Postscript
Learning how to study is extremely important to success in school. The techniques and skills associated with studying are rarely taught in the average classroom. It is my fondest professional dream that this will change. I urge colleges and universities preparing our future teachers to incorporate the art and science of HOW TO LEARN TO LEARN in all teacher preparation courses. Teaching our children how to study will positively impact their self-confidence, their academic performance and contribute to their personal success.
I salute the work of Dr. Daniel Willingham, psychology professor at the University of Virginia who was ranked as the country’s 10th most influential education scholar.
To quote Dr. Willingham “…your brain doesn’t come with a user’s manual. Independent learning calls for many separate skills, and you needed someone to teach you. Most likely, no one did…”
Education needs to heed and answer students’ cry of HELP ME!
I issue a challenge to all education professionals: Teach your students the art and science of studying!
The rewards are endless
CJ Machosky
STUDY! - SECTION 4: An Introduction to Study Guides.
Study guides are tools used to master the information you learn in class. They are very individualized and should be adapted to your needs and reflect your learning style. Developing study guides and using them at the conclusion of a unit of study is an excellent way to prepare for an exam. The following are discussed in this section - Key Words, Vocabulary Lists, Study Charts, Visual Webs, Summaries, and Verbalizing.
An important principle to keep in mind when studying is that the more senses that are involved, the more effective the learning. You need to see, hear, speak, write, experience, and perhaps smell the subject matter to master it.
We all learn differently. Some of us are visual learners while others learn best by listening. Some students learn by writing information down while others need to diagram information to help them visualize the connections. Still others like to talk about what they learned. We all learn by employing a variety of these strategies.
As you review the suggestions in this Study Guides Section, you will determine which study technique(s) are best for you. Ideally, after reviewing these suggestions you will design your own personal study guide.
Index cards are an excellent way to gather the information you need to study, write it down and then question yourself or have someone ask you the questions until you master the information.
The process of creating a personal study guide is a high-level learning activity. The effort you put into creating the guide will be rewarded by automatically increasing your knowledge of the subject matter. It will force you to see more connections in the content. An effective study guide helps everything make sense.
KEYWORDS
Key Words are the words that give meaning to a unit of study. If you can define and explain the key words in a unit of study, you can be assured that you know the content. Therefore, when you review a unit of study, you need to identify key words such as:
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Names
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Events
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Dates
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Formulas
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Important facts
Make a list of these Key Words to study. It is effective to group the words by category. For example: all names should be on one list, all dates should be on separate list. This helps you to concentrate and focus your studying.
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You could put each word on a separate index card and place an explanation of the Key Word on the reverse side of the card. When you study you can immediately confirm your answer is correct. You can also use your computer to make a two- column chart. Put the key word in one column and the explanation of the key word in the second column. Be sure to keep the key word and explanation carefully aligned. Made a separate two column chart for each category.
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Use the list of key words to explain each section of what you studied. For example: If you were studying geometry principles you could talk about right angles, the hypotenuse, vertical angles, etc.
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Use the list of key words to illustrate what you learned by making content maps or webs. (See Visual Webs p. 127)
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Practice putting information in sequential order and describing relationships and/or cause and effect.