Just read or listen to this incredible story!

 Parents in Port aux Basques, NL had their two young children taken away from them because they scored low on intelligence tests.

The first link is a short CBC story that you can read.

The second link is an audio interview with Dorothy Rodgers, the mother involved. You can listen to this interview.

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/newfoundland-labrador/story/2011/02/02/nl-rodgers-case-202.html

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/newfoundland-labrador/story/2011/02/04/nl-parents-fostercare-204.html

http://www.study-skills.ca/blog/2011/01/24/how-long-should-i-study-for/

http://www.study-skills.ca/blog/2011/01/24/how-long-should-i-study-for/

How long should i study for?

Let’s consider two typical college students.  Mary feels passionate about getting an “A” on the next economics test.  So for one week solid, she studies in three hour increments.  She scarcely takes a break during these marathon study sessions. Yet, to her exasperation, she still only manages to get a C+.
Rodney is in the same economics class.  He has spent the past four weeks studying class material, about 45 minutes a day, in 20 minute chunks, separated by a five minute break.  To some people’s amazement, he gets A-Pluses regularly, and he did so on the economics test.


So what made the difference?  Shouldn’t that A-Plus belong to Mary?  Not at all.  Because Rodney learned to master his study time better than Mary did. He learned that: a) Effective time management (studying over a long period of time instead of just a night or two before the test) is better than cramming; and b) the brain is not as effective in retaining knowledge after a certain amount of time–usually 20 to 50 minutes at a time.  With all of that said, here are four time-management tips that will make you a more effective and efficient studier.
1) Start by understanding how much you should be studying each week.  If you’re in junior high or high school, there’s a good rule thumb that goes like this:  Study the same number of hours per week as your current grade level. Seventh-graders study seven hours a week; 10th graders study 10 hours, and so on.  Once you know this, you can divide these hours by the number of days you plan to study. If you’re a 10th grader and you only want to study five days a week, that means you should plan two hours of study each day.
2) If you’re in college, the rule of thumb is a bit different.  The traditional rule says that you should study two hours for every hour that your class meets. In reality, every student has easy courses that require much less study time.  Still, for the difficult classes, the two-for-one ratio is a good idea.
3) As we alluded to earlier, study in 20 to 50 minute periods.  The brain has to take time to form new memories, and if you keep studying flat out, you actually hinder this memorization process.  Between every 20 to 50 minute study period, take a five or 10 minute break. If possible, during this time, do something physical, in order to start the blood pumping again and make your brain more alert.  You might do some jumping jacks, jog once around the house, play with your dog or cat–anything that gets you moving! Don’t wear yourself out, though, or you’re just defeating your purpose.
4) Finally, don’t get so involved in extended study sessions that you neglect sleep time.  It’s important for your health and for your grades that you get ample sleep time.  If you don’t believe it, consider this:  If you sleep just four to five hours, you’ll probably have to double your amount of study time to be as effective as if you’d slept seven to nine hours. That’s right:  You’ll get better grades if you sleep more and study a little less.  And if, despite your best intentions, you’re still a bit sleep deprived, try taking a snort 20 minute nap before you study. You’ll be amazed at how effective a quick “power nap” is at restoring your alertness!
Remember: It’s not always how much you study, but how well you manage your study time.

Interesting Note Taking Techniques from Youtube

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vm-tvSXg5AM

Trouble with Math? Easy divisibility rules...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8a6I-eGDKGE&feature=related

This short video shows simple tricks to tell if a number is dividable by 2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10!

Did you know that all numbers divisible by 3, have digits that add together to 3, 6, or 9? For example:

666315 looks like this
6+6+6+3+1+5=27 and 2+7=9!!
Therefore 666315 is divisable by 3.

Check out this Memory website!

http://memorize.com/

Trouble with reading and pronouncing words?

Some adult learners have a shaky foundation when it comes to the basics of reading, spelling and pronouncing words. There are many reasons why an adult student missed out on acquiring these important skills earlier in life. Some of these are:

• Troubles at home
• Ineffective teacher
• Unrecognized learning disabilities
• Being "shoved" ahead to a higher grade
• Too many students in class
• Overworked teacher
• Lack of in school supports
• Student was too old when supports were available
• Hearing problems
• and so on and so on...

The barriers to learning are as varied as the students affected.

Here are a couple of websites that adult learners have found particularly useful in gaining the basic skills to improve reading, spelling and pronunciation::

http://www.starfall.com/    According to one student even though this website is meant for children it was great at providing the basics of phonics - very colourful - well organized.

http://dictionary.reference.com/ A fantastic site for improving vocabulary. The correct pronunciation can be heard  by clicking on the "speaker" icon. Check out the FLASHCARD section!

Excellent study tips!

If you have 5- 10 minutes to spare, go to Ruth's Youtube videos about studying. She covers lots of different topics:

• how to take notes
• how to stay motivated
• how to get organized

I have watched several of them and found Ruth's suggestions practical and very usable. I love the way she uses her binders - two courses per binder and she turns her binder upside down so each course is at the front. 

You have to see it to really appreciate it.

http://www.youtube.com/user/ruthoropeza2#p/u/31/05F7ej8G0Uc - binder video

 

http://www.youtube.com/user/ruthoropeza2#p/u - all of Ruth's videos

Memory Tricks

More PowerPoint presentations from Sandra Bessey

Trouble remembering things?

Many students have a difficult job remembering information for exams. If you are one of these students you know that this can also cause a lot of stress and anxiety in your life!

The main point to keep in mind is - UNDERSTAND FIRST - Remember second.

This may sound simplistic but it may be the best advice you will ever receive when it comes to retrieving information for exams. Try this exercise:

Can you remember the following numbers in order:
7807914800?

Would it be easier if you knew this was a phone number?
(780) area code for Alberta
791 - common first 3 digits of Fort McMurray phone number
4800 - last 4 digits ( for Keyano College BTW)

This specific memory strategy is called "clumping" for obvious reasons. Try it out the next time you have to remember information. Remember( pun intended!) UNDERSTAND first - Remember second.

Check the side bar for a link to a PowerPoint presentation ( a very short one) that has several more memory strategies.

How to take notes in class...

Taking notes in class can be a big problem for most of us. It is almost impossible to keep up with the instructor and then almost impossible to read your own handwriting after! Is there any hope?

Here are some pointers that have helped others in the same boat:

1. Be selective about what you write down - try and relax and listen to what is being said

2. Use a laptop or a notebook - there are advantages and disadvantages to both ( some instructors won't allow you to have a laptop in class!) 

3. Put ideas into your own words - this really works

4. Review your notes right after class - this is the best time for them to make sense to you

5. Understand first - write second

Here is a short youtube video that goes into a little more detail http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZ-jvsCkR1U