There are many learning styles (visual, social, auditory, kinesthetic, and etc.). Aristotle was a kinesthetic learner. Kinesthetic learners are the type of people that learn by doing things. Instead of hearing a boring lecture or seeing a picture of someone else's research. Kinesthetic learners are adventurous and like to explore.
A lot of schools have just lectures. They should be a thing of the past, but they're not. Instead of telling kids a certain vocabulary word and memorizing it, give them a group project, so they can collaborate and apply what they've learned. People will put their initials next to the part of the assignment that they had completed. That will make sure that no one is slacking and everyone gets the amount of credit that they deserve.
The modern day American school system spoon feeds their students, which is wrong. It doesn't allow students to ponder about things. It doesn't allow students to think out side the box or become independent.
If a teacher tells you what a tree is like, you shouldn't take notes and then memorize them. Go out there and see an actual tree. Use your senses (sight, touch, taste, smell, and sound), and find out if the teacher is wrong. You should always be skeptical and ask questions.
Thursday, June 16, 2011
School vs. Education
School and education are two completely different things. School is about bubbling in multiple choice answers, answering the question to what the teacher or professor wants to hear, doing a ton of busy work, memorizing things just before the test, caring more about getting good grades than actually learning the material (being performance goal oriented), teachers only teaching for the test--not for life, a fast paced curriculum that forces students to memorize the material and teachers and professors to go at such a fast rate; even the best teacher can't teach things as they should be taught.
Education isn't limited to school walls--it's a lifelong journey. It's about being street and book smart. It's also about adapting to your surroundings; otherwise known as intelligence. Education is also about being smart, which means that you retain information. Not only should you retain information, but you should know how to use that information and apply it. Even if you don't know what the answer is, then you should be able to find it. Education is equivalent to having the knowledge.
Education isn't limited to school walls--it's a lifelong journey. It's about being street and book smart. It's also about adapting to your surroundings; otherwise known as intelligence. Education is also about being smart, which means that you retain information. Not only should you retain information, but you should know how to use that information and apply it. Even if you don't know what the answer is, then you should be able to find it. Education is equivalent to having the knowledge.
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
How to do Better in School
You should do some extra credit. If your teachers didn't already offer some, then ask. If they see that you're a hard worker, then I'm sure they'll be glad to offer you some extra credit.
Don't be afraid to ask the teacher for help. Raise your hand during class if you have any questions, talk to them after class, or get a tutor.
Use mind mapping. Instead of writing your notes in complete sentences, draw bubbles like you did when you were younger. In the center should be the main concept. Then, the other concepts should branch off of that. So, in the center could be school and then items that branch off of that could be: learning, standardized tests, teachers, students, grades, and etc. Each topic can have things that branch off of them. For example: grades--could also have: curving, favoritism, and extra credit. Everything should be one word or a phrase; you only need what's necessary. This will teach students quality over quantity. Use different colors and draw pictures, so that it will be easier to remember. During the test, students will think to themselves about which color everything was. One student will say, "I remember that I put learning in blue and I made a textbook."
Don't be afraid to ask the teacher for help. Raise your hand during class if you have any questions, talk to them after class, or get a tutor.
Use mind mapping. Instead of writing your notes in complete sentences, draw bubbles like you did when you were younger. In the center should be the main concept. Then, the other concepts should branch off of that. So, in the center could be school and then items that branch off of that could be: learning, standardized tests, teachers, students, grades, and etc. Each topic can have things that branch off of them. For example: grades--could also have: curving, favoritism, and extra credit. Everything should be one word or a phrase; you only need what's necessary. This will teach students quality over quantity. Use different colors and draw pictures, so that it will be easier to remember. During the test, students will think to themselves about which color everything was. One student will say, "I remember that I put learning in blue and I made a textbook."
How to Study
You should study a little bit every day, so that you're not overwhelmed. Studying the night before or the day of the test is the worst thing that you can do. You should study for 20 minutes and then take a short break and study for another 20 minutes. During the break, you can go on a walk, check your e-mail, or talk on the phone. Then, you can take study for another 20 minutes and then take another break and study for another 20 minutes. You should study for a grand total of 60 minutes. Studies have shown that people remember the first and last things that they read or hear. This method will allow you to have six peaks, so you'll retain more information.
Pay very close attention to words that are in bold or words that the teacher talks about often in class. Read the review section--if there is one in your textbook.
Pay very close attention to words that are in bold or words that the teacher talks about often in class. Read the review section--if there is one in your textbook.
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