Introduction/Background
The ocean is a mysterious and beautiful part of our planet. Without the ocean we would not exist. Every single animal and plant inside it is just as important as every animal and plant on land. I know that warm water rises while cold waters sink. I feel a little comfortable about explaining the theory of plate tectonics and how it relates to the formation of undersea floor structures, but I only know how the shifting and cracking caused by the moving plates will form new undersea and above ground structures. I can somewhat reconstruct and analyze the major circulation patterns of the dominant ocean and atmospheric circulation systems, but I would not be entirely confident.. I am almost sure the formation of tides is caused because of the gravitational pull of the moon, but I still need to find out what their effects are upon oceanic coastal processes. In class so far I have been able to learn more about the major physical properties of the oceans and evaluate how they affect the marine life communities.
Goals and Objectives
My SMART goal is to obtain useful knowledge and experience from this course. I will know that I have reached my goal if I can comfortably talk about the student learning outcomes and topics from this class. In order to reach it, I will take the following actions: spend several hours studying a week, complete all assignments on time and with the best effort, use techniques I have learned throughout the class to help me as I go, and have fun learning. I plan to accomplish my goal by the end of the semester. If this class were graded, my realistic goal overall would be a high B to a low A. I know I am capable of achieving good grades and I must work hard and push forward to do so.
As I look back on these goals I set for myself 8 weeks ago, I can confidently say I have reached some of them, and need to work harder on a few of them. I can talk comfortably about a couple of the student learning outcomes that I have learned and studied so far, but there is still much to learn this next several weeks. I do in fact study several hours in a week, but I tend to procrastinate on my assignments and often rush to get them done. If this class were graded, as for my work I have completed so far, I believe I should receive a B. I know I have done most of my assignments correctly after receiving feedback, but I struggle on some of the quizzes and the labs. My personal strengths are in the research I have done for my student learning outcomes, and my note taking. Even though I am weakest for my quizzes, I am still learning the chapters from them and from my notes.
Methods
My goals are in no way impossible. However, the will not just be accomplished if I take it easy this semester. I will need to work hard with lots of effort on all the assignments and discussions. It will be very important for me to come to class everyday and participate with groups and communicate with the professor. Some ways to assess my own growth in this class are to see how much of the student learning outcomes I understand. Another way is to determine how much I am enjoying the learning process and the class as a whole. The whole ungrading aspect of the course is going to be strange for me. I have never even heard of anything like it before. I am used to relying on seeing a grade for my assignments, but I think receiving feedback may be more beneficial and less stressful then a percentage. Even though it will take some getting used to, I am always open to try new things.
These methods I had created for myself at the beginning of the semester have pushed me to try new things such as being in this ungraded class. I have mostly followed all of these goals and worked hard on all of my assignments. I have been present in class every day so far and I am focused on processing the information we are covering. For this class it truly depends on the amount of hours I spend a week. If we have work to do on canvas, or if I am working on my portfolio, it can be longer, but typically I will spend a good 4-8 hours a week. As for things I have been practicing to help me with the real world I have had a lot of practice working with a group, whether this is when we are doing our group quizzes and collaborating on answers, meeting with our ePortfolio groups to give each other feedback, or sharing notes and information with other classmates. This aspect is helping me personally become more comfortable socially and get along with others. I hope to keep up these skills and method and also work to not procrastinate as much and study harder for my quizzes so I can learn more throughout the upcoming weeks.