8/13/2020 Skills for Success PLTW BIOMEDICAL SCIENCE Skills for Success Self-reliance The trait of using your own resources and judgment is called self-reliance. Having this trait is important for being a successful distance learner. With the appropriate skills and tools, you will feel less overwhelmed, gain confidence, and take charge of your learning. To start becoming self-reliant, you can use these frequently asked questions (FAQs) to troubleshoot answers to your questions. FAQs Communicating with Others I'm nervous about reaching out to my teacher with a question. How should I reach out? What should I do when I feel alone? How do I work with a partner or team from home? Troubleshooting Technology and Learning What if I am having technical problems? My assignment has things in it that I’ve never learned how to do. What do I do? Managing Time I have trouble finishing my assignments. How do I find the time to complete everything? How do I know which task to start first? https://pltw.read.inkling.com/a/b/ce82cc7c43544b399db84bd4cc6cd498/p/7fa4c31979384e2ea21ce8bd1e5df009 1/9 8/13/2020 Skills for Success I understand the assignment, but how much time should I set aside to complete it? Staying Motivated I don’t think I was successful with distance learning last year. How will this year be any different? I don’t feel like working. How do I motivate myself? How do I stay focused even when I'm having an off day? Working from Home Is it okay to get help from a friend? What do I do if I get stuck on something? What should I do to make my work area less distracting? Answers I’m nervous about reaching out to my teacher or a classmate with a question. How should I reach out? It is important to ask your question right away, before you become completely overwhelmed. It can be intimidating to reach out to a teacher or a classmate, especially through email or text. Asking for help when you need it is a good thing! It shows that you care about your work and want to build your skills. If you’re not sure what to say to kick off the conversation, check out these starters: https://pltw.read.inkling.com/a/b/ce82cc7c43544b399db84bd4cc6cd498/p/7fa4c31979384e2ea21ce8bd1e5df009 2/9 8/13/2020 Skills for Success Communication Steps Communication Example Greet your teacher or classmate by Dear Mr. Hokaido, name. How are you doing today, Selena? Clearly describe your question or I’ve been having trouble with the assignment about arrays. I added a few concern. lines of my code below for you to take a look at. If you’ve tried to get help in other I watched an online video resource, but I’m still not sure how to follow ways, describe them. the stages of photosynthesis. Ask for a specific type of help and If you have time to talk on the phone or computer, I’m free every day until include your availability. 4 p.m. If you think of any other resources that I should try, let me know. Be sure to say, “thank you.” If you Thanks for giving me advice on my sketches, Selena! are sending an email, sign your Thanks so much, Mr. Hokaido. Sincerely, Kendra Hernandez name! If you have difficulty making contact with your teacher, ask a trusted adult for advice or help. Return to top What should I do when I feel alone? Reach out to someone in your class or your teacher. If you are feeling shy, start the conversation with an appropriate compliment for them, such as “I like the way you answered that question earlier.” If you want to keep the conversation going after you start, ask a fun question, such as do you have a (pet, favorite game, hobby)? Most people enjoy sharing this sort of general personal information, and it will give you something to talk about in future conversations. Return to top How do I work with a partner or team from home? Call, text, or email the person you are working with. For other ideas about how to communicate with your classmates, check out the starters earlier in this section. https://pltw.read.inkling.com/a/b/ce82cc7c43544b399db84bd4cc6cd498/p/7fa4c31979384e2ea21ce8bd1e5df009 3/9 8/13/2020 Skills for Success Return to top What if I am having technical problems? Sometimes things on the computer don’t work as planned. If you are having problems, before you contact your school’s help desk, try these tips: Issue Information Repeatedly click on Don’t repeatedly click something. Try it one more time. If it doesn’t work right away, something and it still try something else. doesn’t work Try a different browser If you’re having problems with a website, try using a different browser. Common browsers are Chrome, Safari, Firefox, and Edge. Check your Wi-Fi signal Check the Wi-Fi indicator on your device to see if you have a strong enough signal. Your signal may be weak for the following reasons: You may be too far from the router. Move closer to it. The construction of the walls in your home may interfere with the signal. Try moving to a different spot in your home. The area you are in may have too many users trying to access the same frequency band. Try switching channels to get to a less crowded frequency. Non-Wi-Fi devices such as cordless phones, remote alarms, and microwaves can disrupt a Wi-Fi connection. Situate yourself so you are not near these types of devices. Quit the software This applies to web browsers or apps. Close the browser, tabs, and/or apps. Update the software Make sure your software is up to date. If you don’t know how to update software, look online for instructions that are specific for your device. After updating, restart the device. Log out and log in again Save your work and remember your password before you logout. Clear the web browser’s Look online to determine how to clear the cache and cookies in different browsers cache and cookies and devices. Restart the device A fresh start clears the memory and restores the device’s inner workings. Return to top https://pltw.read.inkling.com/a/b/ce82cc7c43544b399db84bd4cc6cd498/p/7fa4c31979384e2ea21ce8bd1e5df009 4/9 8/13/2020 Skills for Success My assignment has things in it that I’ve never learned how to do. What do I do? This is the perfect time to practice self-reliance. You can: Search for an answer in online resources. Contact your teacher. Teachers get a special joy when they help students understand things, so be sure to reach out. Contact a classmate and ask whether they have time to answer some of your questions. Return to top I have trouble finishing my assignments. How do I find the time to complete everything? Setting goals can help you manage your time. For example, you might say to yourself, “Within an hour, I will complete all of my math problems.” Or cover a chunk of the day, “Before I take a break, I will complete all of my math and science work.” Or make a goal for the whole day, such as, “Today I am going to complete all of my assignments.” Following are some ideas to help you set and achieve goals for completing school work: Start the day by creating a checklist of things you want to accomplish. Make a time line or table of what you will work on each hour of the school day. Give yourself a reward when you complete something on your checklist. It can be small, such as, “When I finish this assignment, I will stand up and take a good, long stretch and get a drink of water.” Stick to a schedule. Make a routine for each day. Return to top How do I know which task to start first? Analyze each task to determine how urgent and important it is. This chart can help you decide which tasks to do first. When you make your daily schedule or checklist, you might even consider color coding your tasks by type! https://pltw.read.inkling.com/a/b/ce82cc7c43544b399db84bd4cc6cd498/p/7fa4c31979384e2ea21ce8bd1e5df009 5/9 8/13/2020 Skills for Success Task Priority Example Do these types of tasks first An example is an assignment that is due soon and impacts your Type Urgent and understanding of the topic or your grade in the course. Daily or important weekly assignments often fall into this category. Urgent Do this type of tasks second An example is an assignment that is due soon, but it does not but not have a big impact on your understanding of the topic nor impact important your grade in the course. Important Put these tasks on your An example of this type of task is an assignment or project that is but not schedule so you don’t forget not due right away. This includes a long-term project or a big test urgent to do them. Work on them a that requires several small blocks of work or study over several little bit each day. days or weeks. Neither Do this type of task when An example of this is an extra credit assignment or a task that urgent your other tasks are does not impact your understanding of what you are studying or nor complete or nearly complete. your grade in the course. important Return to top I understand the assignment, but how much time should I set aside to complete it? Consider the following strategies when scheduling your work: Compare the length of time it took you to complete a similar task. Break the task into smaller tasks. Estimate how long it will take you to complete each small task, then add those times together for your total work time. Review the instructions your teacher provided. Do you see details that help you estimate the time you will need? If you think you might run into complications, plan for extra time to complete the task. Return to top I don’t think I was successful with distance learning last year. How will this year be any different? https://pltw.read.inkling.com/a/b/ce82cc7c43544b399db84bd4cc6cd498/p/7fa4c31979384e2ea21ce8bd1e5df009 6/9 8/13/2020 Skills for Success Online learning is like other difficult tasks—with practice, your skills improve. It can be helpful to think about your past experiences as you make your plan. Take three minutes to think of your own examples for each of the topics in the chart. Select one area to work on during this week’s online learning. Repeat this each week, selecting a different skill. You’ll build your skills in no time! Strengths What are the easiest parts of online learning? Needs What do you think you might improve upon? Example: I really like it when our teacher has us Example: I have a really hard time deciding how discuss a topic using chat. I like having time to much time my work will take me. think about my answer before I type it. Opportunities Worries What is one way that you can improve or learn What do you find most worrisome about online something new? learning? Example: I would love to get better at recording Example: I am always afraid I’m going to miss and editing video projects. something important, and I usually feel a little bit confused. Return to top I don’t feel like working. How do I motivate myself? Everyone hits a wall now and then. But there are ways to get yourself over that wall. First, complete the grit scale. After you have completed the grit scale and learned about your own intensity in completing a task, pick a task that is giving you trouble. What is the most difficult thing about completing the task? What do you need to do to complete it? After you’ve decided, commit to completing one part or step. Once you complete a small part of a difficult task, it can be easier to move on to the next step. You will be well on your way to completing a challenging task! Return to top How do I stay focused even when I’m having an off day? https://pltw.read.inkling.com/a/b/ce82cc7c43544b399db84bd4cc6cd498/p/7fa4c31979384e2ea21ce8bd1e5df009 7/9 8/13/2020 Skills for Success You might find it helpful to set a weekly goal for yourself. Write down your goals and put them where you can see them. When you are feeling unmotivated or tired, remind yourself that you are working toward something specific. And when you reach your goals, make sure you celebrate! Some things to remember when setting goals: Schedule one to three goals at any given time. Set a manageable time frame for achieving your goals, ideally no more than one to two weeks. For example, on Monday morning you might decide to set one goal that you aim to achieve by Friday afternoon. Once you achieve this goal, you can set a new one for the following week. Make sure you can measure your goals. Consider these example goals. Weak Goal I will collaborate with classmates all week. This goal doesn’t adequately describe what you should be working toward or what success looks like. It is not measurable. What does the author mean by collaborate? How many classmates should you collaborate with? Strong Goal I will schedule design project work time with three different classmates before Friday’s project due date. This goal states exactly what you hope to accomplish and by when. It is measurable, and you can even break the work apart into manageable chunks. Reflect and revise. If you don’t achieve your goal in the time frame you identified, that’s okay! Take time to reflect on the steps you took. Why do you think you didn’t achieve your goal? Based on your reflection, decide whether you will revise your original goal or create an entirely new one. Return to top Is it okay to get help from a friend? Absolutely. We all have different strengths, and learning from your peers is a smart way to make use of a valuable resource (one another)! Use a method of communication recommended by your teacher to discuss your questions with your classmates. Return to top https://pltw.read.inkling.com/a/b/ce82cc7c43544b399db84bd4cc6cd498/p/7fa4c31979384e2ea21ce8bd1e5df009 8/9 8/13/2020 Skills for Success What do I do if I get stuck on something? It can be difficult to know exactly what is holding you back. Some typical things that can slow progress are: Lack of motivation Not understanding the topic or the assignment Too many distractions Pinpoint what is slowing you down. Try to rearrange your study area in a way that improves your ability to concentrate. Return to top What should I do to make my work area less distracting? It can be tricky to find a good spot to study and work in your home. If your home has too many distractions, try to rearrange your study area in a way that improves your ability to concentrate. To improve concentration, you can: Reduce noise Avoid social media Work by yourself Turn off your TV, radio, and phone Sit in a comfortable space with room for your learning materials Return to top https://pltw.read.inkling.com/a/b/ce82cc7c43544b399db84bd4cc6cd498/p/7fa4c31979384e2ea21ce8bd1e5df009 9/9
