Tracking and reflecting on progress

Course journal

Please have a physical notebook dedicated to the course

I will often ask you to reflect on questions during class, and ask you to jot them down for later discussion. In addition, using a journal is a great way to record your own progress and reminders for how to navigate the software, project planning, and documenting steps taken to produce your course project.

This can be done using a word processing document (e.g., Google Docs or Word), but you are highly encouraged to buy a bound notebook solely for use in this class.

• Calendar blocking: Each week, you will have readings and assignments to review before you come to class. This course uses a student-centered approach where you will learn and practice the “normal lecture material” outside of class.  Educational research shows that learning works best when you practice new skills before, during, and after class. Therefore, to support this effort, I encourage you to use an approach called “Calendar Blocking.” This task is a simple planning tool, where each week, you block a certain period of time (~1-2 hour blocks) to work on particular assignments and exercises. For instance, if you calendar block for this class every Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday from 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM, those will be your pre-determined times to work on this material. This approach helps get you into a routine, and you are less likely to get behind on the material.