Online Journaling

Oh Life is a website that enables you to journal online.  If you love to write, this is just the place for you to begin journaling.  And, if you struggle with writing, this is the perfect place to write daily, in an effort to develop and enhance your writing skills!  The more you write, the more comfortable and creative you become with the writing process.

Journaling has many benefits to include increasing focus, enhancing writing skills and self-confidence, as well as helping capture memories and special life moments.  It also serves to provide insight into daily life and helps to identify goals, thoughts and ideas, to name a few.  For more information of the benefits of journaling, please click here.

When you are journaling, keep in mind, you will be the only one reading your work.  It does not have to be perfect and if you are hesitant to write down all of your thoughts simply leave them out.

Oh Life will send you an email each day, asking how your day went.  You can start simple by listing all your accomplishments and favorite parts of the day.  Later, you can refer back and begin to see all the accomplishments in your life.  Alternatively, if you love to write, you can broaden your vocabulary to provide a full synopsis of your day.  Don't hesitate to stick with the pen and paper journal - flipping through the pages and reading about your accomplishments will also inspire you!

Begin journaling today and capture your life story!  For more information on journaling, please click here.

 

Online Journaling

Oh Life is a website that enables you to journal online.  If you love to write, this is just the place for you to begin journaling.  And, if you struggle with writing, this is the perfect place to write daily, in an effort to develop and enhance your writing skills!  The more you write, the more comfortable and creative you become with the writing process.

Journaling has many benefits to include increasing focus, enhancing writing skills and self-confidence, as well as helping capture memories and special life moments.  It also serves to provide insight into daily life and helps to identify goals, thoughts and ideas, to name a few.  For more information of the benefits of journaling, please click here.

When you are journaling, keep in mind, you will be the only one reading your work.  It does not have to be perfect and if you are hesitant to write down all of your thoughts simply leave them out. 

Oh Life will send you an email each day, asking how your day went.  You can start simple by listing all your accomplishments and favorite parts of the day.  Later, you can refer back and begin to see all the accomplishments in your life.  Alternatively, if you love to write, you can broaden your vocabulary to provide a full synopsis of your day.  Don't hesitate to stick with the pen and paper journal - flipping through the pages and reading about your accomplishments will also inspire you!

Begin journaling today and capture your life story!  For more information on journaling, please click here.

Free Tutoring to Promote Your Academic Success

 

To help you succeed in your online courses, ELI offers free online tutoring through Smarthinking. Subjects offered include math, accounting, biology, anatomy & physiology, chemistry, statistics, physics, and more!   

The tutoring service also offers additional resources such as an opportunity to submit a question without having to wait for a tutoring session.  They also offer academic resources such as an accounting glossary, Writers and ESL Writers Handbook, and links to sites that provide support for mathematics.  Best of all when you are using the one-on-one tutoring services, many subjects have tutors available 24/7!  

If that is not enough, Smarthinking also offers an Online Writing Lab which provides students with the ability to receive a detailed, personalized critique of any written assignment through a formal critique process.  

To learn more or to request tutoring services through Smarthinking, please visit our website.  It is recommended that you sign up early.  The tutoring is well-received so please allow plenty of time to set up an appointment. Beginning in the spring 2014 semester, please access Smarthinking through your course Blackboard.

For questions or other academic resources, please contact your ELI Student Success Coach today at, elisuccess@nvcc.edu, or by calling 703.764.0120.

Free Tutoring to Promote Your Success in Your ELI Courses

To help with your study plan, ELI offers free online tutoring through Smarthinking, to help you succeed in your online courses. Subjects offered include math, accounting, biology, anatomy & physiology, chemistry, statistics, physics, and more!   

The tutoring service also offers additional resources such as an opportunity to submit a question without having to wait for a tutoring session.  They also offer academic resources such as an accounting glossary, Writers and ESL Writers Handbook, links to sites that provide support for mathematics and links to sites that provide support for mathematics.  Best of all when you are using the one-on-one tutoring servcies, many subjects have tutors available 24/7!  

If that is not enough, Smarthinking also offers an Online Writing Lab which provides students with the ability to receive a detailed, personalized critique of any written assignment through a formal critique process.  

To learn more or to request tutoring services through Smarthinking, please visit our website.  It is recommended that you sign up early.  The tutoring is well-received so please allow plenty of time to set up an appointment. Beginning in the spring 2014 semester, please access Smarthinking through your course Blackboard.

For questions or other academic resources, please contact your ELI Student Success Coach today at elisuccess@nvcc.edu or by calling 703.764.0120.

APA & ALA Formatting Webinars

Need help learning how to format a paper in APA or MLA format? 

Don't worry... we have a webinar for that! 

The ELI's Library Team presents two webinars per month on the proper way to format a paper.  The webinars focus on the APA and MLA formatting styles. Each webinar will last 30 minutes.  To register for a webinar, click on the time and date referenced below.  Be sure to register for the correct APA or MLA style:

APA citation style: Covers general formatting, in-text citations, and the reference list.

• Tuesday, November 5, Noon - 12:30pm
• Thursday, November 7, 6:30 - 7:00pm

MLA citation style: Covers general formatting, in-text citations, and the reference list.

• Tuesday, November 5, 6:30pm -7:00pm
• Thursday, November 7, Noon - 12:30pm

If you are unable to attend the live webinar, please email the ELI Library Team at, ELI-Library@nvcc.edu, to request a recording. 

Research Skills: A Blog Series from your ELI Library staff

Encyclopædia Britannica Image Quest http://quest.eb.com/images/132_1306928

Bringing It All Together

Over the past several weeks, your ELI Library staff has given you some key information you’ll need when doing research for your classes. If you’ve missed any of the topics, scroll down through the older blog posts to find them. Topics have included Scholarly vs. Popular Resources, Peer Review, Using Google and Wikipedia, Searching Library Databases, Evaluating Websites, and Citations.

Remember, your access point to all NOVA Library resources is the library homepage at www.nvcc.edu/library/.  You can search for books, e-Books, audio, videos, and articles. You’ll find research guides for many subjects as well as guides to help you cite your work. 

Check out the ELI Webinars schedule at http://eli.nvcc.edu/webinars.htm . Throughout the semester, ELI Library staff offer library orientation webinars as well as citation webinars. 

You can find videos on many of the topics this blog covered on our YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/user/NOVALibraries.

And we want to hear from you! Are there any topics that we haven’t covered that you’re curious about? Would you like something demonstrated in a video? We love suggestions or any questions that you may have about research or library resources. Email us at ELI-Library@nvcc.edu.

Finally, a few quick tips on organizing your research:

·         Keep a research log. Write down your sources, and keep track of what information you found in them and on what page.

·         Do your citations FIRST, not last. Who wants to track down that article again because you forgot to write down the volume number or date?

·         Remember that research is NOT a linear process. After some initial research, you’ll probably need to refine your topic (narrow it, broaden it, or change it all together) based on what you find. As you’re writing, you’ll probably need to go back and fill in gaps of information as well.

·         You’re not alone. We can help you wherever you are in the research process. Just email us at the address above.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Smarthinking is the online tutoring service that Northern Virginia Community College has made available for FREE to its students enrolled in courses offered through the Extended Learning Institute (ELI).  Smarthinking provides tutoring in a variety of subjects, some available 24/7.  Please click here to view Smarthinking’s hours of service and other information.

 

The current Smarthinking Student Handbook is available under Academic Resources in your account.

Accessing Smarthinking:

You may access Smarthinking directly from your online course site in Blackboard.  No additional username or password is needed.  Simply log into Blackboard, select “Tools” and click on the NOVA ELI Smarthinking link.

With Smarthinking you can find help with the following disciplines:



Math	Reading & Writing	Science	Business	ESL	Spanish	Computers & Technology
Basic Math Algebra Geometry & Trigonometry Single Variable Calculus Statistics Advanced Statistics Math beyond Calc II	Reading Comprehension Pronunciation Vocabulary Building Essay Critique Grammar & Mechanics Pre-Writing Research Strategies Proper Documentation	General Chemistry Organic Chemistry Biology Intro to Anatomy & Physiology Physics	Accounting Macro & Microeconomics Intro to Finance	ESL Writing Center Math in English/Spanish	Spanish Essay Center Grammar Questions	IT Support Word IT Support Excel IT Support Access IT Support Power Point IT Support Windows7

Please click here for additional information and sample sessions.

Research Skills: A Blog Series from your ELI Library Staff

Citing Your Sources

Really, the hardest part of doing research is finding the best sources and completing your paper or assignment using those sources. Citing them should be the easy part. But students tend to get pretty stressed out when it comes to citations. No worries, though, we can help.

First, why is it important to cite? There are really 2 main reasons:

1) Readers of your paper or research should be able to find where you got your information, even if your information came from online videos, podcasts, or social media. If you use or refer to images, sound, or music, your readers should be able to find those sources. By citing your sources, you give your readers a chance to utilize those same resources out of interest, or even to check your facts. 

All citation styles, e.g. MLA and APA, try to include all the information needed for someone to track down that source. 

2) You need to give credit to the creators/authors of the information you use. This is key to academic integrity and avoiding plagiarism.

For information on formatting, in-text citations, and reference lists, take a look at the style guides below:

• NOVA MLA Citation Style Guide
• NOVA APA Citation Style Guide

·    NOVA Libraries: Citing Media

You can also explore the following sites for more help:

• Purdue OWL MLA Formatting and Style Guide
• Purdue OWL APA Formatting and Style Guide
• FAQs about the MLA Style Manual
• APA Style Blog

And go to the ELI Webinars schedule at http://eli.nvcc.edu/webinars.htm to sign up for upcoming citation webinars.

Research Skills: A Blog Series from your ELI Library staff

Evaluating Websites

A couple of weeks ago, we talked about using Google for your research. Of course, NOVA Libraries has access to thousands of newspaper, magazine, and journal articles through the library databases. But that doesn’t mean that there’s not good and useful information out on the web as well.  You just need to be critical.

So how can you decide if a website has good information that would be appropriate to use in your assignments? You’ve heard of the 5 W’s, right? Well, they can also be applied to evaluating information, on the web and elsewhere. 

WHO – Who wrote or published the information? Is it someone you have heard of? Is it an organization that you are familiar with?  

WHAT – What are the author’s credentials? Are they clear about their experience in the subject and how they relates to the topic they are writing on?  

WHEN – When was the information published? Is it the type of information that changes over time (Think: Medical Information)? Or is it the type of information that stays the same (Think: History)?  

WHERE – Where did the author get their information? Are they properly citing their sources? Are they clear on where their facts, statistics, graphs, etc. are coming from?  

WHY – Why are they publishing this information? What is the author’s motivation? Are they showing a bias?

For more tips, take a look at the NOVA Libraries’, 5 W’s to Determine Good Information! And as always, if you’re not sure about a website, ask us! ELI-Library@nvcc.edu

Finding Articles in Library Databases

Did you know that NOVA Libraries gives you access to thousands and thousands of journal, newspaper, and magazine articles that are housed in over 100 databases?  The good news is, it’s pretty likely that we have information on the subject you are researching. The bad news? It can be a little overwhelming.

This short 5 minute video will introduce you to library databases and give you some search tips.

http://youtu.be/9aScFPAN7FE

And, as always, if you need help finding information or using any library resources, we’re here to help. E-mail your ELI Library staff at ELI-Library@nvcc.edu.

Research Skills: A Blog Series from your ELI Library staff

To Google or Not to Google? And “My professor told us we can’t use Wikipedia.”

Google is your key to all information, right? Google can connect you to anything on the internet, right? Well, not really. There is a lot of information, and some that you might really need, hiding behind passwords in what is called the “deep web.” If you are looking for journal articles, for example, you won’t find most of them by searching Google. Even if you find them using Scholar Google, which searches academic literature, you will often be asked to pay before you can access the article.  Luckily, NOVA Libraries has already paid for access to thousands and thousands of articles and other resources. And often, these resources will have higher quality information that what you can find searching Google.

This is not to discount web sources altogether. Much government information is freely available on the web. And many organizations, such as news organizations and non-profits, put out some great information on the web. Take a look at the 5 W’s to Determine Good Information for ideas on how to evaluate information you find on the web.

And when searching Google, try out their Advance Search which gives you more control over your search.

What about Wikipedia? The short answer: DO use Wikipedia to get ideas for a research topic or to give yourself some background information on the topic you have chosen. DO NOT use Wikipedia as a source in your research papers and assignments.  Wikipedia should not appear in your Works Cited page. Look for more reliable sources, some of which you could even find in the “References” section at the end of a Wikipedia entry.

Research Skills: A Blog Series from your ELI Library staff

Week 1) You’ve made it to college!  Now what?

The transition from high school to college is easy for some, not so easy for others. As an online student, you may not need to worry as much about the “freshman 15,” but you will still need to worry about all of those research papers.  In high school, you probably had some experience finding sources, organizing information, and putting everything down on paper.  But expectations are higher in college, and often the expectations feel different than they did in high school.

The first piece of good news? Your professors care what you think!  In high school, your research papers were probably just an amalgamation of all of the information you could find in your school library on your topic.  But in college, you’re expected to take in all of that information and form an argument about the topic.  Your job is to find an interesting, and hopefully original, slant on a subject and convince your readers that your claim is sound.  How do you convince your readers? With evidence and information from reliable sources.

This brings us to the second piece of good news.  ELI Library staff are here to help you find those reliable sources.  Not only can we help you find them, but we can teach you to decide which sources are best. Not all sources are created equal, and not all sources will help to convince your readers that your argument is worthwhile.  The point of this blog is to present topics and information that will help you hone your research skills and meet, or exceed, your professors’ expectations.  These are skills that you will use throughout your college career.

Check back every week for a new post.  Topics will include Scholarly vs. Popular Sources, Using Google and Wikipedia, Searching Databases, Citing your Sources, and more.  Don’t forget to take a look at the NOVA Libraries website to browse what kinds of sources are available to you.  And if you need to contact us, e-mail ELI-Library@NVCC.edu.




  

Best Note Taking Apps

Looking for some new apps?  Want a high-tech way to take notes?  Here are some hot apps that can help you get the best of both worlds…

1.   Penultimate – Hand-write notes right no your ipad.  To do this, you’ll need a stylus but, penultimate features smooth, realistic handwriting simulation with multiple paper styles and a variety of pen color options.  When done, you can search your text, save your ideas to Evernote, and share single page images or full PDF notebooks.  Cost: Free

2.   Bamboo Paper – Notebook – Also Hand-write notes right no your ipad but, what makes this app special is that bamboo paper has creates its own stylus - Wacom.  The app allows you to save your notes in Dropbox and Evernote and there is even a feature to allow you to post your ideas to Facebook and Twitter. Cost: Free or you can unlock the full version, which gives you unlimited notebooks for $1.99.

3.   MyScript Notes Mobile - Not only can you handwrite your notes, but you can turn your notes into text so that others don’t have to try to figure out your handwriting. Your handwritten notes are also searchable and you can look up definitions of words, or search for them on the Internet. The app also lets you use a wide variety of gestures to edit text and you can import PDFs for annotation, or add images to your document. Files can be saved to Evernote and Dropbox and can be posted on Facebook or Twitter. This is one of those apps that utilizes everything the iPad’s technology offers to create an exciting and inventive app. Cost: $7.99.

4.   Notability – Type and handwrite notes using this app.  It also includes a full-featured word processor with the ability to spell check, add bullet points, and more. You can annotate PDFs, so if your professor sends out a worksheet, you can write notes directly on the iPad without having to switch to a different app. The most useful feature of this app is that it records audio. You can record a lecture while taking notes. The app syncs what you type with what was recorded so that, when you go back over your notes, if something you wrote doesn’t make sense, you can tap a word and it will play back the section of the lecture that took place at that time. Cost: $1.99

5.   My Sketch Paper - This is less of a note-taking app and more of an idea-sketching app, but I felt that is was important to include it for our creative readers. Users can take notes using the text editor and freehand sketch ideas, or simply doodle in the margins. Cost: Free.

More can be found at iDownloadBlog.com.  Original article written by Lory Gil on April 23, 2013.  

Tools for Success: Quick Tips for Writing your Research Paper

Does the thought of writing a research paper cause anxiety?  For many, creating a thesis statement, research, surveys and interviews can feel overwhelming to the point of complete panic!  If you feel this way, do not procrastinate, start early and incorporate the tips referenced below into your process, you may find your anxiety turning into confidence and reassurance.

Do Not Procrastinate:  It is so easy to put the paper off if you are not excited about getting started.  Provide plenty of time – think of your thesis statement early and get started on your research. Write a quick schedule to help you keep track of time: list the days you have left and the time during the day you'll be able to work. You will need to allot yourself time to go to your school library, take notes, write an outline, write a first draft, and revise the paper.

Thesis Statement:  It's important to start out your research with a well-defined Thesis Statement. If you have a hard time developing a thesis statement, meet with your instructor during office hours and discuss your thoughts – they can help. If you are having struggles, your instructor can give you direction with this as well—do not hesitate to reach out to them during their office hours.  Some tips to consider when developing your Thesis Statement:

Ø  Keep it simple: You don't need an enormous subject to work with.

Ø  Make it specific: It's much easier to do research on a narrowly selected subject than a massive idea. Help yourself by sharpening it down.

Ø  Ensure your thesis will work: Check with your professor about the suitability of the thesis to the assignment (some instructors may require you get their approval). Do some initial research to make sure there's enough available material on your topic.

Research: Take some time to familiarize yourself with the libraries you'll be using. Do not be timid-- talk to one of the reference librarians about where and how to start—they are there to help.  To stress again, start early so you have plenty of time to work with a librarian. If you're under deadline, they may not have time to help you.  If you are in the area, you can visit the NOVA Libraries (they even have ‘Ask a Librarian’ live chat).  As an ELI student, you also have off campus access and assistance from our ELI Librarian.

ELI Resources: When writing your paper, you may find the Writing Lab, offered through our free Smarthinking tutoring helpful. The online Writing Lab provides students with the ability to receive a detailed, personalized critique of any written assignment through a formal critique process. NOVA also offers a Writing Center on each campus available to ELI students.

For more information on this topic, to include writing your introduction, steps on gathering and organizing your research, and more, please click here.

31 Ways to Find Inspiration for Your Writing

Jack London once wrote, "You can’t wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club."

Are you looking for inpiration for your writing? 

Leo Babauta's 31 suggestions to inspoire your writing on writetodone.com may just be just what you need to get your writing juices flowing.  Here are a few of them:

• Read a blog or two
• Check out google.com
• Read a book
• Watch a movie
• Chat with a friend
• Listen to music

What inspires you to write?

Promoting Academic Success: Common Grammar Problems to Avoid

Excellent tips to follow when developing presentations, writing for your class, career or personal writing:

 

For More Information, please click here.

Tools for Success: Graphic Organizers Promoting Success in Writing

For many, writing a paper can be a challenging and stressful experience.  From a short one-page essay to a 50 page research paper, the job can be overwhelming as we collect and organize our research and thoughts.  If anxiety overcomes you every time a paper is assigned, there is help!  One method you can use to help get your paper off to a good start is a graphic organizer.

You may recall using graphic organizers or venn diagrams in elementary school.  These methods are not just for children!  Although they were probably required as a part of your elementary curriculum, if used seriously, they are a low tech tool that promotes success throughout your entire academic career.  Graphic organizers enable folks of all ages to brainstorm, arrange and consolidate their thoughts into a structured, well defined paper. 

Graphic organizers are tools that help you organize your writing more logically and effectively.  For those that are visual learners, they will also enable you to better visualize your thoughts and creativity.  They also help with reading comprehension and relating concepts and ideas in any subject. 

There is a plethora of graphic organizers available on the internet.  While most of these organizers are geared towards teachers, don’t feel embarrassed or afraid to use one!  They are all free and will serve to release your writing fears.  One great site for downloading a variety of free styles is Holt Interactive Graphic Organizers.  As you visit the site, review the different styles to see which might work best for your learning style.  Be sure to check out the ‘notes’ section as there are many links to promote ideas and creativity. 

Once you begin to use organizers for your writing, you may also find them helpful for reading comprehension and association when studying.  You may find venn diagrams particularly helpful for relating and applying newly learned information. When visiting the site, look past associations that graphic organizers are for elementary school students—they are an excellent tool for all ages.

Happy writing!