2. LET’S INVESTIGATE THE
PAST TO BENEFIT THE
FUTURE!
Everyone will get a post-it
List all the ways they you have studied in the
past. Try to include methods, places, and
time you have spent studying for tests (NOT
EXAMS)
Discuss Results as a Class!!
3. DEFINITION OF STUDY
When a teacher says “study” how
do you interpret that statement?
How would you define studying?
What must be involved in studying?
4. OUR NEW DEFINITION OF STUDYING!
Dictionary: “applying one’s mind purposefully to the
acquisition of knowledge or understanding of a
subject”
Ours: “an ongoing process by which students
actively engage with the information under
examination with the intention of developing an
enduring understanding of that information.
This can only occur if a student is engaged
actively with paraphrasing, summarizing,
comparing, contrasting, questioning, analyzing,
and evaluating the information”
6. WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR YOU?
What behaviors do you need to change?
What behaviors do you need to continue
engaging in?
What are some common problems you
encounter when “studying”?
7. THE IMPORTANT COMPONENTS OF STUDYING:
What is your Attitude to learning
(school)?
What You do in the Classroom?
What You do at Home?
Editor's Notes
- When we discuss study strategies we need to re-evaluate how we understand studying. The methods and systems we will be examining and practicing are college/university level systems. They require “HARD WORK”---THERE IS NO QUICK FIX, YOU NEED TO PUT IN THE TIME AND EFFORT TO GET THE RESULTS. These methods may be awkward to implement at first but the more comfortable you get with them the better you will learn.
Discussion:
- Identify any of the techniques used that are “Active” studying
- How many of you created a plan for studying?
-How long did it take some of you to collect your information before you actually sat down to study?
- How effective were your results? Could they have been better?
Materials: 5 White Board Markers
Individually: Students can write their responses to these questions on the board. Then we will examine them as a class.
Breakdown this PowerPoint—WHAT ARE THE KEY WORDS?
Each student will be given one of the following words and they need to explain what it means and why it is central to studying:
1. Paraphrasing
2. Summarizing
3. Comparing
4. Contrasting
5. Questioning
6. Analyzing
7. Evaluating
Students can write these responses on the board, we will discuss them as a class.
Study Behaviors MINI-LECTURE:
1. Procrastinators
left to the last minute
Often give up
Need to Identify source of procrastination and structure their approach to studying
2. Short-Cutters
Minimal work done (only read some of chapter, only complete some of the review)
More work than procrastinators but little depth of understanding
Need to dedicate more time, organize time , set priorities
3. Multi-taksers
work on several assignments simultaneously
low depth of understanding and retention
Need to structure their approach (focus on one activity at a time)
4. Forward-thinkers
efficient methods
retention is higher as is depth of understanding
MINI-LECTURE
Common Problems Encountered When Studying:
1. Distractions (it is not just a matter of being interrupted, but of wanting to be interrupted)
a. External Distractions---Controllable
b. Internal Distractions---Try to Control Them (do hard work first, know best time to work, make the subject interesting)
2. Procrastination
a. Know how you procrastinate
b. Know why you procrastinate (feelings of inertia, feelings of being overwhelmed, low appeal, fear of failure, fear of success)
ATTITUDE80% of any achievement is the attitude you take.
IN CLASS Stepping in the classroom is when you “turn on” your studying methods (begin in class should be HARD WORK—but students are often so passive while in class—LISTENING AND NOTE-TAKING)
AT HOME Need to build lesson review into your day (identify key points, make visual/memory cues…)
Need to be motivated (if you don’t see history as being important in your future you won’t put the effort it. Instead think “how can history really help me in my future goals?”)
Have a set place to study that is organized and has all the materials
Why do we do binder checks (to make sure that 30 minutes out of the 2 hour study time isn’t spend looking for notes)
Use your best learning style, but study in the way that you will be tested (Make it Automatic and Overlearn it)
