Jessica Steen
English 111
LATEST PROJECTS
Jessica Steen
November 2, 2015
English 111
Multitasking
On the average, six types of media 13- to 18-year-olds use simultaneously outside of school. (Sparks) Some examples are social media and cell phones. The result of the tendency “to pay continuous partial attention” to everything, is that the brain takes much longer to react. According to researchers cited in the article, the brain cannot “be in two places at once”. (Sparks) It takes longer to “multitask” than it would take to do two individual tasks one after the other. Having to make a choice affects “multitasking” because your brain can not give one hundred percent attention to one task specifically. Multitaskers perform on memory and attention tests compared to those who do one thing at a time showed that the multitaskers do not perform as well. "A" and "B" average students watched a video lecture, while texting their peers at the same time. The students ended up getting a whole entire grade lower than usual. (Sparks) Text messages affect scores when testers answer text messages by getting distracted by their phones, and do not perform as well on tests. The effect on a reader’s attention when reading is interrupted to take a phone call, email, or text message is not good. The original “marshmallow test” showed that the preschoolers did not focus on the wait, but much rather on eating the marshmallow. (Sparks) Researchers found similar results when test-takers responded to text messages, the people who responded to text messages did not perform as well on the test. Although, the people who responded to the text messages within the first five minutes performed the poorest. People are really not multitaskers, and should be taught this ability to show that multitasking is not a great idea.
A time that I can remember when I was multitasking was the other night. My dad rented an action movie from Redbox. I do not really care for action movies at all. I was not paying attention to the movie, but rather I was more focused on my phone. I would glance up to the screen about every five minutes. By the time the movie was over I had absolutely no idea of what went on during the movie. This relates to Spark’s article, because it shows that the brain cannot physically process more than one subject at a time. My brain was focused on my phone rather than the movie.
Works Cited
Sparks, Sarah D., "Studies on Multitasking Highlight Value of Self- Control", Education Week. 15 May 2012. Print.16 May 2015
Multitasking
Jessica Steen
September 11, 2015
English 111
Five Paragraph Essay
Adopting the Creator Mindset
In Dr. Skip Downing’s article on creating a mindset, he discusses how your attitude and ways that you think can either make or break your life. Dr. Downing’s definition of a Creator is one who sees multiple options and take effective action to create the results they want. Victim’s feel that the outcomes in life have nothing to do with them and allow negative thoughts to control them. (According to Downing, a Victim mindset keeps people from seeing and acting on choices that could help them achieve the life they want, and a Creator mindset causes people to see multiple options, choose wisely among them, and take effective actions to achieve the life they want.) In order to live a successful life, you must act as a Creator.
Mirman’s article on Victims and Creators begins with two college students who were unable to get their textbooks before the first day of class. The instructor asked them to have it by the second week of class. When the day came, the first student did not have the textbook. They blamed the bookstore for not having it. The Creator is the one who stepped further to reach their goal. The Victim blamed others for his mistakes. Mirman states that Creators reach their goals in life more likely than a Victim.” As we enter a new year, consider making a resolution to stop using Victim language, and to think like a Creator instead.” (Mirman) If you think you are a Victim, change your ways and become a Creator. Do not blame others for your mistakes, and ask yourself how you can reach your goal. (Mirman)
I have unfortunately played a Victim role the other night at work. I work at Sweet Frog which is a frozen yogurt shop. We have maple walnuts that we store in the back, which are extremely sticky and messy. I was putting the butterscotch topping away which is right next to the maple walnuts and noticed that I had dropped something. It was the maple walnuts! We always keep the lid on them, but apparently someone did not cover them up. I had jumped, and started yelling out asking who had not put the lid back on them. It technically was my fault for knocking them over, but I was too focused on the fact that one of my coworkers did not put them away properly. Victims make blame on others during a negative situation. I was a Victim.
Someone who I know of personally that I believe is a Creator is my boss at Sweet Frog. She is always helping others out, and not accusing others for her mistakes. She always makes a negative situation into a positive one. For example, one day these customers came in to purchase yogurt, and I was the worker at the cash register. I had just rang her up when she pulls out her military ID. (We have a military discount) I tried explaining to her that I could not take off any discount because I had already checked her out. The woman seemed very aggravated at me. As soon as this happened, my boss came over and gave her a refund. My boss is the Creator because she did not find an excuse, but rather she found a way.
I will act as a Creator in order to achieve my desired outcomes as a college student in several different ways. I will always come to class prepared with the right materials in each of my classes for the lesson. I will make sure that I do my homework every night so that I will be prepared. Creator’s think positive and have no negative thoughts which I will make sure to live by. I wish to experience all A’s in my classes for my semesters at Thomas Nelson. To do this, I will study every day for my Medical Termonology class to make sure I memorize the words. I use flashcards in order to help me study. I need to make sure that I complete all of my math homework to let my mind fully understand how to solve the problems. And last but not least, for English I will complete my homework and come to each class so I do not miss any information. From searching on the J.M.U learning toolbox cite, it reminded me that taking Cornell notes is a great idea for a study tool. Also from taking a peep at Study Guides and Strategies, it reminded me to write down the objectives for the next upcoming weeks, so I do not forget about an upcoming test. I also learned in class to write down a plan for when I study and do homework as a time management skill. I usually study my notes and flashcards after dinner all by myself so that will most likely be my plan.
Works Cited
Mirman, David. Do You Think Like a Victim or a Creator? You are the Prime Mover. 2 January 2012< http://youaretheprimemover.com/2012/do-you-think-like-a-victim-or-a-creator >
Dr. Downing, Skip. Adopting a Creator Mindset (from Chap. 2 of On Course) On Course Seventh Edition. 2014. Print
"Creators Mindset" essay
Jessica Steen
October 1, 2015
English 111
Final
Communicating as a Professional
Say you own a shop, and you need new employees to hire for the upcoming season. The shop is a frozen yogurt place that requires the workers to communicate with customers. It would be a bad idea to hire someone who had no proper grammar during their interview, because that would mean that the customers would notice their bad grammar too. Everyone would want someone who had the correct grammar in the workplace. Proper grammar is the key to living successfully.
People notice bad grammar in the workplace and do not want that nonsense. The way I speak deals with my grammar and how I present myself. Social media is not a good influence for good grammar. (Adams, 2012) We write for humans to live and without good grammar, our world would be a disaster. People will judge me if I cannot use grammar correctly. Good grammar shows that I pay attention and have good intentions. Good grammar counts, especially at work for specific reasons. The customers and patients notice how I present myself with my speech and grammar. It shows a sign of respect and intelligence. We should never forget the grammar we have learned in high school, because it is part of our everyday lives. (Weins, 2012) Good grammar is not only the key to success, but a key to life.
The communication skills that I will need in order to be successful in my chosen field are very important for the career that I would like to work in. I am interested in attending Riverside next year to get into the radiological technologist program. It will be extremely necessary to know how to properly speak to the patients. (“Radiologic and MRI Technologists”, 2014) The patient may be a little scared of getting an x ray, so I may be required to somehow calm the patient to make sure that I get the correct picture of what section I need to be focusing on. Correct grammar is also important for filling out and updating patient charts. Not only is it important for myself to understand what is written down, but my coworkers will be displeased if they cannot read what I had written down. The technology I may have to use for this career is maybe a tablet to jot down notes on the patients. Communication with my boss and fellow workers is a big deal if I want to have fun and be successful at my job. Whenever I played field hockey our coach always told us that we would play better as a team if our field hockey team was close outside of practice and games. Before we actually hung outside of field hockey, our team did not play as well as after we became close. The same concept applies for work as well. If I feel comfortable with people at my job, I will communicate better as a whole in the workplace.
There are several things that I can do to develop specific communication skills that will be expected of me in my future profession. This class will help me with my grammar skills, as well as how to write well written paragraphs. These will help in my Radiological Technology program because I know I will have to write down information on the patient’s history, or injury that had occurred. It will also help me build my communication skills when I am doing my homework on my own at home by communicating through written sources. Another communication source college helps me with, is getting homework from my fellow classmates on the classes I miss. That will be important in my future, because I will need to communicate with my coworkers through technology most likely. Last but not least, another communication skill that I have available to me, but I need to develop more is talking to more students in my classrooms and on campus in general. I need it for my profession because I talk to patients all day, and I can’t just not talk to them. It would give me a better sense of communication skills that will help me down the road.
Overall, this essay has really helped me understand how important grammar is in life. Not only is grammar useful in English class, but it is also useful in everyday life. In order to be successful in my career, and in college, I will need the proper grammar skills to help guide the way. If I were to think that my grammar skills need to be worked on, I can always get extra help whether it’s from my professor, or even a library book on grammar skills. Good grammar is always a smart way to lead the path to my future.
Works Cited
Adams, Susan. "Why Grammar Counts at Work." Forbes. 20 July 2012 <http://www.forbes.com/sites/susanadams/2012/07/20/why-grammar-counts-at-work/>
"Radiological and MRI Technologists." Bureau of Labor Statistics. U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics, 8 Jan 2014. Web 2 April 2014 <http://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/radiologic-technologists.htm>
Weins, Kyle. "I won't Hire People Who Use Poor Grammar. Here's Why." Harvard Business Review HRB Blog Network. 20 July 2012< https://hbr.org/2012/07/i-wont-hire-people-who-use-poo>
"Communicating as a Professional" essay