Skills for Professional Development GEN 300 WS1: Techniques for Academic Success Skills for Professional Development Joseph Lewis Aguirre

W1: Techniques for Success Identify university resources required for student success. Create a learning plan based on personal learning style, time management skills, as well as short and long-term goals. Develop strategies for monitoring progress towards goal achievement. Develop an effective and comprehensive team charter.

W1: Returning to School 1. Considerations for returning to school as an adult a. Reasons for returning; 1) What degree do you want? 2) What is motivating you? b. Expectations 1) Career options 2) Developing a goal plan c. Obstacles 1) Fears and concerns of returning to school

W1: Adult Learners 2. Adult learners a. Adults develop their learning processes in a number of ways: 1) Lasts the entire life span of each individual; 2) Allows an individual to acquire, renew, upgrade, or complete knowledge, skills, and attitudes for functioning effectively in a constantly changing society; 3) Allows adults to pursue learning throughout their lives, and is a way in which people supplement (and, at times, find a substitute for) learning received in formal settings;

W1: Adult Learners- Cont 4) Equips individuals with skills and competencies for completing their self education beyond learning in a formal setting; and 5) Acknowledges the contribution of all available educational influences, including formal and informal.

W1: Adult Learners- Cont b. Adult learning assumptions 1) Adults need to know why they are learning; 2) Adults need to be seen as competent; 3) Adults want their knowledge and skills acknowledged in the classroom; 4) Adults need to be self directed and experientially involved in their learning; and 5) Adults want learning to be life centered and applicable.

W1: Becoming a Strategic Learner Learning Styles a. Peak and valley learning times - benefits to knowing: 1) You will enjoy learning more when you are in the mood for it; 2) You will learn faster and more naturally because you will not be fighting your body's resistance due to fatigue or discomfort; and 3) You will make better use of your valley times by doing things other than trying to learn.

W1: Becoming a Strategic Learner b. Four learning quadrants 1) Thinker a) Devotion to identifying the facts b) Logical approach to problem solving c) Affinity for reducing complex issues into simple decisions d) Distrust of intuition and emotion 2) Organizer a) Reliance on procedure, order, and stability b) Affinity for turning answers into actions rather than into questions and theories c) More verbal and intuitive than Thinker

W1: Becoming a Strategic Learner- Cont 3) Giver a) Sensitivity to moods, atmospheres, and attitudes b) Awareness of things as a process rather than pieces of information c) Logic and theory take precedence over feeling and experiencing 4) Adventurer a) Predisposition for originality, ambiguity, and surprise b) Enjoy challenges c) Do well in chaos d) Resistance to coming to final decisions

W1: Becoming a Strategic Learner- Cont c. Personal intelligences 1) Linguistic a) Think in words b) Good auditory skills c) Enjoy language d) Learn best by hearing or seeing the words. 2) Logical-mathematical a) Conceptual thinking b) Affinity for relationships and patterns c) Enjoy the computer d) Like brainteasers that require reason.

W1: Becoming a Strategic Learner- Cont c. Personal intelligences 3) Spatial a) Affinity for images and pictures, such as puzzles; and b) Ability to draw and design things accurately. 4) Musical a) Remember melodies; and b) Like music in the background while learning. 5) Bodily kinesthetic a) Process information through body sensations b) Communicate through gestures c) Need to move to learn d) Learn by association with emotional responses.

W1: Becoming a Strategic Learner- Cont c. Personal intelligences 6) Intrapersonal a) Shy in groups b) Awareness of goals and dreams; and c) Motivation to do well. 7) Interpersonal a) Socializer b) Enjoy games with others; and c) Demonstrate empathy.

W1: Becoming a Strategic Learner- Cont 4. Study skills a. Proactive reading b. Mind mapping c. Tapping in on your memory d. Know why you are learning e. Use association f. Utilize peak time g. Note taking h. Active listening i. Acknowledge the need for private time in order to study

W1: Becoming a Strategic Learner- Cont 4. Study skills j. Prepare a space in the home that is set aside for study k. Articulating what you want and need in order to succeed 1) Attention to noise levels in the home 2) Guidelines on invasion of study space 3) Communicating when to disturb and not to disturb  

WS1: Learning Teams a. Considerations for forming teams include: 1) Organizing teams 2) Team documentation; and 3) Team dynamics. b. Learning Team interaction parallels team building in the workplace. Key advantages of the learning team process include: 1) Students gain knowledge and experience from each other 2) A real-world working environment is simulated 3) Individual strengths and weaknesses are blended

WS1: Learning Teams b. Learning team interaction - cont 4) A sharing of teaching and learning responsibilities is facilitated 5) Self confidence and self esteem are increased 6) Leadership and participatory skills are developed 7) Interpersonal communication skills are strengthened 8) Achievement of a higher level of quality and performance in project assignments is possible 9) Decision-making skills are developed

WS1: Learning Teams c. Chartering 1) Setting team expectations 2) Establishing lines of communication 3) Individual members' strengths and weaknesses 4) Determining goals for the team d. Effects of personality style and personal intelligences on team dynamics  

W3 OBJECTIVES Critical Thinking Skills ·         Identify and apply critical thinking skills. Personal Management ·         Analyze and identify time management skills. ·         Analyze and identify stress management techniques. ·         Analyze and identify useful study skills. ·         Perform a realistic self-assessment and examine expectations. Research Skills ·         Demonstrate an understanding of the Internet and the University of Phoenix Library Online Collection. ·         Demonstrate an understanding of standard library research. ·         Explain the concept of plagiarism and how to avoid it. ·         Apply organizational skills to the research process. Team Skills ·         Develop an understanding of ways to plan team projects. Written Communication Skills Identify methods of citation and documentation.

W4 OBJECTIVES Presentation Skills ·         Demonstrate effective oral presentation skills. ·         Demonstrate the appropriate use of visual aids. ·         Examine strategies for team presentations. ·         Utilize the peer review process to perfect presentation skills. Team Skills ·         Develop an understanding of ways to plan team projects. Written Communication Skills ·         Examine the benefits of peer editing. ·         Identify writing mechanics.

W5 OBJECTIVES Adult Learning ·         Define an adult learner's role and responsibility. Personal Management Skills ·         Perform a realistic self-assessment and examine expectations. Presentation Skills Demonstrate effective oral presentation skills.

ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE ENVIRONMENT CLIMATE Other Teams Marketplace Enthusiasm STRUCTURE Competition Accountability Reward System GOALS Reporting Relationships Values Clarity Commitment Collaboration Mission Philosophy Stress Feedback System Decision Making Behavior Norm Flexibility Trust Competition Culture Involvement Pressures

Decision Making Framework Information Characteristics Decision Structure Pre specified Scheduled Detailed Frequent Historical Internal Narrow Focus Business Professionals Operational Management Efficient, do thing right Structured Tactical Management Business Unit Managers -Effective, right thing Semi Structured Ad Hoc Unscheduled Summarized Infrequent Forward looking External Wide Scope Strategic Management Executives, Directors -Transformation Un Structured RELATIVE TIME SPAN

Optical Perception

Individual Learning Styles Peak-Valley Learning Times Learning more when in the mood for it Learn faster and more naturally, not be fighting body's resistance due to fatigue or discomfort Make better use of valley times. Bottom Up - Top Down Bottom up, stringers: Tackle new topics by first laying a solid foundation. Top down, groupers: Prefers to gain an overall perspective before filling in the details.

Learning Styles Style C:sensitivity to moods, atmospheres, and attitudes; an awareness of things as a process Style D: originality, ambiguity, & surprise; well in chaos Order/Chaos Style A: logical approach to problem solving; reducing complex issues into simple decisions. Theories Style B: reliance on procedure, order, and stability; and an affinity for turning answers into actions More Order Intuition Logical

PI  Linguistic: thinking in words; good auditory skills; enjoyment of language; and learning best by hearing or seeing the words. Logical-mathematical: conceptual thinking; an affinity for relationships and patterns; enjoyment of the computer; and liking brainteasers that require reason. Spatial: affinity for images and pictures, such as puzzles; and an ability to draw and design things accurately. Musical: Characteristics include remembering melodies and liking music in the background while learning.

PI Bodily Kinesthetic: processing information through body sensations; communicating through gestures; the need to move to learn; and learning well by association with emotional responses. Intrapersonal: Characteristics include shyness in groups; awareness of goals and dreams; and motivation to do well. Interpersonal: Characteristics include being a socializer; enjoying games with others; and demonstrating empathy.

Decision Styles Decision Styles Relater Entertainer Analyzer Ruler Intent Need Category Get it done right Control Ruler Get it done right Accuracy Analyzer Get Along Approval Relater Get Appreciated Attention Entertainer Relater Entertainer Analyzer Ruler Passive Aggressive Task Oriented People Oriented

Rossman Inventory v Orientation to learning, v Mental abilities, v    Physiological factors v    Psychological factors.

Writing Process Assessing the writing situation Prewriting Discovering ideas Mind-mapping and brainstorming Developing a thesis Creating a first draft Refining the draft

Writing Mechanics Grammar Spelling Punctuation Structure Word usage Syntax and semantics

Finding Woody

Team Forming Forming, storming, norming, and performing Barriers to the group process Groupthink Constructive versus destructive conflict Conflict resolution Task and interpersonal roles The various roles people play (mediator, leader, etc.)

Online Search Search Engines Boolean searches Wildcard searches

HR AND COMMUNICATION Analyzer Ruler Intent Need Category Get it done right Control Ruler Get it done right Accuracy Analyzer Get Along Approval Relater Get Appreciated Attention Entertainer Task Oriented Analyzer Ruler Window on the World of Difficult People Entertainer Relater People Oriented Passive Aggressive

Shared Vision

Good Learning Team Characteristics Possess excellent process skills, Team dynamics Conflict resolution techniques

Productive Teams: Key Elements Follow-through on commitments; Open and honest communication among members; Use of active listening skills; and Constructive resolution of conflicts and disagreements.