on Baking

Low Carb Baking with Maria

Student Comments

Sharing comments that were pubslihed openly on student blogs.

I wanted to wish everyone luck with the last couple of days of finals week and thank you all for being amazing classmates. This was one of my favorite classes this semester and I have really learned a lot from Professor McVerry, and all of my peers.

I also feel like being able to take this class and learn has been the main reason why I have done so well this semester. All my work has improved and I feel like this is one of my best classes grade-wise and I am very grateful for that. I would recommend this class to many other students on the SCSU campus because not only does this class teach you a lot but it gives you a private/public space to vent and be able to tell how you are feeling.

To professor McVerry, I wanted to thank you for being one of the best professors I have had on Southern's campus.  You have taught me a lot about new literacies and being able to open up to others around me. I really appreciate everything you have done for me and the class during this pandemic

 With class nearing its end, I wanna say it's been a great class. Shame we didn't get to spend more time in class because of the outbreak. I really enjoyed the atmosphere of the classroom

It was fun, the professor was kind, respectful, and most importantly: Patient. I truly admire this quality in people, more so in teachers. He always made sure to get to everyone's question and didn't blow a gasket if someone repeated a question already asked, he simply just answered it again so for that he has my undying respect. I wish there were more professors like him that realize new students are rookies to the subject and don't have the same level of understanding as he does.

[suzannemcappsca]

Transformative Teaching and Training – and Mediation

Greg Bond

I have given a little thought as to whether my work as a mediator fits into one of the well-known “styles.” I do not see myself as an evaluative or directive mediator, but I do sometimes tell clients how I see their options. I would say I am a facilitative mediator, but as perhaps most mediators would say that about themselves, I wonder if the term is not way too broad. And transformative? Probably not. These categories seem too big for the specifics of mediation practice, even if they give us useful guidelines on different approaches.

Transformative mediation (Bush and Folger) works with two core ideas: recognition shifts and empowerment. Parties see themselves and the situations they have got into in a new light (recognition) and that enables them to work out ways forward (empowerment). Often this involves a better understanding of their own role in the conflict. A question I sometimes ask is: What are you doing to keep this conflict ongoing? And: how are you benefiting from this dispute? This kind of mediation seems suited to many kinds of workplace conflict.

Here is a simple example – a dispute in which two employees assigned to run a small department together were not getting along well, and were fighting about how the job should be done. The matter had escalated, with accusations of bullying. This mediation involved the two and their immediate superior, who wisely did a lot of listening. The transformative moment came when they realized they were stuck arguing who was right and who was wrong, and both apologized, and then one of them began to think out aloud about whether he was in the job best suited to his skills and temperament. As his contract was up for renewal in under a year, this was a very liberating insight.

But in this blog, I want to share a wonderful transformative and personal experience I have just been privileged to enjoy, in which I was not a mediator but a teacher, and yet I think I was a mediator too. Many mediators teach and train, and we find that mediation skills pay off in teaching.

It seemed a fairly simple task. Working for five days with a class of undergraduate students from a Chinese university and from a German university, for a week in Shanghai, teaching them “presentation and communication.” By this I understand helping them to be better aware of how they “present” themselves in various contexts, and how they can improve this and communication in general. Giving them confidence, and a toolbox that they can use and hone when the course is over.

The enthusiasm of these students was exhilarating. I invited them to try out all kinds of communication games and situations together taken from my childhood, from TV, from professional settings, from my imagination – and of their own making. The first thing I did the first morning was to inform them that cell phones would not be used at all in class (a very intimidating thought for students these days) and that we would not use desks – so would they please move the desks out. For many readers of this blog perhaps nothing special. For the students in question, who are used to university teaching as an endless stream of lifetime-wasting lectures with PowerPoint and dumb notetaking when not just dozing off (pretty much the same whether in China or Germany), this was revolutionary.

Quickly came recognition, the realization that there are more meaningful ways to communicate and interact than their usual university classroom fare offers, and the realization that the students themselves can make communication meaningful. It moved on to empowerment, as these students took over the class and managed their own so very creative presentation formats, improving the clarity of their communication with each one. I was dumbfounded at how they also brought content into this class that was relevant to their lives, and shared so much with me and each other in the process, learning so much about each other’s societies.

They wrote class diaries in which they reflected on their learning. This was the only really meaningful class that he had experienced in four semesters of a bachelor’s degree, one German student said. And many of the students (especially but not only the Chinese) shared with me how they had overcome their shyness, finding a “new me,” experienced “rebirth,” and gained confidence they had never known they had.

This is wonderful. But I see it as a sad verdict. There is so much wrong with education when it takes away young people’s inherent creativity and confidence. But that is one thing that many schools and universities seem to particularly good at. I recommend you to take a look at Ken Robinson’s TED talk on the subject, if you have not yet done so.

But was this mediation? I think so. I do not think that I would have had the wherewithal to manage a course with this same degree of student-centered learning before I became a mediator. Being a mediator is about understanding what your clients need and helping them to express it. Being a teacher should be about understanding what your students need.

The students I worked with are spending a semester as a mixed-culture class, and when I joined them they had already been in a classroom together for four weeks. They had hardly got to know each other, sitting in rows behind desks listening to lectures, and scarcely meeting outside class. They told me that their relationships had now been transformed, that they had gained interest in each other as people, in the others’ cultures, and as friends. The last evening they took me to a bar, together.

How did we get where we got? The main reason was the students’ creativity. I nudged them by being facilitative on content and directive on process – reinforcing the message that we were together to listen to each other, to interact, to share, to play, and to practice the art of communication at its best.

This was a unique and – yes – transformative and empowering experience, for which I am very grateful. Thank you to all participants.

  Photo: The class from Jian Qiao University Shanghai and Technical University of Applied Sciences Wildau

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from Updates By Suzanne http://kluwermediationblog.com/2017/04/24/transformative-teaching-training-mediation/