Personal Skills, Tips for Online Learning & Groupwork

Entering this MLIS online course, I knew that I would have to utilize every personal skill I had to get me through this journey. I see now, half way through my first course that there are three skills that I have found valuable. 1) Tech skills- being computer literate and being able to navigate through downloads and posts can be very intimidating otherwise. 2) Communication / Interaction- As librarians, we are trained to answer questions and we also need to learn to ask them as well. Following directions and asking questions have been crucial.  3) Time Management- I could not live without my calendar and to do list. I also feel like I accomplished something if I get to cross something off my list.

To be successful in an online learning situation, you have to find what works for you but there must be some structure and discipline involved.  Being an online student means I have the luxury to do whatever I want whenever but if I can easily get lazy and watch a movie instead of doing an assignment and I found that the only thing that keeps me on track is having a routine. I also like to set up a work station dedicated to school and learning with as few distractions as possible.

As for working in groups, I agree with Dr. Haycock when he says it is important to set goals, have leadership, and accountability. I have participated in group work both for school and work and I can say that the unsuccessful encounters were due to the lack of one or more of these key elements. Without common goals, the project will not be completed in its entirety. Without direction, the group is lost. Without accountability, the group is not working to its fullest potential.

Hopefully, I can remember to use these skills when participating in group work in the future.

Old school vs new school

This is my first Blogging experience so please bear with me. I feel pretty uncomfortable opening myself up to the virtual world and sharing such personal thoughts and I  feel that I am stuck between two generations of librarians. There are the tech savvy who are avid social net workers on the web  and those that prefer to socialize in person. I do consider myself fairly tech savvy but much rather enjoy having a conversation face to face. I feel that the little nuances of a conversation like a smirk, nod, raised eyebrow etc. cannot be duplicated with emoticons. This personal interaction is one of the reasons that I love working in a library.

Don’t get me wrong, I do see a need for innovation and change and I do see that values of blogging as a great means of social net working and this is why I have enrolled in this MLIS program. I hope to expand my horizons, embark on many firsts, and pass the knowledge on to others that I come into contact with.

Let the fun begin!