2. Strategies for Attention and Learning This unit’s purpose is help you as a student develop the skill of attending and listening to something in a classroom setting
3. Strategies for Attention and Listening The strategies for attending and listening could be applied in a number of academic situations, such as: During lectures Assigned readings Individual study sessions Homework assignments Group study sessions Test taking
4. Strategies for Attention and Listening In order to pay attention you need to take care of yourself physically and emotionally Health is an ongoing, continuous process As a student you can not be concerned about your health one week and not the next Good health habits need to become part of each student’s routine
5. Strategies for Attention and Listening When evaluating your health concerns you should ask yourself the following questions: Sleep Are you getting enough sleep or rest? 7-9 hours / night Do you have a routine for sleep or is it hit or miss?
6. Evaluation of Your Basic Heath Continued… Diet Are you eating two or thee balanced meals/day? Do you eat too much junk food, cigarettes, alcohol, drugs?
7. Evaluation of Your Basic Health Continued… Have you had your vision checked? Have you had your hearing checked? Do you exercise regularly?
8. Get Rid of Distracters Creating more interest so that you become more interested Create interest by acquiring information about a subject from different sources- lectures, books, magazines, television, Internet, radio, other people Tye new information to old information by applying it to your everyday life Ask questions Make new information personal , related it to a personal experience Work with classmates to maintain interest in the subject
9. Get Rid of Distracters Positive Self-Talk For you as a student you have to have a good positive attitude and believe in yourself Poor learners tend to talk bad about themselves
10. Distracters continued… Positive self talk instead of negative talk is essential to doing well Statements might include “ I am very prepared for this test” or “ Its no problem, I can finish this paper”
11. Eliminate any External Distracters When studying you should be free of distractions such as: Noise Movement of people Adjust light so that it is at a comfortable level Adjust temperature in the room
12. Eliminate any External Distracters In the classroom, a student should eliminate external distracters by: Selecting a seat away from windows, doors, friends, wall maps and clocks Sitting towards front of class Avoiding to sit at the ends of the aisles Finding the “power center” of the room based on a teacher’s actions Dressing comfortably for all room temperatures
13. Staying Alert in Class In order to stay alert in class a student can do the following: Be prepared for class and organized Develop some interest in subject matter Get adequate rest so you are not tempted to sleep in class Find areas of common interest between you and the instructor Ask yourself “Why this information is important?” Keep active in class, take notes constantly Take deep breaths in order to increase oxygen flow
14. Staying Alert/ Attention Training Practice listening to faint sounds or looking at dim lights Practice doing two things at the same time in order to increase your ability to divide your attention Practice detecting details by picking out detailed images in a picture or listen for particular sounds in music Practice concentrating in distractive environments in order to increase ones ability to resist distractions
