Learn to Learn Presentation Example 3
- 1. LEARNING TO LEARN CWID-290-001W June 20, 2019 Hailee Poulsen
- 2. My Learning Strategy Step 1 Identify Concept What do I need to know? Step 2 Elaborate Does this make sense? Step 3 Make Connections How is this information applied? Step 4 Reflect Knowledge How do I know I learned this?
- 3. Step 1: Identify Concept • Subject • Number of parts • Starting point
- 4. Step 2: Elaborate • Be specific • Resources • Instructor • Teachers Assistant • Tutor • Online Resources
- 5. Step 3: Make Connections • Mnemonic devices • Activities • Practice/Repetition • Other Unique Methods
- 6. Step 4: Reflect Knowledge • Teach it • Test yourself • Memory • Group Study
- 7. Practical Example Learning Statistics Focus on notes Questions after lecture Utilizing Resources Connecting to research Helping Classmates
- 8. Additional Learning Skills • Time Management • Organization • Motivation • Well-Being • Environment
Editor's Notes
- #3: Throughout my educational career, I have developed a personal learning strategy. I have broken it down into 4 steps: identifying the concept, elaborating, making connections, and reflecting knowledge.
- #4: Before I go into a lecture hall or classroom, the first thing I consider is the subject I will be learning. The way I absorb the information varies depending on the concept. For example, in a science lecture I focus on primarily taking notes while if I were learning a new language my notes would be minimal and my focus would be on interacting with the lesson. I also have to think about how the information is working from a big picture perspective. Imagine knowledge as a tangled rope. It is easier to untangle when you find the end first rather than starting in the middle of the knot. I often use this mindset while learning a scientific concept like how cells function and chemical reactions. One part potentially influences the other and et cetera.
- #5: When I develop a question, knowing how many moving parts there are helps narrow down my point of confusion. The closer I can get to a specific area I am confused about, the easier it is to resolve. I have realized throughout my education that it is a terrible mistake to not ask questions. Even the ones you think aren’t worth asking could end up being useful. The most obvious resource to ask is your instructor. They are incredibly knowledgeable in their field and can answer any questions you have about the information delivered in class. Teachers assistants are also a valuable resource. Becoming an assistant teacher means that they have taken the course before and performed well enough to help students succeed. If you don’t want to ask the instructor directly, the teachers assistant is a friendly alternative. Some classes, especially language courses, offer a list of tutors you can turn to outside of classroom hours. When I feel like I’m in a real bind, I take time to visit a tutor before class to help me wrap up extra questions I didn’t ask in class. This is incredibly helpful when there is an exam right around the corner. Also, don’t underestimate your online resources. There are a variety of different sites dedicated to helping with math formulas, essay formatting, scientific studies, and much more. As long as you know how to search for reliable websites, the internet can be a big help.
- #6: Successful students will often utilize tools such as mnemonic devices, boardgames, body motions, and other activities to help making meaningful connections with content learned in class. Teachers encourage students to use practice and repetition to learn their material, however, I would strongly recommend using this method in conjunction with a mnemonic device or activity. Some students are resourceful and come up with their own unique method of memorization. For example, I had a friend who would chew mint gum while studying. When she had a test, she would take the gum with her and use the taste as a form of association.
- #7: The best way, in my opinion, to test if you have learned something is to teach it to someone else. If you are able to answer their questions and explain it in a way that makes sense, that means you have accumulated all the necessary resources. Some information, like vocabulary, is not something you can easily teach. Instead, I write out all the information I have from memory and cross reference it with the classroom material. My favorite thing to do before a test is to participate in a group study. It gives me the opportunity to be exposed to questions I hadn’t considered as well as allow me to teach others material that I have memorized.
- #8: Here is a practical example of my learning strategy. Last semester I took a Statistics class. I read each chapter and took detailed notes on my own. I also took another set of notes during the class lecture. I noticed that the lecture notes were easier to understand while the book notes contained more jargon. Both meshed together nicely by the end of each chapter. There were a few times that I felt like I understood when to use each formula but I still got the answer wrong. When I came up to the instructor to ask, the answer was embarrassingly clear. I wondered how I didn’t catch it before, but regardless of how I felt the information was exactly what I needed. I eventually needed a reminder of the information I received that day. Instead of asking the instructor again, I asked the teacher’s aid to help me out. I needed to tell the difference between the formulas we learned so that I could accurately select one for a behavioral science paper I had to write. The Statistics and Research classes were working collaboratively to give students an opportunity to apply knowledge in a more practical way. When we were asked to select our formulas, I knew it well enough to help other students distinguish what they needed.
- #9: The learning strategy I have constructed is different for every person. Some are able to learn quicker than others because they are also equipped with learning skills. On this slide, I have listed my personal skills; time management being the most important, organization, staying motivated, keeping myself healthy, and providing myself a rich learning environment. Learning more about yourself and what you find useful greatly impacts the way you make connections. Tailor information into a way that makes sense to you, because in the end, what you learn is determined by you.