Skills in Discovering the Covert Curriculum - Essay Example

Covert Skills Model Research Paper By: R Fern R Fern 04-08 Skills in “Discovering the Covert Curriculum” Drew Appleby’s article, “Discovering the Covert Curriculum” talks about 18 different skills required to be successful in learning “covert curriculum.” Of these skills mentioned, I noticed some I do particularly well and some I need improvement on. Of these skills, three in particular stood out. Two skills in need to improve on are Listening Attentively and Maintaining an Accurate Planner or Calendar.

One skill that I am very adept at is Utilizing Technology. One skill that I need improvement on is Listening Attentively. I find it difficult at times to listen for long periods of time during lectures. I sometimes drift away from the subject and daydream. I also have trouble understanding people when they speak fast or have a strong accent or impediment. I can improve upon these skills in two ways. Firstly, during lectures I can periodically “wake up” myself up, deliberately forcing myself to stay alert and pay attention.

Secondly, when people are speaking directly to me, I can learn to read lip movements, and since I am a visual learner, I can associate lip movements with sounds and meanings. One skill that I particularly excel in is Utilizing Technology. I grew up with computers, and I have knowledge of word processing systems as well as the World Wide Web. I have acquired the ability to put together a well informed research paper from multiple sources, scholarly and otherwise, in an efficient amount of time.

I can organize information into graphs, charts, and word documents. I constantly refresh and advance my research abilities my surfing the web and staying up to date on the latest ways to disseminate information, such as various social media. Another skill that I am very adept at is Maintaining an Accurate Planner or Calendar. I have very good organizational skills which allow me to produce documents whenever necessary, and allow me to almost never be late for an appointment. First, I keep all of my documents and such in separate folders on my computer.

A computer is a much more efficient filing system than a file cabinet or folder because I never lose any information. I am always sure to back up all documents on a CD. I also keep an interactive calendar on my email which allows to me to track my plans. I can check this calendar whenever I am at a computer, which makes this type of planner extremely convenient. Organization is an important skill because it makes every other aspect of work more efficient. It also allows me to conserve the most valuable commodity: time.

By having a structured calendar, I can make sure I meet all of my obligations on-time and in a professional manner. I can make the most out of my day, and organization also gives me a sense of balance in my life. I do not work too hard, nor do I slack off too much either. There are many skills that are necessary to a successful career, no matter what field one plans to enter. Although I need to work on my listening skills, I also benefit from hard work, organization, and an extensive knowledge of technology Reference Page Appleby, Drew.

The Covert Curriculum: The Lifelong Learning Skills You Can Learn in College Purdue University. 2009. Print.