My Goal

Yearly Target

Below table is my personal future targets that I wish to accomplish in 5 years.

SQ4R

About SQ4R

SQ4R is a simple reading technique which was developed in order for users to find reading easy and comfortable. This technique really make the ones who don't like reading to read. I personally prefer this technique as it helps to identify the nutshell of the book in a glance. It helps me find the exact facts I need especially when referring due to an assignment purpose or research project. SQ4R is more kind of a strategy I would say.

Basically, SQ4R means Survey, Question, Read, Recite, Rite and Review. 

This video shows how SQ4R could be used when referring books.

• Survey

This is basically about getting to know about the book contents by glancing through the pages. For example, one could start by understanding the contents and then finding out key headings which are relevant to him/her. Also pictures in pages could help you know which topic it is referring to you.

The intention of survey is for you to know the structure of the book, so that you could easily find out what you cam looking for.

• Question

The next step is to question yourself based on  identified topics, such as:

1. Is the necessary topics covered ?
2. Whether all doubts are cleared ?
3. is further referencing needed ?

By asking question to yourself you would know where you stand and make decisions accordingly, such as whether to continue reading other contents of the book, is the particular book relevant? or have I got what I came for ?, etc.

• Read

Then you slowly start reading, make sure you start with the comfortable area and gradually read the other relevant topics. You may sometimes not understand the facts mentioned, but do not worry, try to find out the key point in a paragraph.

• Recite

This is there for you to understand better in the ones you failed. You start by reading it aloud (reciting), try to do it as many times as possible so that you get the hang of it. personally for me it helped me a lot in understanding what actually the paragraph says.

• Review

This is the final stage where you analyse the questions you asked before and answering yourself. This process will develop your reading skill and the next time you read a book you will do it faster.

Personality Test

About

This is basically another test which was done in my undergraduate programme. This test was mainly divided into four sections such as Personality Type, Self Monitoring, Self esteem and Machiavellian and each sections were supposed  to be rated between 1-8 depending on the question asked. we were asked to answer honestly without thinking too much and also not to change any already answered questions.

Myself and my fellow mates, we had no idea how these questions were going to determine our personality but surprisingly the result was so accurate.

Each section had a different way of calculating the result based on the individual rating for each question. The overall final result was analysed depending on which range it fell.

Brain Analysis

My Analysis

This is an application which evaluates your brain. This application can be used to identify which side of the brain you use most. This simple application comprise of 20 questions with no exact answers, the requirement is to answer the most appropriate. Below shown are some of the sample questions which were asked when i did the questions.

After answering all the questions, the application showed its result including a detailed explanation which is as follows.

I was personally satisfied with the results. Most of the points were according to my current characteristics which I have experienced in my past. Although a very few were new to myself, i firmly believe the report and  I have taken this seriously and will work towards eliminating my weakness step by step.

I firmly believe that this should be done by every individual, It is important to know your characteristics and work accordingly and always should try to improve and eliminate the weakness identified.

Time Management

• Time Management 

Time management is basically a set of practices, skills, tools and systems which are made to work together to improve the quality of life within a particular time frame. The management of time often starts with the setting of the goals, objectives and aims. Depending on the availability of the time an effective plan is laid out to fulfill the goals. The activities are conducted according to the importance and urgency making the maximum use of the given time.

Smart time managers are very peculiar to accomplish the most important tasks first so that the rest could be done progressively. This entire process should be backed up with personnel motivation of the participants, delegation skills and organization tools. This helps a person to plan and organize one’s day to day activities in a more efficient and productive manner, overcome problems quickly and easily, organize the workflow to make better use of time and be an inspiration to the others so that they look forward to work with you and under you depending on situations.

If a person masters to manipulate time he / she will not only gain the maximum but will also be relaxed and focused. Time management is a huge part of managing oneself and developing the personality where you know on what to spend your time and how to spend it.

http://www.maketick.com/management/time-management-introductiondefinitiontips-and-importance.php

SWOT Analysis

• SWOT Analysis 

The SWOT analysis is an extremely useful tool for understanding and decision-making for all sorts of developmental scenarios in professionals related to business and all other organizations. SWOT is an acronym for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats.

Doing a SWOT Analysis will not only help guide a person towards his / her desired career, but it will also help to develop abilities which in turn will lead to reach the goals and targets in an efficient way. 

From this analysis, one can get a clear map on how to capitalize on one’s strengths and minimize or eliminate their weaknesses and furthermore one must use this map during opportunities and avoid or reduce during threats.

After analyzing the strengths, weaknesses, threats and opportunities, one must use that information to plan how to develop oneself in his or her own profession.

http://lifeworkps.com/profdevel/weblog/1290.html

Note Taking

Note Taking Techniques

• Cornell System

Walter Park designed the effective way of note taking called the Cornell system.You can rearrange notes easily, or remove notes to spread them out and study.

Shown below is the page layout.

Cue Column

The questions which are known as cues should be written in the cue column.This helps you to think about the lecture, get a clear understanding of the meanings, strengthens your memory and you will be able to predict test and exam items. 

The summaries

The summary should be written in your own words, this gives a brief description about the important material on the page. 

Note-taking area

The space allocated for notes-taking enables you to record your notes during the lecture.You should develop a system of abbreviations or short-forms used in sending cell phone messages to avoid missing information during the lecture. 

http://www.montgomerycollege.edu

• Outlining Method

This method is used to write the information categorizing them into main topics, sub topics and etc.This method is very useful as a study guide or when you have to get ready for an essay or for  short answer exam.

Shown below is the format for the outlining method

Title or Topic  

I. Main topics will be the main headings ( to the left side of the paper near the margin)  

   A. Major sub-topics (indented and subordinate to the preceding heading)  

       1. Minor sub-topic (indented under A)  

       2. Minor sub-topic (indented under A)  

           a. Detail (under 2)  

           b. Detail  

B. Major sub-topic (indented the same as major sub-topic A)  

   1. Minor sub-topic  

      a. Detail (under 1)  

      b. Detail  

II. Continue in the same way with main topic #2, #3, etc. 

• Charting Method

This charting method consists a table with columns and rows that helps to summarize the most important facts found in articles.Word processor or spread sheet or a huge sheet of page is used as a normal paper is not wide enough.  

	Concepts
Articles	Concept A	Concept B	Concept C	Concept D	....
1		x	x
2	x		x	x
...					x

Recommended procedure:

Step 1: Read texts "diagonally", and just mark the most relevant concepts, theories, models, hypothesis,etc.

Step 2: Make a matrix of the most important concepts like above

Step 3: Sort concepts. Keep the most important ones, unite the similar ones and throw away the ones you won't need.

Step 4: Write

      http://edutechwiki.unige.ch/en/Note_taking

• Mapping Method

This method is considered as an excellent way of note-taking that uses diagrams to record information.Information may be presented using shape or color.This method is also effective when organizing for a paper.

• Sentence Method

This method could be used easily and is suitable for lectures when the information is instructed by the instructor very quickly.

Personal Analysis

My SWOT Analysis

Below shown table depicts my strength and weakness which I found by analyzing myself in various situations and circumstances and also from the Self Evaluation Test which I did in my undergraduate programme in APIIT (Sri Lanka).

The above identified points are solely my evaluation on myself and does not relate any common points regarding SWOT Analysis.

Professional Development

Definition

Professional Development is all about how a person can improve their character and personality based on their profession and career. This may suit to any random person operating or working in any firm or even for a college or school student. In short it is all about personal development.

Professional development basically involves diversified educational experiences related to ones work. People involved in high level professions and engaged in businesses participate in professional development to learn and apply new knowledge and skills to enhance their performance, contribution and reaching their goals.

http://learningforward.org/docs/pdf/why_pd_matters_web.pdf?sfvrsn=0

Purpose

The primary purpose of professional development is to increase the effectiveness of all who are engaged in a particular profession together with their required knowledge, skills and abilities. This will better suit if the working place provides a positive environment which will encourage and establish the necessary developmental mechanisms and steps for each participant to improve themselves according to their requirements. It is also important that this development in once profession creates a beneficial impact on the clients as well, since they will be the target of the professionals. 

www.nashua.edu/district.../2360%20professional%20development.pdf

Techniques

Professional development can be achieved in many ways like study and research, additional graduate study in the discipline, participation in professional meetings, and in-service training such as instruction in computer usage. A persons skills and abilities related to his profession can be also brought out by encouragement of innovation and improvement of instruction by a recognition system like presenting outstanding awards in ones work place, providing financial support to encourage researches and inventions, organizing workshops, short courses and seminars which are designed to develop new skills in instruction, research and public services.

http://ww2.nscc.edu/inservice/definition.htm


It is also important for the respective institution to give an opportunity for their staff to continue their professional development in their entire career, because there is always room to develop once ability according to the immediate changes that occur. Demonstration on how developments occur with time is also a very effective method to construct one’s self in an efficient manner. Each institution should plan and implement on an annual basis a structured, coordinated program for faculty development. The program should be designed to achieve predetermined institutional objectives, and should utilize an appropriate variety of activities.

• Personal Learning Network 

It is a technique of professional development where an individual learner depending on his specific needs and interests extends his ideas and views to relevant learners including people who are interested in the same field or topic, scholars in that field all over the world. PLN provides an opportunity to associate with experts, leaders and professionals in the particular field in a wide scale bringing everyone to gather to develop each others’ knowledge further.

http://theinnovativeeducator.blogspot.com/2008/04/5-things-you-can-do-to-begin-developing.html

• Professional Development Portfolio 

This technique is very useful to assess ones strengths, developmental activities and experiences in professional development. It is an overall view of the above stated segments which will help a person to identify and build one’s strengths, focus on the targets of the profession in which the person is engaged, develops the skills in such a way to suit in the upcoming career in the way one desires. 

http://www.rgs.org/NR/rdonlyres/4E832784-B294-4B93-B63C-D5647280666C/0/CGT_Online_TDA_ProfessionalDevelopmentCareerPortfolio.pdf

Some of the other techniques such as SWOT Analysis and Time management are there in my previous posts.