Assessment & copyright

We're coming up to the end of the study skills module. There are now two assessments to complete. Both are due next week.

• Task 7 - Time management
• Task 8 - Self-assessment

Weekly tasks

• Elluminate - Monday 1-2pm
  Self-assessment
  Copyright & digital publishing
  
  
• Complete your assessments
  

Time management

The start of a new term is the perfect time to apply the material you covered at the end of last term on time management.

Weekly tasks

Take some time this week to plan out your

• Weekly schedule
  
• Overall term schedule - when are assessments due?, when are the blocks?, when are the other events in my life that will take my time? etc.

Learning styles & time management

This week in Study skills we will review the last couple of modules, and will begin to look at time management.

Weekly tasks

• If you haven't already worked your way through the online module setting personal learning goals, you will need to get started this week. If you have already worked through it, then continue working on Task 6 - My personal learning profile, which is due at the end of next week (just before Easter :-)
  
  
• Monday elluminate session 1-2pm
  Tying up Introduction to sustainability
  Understanding learning styles tests
  
  
• Thursday elluminate session 11-12am
  Time management
  
  
• Get started on the time management learning module
  
  

Sustainability

This week the main focus in Study skills will be on sustainability. What's that got to do with study skills? Well not much actually, but it's a good subject to use for the development of your academic writing, referencing, etc.


Weekly tasks

1. Get started on referencing this week by working your way through the APA referencing tutorial.
   
   
2. Elluminate session - Monday 1-2pm
   Sustainability
   
   
3. Work on Task 5 - Introduction to sustainability
   
   • If you haven't yet done all of the following please do so immediately
     * Watch the Story of Stuff & take notes
     * Contribute to the class notes
     * Posted your reflection on this movie on your blog. There have been some really great posts so far. I especially like Chris's and Suzanne's reply.
     
   • Get together with the group assigned to you in the elluminate session and discuss how you're going to go about the task assigned. If someone in your group lives outside of Dunedin remember that you can use the massage common room.

Sustainability resources

• Carbon footprint calculator
• How to practice eco-friendly massage
  
• Sustainability: Human, social, economic and environmental (a definition)
• Social sustainability
  
• Climate change controversies, a simple guide
• Green massage.org
  

Week 3 - Academic writing & Introduction to Sustainability

This week in study skills we will start on our introduction to sustainability assessment module, and will talk about academic writing.


Assessment

• Approaches to learning is due this Friday. You may either drop it into the Assignment box on the third floor, or email it to me.
• I hope that you're all making progress towards having the OP IT Induction ticked off
• We will start the assessment for Introduction to Principles of Sustainability this week.
  

Weekly tasks

1. Elluminate session - Monday 2-3pm
   Academic writing
   Discussion of editing Google documents (re: sustainability project)
   
   
2. Get started on the Introduction to principles of sustainability learning module. This week you should
   a) Watch and take notes on the story of stuff
   b) Collaboratively edit the Story of stuff Google document.
   You will need to be logged in using your Google account to edit the document. If you are still unable to do this after logging in, it will be because I have a different email address recorded for you than your Google account. Email me your Google account email address, and I will add you in.
   
   
3. Work through the online learning resource on Academic writing, and take notes.
   
   
4. Write a short essay (500 words) which explains what the difference is between good quality and poor quality writing. Review it several times to see if you can polish the language, structure and clarity, and improve the linkages. I'm happy to give you feedback on this if you would like it.

Learning Centre Support
The learning centre have agreed to run several face-to-face tutorials for any local students. To reiterate the learning centre offers academic support (reading, studying, writing, referencing). If you're interested in participating in these tutorials please get in touch with the learning centre.

Tutorials

• 10-11am 10 March | F121 - General study skills with Katherine Brooks
  
• 1-2pm, Friday 13 March |F121 - Writing with Jean Monk
  
• 10-11am 24 March | F121 - APA Referencing with Katherine Brooks
  

Week 2 - The learning process

Hi all,

I know a lot of you have found the first week a little difficult - getting your head around RSS feeds & blogging, but hang in there. It gets easier.

Here are a couple of things which should help to clarify things.

1. Certificate in Relaxation massage programme page - if you haven't already, add this to your bookmarks/favourites. You should be able to access most essential course materials through the links on this page.
2. Learning support is a page which I've created to help anyone who's not yet clear on where you should go to get support for academic or computer-related difficulties. This is accessible off the main programme page (above).

It's been nice to get to know you all a little bit, and it's inspired me to update the about page of my blog so that it's a bit more current. If you're interested here it is.


This week - the learning process

Hopefully you enjoyed getting started with basic massage. Next week we will get going with massage-related theory, but your online learning this week will concentrate on the learning process.

1. If you've still got work to do on the OP IT Induction course, put some time into this. I have no idea of the time commitment required here, so I'd appreciate hearing from some of you how you're finding it.
   
   
2. Work your way through the online learning module - the learning process to explore the learning process, and ways that you can be a more effective learner. If you have any questions please put your query through the course email group. If any of the links do not work, please get in touch with David as soon as you can.
   
   
3. We do not have any elluminate sessions this week, however please make it a priority to prepare yourself for getting started in elluminate next week by working through the learning module - Your first elluminate session. Once you've done this, please try to log into the massage common room (you can find it on the programme page - see above)

Week 1

Here’s a list of tasks that you’ll need to work through before the end of the week.

Task 1 – Setting up your browser

Set up your browser homepages. This video will show you how to set up your browser homepage to include

o Google reader

o Google docs

o Google calendar

As discussed in class there is no course requirement of using Google calendar, so you may choose to omit this tab. Also if there are other web pages that you often visit, you may want to consider making them a tab within your homepage.

Task 2 - Scheduling

Using either Google calendar, a diary, or another scheduling tool, record the key dates of your course of study. Remember to include block practical dates, due dates for assessments, and elluminate sessions. Continue to record and schedule key study-related dates throughout the course of your study.

Task 3 – Important Reference Information

Save the timetable as one of your favourites/bookmarks.

Save the programme overview as one of your favourites/bookmarks, and familiarise yourself with the contents of this page.

Task 4 – Subscribe to your classmates blogs

Here’s the list

http://sarahjlaing.blogspot.com/

http://rachie25.blogspot.com/

http://missymoocow31.blogspot.com/

http://chrismassage.blogspot.com/

http://will-grant.blogspot.com/

http://melitasenorita.blogspot.com/

http://andreawereta.blogspot.com/

http://bodyease.blogspot.com/

http://indulgence-rural-retreat.blogspot.com/

http://amycarlson123.blogspot.com/

http://wendles-f.blogspot.com/

http://tania-mcd.blogspot.com/

http://sophiemassage.blogspot.com/

http://jennifraser-healinghands.blogspot.com/

http://anitasawesome.blogspot.com/

http://jules-massage-blog.blogspot.com/

http://ecologiemassagetherapy.blogspot.com/

http://charmzhealinghands.blogspot.com/

http://clairstherapy.blogspot.com/

http://suzmassage.blogspot.com/

http://krisprocter-massagetherapy.blogspot.com/

If you're not on this list, please fire your blog address into the course email group.

Task 5 – Read & comment on your classmates blogs

If you can relate to something that your classmates have posted in their introductory blog posts, scroll down to the bottom of the post, and click on comment. Then make a comment. :-)

Task 6 – Study Skills Assessment Task 3 – part 1

Send your lecturer an email describing the feeds that have come into your rss feed reader related to the courses that you are enrolled in.

Also remember the BBQ that's on at Woodhaugh this Thursday at 2:30pm. Buses leave from Polytech at 2:15pm, or you can find your own way there.

Phew. That was a big post.