Essential Skills That Good Writers Must Have

Posted on April 30, 2012 by Manuscriptedit

Understand and use essential terminology and key concepts in describing written communication.
Understand and use the requirements of writing investigative reports, digital texts, and management and journalistic articles.
Adapt written communication for a specific audience and purpose.
Perceive writing as a process, involving planning, drafting, editing, revising, and reviewing.
Become aware of the writing procedures.
Locate, manage, and manipulate information using a variety of printed and electronic resources.
Understand the uses of writing in collaborative projects and in project management.
Produce sophisticated arguments, and be critical of arguments and statistics used in other documents.

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Tips for Note Taking

Posted on April 28, 2012 by Manuscriptedit

Collect notes for each course in one place, in a separate notebook or section of a notebook.
Use an ‘erasable pen or pencil ‘.
Use a loose-leaf notebook rather than a notebook with a permanent binding.
Enter your notes legibly because it saves time. Make them clear.
Draw a box around assignments and suggested books so you can identify them quickly.
Mark ideas which the lecture emphasizes with a highlighter, arrow or some special symbol.
When the teacher looks at his/her notes, pay attention to what they say next. Check any notes you may have missed with a classmate.

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After the Lecture

Posted on April 27, 2012 by Manuscriptedit

At the end of the lecture, ask questions about points that you did not understand.
If the speaker begins to get off topic by telling a story, write it down anyway. Stories help people remember. The story might be related to what you are learning, and may even be on the test.
If it becomes apparent that he or she is trying to stress or emphasize something, be sure to get it down, maybe even a couple times.
Obviously, the teacher/professor will not write down everything he/she says. Listen for key points and important details that are not written down.

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During the Lecture

Posted on April 26, 2012 by Manuscriptedit

Listen carefully to the introduction. By knowing this outline, you will be better prepared to anticipate what notes you will need to take. Decipher this outline by listening for: A topic for each section and supporting points or examples for the topic.
Copy what’s written on the whiteboard, or overhead projector, especially the outline. To make sure that you get everything, get in the habit of skipping words like “the” and “a” and make use of shorthand and abbreviations. Summarize your notes in your own words, not the instructor’s. Remember: your goal is to understand what the professor is saying, not to try to record exactly everything he or she says.

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Prepare for the lecture

Posted on April 25, 2012 by Manuscriptedit

Doing so will ensure that you will be more likely to predict the organization of the lecture. Check the course outline to see if the lecturer has listed the topic or key ideas in the upcoming lecture. If so, convert this information into questions, or structure your notebook according to the headings provided in the outline. If no outline is given, try to structure the presentation yourself when you revisit the notes later.

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Note taking Strategies

Posted on April 24, 2012 by Manuscriptedit

Here are some tips for effective note taking strategies:

Summarize your notes in your own words, not the instructor’s. Remember: your goal is to understand what the professor is saying, not to try to record, exactly, everything he or she says.
Mark ideas which the lecturer emphasizes with an arrow or some special symbol.
When the teacher looks at his/her notes, pay attention to what they say next.
Make your notes your notes. Take advantage of how you learn (visually, orally, or actively) and write/draw your notes according to that style.

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Removing Barriers at All These Stages

Posted on April 23, 2012 by Manuscriptedit

To deliver your messages effectively, you must commit to breaking down the barriers that exist in each of these stages of the communication process.

Let’s begin with the message itself. If your message is too lengthy, disorganized, or contains errors, you can expect the message to be misunderstood and misinterpreted. Use of poor verbal and body language can also confuse the message.

Barriers in context tend to stem from senders offering too much information too fast. When in doubt here, less is oftentimes more. It is best to be mindful of the demands on other people’s time, especially in today’s ultra-busy society.

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Feedback of your Message

Posted on April 21, 2012 by Manuscriptedit

Your audience will provide you with feedback, verbal and nonverbal reactions to your communicated message. Pay close attention to this feedback as it is the only thing that will allow you to be confident that your audience has understood your message. If you find that there has been a misunderstanding, at least you have the opportunity to send the message a second time.

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Receiver of your Message

Posted on April 20, 2012 by Manuscriptedit

Your message is delivered to individual members of your audience. No doubt, you have in mind the actions or reactions you hope your message will get from this audience. Keep in mind, though, that each of these individuals enters into the communication process with ideas and feelings that will undoubtedly influence their understanding of your message, and their response. To be a successful communicator, you should consider these before delivering your message, and act appropriately.

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Decoding your Message

Posted on April 19, 2012 by Manuscriptedit

Just as successful encoding is a skill, so is successful decoding (involving, for example, taking the time to read a message carefully, or listen actively to it.) Just as confusion can arise from errors in encoding, it can also arise from decoding errors. This is particularly the case if the decoder doesn’t have enough knowledge to understand the message. Therefore, decoding the message is equally crucial as encoding it.

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