Category Archives: 3. Prof. Skills & Abilities

Personal and Interpersonal Skills and Abilities: Online Unit

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A. Identifying Skills and Abilities

Activity 1

  1. (1=Not very well developed; 3=very well developed)
Skills and Abilities 1 2 3
Goal Setting X
Team Work X
Time Management X
Listening Skills X
Computing Skills X  
Problem Solving X
Taking Responsibility X

 

Activity 2

Recognition Reflection Action
Skills already developed How I will use these How do I know (evidence)**
Goal Setting I will use my skill of goal setting to set specific goals to work towards. This will ensure I know exactly what I am aiming for and allow me to use it as motivation. I have always set very high goals for myself and it has always helped by giving me motivation to work harder towards them. For example, at school, although not expectation to do amazing, I still aimed high and managed to come away with straight A’s at higher. If I had aimed for C’s, I don’t think I’d have got results close to what I did.
Team Work I will use my experience with team work to work effectively with fellow students and also when working alongside teachers and pupils on placement. I know I work well in a team from spending most of my summers as part of a team in the Edinburgh Military Tattoo. The teamwork skills gained from spending so much time with a group of people is so amazing, from how to negotiate, keep each other motivated, share ideas to improve dances and generally how to work well together.
Listening Skills I will use my listening skills to make sure I listen intently in lectures and do not miss anything. I will also use them to make sure I am communicating effectively. I have always been a good listener. I was a buddy at school, and from this I understand how important it is to fully engage and listen properly. Without developed listening skills, I may have come across as uninterested or rude, whereas by listening properly I was able to communicate effectively and understand/sympathise with the pupils I was working with.
Taking Responsibility I will take responsibility for my learning and ensure I do everything to the best of my ability. I will also take seriously any responsibility put on me throughout the course. I had a great deal of responsibility as Deputy Head Girl at school. I always took full responsibility, ensuring everything was done properly. If anything was not to go to plan, I would have also taken full responsibility for it.

 

Recognition Reflection Action
Skills to be developed How I will develop these How do I know (evidence) **
Time Management I will develop my time management skills by writing down when and where I need to be in a diary. I will also use it to record when assignments are due, so I know when to begin working on them in order to meet deadlines. Up until this last year I have always relied on other people to tell me where I need to be and what I need to do. I now fully understand it is my responsibility to know these things and make sure I am organised and in the right place at the same time.
Problem Solving I will develop my problem solving skills by focussing on a solution instead of worrying about the prevailing problem. I will keep an open mind to any possible solutions and try not to over-complicate any issues. If a problem ever arose back at school, I would always try and come up with a solution. However, I usually panic and over-complicate the situation, when there is actually a simpler solution. I will develop this by being more realistic and staying calm in these situations.
Computing Skills I will develop my computing skills by engaging more with the digital community. I will start working from my laptop than on paper and share my experiences on my e-portfolio. I do feel confident working electronically and using computers, but there are some things I just cannot get my head around. I have never blogged before in my life, and I hope I can use my e-Portfolio to give me experience sharing my learning.

 

B. Managing My Learning

Activity 1

Recognition/ Reflection Action
What helps my learning? How can I utilise this?
Example: “Discussing the topic with others”
  • Set up a study group of like-minded peers
  • Engage with the online community
Note Taking
  • Writing notes neatly so I can read back over them and reflect
  • Keep all my notes organised so I know where to find them
Group Studying
  • Collaborating and discussing my work and my ideas with my peers.
  • Stay focussed on task and get work done quicker in a more relaxed environment such as a group study zone.
Background Reading
  • Sourcing relevant books and reading more in-depth into the topics discussed in our lectures.
Studying Alone
  • By studying alone in the quiet I can give all my attention to my work and not be distracted by others going off-topic.
Goal-Setting
  • By setting goals, I know exactly what I need to do to fulfil them, so I do not end up overworking, or not doing enough work.
Study in different ways
  • By varying my study, such as reading one day, note taking another, jotting down mind maps and watching educational videos, I am getting in to a good routine of keeping myself interested. This will keep me motivated and more willing to learn.
Recognition/Reflection Action
What hinders my learning? How can I address this factor?
Example: “I’m easily distracted”
  • Study in a place where distractions are minimal·
  • Read lecture notes before the lecture and then take notes lectures to keep me focused
I try to get everything done at once
  • ·Set goals of what I want to achieve in each study session I plan.
  • Know when it is appropriate to stop and take a break.
I get easily distracted
  • ·Turn off my phone and any notifications on my laptop so I can stay focussed.
  • Study away from other people so I do not get distracted by their conversations.
  • Try to refrain from tidying things up or rearranging things when I should be reading.
My surroundings
  • ·Study somewhere I can focus, such as my room or in a classroom – communal areas will just cause me to go off-task and “finish it another night”.
Illness
  •  Instead of battling through and trying to get stuff done, I will firstly get my health in order so I can then study when I am feeling better. This will ensure I am not wasting time revising half alive when I am never going to remember any of it.
Not feeling good enough
  • When I hear others speak about their work and what they have done, my natural instinct is to panic. I am going to address this by working to the best of my ability, and if someone has done something I haven’t done – I won’t panic, as I will have bene organised enough to get everything done I was supposed to…
Lack of sleep
  • ·No one works well when they haven’t had enough sleep, and your mind doesn’t work well either. I will ensure I am getting enough sleep, so when I do come around to working, I will be fully attentive and put all my mind towards it.