The Art Of Note Taking

By following these ten steps, you will become a more efficient note taker and this will help improve your overall study skills. With good note taking skills, better grades are just around the corner.

1. If possible, sit near the front and center of the class. You will be less likely to become distracted and will probably find staying focused easier.

2. Use a binder instead of a traditional notebook. This way you can add, rearrange, or rewrite pages of your notes, insert handouts and assessments in the appropriate chronological order and review the material covered in the chapter/unit much easier.

3. Put headings and the date on all papers. Organize them chronologically in your binder.

4. Take notes on loose-leaf paper and keep them organized in a three-ring binder. Make sure that you hole punch and add all of the handouts, assignments, quizzes, tests, etc. to your binder. It usually is best if everything for the entire chapter/unit is kept in chronological order in your binder.

5. Think about what is being said before you write anything down. Do not write down everything the teacher says. Pick out important phrases, terms, and concepts to focus on.

6. Record any examples the teacher may give while lecturing. Examples are extremely important in creating connections in your brain and in helping to jog your memory while studying.

7. Look for cues that teachers give to indicate that something is important. For instance, they may repeat something a few times, change the volume or tone of their voice, write it on the board or overhead, and/or creates lists for you. Be sure to ask them to repeat what they have just said if you miss the initial cue but later realize that you should be writing the material down.

8. Leave some space between portions of your notes so you can make additional comments as you study or read the text.

9. Re-write or even re-TYPE your notes. Not only will your notes be much more organized and make studying easier, but the practice of re-writing notes gives you another opportunity to think about the material as you write or type it again. Make sure that you re-write them in a timely manner. The more time that passes between taking the original notes and re-writing them, the less effective this strategy is.

10. Review these notes often. The more times you see them, the easier it is to commit them to memory and the less time you will spend studying them prior to the test.

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Test taking stratagies

These twelve tips will help you get through any test and as long as you prepared adequately for it, you will certainly get an A.

Come to the test prepared and feeling confident that you know the material. Make sure that you are not very hungry or very full and that you are well-rested. Avoid eating sugary or processed foods before the test. Avoid items such as candy, carbonated soft drinks, junk foods, and fried foods. Snack on fresh fruit or veggies immediately before to get your mind off the test and give you some sustenance.

Breathe. Relax. Imagine yourself acing the test. It is amazing what a little positive imagery can do for you.

Read ALL of the directions carefully. Reread them again once you have finished. Look through the test to see what types of questions are asked, how many questions, if there are any major essays, if you have choices about questions that you can answer, etc. Make sure you know how much each section is worth so you can budget your time.

If the test involves specific equations, conversions, dates or anything else that you must memorize, write it on the top or margin of the test paper as soon as the test is handed out. Remembering complicated equations and dates before you have answered any questions is a lot easier than trying to remember them after you have answered half of the test questions and you brain is starting to get tired.

Answer all easy questions first. This will help you get into the test taking mood and build confidence. Circle the numbers of the questions that you really have no idea about. You can come back to these later. Often times questions you answer later in the test might trigger something and help you answer a question that you were previously stuck on.

Narrow multiple choice answers down to the two you believe might be correct by crossing off the ones you positively know are not correct. This will improve your chances of guessing the right one.

True-False questions are often a favorite of some teachers and can be quite complicated at times. Keep in mind that every part of a true-false statement must be true in order to answer it as true. If any part is false, mark the entire statement false. You may want to underline the portion of the statement that you believe is false. If there are negatives in the statement such as “no or not”, and you are still not sure whether to mark it true or false, try re-reading the question without the “no or not”. Decide if this statement is true or false then answer the opposite on your test. Words indicating absoluteness (never, always, entirely, every, only, none) often tend to be used in false statements.

Try to construct concise answers that target the question and prove to the teacher that you know the material. Get right to the point in the first sentence or two of your answer. The rest of the answer should contain proof that you know what you are talking about. Give enough evidence to support your thoughts but don't over-answer the question. Writing a lot of fluff will usually leave the teacher thinking that you are writing for the sake of filling the space and that you really don't have a good handle on the correct answer.

Before you begin writing an essay, make sure you know exactly what the question is asking. Try to restate the question in your own words. If you can't do this with confidence, make a quick visit to the teacher and have him or her clarify it for you. Once confident in what the question is asking, take a few moments to get your thoughts together and write some notes in the margin or even create an outline on scrap paper if you have time.

If you find that you are running short on time and still have some open-ended questions left to answer, write something rather than leaving the space blank. Create a brief outline to show the teacher that you do know the answer, but you didn't have enough time to write an entire essay. You maybe able to get say more in an outline form than you can if you were only able to write a few opening sentences of your essay. Partial credit is better than no credit at all.

Once you believe you are finished with the test, reread everything again to be sure that you answered every question fully and completely. If you have time, cover up your answers with your hand or another sheet of paper and ask yourself what answer you would give if you had to answer the question again. Compare this answer with what you have already written down. Only change the original answer if you find that you made a silly mistake or originally misinterpreted the question. It is usually best to go with your original instinct when you are truly unsure of an answer.

Be neat. The last thing a teacher wants to do while correcting mounds of tests is to spend time deciphering what a student has illegibly written.


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Ten Easy Ways to Help Kids Learn: A Brain-based Learning Strategy that Really Works

Susan's a math whiz and Caleb's an artist extraordinaire. That's, great but wouldn't it be better if Caleb could improve in math and Susan could develop some artistic skills? They can and it's easy.

Researchers have recently discovered that whole-brain learning or brain-based learning is an efficient and effective learning strategy that helps kids (parents and teachers, too) learn anything easily without struggling.

One feature of brain-based learning involves using both the right side and the left side of the brain. Although nobody is just left brain or just right brain, most of us have a dominance.

Susan's math aptitude means she is probably left-brain dominant, and Caleb, the artist, has a right-brain dominance.

Learning to read and write requires using both sides of the brain. So does learning math and even doing art. In fact, doing just about anything well, including thinking clearly, and even problem solving, involves using the right and left hemispheres of the front part of the brain.

How do you accomplish this? Easy. Just move across the center mid-line of your body. Every time you move your right arm to your left side or your left arm to your right side, you're crossing the mid-line and improving learning, thinking, and problem solving. Now you're using brain-based learning.

Works for kids. Works for you. Try these parenting tips and teacher resources today.

1. Give yourself a big hug.
2. Tell kids the only rule is to cross the mid-line of the body, right hand to left side, left hand to right side. Now let them invent ways of doing this.
3. Dance the hula. Or twirl a hula hoop.
4. Take a Brain Boosters TeleClass. Sign up at www.brainboostersforyourkids.com Or a Brain Gym class. Sign up at www.BrainGymClasses.com
5. Do the twist. (So you weren't dancing in the 50s and 60s? Ask somebody to show you how to twist or get a dance video.) Twist with the kids while you listen to some old Chubby Checker songs.
6. Rake some leaves with your kids, making sure you're raking off to the side instead of straight in front of you.
7. Play a board game. (Use your right hand to move your piece when it's in the left corner and vice versa.)
8. Practice using your non-dominant hand to reach for things on the opposite side of your body. Even writing and drawing with your non-dominant hand helps. (You'll get better with practice.)
9. Do Yoga and Tai Chi. Lots of moves cross the mid-line.
10. Cross your ankles and arms in front or in back when you're doing jumping jacks. Kids can usually do this. If you can't, try it in a swimming pool.

This brain-based learning strategy really isn't all that complicated. Lots of everyday kinds of activities get the whole brain active. Sitting around watching TV, however, isn't one of them! You and your kids have to move around and cross your mid- line. It's fun.

Teen Driver Education

For many teenagers these days obtaining their license is the biggest and most exciting step life has offered so far. Many are excited, some a little worried, but all should be prepared for what having a driver license means. This is where driver education courses enter into the picture. Not only do these courses teach teens to drive, but teach them ways in which to do so responsibly as well. The following paragraphs will highlight some topics covered in driver education courses and show why this type of education is extremely important for teens to obtain.

Teaches Vehicle Laws

One portion of most driver education courses centers around a textbook portion. In this area of the driver education course, one topic that is often discussed involves various vehicle laws that exist within that particular state where the teenager is learning to drive. This is a vital portion of the course as many states require that individuals take a written exam prior to obtaining a drivers license. On these particular exams students will be required to correctly answer questions pertaining to current vehicle laws. Having this intensive guided textbook course which focuses on vehicle laws will enable teens to learn the laws perhaps even more quickly than if they were studying the relative laws on their own.

Teaches Drug and Alcohol Awareness

Regardless of the fact that drugs are illegal as a rule and alcohol is illegal for individuals under a certain age, driver education courses still find it in the best interest of the teenager to promote drug and alcohol awareness and how this can affect one’s driving ability. Many teenagers are aware of the fact that drugs and alcohol can have potentially damaging effects; however, by teaching this in a structured course along with a variety of statistics and videos, it really sends the message out to the teenagers the damage that drinking and driving or doing drugs and driving can cause an individual. Therefore, it is vital that driver education courses stick with this type of course topic.

Vehicle Maintenance

Many driver education courses also have a portion of the course where individuals are taught various topics relating to vehicle maintenance. Along with knowing various vehicle laws and having the awareness of the potential dangers of drugs and alcohol with driving, it is also important for teens to know some basic information regarding vehicle maintenance. Prior to learning how to drive the vehicle, one should know how the vehicle works and how it can be maintained.

Driving Course

The second main portion of the course, along with the classroom portion, is the actual driving part. Once teenagers have gained the requisite knowledge regarding laws, awareness factors and maintenance, it is then time to get behind the wheel and teach them driving techniques. This is another benefit to having a structured driver education course. It teaches teens how to drive in the company of a certified driving instructor. Some driver education courses held by a school district, for example, will provide the actual training portion while in other areas teens will need to engage in this portion of driver education course on their own with a driving school. Wherever this portion of the driver education course is learned, it is crucial that teens take part in it.

Where to Take Driver Education Courses

Prior to signing up with a particular driver education course, it is important for teens and their parents to contact their local Department of Motor Vehicles or other governmental entity responsible for licensing drivers. Two questions which should be asked are whether driver education is required by the state and what forms of driver education courses are acceptable to satisfy that requirement. Once these questions are answered, the teen can then choose a driver education course to sign up for.

There are a few different places where the teen can take a driver education course. The first is through their high school. Many school districts offer driver education courses as part of the curriculum and this may be an option for the student. Another place to possibly sign up for a driver education course is with a professional driver education center where both classroom and actual driving courses will be taught. Lastly, there is a new and inventive way of engaging in a driver education course and that is online.

Online driver education courses are ones which have recently been gaining quite a bit of recognition. Not only are they great ways to learn course concepts but they are extremely convenient as well. One will most likely have to use a professional driving school for the road portion of the course, but with regard to classroom courses, the online version is a distinct possibility. It is highly advisable, however, that one check with their state to ensure that this type of course fulfillment is acceptable in order to meet the driver education requirement.

The previously mentioned topics are some of the wonderful benefits for teens who take driver education courses. Not only will the teens learn how to drive but also they will be taught how to do so in a safe and legal way. When looking for the perfect driver education course for teens to get involved in, just make sure that the one which is chosen is accepted by the state and that it features many of the components listed above. If this type of driver education course is selected, it may make the teen that much more ready to get behind the wheel.

Teenage Bodybuilding

Teenage bodybuilding is becoming ever more popular. Teenagers have always wanted to impress, and greater numbers than ever are looking to do this by having a spectacular body, with muscles to match. Finding the right advice for building muscle can be difficult for any age group, so here we give you some great teenage bodybuilding advice.



Tip 1

There is one area where teenage bodybuilding is no different from any other, and that is in the need to have a coherent plan. Do your research, decide exactly where you want to go with bodybuilding, and design a workout routine to fit. Just joining a gym and lifting weights without any clear goal in mind will be wasteful and counter productive. Work out a plan and focus on it.



Tip 2

Don't miss meals. A lot of teenagers are constantly on the move, and their diets and eating habits are often erratic. A vital part of teenage bodybuilding advice is to create a consistent diet plan and stick to it. Your workout plan will not achieve optimum results with a high enough calorific intake, and without enough of the right nutrients being absorbed.



Tip 3

Never go at it too hard. A teenage body is still developing, growing, and going through changes of hormones before becoming an adult. Teenage bodybuilding needs to be done with care, as the body may well have another short period of growth or weight gain to go through. Be patient with your bodybuilding, as you don't yet know the exact form your adult body will take!



Tip 4

Take in plenty of protein! Teenage bodybuilding is similar to any age group bodybuilding in this crucial aspect – protein is absolutely essential for muscle growth and repair. There is simply no way to get your muscles to grow if they are not fed enough protein, and your workouts could even have a detrimental effect, as your muscles will not have the nutrients they need to repair properly.



Take on board these teenage bodybuilding tips, and you will be starting your development in the right way.

Technology in the Classroom

Technology is revolutionizing the way Americans communicate and conduct business; yet, it has been slow to really take foot in our schools’ curriculums. Up until recently, technology has been introduced to students as an elective versus a complete integration and redefining of the way students are taught. The fact of the matter is, today, children are growing up in a world much different from what their parents and grandparents experienced. It is a world of computers, software, and wireless access to information on-the-fly. It is a world that requires a different set of skills to succeed; thus, it may be worth your while to investigate the role technology plays in your child’s schooling.

Studies show that the use of technology in the classroom is highly beneficial to students and teachers. Not only does it prepare students for the “real world,” it improves many skills that might not otherwise be fully cultivated. Because technology is so highly valued in America, students that become familiar and quite good at using it feel a sense of accomplishment, which improves self-esteem. When using technology, students are more likely to share their experiences with other students, promoting peer-to-peer tutoring and reducing the pressure teachers feel when being the only source of student assistance. In addition, students learn that there are numerous ways to solve problems and identify with how what they are learning actually applies to life outside of school.

Of course schools are limited by time and money, making it difficult to introduce anything new, especially expensive technologies that need constant maintenance and upgrades. However, if schools look at their overall program and revaluate how to accomplish the same tasks while utilizing technology, there may be more room to maneuver than originally thought. A parent’s best bet is to figure out how open the school is to change and how actively they are perusing these changes. Thus, when the opportunities arise to incorporate technology, the school will be more likely to embrace them.

Following are a list of questions that may be helpful in evaluating the technology initiatives at your child’s school:
• Is the use of technology in the classroom a school policy or an individual decision made by the teacher?
• What computer and technology skills are teachers expected to know?
• Are teachers provided training on popular and new technologies on a regular basis?
• What type of projects will my child be required to complete that promote the use of technology?
• Does the school have a computer lab or does each class have a single computer students are expected to share?
• What precautions are taken to ensure student safety when surfing the Web?

While it is important for schools to have an open mind about the use of technology in the classroom, parents need to support the efforts made by the school. Ask your child’s teacher and principal about the roadblocks and challenges they face in implementing the changes that would encourage the use of technology. There may be some things you can do on your end to spread up the process, be it educating other parents on the issue, donating money, or expressing your concerns to the school superintendent. Whatever you do, stay realistic about your expectations and keep the lines of communication open.


Acknowledgements
http://teacher.scholastic.com/professional/bruceperry/using_technology.htm
http://www.ed.gov/pubs/EdReformStudies/EdTech/reasons.html

Teaching Space and the Solar System

Outer space and the solar system is one of the most interesting topics discussed in school because of the countless colorful heavenly bodies occupying the universe and the idea that there is actually something else outside of our world.
In the few decades since space exploration began, probes have reached the far regions of the solar system. The solar system is the group of celestial bodies, including Earth that orbits around the Milky Way galaxy. Some hundred billion stars can be found in the universe while more than 1,000 comets have been observed regularly through telescopes.

To give this topic a little twist, here are tips to have students “get it.”
As introduction to the subject, bring your students out of the classroom (at both daytime and nighttime if it’s possible) so they can see what makes up the sky. Explain that the solar system is made up of our sun and all of the heavenly bodies that travel around it. Once they have familiarized themselves to the concept of space and the solar system, you can start moving on.

The ten planets (Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto, and Xena) differ in characteristics. You can use a table to show these differences and characteristics. After showing how each is special from the other, you can let them pick a favorite planet, draw it the way they want it and explain why they chose it from the rest.

For more than 300 years there has been scientific discussions of the events that led to the formation of the solar system. And since it could be quite time-consuming to talk about the theories concerning the origin of life in the solar system, you may use film or other visual presentations as tools to better explain it.

A telescope is another effective device used to magnify or enlarge the image of a distant object. It is a very important tool for astronomers. It enables them to see much farther into space than is possible with the human eye. What you can do is bring a telescope you can share with your students so everyone can have a glimpse on what’s out there in space through a very informal activity.
What is space exploration? The age of space exploration began in the sixth decade of the 20th century. Since that time, robot probes and human beings have ventured beyond the limits of the Earth’s atmosphere. Today, space explorations include the investigation of celestial objects ranging in size from cosmic dust to the giant planets of the solar system. Because of technology, humans are continuously discovering more about life and forces in space. The possibilities are endless.

Outer space and the solar system may be a very interesting topic but its long history of theoretical and practical developments can fuel a lot of questions. The key to space exploration lay in the production of the rocket engine, which made possible the lofting of objects beyond the Earth’s atmosphere. With this subject, remember you are teaching your students that the field of space exploration and the solar system relies heavily on communication and technology.