5 Must-Know Time Management Tips

Effective time management is crucial for personal and professional success. By mastering time management strategies, individuals can enhance productivity, reduce stress, and achieve their goals efficiently. This article explores five essential time management strategies to help individuals optimize their time and maximize their potential.

Set Clear Goals and Priorities
The foundation of effective time management lies in setting clear, achievable goals and identifying priorities. Begin by outlining short-term and long-term objectives, both personally and professionally. Break down these goals into smaller, manageable tasks, and assign priorities based on urgency and importance. By establishing clear objectives, individuals can focus their time and energy on activities that align with their overarching goals, minimizing distractions and maximizing productivity.

Create a Structured Schedule
A structured schedule is a fundamental tool for effective time management, especially for those undergoing PMP training. Allocate specific time blocks for different tasks and activities, ensuring a balance between work, personal commitments, and leisure. Incorporate breaks into the schedule to prevent burnout and maintain focus throughout the day. Utilize digital calendars, planners, or time management apps to organize tasks and track progress. By adhering to a structured schedule, individuals can maintain discipline and accountability, making efficient use of their time.

Practice Time Blocking
Time blocking involves dedicating uninterrupted periods to specific tasks or projects. By segmenting the day into distinct blocks of time, individuals can concentrate fully on one task without distractions. Allocate blocks of time for essential activities such as email management, meetings, and creative work. During each time block, focus solely on the designated task, avoiding multitasking and external interruptions. Time blocking enhances productivity by promoting deep work and minimizing time wasted on context switching.

Utilize Technology Tools
In the digital age, numerous technology tools are available to assist with time management. Utilize productivity apps, such as task managers, project management software, and time tracking tools, to streamline workflow and enhance organization. Take advantage of features like reminders, notifications, and synchronization across devices to stay on top of deadlines and commitments. Additionally, leverage automation tools for repetitive tasks, freeing up time for more critical responsibilities. By harnessing the power of technology, individuals can optimize efficiency and productivity in their daily activities.

Implement the Pomodoro Technique
The Pomodoro Technique is a time management method that involves breaking work into intervals, typically 25 minutes in duration, separated by short breaks. During each Pomodoro session, individuals focus intently on a single task, aiming for maximum concentration and productivity. After completing a Pomodoro, take a short break to rest and recharge before starting the next session. After completing a set number of Pomodoro intervals, reward yourself with a more extended break. The Pomodoro Technique promotes sustained focus, combats procrastination, and prevents burnout by balancing work and rest periods effectively.

Mastering time management is essential for achieving personal and professional success. By implementing these five essential strategies—setting clear goals and priorities, creating a structured schedule, practicing time blocking, utilizing technology tools, and implementing the Pomodoro Technique, individuals can optimize their time, enhance productivity, and achieve their goals more effectively. Incorporating PMP certification training into their schedule can further refine their skills and boost their project management capabilities, enabling them to take control of their schedules and unlock their full potential.

FacebookTwitterShare

Tablets in the Classroom

Introduction
Technology advancements and developments have led to the increase of computer and tablet’s capabilities in organizations. These capabilities include corporate communication, data creation, storage, modification and transfer in organizations, security control, research, passing commands to automated equipment, and monitoring of operations and processes. These technology advancements have in the recent years found a way to learning institutions, and specifically tablets in classrooms where they get used for education purposes such as research, communication, and training. The application of tablets in the classroom provides a broad range of advantages and at the same time gets faced with several disadvantages.

Research
Advances in technology continue to have a significant effect on the fabric of present-day society, through transformations in the method of education, communication, and socialization. One great innovation and technology is the use of tablets in schools for education purposes. Zhang, et. al. (2015), states that there has been a huge and rapid expansion of tablets use especially in schools and households. A tablet that is a common term shortened for a tablet computer gets described as a mobile personal computer that has a touchscreen display, battery, and circuitry all installed in one. Simply, it’s an entirely functional laptop that has a touch sensitive screen (Van Orden, 2006). The touch sensitive screen swivels to enable the computer to get applied alternately as a laptop or a tablet notebook. The tablet enables a user to interact with the computer just in a similar way as they would interact with a pen and a notebook (Dickerson, et. al. 2009). Tablet PCs incorporate digitizing technology that enables the user to make use of the device using a digital pen instead of a mouse to navigate or a keyboard to type. Data, entry in tablets, is possible through typing using a digital or integrated keyboard and is usually faster than Personal Digital Assistant.

The characteristics of teaching and learning using tablets include dynamic documents, interactive textbook, lecture capture, drawing, digital note taking, interactive teaching, and collaboration (Gubacs-Collins, & Juniu, 2009). Tablets have three main features that are most relevant in the physical education sector namely, voice recognition, digital ink, and handwriting recognition (Gubacs-Collins & Juniu, 2009). Both laptops and tablets can provide Internet connectivity to students, hence allowing them to communicate and access emails, and also allow students to take and access lecture notes electronically.

Tablets in classrooms provide have several functionalities and capabilities. First, tablets can get used in training and tutoring of difficult subjects such as Mathematics, where they become more enjoyable and understandable to students using visuals and animations. Studies show that the integration of Mathematics apps in training Mathematics has led to improved performance in the subject (Zhang, et. al. 2015). These Mathematics apps also assist in closing the gap between struggling and typical students in the subject through enhancing instruction (Ellington, Wilson, & Nugent, 2011). Multimedia technologies, audio texts, and graphics that have got enabled through the use of tablets in classrooms have aided in vocabulary learning in language learning courses (Arikana & Ozenb, 2015). Students can easily work and collaborate with fellow students or the teacher to improve language fluency and knowledge in an environment enabled by tablets. E-learning has also become possible, as mobile service in class that gets provided by tablets has the capability of allowing an individual to attend via distance learning environment. It has enabled teachers and students to use the tablet features such as many limitless pages as possible, and various kinds of inks without erasing (Aksu, 2014). These pages are later shared with the students and teachers easily and at free costs as there are no costs of publishing, paper, distribution or usage. There are also not heavy as they are a reduce load to the students. The student learned content in class can also get assessed in a much easier and faster way in classrooms through the use of tablets (Enriquez, 2010). Tablets in classrooms also allow early childhood teachers to document the progress of child’s learning by taking photos, recording or even take a video. These forms of documents then get availed to the parent through messaging, daily blogs or online portfolios (Parnell & Bartlett, 2012). These methods allow teachers and parents to monitor child’s progress and identify weaknesses that need to get improved.

Mobile technology offers versatility and high adaptability for many learning styles and preferences as compare standard lecture and discussions in schools (Rossing, et. al. 2012). The use of tablets in classrooms allows the updating of students’ course materials and give assignments via SMS, and any other forms of alerts and updates. This aspect has got enabled through technological improvement of communication channels, hence improving mobile learning in further education (Fabian, & MacLean, 2014). Tablets use in classrooms has cemented a student-directed approach to writing instruction and at the same time assisting an inclusive classroom (Sullivan, 2013). The students can guide their writing process through the access of the electronic information resources, learning management system, and online text editor. When learning using tablets, it is easy to illustrate examples of certain topics.

Advantages of using tablets
There is increased interactivity in school work, through the use of tablets as it allows frequent communication, provides a platform for teacher- student discussion, and teachers easily receive student’s feedback. Tablets utilization in classrooms provides a critical opportunity for mobile learning, that encourages learning anywhere and anytime (Fabian, & MacLean, 2014). It can reach undeserving children who are unable to attend physical classes because of a particular reason. Through the use of tablets in classrooms has enhanced 21st-century social interactions, allowed for fitting with learning environments, and also the enabling of personalized learning experience.

The capability of tablets to illustrate learning at any time of a lesson increases the student understanding and know-how of a concept. Particularly the sciences and engineering, students can easily understand how machines work and the processes involved in the development of devices by researching on the internet (Rogers, & Cox, 2008). Mobility and digital ink characteristics available in a tablet, enhance the spontaneity in the process of learning. This aspect is possible because they provide information in a highly interactive as well as visual way instead of traditional methods such as a predetermined lecture or instruction that gets presented as a PowerPoint slideshow.

The increase in the use of tablets in schools would be vital in minimizing the rate of computer illiteracy in the society. The tablet functions similarly to a computer hence one can learn basic skills of using computers such as generating documents. Gubacs-Collins, & Juniu, (2009), in their study of the role played by tablet PCs as tools for teaching, identified that tablets benefited teachers by facilitating several functions, such as digital note-taking, annotation of presentation materials, and the markup of student assignments and projects. The use of tablet PCs also improved the attention of students in class and their comprehension and understanding of the course material.

Disadvantages of using tablets

The functionality of the various applications installed in tablets lags behind the software written for use in personal computers. For instance, the capability to create, modify and generate documents through the use of word-processing, spreadsheet, and presentation software, is less advanced in tablets that in personal computers (Mang & Wardley, 2013). Other challenges facing the use of tablets in schools for learning include low internet access, inequality in technology access, and the blocking and filtering of certain websites by the school authority (Heejung, 2014). The use of tablets in schools also calls for training of more teachers in how to operate and teach using tablets. Tablets are also prone to damage if not properly handled especially at elementary levels due to their fragile nature.

Post-Graduation Self-Promotion Plan

Post-graduation self-promotion plan is a systematic process and activities that portray a graduate as an expert in their field, attract the ideal and potential employer and reveals how the graduate can help the business. A graduate should understand (Nelson, 2015):

The target audience to whom you will direct the promotion
Why you are going to promote yourself to the identified audience
What you are going to say about yourself during promotion
The plan has goals that it should meet to help the job candidate succeed in the process of job hunting. Some of the goals are (Georgiou et al., 2012):

To help provide direction thereby eliminating trial and error that would lead to saving time and money
To help and network with the main industries that fit the candidate career
To help the job candidate identify the skills that can be transferred
Determine various industries where the transferable skills fit
Resolve any challenges that hurt the candidates career and prevent the candidate from being invited for interviews
Candidate’s mission statement should appear in their plan. The mission state should, however, say what is important to the job candidate. The mission statement helps the candidate get his job hunting on track while also connecting with organizations with similar values and beliefs (Nasser & Abouchedid, 2012).

Key Self Promotion Tools
Market research: The tool involves the job candidate understanding trends in their field. They should also consult various resources such as the United States Department of Labor’s Occupational Outlook Handbook while also interviewing the professionals in the industry. They should also study the company they would like to work for and then use the information to write a cover letter and the resume (Tziner, Vered, & Ophir, 2004).
Marketing mix: The candidate should be familiar with the 4 Ps of marketing otherwise known as marketing mix that are a product, promotion, place, and price. The job candidate should then translate them regarding themselves and their career for success in job seeking (Tziner, Vered, & Ophir, 2004).
Product: The job candidate is a unique product with unique features and skills. The candidate should expose the features in the resume. They should let the employers know about the relevant job and leadership experience, membership to professional bodies, relevant skills, training, and education. On the same note, the job candidate should ensure their online promotion tools such as Facebook are clean and ready for the employer (Tziner, Vered, & Ophir, 2004).
Marketing: The tool addresses the cover letter, resume, phone calls, and interviewing. Marketing includes various things the candidate can use to get invited for an interview and eventually a job offer (Tziner, Vered, & Ophir, 2004).
Place: The tool includes various places the employer can access the job candidate. The candidate should ask themselves how they are reaching potential employers or people who can connect them to employers. It includes Internet job searching, cold calling, and networking among others (Tziner, Vered, & Ophir, 2004).