Helping students revise effectively

1. Drive

2. Porch

3. Living Room

4. Dining
Room

5. Teaching for Memory – Imagination, Association
Memorise the 5 parts of a cell:
Ribosomes
Mitochondria
Nucleus
Cytoplasm
Cell Wall
Rowdy
Monkeys
Nibble
Chocolate
Chip Muffins
Making images memorable:
Colourful
Stimulating
Silly
Much larger or smaller than
real life
Involve real people
Involve action
Conservatory

6. I love quizzes…..
• Demonstrate what ‘memorisation’ is
• They CAN do it – so we expect them to
• Modelling effective revision - pathways
• Access higher/complex concepts
Steps:
1) Recall 5 parts of cell
2) Recall parts and link to
given functions.
3) Recall parts and
functions.
4) Recall parts and answer
simple questions.
5) Recall parts and answer
difficult questions.
Utility Room

7. • You can model effective
revision notes.
Then ask the students
‘interpretation questions’
What caused the conflict
between Red Cloud’s
Sioux and the Army?
Man Cave

8. I still love quizzes…..
• Demonstrate what ‘memorisation’ is
• They CAN do it – so we expect them to
• Modelling effective revision - pathways
• Access higher/complex concepts
Steps: Higher sets
1) Target material from
the previous lesson.
2) Change questions
without drawing
attention.
3) Extend answers with
questioning.
4) Competition?
5) Rewards – progress
measurable.
1) The original PT used Newland’s ________ ___
________
2) Where on the PT is the least reactive alkali metal?
3) Where on the PT is the least reactive halogen?
4) ______ + _______ -> Hydrogen+ Potassium
Hydroxide
5) What colour will Universal indicator go, if added to
the water this reaction takes place in?
6) If group 1 metals react with halogens they form
______ _______ _______
Landing

9. Why memorisation is fundamental
Do our students know HOW to REVISE?
Do students know HOW to MEMORISE
information?
Is it worth taking the time to actively
commit things to memory in lessons?

10. Why memorisation is fundamental
Do our students know HOW to REVISE?
Do students know HOW to MEMORISE
information?
Is it worth taking the time to actively
commit things to memory in lessons?
To aid students in understanding and
remembering higher/deeper concepts
make sure they have MEMORISED simpler
ones.

11. Teaching for Memory
Objectives:
• To help students MEMORISE
information as they go.
• Minimise information to be memorised at
one time.
• Write notes as revision tools, not
explanations.
• Construct memory tools
• Anticipate weaknesses
• Re-locate information learnt
• A
• L
• I

12. Teaching for Memory
Objectives:
• To help students MEMORISE
information as they go.
• Minimise information to be memorised at
one time.
• Write notes as revision tools, not
explanations.
• Construct memory tools
• Anticipate weaknesses
• Re-locate information learnt
• Association
• Location
• Imagination

13. Teaching students to write effective
revision notes.
Sources:
My own bias
Experience of colleagues
Experience of students
Memory evidence
Rationale:
Our students do not know what makes revision more effective.
There is an overreliance on revision guides as the revision ‘solution’.

14. Teaching students to write effective
revision notes.
Foundation:
Brains and memory have been evolving for millions of year.
Written language has only been around for 4,000-6,000 years.
Evolution of the brain has prioritised what is needed to survive
- Location (food, water, home, shelter…)
- Images (friend/foe, recognising food…)
- Communication (spoken, non-verbal)

15. Teaching students to write effective
revision notes.
Foundation:
Brains and memory have been evolving for millions of year.
Written language has only been around for 4,000-6,000 years.
Evolution of the brain has prioritised what is needed to survive
- Location (food, water, home, shelter…)
- Images (friend/foe, tools…)
- Communication (spoken, non-verbal)
Even so our brains are
incredibly good at learning
and retaining information.
They are just rubbish at
locating it again!
http://jacobslab.biomed.drexel.edu/pubs/JacoEtal12.pdf

16. Teaching students to write effective
revision notes.

17. Teaching students to write effective revision notes.
Point to consider/include Rationale
• Minimise number of words Brain not evolved to remember words
Challenge memory / cognition / not an explanation
If don’t understand use revision guide.
• Substitute words with symbols (= ->) Less to read – more efficient – more revision cycles
• Clear titles (number) Roadmap to information (location as well as retention).
Number – testing tool
• Chunks The magic number 7 +/- 2
Definitions – flashcards
Different ‘sections’ on different pages/cards
• Include Pneumonics Roadmap to remembering information
• Include simple diagrams/flowcharts Logical sequence – roadmap to remembering information
• Relevant Pictures Brain evolved to remember them
Own ideas here:

18. Teaching students to write effective revision notes.
Own ideas here:

19. Teaching students to use revision notes effectively.
Point to consider/include Rationale
Invest – card / colour / neatness Gives resources longevity and value
Binder– keep in logical order
Read / cover / say / (write) / check / repeat Don’t just read notes
Saying varies activity – helps concentration and retention.
Once not enough.
Look for your own best experience Me – one day good one day bad
Ian.B – revise in evenings for retention
Will siblings be noisier during day/evening?
Outside or inside? Remove distractions–phone OFF / TV / PS4
Vary approaches Revise / answer questions / ask questions
Spellings Highlight similar but distinct keywords – Fission / Fusion
Own ideas here: