All entries for December 2011

December 19, 2011

Final entry on Reading and note–making

In my final blog, I would like to thank for conducting a useful workshop in order to enhance my learning journey in Warwick much easier. I have been working for a quite long time and found difficulties to stay focus in reading lots of books, listening and understanding the lectures.
This workshop has guided me in developing some strategies in reading books and note-making for lecture and books. There are many reading tips from the workshop which have been applied effectively when I want to read a book, for instance scanning table contents, using a pointer to stay focus and setting a clear purpose. In addition, the most useful strategy given from the workshop is making a note together with the referencing system of a book. This has helped me a lot in organizing my written assignment since I have started earlier from my first book. Lastly, the sharing notes with classmates is one new thing that I have never thought about it even though it has not always been successfully happening for my case.

: 19 Dec 2011 14:00 |  Tags:   |  Comments (1) |  Report a problem

Final entry on Speed reading

Finally, there are many reading strategies given from the workshop which have been useful and effectively applied to enhance my learning journey. The workshop enables me to give an awareness whether my reading speed is too slow or not by measuring the read words per minute. This measurement motivates me to improve my reading skills. My reading speed has improved from 132 wpm to about 200 wpm at the moment. Sometimes the speed could increase or decrease depending on the content of the text which new concept or topic will make me slower in reading and need to stop and highlight it.

Most of my action plans are able to be used during my reading time such as using a pointer, avoiding skip-backing, highlighting and recording key points after finished the reading. The most helpful strategy for me is using a pointer to make me stay focus and it also improves my reading speed by tapping the texts in the middle of the article in order to skip unnecessary words. On the other hand, I am still working on to reduce the subvocalization when I am reading a book.
In general, all the given strategies and tips from the workshop have made my reading time more efficiently and enjoyable. I will continue the two of my action plans, using a pointer and avoid skip-backing and still need to improve on my third action plan, reducing subvocalization whilst reading.

: 19 Dec 2011 13:59 |  Tags:   |  Comments (1) |  Report a problem

December 17, 2011

First entry on Introduction to critical thinking

Workshop Tutor: Austin Griffiths

Introduction

Overall, the workshop has made me to have a better understanding about how to apply and practice critical thinking in my learning journey. The presentation and activities during the workshop has given simple samples how to be critical especially in reading texts which is an important key point as a student. The workshop has ensured me in term of writing my assignment critically such as types of process of choosing or writing our words (purpose, audience, key information, logical order) and having different points of view (argument and against).

Actions

  1. I will apply the critical way process (purpose, audience, key information, logical order) in writing my assignment.

  2. I will prepare a set of challenging questions  or mindset when reading books and articles.

  3. I will use different kinds of perspective either advantages/disadvantages or positive/negative when I am writing my assignment.

To write a follow up, go to http://go.warwick.ac.uk/skills/masters/what_we_offer/workshops/academicskills/a5/blog


: 17 Dec 2011 23:45 |  Tags:    |  Comments (1) |  Report a problem

First entry on An introduction to emotional intelligence

Workshop Tutor: Samantha Tarren

Introduction

I feel grateful to join the introduction to emotional intelligence workshop last week since at the beginning of the workshop, I was thinking to apply this workshop for my students. However, I found lots of interesting things that I can apply for my own learning journey in Warwick and my own career in the future.

The workshop has enabled me to understand more clearly about the concepts, benefits and impacts of an emotional intelligence. Some discussions and activities such as Boston EI questionnaire and body scanning have been useful for my personal reflection. Coincidently, the reflection part has helped me to improve one of my action plan under Warwick personal development skills portfolio.

Actions

  1. Based on the Boston EI questionnaire, I need to work on my emotion management part to develop my emotional intelligence better.

  2. I am going to apply a quotation from Eleanor Roosevelt which is "No-one can make you feel inferior without your own permission". I believe that this quotation will help motivating myself better in my learning journey especially in completing an assignment.

  3. One powerful way given from the workshop how to show our uncomfortable or unhappy situation by using first person. This is going to enhance my leadership and people skills since I am the SSLC for my course.

To write a follow up, go to http://go.warwick.ac.uk/skills/masters/what_we_offer/workshops/ppd/p6/blog


: 17 Dec 2011 22:16 |  Tags:    |  Comments (4) |  Report a problem

December 16, 2011

Final entry on An introduction to skills development and the Warwick Skills Portfolio

This final blog has been able to help me in the process to know and understand my personality and learning styles. By understanding my own personality and learning style better, it will help better in enhancing my own learning journey in Warwick University as well as in my educational career in the future.
Even though I have done several self-assessment tools such as four temperament types (sanguine, choleric, melancholic, phlegmatic) and Multiple Intelligences test, I was surprised to know that my theorist style has been great developed when completed the 40-item learning style questionnaire given by the workshop tutor. However, at that time, I also become more aware of my weaknesses, which need to be more reflective. The skills development and Warwick skills portfolio workshop has been enable me to create three action plans that are easily applied for myself in order to improve my personality. The three action plans have been successfully completed.
1. I will spare 10-15 minutes everyday to reflect on my learning experiences or activities on that day.
This reflective time has been going more often than before and I use this time to plan and evaluate my daily activities. It has been helping me to be more thinker and calmer in handling different situations.
2. I am encouraging myself to achieve this WSPA since it will help me making a structured reflection on the blog.
The structured reflection on the blog enables me not only to reflect on this workshop but also to recall all the other workshops and record the key important points in the blog. Writing the knowledge and skills that you have learnt helps me to recall and review coincidently.
3. I am going to read and review some parts related to theorist and reflective characteristics of the learning styles questionnaire book given from the workshop.
By reading and reviewing the learning styles questionnaire book, I become more aware the positive and negative different types of learning style. Since my learning style is weak in reflector, I have made some strategies to improve on it. For example, I allocate certain time to reflect myself what I have gained and not yet gained within a week and read the appropriate papers more carefully before joining some activities or implementing some action plan. Although sometimes it is quite diificult for me to do it since it's not my natural habit, I found that it helps me better in organising my activities.

: 16 Dec 2011 22:46 |  Tags:   |  Comments (2) |  Report a problem

December 13, 2011

Follow–up on An introduction to skills development and the Warwick Skills Portfolio

Heres a summary of how I've been getting on with my action points

It has been a good christmas break for me which enable me to have more time to reflect what I have done so far from the beginning of term 1. My action plans have been going well even though sometimes it's difficult to manage my time in spending self-reflection time,  social time and assignment progress time. 

At least two of my action plans have been progressing especially the written reflective blog that reminds me to be more reflective. I keep motivating myself to evaluate several situations so that enable to reflect and improve further actions in my learning journey.


: 13 Dec 2011 00:08 |  Tags:     |  Comments (1) |  Report a problem

December 12, 2011

Follow–up on Speed reading

Heres a summary of how I've been getting on with my action points

To some extent, I have improved my reading skills particularly in increasing the speed and understanding the text. So far, I have been more confident to tap and read the texts from the middle rather than word to word which might be time-consuming. The skip-backing strategy has been very useful for my reading time. As the tutor's suggestion in my previous blog, I stop and record some important learning topics using different ways such as highlighting the texts or typing them in my laptop.

On the other hand, I am still struggling to reduce the subvocalization in reading the texts. I tried to eat some snack when I was reading a book last week but in fact I lost my concentration. I can't try chewing the gum as suggested by the website and tutor since I don't really like it. Hopefully, I can find more powerful strategies to reduce the subvocalization.


: 12 Dec 2011 23:52 |  Tags:     |  Comments (2) |  Report a problem

December 03, 2011

First entry on Delivering effective presentations

Workshop Tutor: Bev Walshe

Introduction

The workshop has been very useful and practical for my oral communication skills in the future. There are lots of things such as posture, voice pitch, pace, content and structure of presentation have been discussed and practiced in order to make an enganging and interesting presentation.

During this workshop, I was also able to get feedback from the Tutor and learnt other strategies from other participants. The most challenging part of this workshop was when each participant need to prepare and perform a short presentation but this practice was very powerful in developing our confidence and applying the given skills.

Actions

  1. I'm going to apply the 'pause' before the start and in between of my presentation.

  2. I will practice the presentation using facial expression and gesture, not only the wording of the content.

  3. I will use highlighter to my presentation notes in order to read them more easily just in case I forget some points during the presentation.

To write a follow up, go to http://go.warwick.ac.uk/skills/masters/what_we_offer/workshops/ppd/p4/blog


: 03 Dec 2011 23:29 |  Tags:    |  Comments (2) |  Report a problem

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  • Hi Maria, A satisfactory final blog entry on the WSPA, that could have benefited from more evidence … by Han-na Cha on this entry
  • Hi Austin, I've been working in an IB school which is implementing critical thinking in our teaching… by on this entry
  • Hi Maria, I'm glad you have found the workshop and follow–up action points useful. What you say abou… by Austin Griffiths on this entry
  • Hi Han–Na, I have revised my blog and hope it's fine now. Cheers, Maria by on this entry
  • Hi Maria, Sorry for the delay in commenting on this entry. I missed it just before I went on holiday… by Han-na Cha on this entry

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