Sunday, March 29, 2015

Essentials: Time Management, Non-Cognitve Learning Skills, Communication and Cognitive Training

Time Management
**Start to create a learning plan

Non-Cognitive Learning Skills
**Define, reference key"non-cognitve" learning skills such as those outlined in my previous MOOC 

Communication
**Using this blog practice writing to communicate

Cognitive Training
**Use luminosity.com 3 to 5 times per week to maintain and improve specific areas of cognition.

Goal Technical Skill

Technical Skills
In my post 3 main areas I define one area as being "technical skills" this skill area was outlined in a previous post and then broken down into sub areas

Technical (rather than "Hacking"): Several Branches
1. Basic Technology Skills: Skills such as computer fundamentals, keyboarding, word processing, spreadsheets applications, presentation skills, online best practices, and graphics

2. Programming: Such as Python and JavaScripting come to mind

3. Database: Both theory and application specific

4. Design

My Current Learning to support acquisition of knowledge and skills

Udacity's Intro to Computer Science
Goal: Complete 1 lesson per week in Udacity's Intro to Computer Science 

Keyboarding using keybr.com
Goal: Practice keyboarding using keybr.com 3 to 5 times per week for 20 minutes or more to improve my touch typing skills.



3 Main Areas for Learning

Let's review the 3 main areas of Data Science and apply them to my approach to Educational Data Science. It is important to note that the ability to communicate is an additional skill needed for effective data science and should be considered a vital skill in all of the 3 Main Areas of Learning.

Substantive: I would define this into 2 main branches
1. Teaching
2. Learning

Mathematic and Statistics: 2 branches
1. Math: understanding the math behind the statistic is crucial to understanding your data
2. Statistical: Both in theory and in application. This includes an understanding of spreadsheets, charts, and graphs.


Technical (rather than "Hacking"): Several Branches
1. Basic Technology Skills: Skills such as computer fundamentals, keyboarding, word processing, spreadsheets applications, presentation skills, online best practices, and graphics

2. Programming: Such as Python and JavaScripting come to mind

3. Database: Both theory and application specific

4. Design


Question: So how to translate this model for my own learning? 

Conclusion:  
I need a plan that includes learning experiences in each of these 3 main areas
I need to practice communicating 



Udacity Technical Note

Udacity Technical Note: "Udacity" links: 

In many of my blog posts  there are links to clips from some of the courses found on udacity.com. 
In order, to access the material found in these clips you will need to 
1. Register for a free udacity learning account 
2. Select the blue button labeled "access course materials". 

Once you have completed the account process you should be able to view the referenced clip in a new browser window. 

Please feel free to contact me if you are having any technical issues accessing the links.

Writing Disclamer

Disclaimer: Unless otherwise noted, all posts in this blog should be considered a "rough draft" and as such may contain errors. 

However, in the spirit of this journey I have chosen to go ahead and "publish"this and other posts in support of my goals to document my journey. If you would like to read more about my visions or current goals please see my post "The Learning Experience" also found on this blog.


What is an Educational Data Scientist?

Technical Note: "Udacity" links: In this post there are links to several clips from some of the courses found on udacity.com. In order, to access the material found in these clips you will need to register for a free udacity learning account and select the blue button labeled "access course materials". Once you have completed this option you should be able to view the referenced clip in you browser window 

___________________

When I am asked what I am going to school for I typically say "Educational Data Science". This answer often elicits a range of responses. Anything from "oh my, you must be smart", to "why", to "where does one study for that." So I think it would be a good idea to re-start this blog with my understanding of what it might someday mean to be an "Educational Data Analyst" and why I believe this is a good path for me.

In a Udacity course called Intro to Data Science I came across this explanation of what a Data Scientist is. And since I have used this explanation/definition for my own learning odyssey I would like to share this clip with my readers : What is a Data Scientist? In order to view the explanation of what a data scientist is you will 1st need to write and submit your own definition of a data scientist and then select the "continue to answer" button.
Note: If you are having difficulty accessing the referenced clip please see my Technical Note at the top of this post for additional instruction.

 Now I understand many of you out there may have a different definition of what it entails to be a Data Scientist and I encourage you to share your definition in the comments below this post. However, the field of Educational Data Science is relatively new, and because of this, I believe it is important to define my vision of an Educational Data Scientist and a Educational Data Analyst before going forward.

Finally, no matter whether or not we agree what in means to be a Data Scientist, I have chosen to use this concise yet comprehensive explanation as a general model for my own learning odyssey.



Writing Disclaimer

Technical Note for viewing the Udacity clips referenced in this post.


The Learning Experience * * * * *

Dear Readers,
Over the last year I have played with several of the online MOOC communities and I have made some interesting realizations. There are several great sites and I could go on to tell you about each one, but I would like to save the details of these different MOOC providers for a different post. This shift is because I have made a commitment to myself and to anyone reading this blog to not get lost in the details or in the backstory (as I like to call it). Rather my goal is to document my journey. Maybe over time I will be able to expand this blog and write more of this journey's "backstory" but for now my goal is simple.

Current Vision 
To find a balance in pursuit of learning, my love for my family, my need continue to be successful in my current position, while seeking to advance my job opportunities more towards my interests, and finally to find a way to purse my passion and desire to improve education in the US for all students in a meaningful and sustainable way.

How I hope to accomplish this:
I am committed to documenting my journey in this blog. I have attempted to to this before, but I have alway gotten lost in the details and in explanations. I have outlined topics, started posted, created pages, and played with various templates. However, this time I am trying something different. As often as possible I will, I will, I will, inform my readers and document any movement (forward or backwards) that effects my "vision".


What this means for me and my readers:
My "published" blog posts might be messy, there will likely be grammatical errors, spelling errors, and errors in my sentence structure. In the past, I have gotten caught up in trying to make everything as close to perfect as possible and in doing so I have gotten sidetrack. Going forward I would like to caution my readers that this blog is currently a work in progress. I am trying to map and create a map of unfamiliar territory so please have patience with me as I journey along my way. If you would like to volunteer to act as an editor for my posts please email me at klamle@ecca.org. Not only will I post all of my blog posts (no matter how imperfect they may be), but I will be attempting keep my blog posts short (#of words) and relevant (related to my personal experiences). I am still holding out the hope of going back and fine-tuning some of this blogs articles but I am more focused on getting down some of my thoughts as is.

I do hope you will enjoy the changes and reading about my journey.

Sincerely,
Keri Lamle