Personal Learning PLan

Personal Learning Plan Assignment Oral Components
Nishi, Anise, Natasha, William, and Tyler

1.) Academic Skills
a. I think having crux, brainstorm, and conclusion are some of the most important skills for students to possess in order to successfully obtain their diploma/certificate at George Brown College. Crux is a valuable ability in terms of being a successful student because it allows one to be direct when taking action in regards to education. Crux is the ability to look at any given problem or situation and know exactly nature of it is and then taking action. Brainstorm is also an important skill to have because there will never be a point in one’s academic career where brainstorming before an assignment would be counterproductive. Brainstorming is a strategy used to develop a wide range of ideas and alternatives with any given problem or situation. Conclusion is of course an important skill to possess in order to be a successful student because it allows you to look at an array of different information and assess it and draw conclusions.
b. With taking the concepts of neuroplasticity and metacognition into consideration it is understood that becoming a successful student is surely an attainable goal. Metacognition is awareness and understanding of one’s thought process. Neuroplasticity is the brain’s ability to reorganize and change its structure and function through the life span. If these two things are true than the skills and abilities discussed in (a) are indeed attainable. If using Hebb’s Law as a guidance for skill building practices, the law stating that “neurons that fire together wire together”, then one would simply distinguish what steps need to be taken I order to reach the desired skill or ability. Hebb’s Law is basically stating that in response to stimulus neurons connect. When the same stimulus continues it just makes the neuron’s connections stronger and stronger. For example, if you were looking to develop your skills in crux you have to practice objectivity. You would need to ask yourself specific questions when trying to get down to the heart of whatever issue is at hand. Questions like “What is the real problem here,” “what is essential, and what is non-essential to deal with now,” “what is the bottom line that must be addressed?” Questions along these lines, being practiced and asked whenever working on your crux strategy would be the kind of repetitive stimulus that would make certain connections stronger, therefore resulting in that particular ability being attained. The same strategy goes for both brainstorming and conclusion as well as any other skills or abilities that any given person would be aiming to achieve. What Hebb’s Law is underlining is that “Practice makes perfect” isn’t so much of a saying as it is an instruction.
c. In Barbara Arrowsmith Young’s case study, the way that her body responded best to learning was to have her weaknesses identified and then to develop those weaknesses to the same level as her strengths. Again, this is important for everyone to be able to do, especially as a student. We all have weaknesses, and when they are looked at and identified, it is only then that we can improve ourselves. If neuroplasticity means we have the ability to reorganize and change our brain’s structure and function then Young’s case is the perfect example.

2.) Obstacles
a. Some challenges or obstacles that may prevent a student from achieving their goal would be things like procrastination, tight finances, or distance. Procrastination can be a serious obstruction to a student’s academic goals because the work will never display their full potential. When you procrastinate it makes you leave things to the absolute last minute. You rush your work. The time isn’t put in for any pre planning, and there isn’t any time left for editing. If the assignment actually gets handed in on time it is never a work that has 100% effort put into it, therefore acting as an obstacle for a student to reach their maximum potential. Tight financing is an obvious deterrence for school, but a lot more comes into play with not having financing. A higher priority gets put on working (if the student has a job) or getting a job. For students that don’t have their tuition covered for them, finding the means to pay for education can be a large obstacle to overcome. It puts a lot of strain on the student and tends to take their focus away from actually being successful in their studies. Distance can also play a large part in
b. Time management is a great strategy for helping to meet one’s goals. With procrastination, working, and traveling it may be beneficial to make a daily plan for yourself. If you have a job you incorporate that, and classes into your daily schedule. For example, Monday: 8am-11am class, 11-12 lunch break, 12-3 catch up on homework, 3-4 head to work, 4-930 work, 930-1130 read textbook. If you make a daily routine for yourself, you will find it a lot harder to procrastinate when you’ve given yourself an allotted time for work. It also makes it easier because you can plan around whatever you need to do this way. If you had a weekend where you would be away and not able to do homework you can change your daily routine for the week to give yourself extra time to do more work so that you could have the weekend off. It also may be beneficial to receive some financial aid, not in terms of loans, but advice. To get an educated opinion on how to plan for your financial future, so that you don’t have to stress about making it to the end of your education.
3.) Goals
a. Achieving a 3.0 GPA this semester
i. Specific :
1. Reduce time playing video games and hanging out with friends ii. Measurable:
1. study for tests and quizzes ahead of time ie.7 days for tests and 3-5 days for quizzes
2. Review on a daily basis
3. Try to get at least 70%+ in all assignemnts, quizzes and tests iii. Attainable :
1. In what ways do I need to improve my study habits?
2. How do I manage time?
3. When and how do I study for quizzes and tests
4. What are my strengths and weaknesses? iv. Relevant :
1. will it make me feel better?
2. Will it adnance future academic and career goals?
v. Trackable and Time :
1. is it at least a 70%? If not, how can I achieve this? (tutor, study more, ask prof for help)
2. can I improve this result and get an even better grade?
3. What must I do with my academic, strategic, and personal management skills to achieve this or do better