i-Plan to Be a “Student” Objectives: To learn to approach learning with a purpose To assume responsibility for self-edification (making myself better than I am) To have a learning plan

i-Plan to Be a Student STOP before entering school and put on the persona of a “student”. What does it mean to put on the persona of a “student”? It means to purposefully stop yourself before entering school and think about how you are presenting yourself, how you should act and what you should be accomplishing to edify (build-up) yourself.

Characteristics of a “Student” Attend school regularly Are punctual Are prepared Are involved Think, speak, act & dress the part Take P.R.I.D.E. Expect more of themselves than others do Do a mental checklist and see which of these characteristics hold true for you. Do you think any one of them is more important than another?

Characteristics of a “Student” Exhibit “WITH-IT-NESS” What does it mean to have “with-it-ness”? It means that you are aware of your surroundings, you are involved in your surroundings and you are doing something to affect your surroundings. Are you simply sitting in the stadium on game day? OR Do you at least know the teams and the score? Do you know the players, their stats, and the strategy behind each play?

I-Plan to Be a Student By studying “SMART”: use knowledge of learning styles and memory tips to maximize your study time By remembering: Studying is not a spectator sport – no one else can get it done for you! A positive first impression is important Study time does not equal knowledge gained!!!!!!! By being in school: success breeds success Make a decision to use the hints given in this seminar. 20% of drop outs are considered gifted students who didn’t produce. Einstein didn’t learn to read until he was 7. (First Impressions) Show tissues and bandages – ask what they are. Most people would call them “Kleenex” and “Band-aid” no matter what brand they actually are. That’s because these brands were the first on the market for their products and they were of high quality. There first impression was so positive/strong that their brand names are now synonymous with those items. The same goes for you as a student – make a good first impression!! A Penn State study showed that attendance is the #1 factor in academic success. Of students surveyed, 400 who earned an A missed on average only ½ of a class. On the other hand, 400 students who earned a C missed on average 4.5 classes. Over study the first few weeks of school. Study 110% for the first test. Find success early, and you are likely to keep being successful.

Study tools You are about to be given a large cache (collection) of study tools. Choosing and using the right ones will make a difference in the outcome of your studying. Show 6” ruler, 12” ruler, yardstick and measuring tape. Ask student to choose one to measure one length of the room. The student should obviously choose the tape measure- takes shorter amount of time AND more accurate. Choosing and using the right study tools accomplish the same thing.

Study Strategies Use your Agenda - check daily for assignments/books needed Set a designated study place and time which match your learning style (Explained in iPlan to Manage Myself) Eliminate distractions: cell phone, friends, tv, computer games Make 15 min. of reading and 2-column note taking part of nightly routine Be rested, well nourished Study at a time that best matches your body clock Adopt “smart” study strategies Self explanatory

Proven Study Strategies Studying is active - simply reading and re-reading is not studying Highlight/underline no more than 20% of what you read Make remembering a habit Remembering Takes Practice; Concentrating Takes Discipline Plan to study in chunks – Your brain remembers best what you studied first and last Emphasize what studying isn’t. Show over-highlighted paper and correctly highlighted paper. Remind them that the goal of underlining/highighting is to reduce the amount of material to be studies.

Primacy – Recency Effect Traditional 1 Hour Study Time *------------------------------* (1 start and 1 stop) Chunking 1 Hour of Study Time *--------* *-------* *--------* *-------* (4 starts and 4 stops) Review the primacy-recency chart of chunking study time. Having more starts and stops helps your brain to remember more.

More Study Strategies Determine a purpose for what your are learning Link what you are trying to learn to what you already know Visualize the information Summarize chunks of the material Use 2-column note-taking method Use note cards: place ? on front, answer on back Quiz/teach/summarize to someone else Show 2-column note-taking sample. Show note cards. Suggest placing note cards around the room and having them walk to each site while studying. They will associate the information with the place.

More Study Strategies Use Learning Devises and Mnemonics: Create an acronym to remember a list, i.e. HOMES for the Great Lakes Use all of your senses: read it, picture it, act it out, rhyme it, sing it, type it, write it, say it aloud Draw it, chart it, graph it, chain link it Use your learning style Clarify, categorize, organize and review information Review the ABCs song as a learning device.

Even More Study Strategies Over-learn material Make word links- use meaning of one word to associate with another Use acrostics- sentence using first letter of each word Hookups- using one word or series of words hook up information beginning with same letter Make up analogies Create and Experience- picture yourself doing something Review before going to bed Move around- use gestures, recite out loud Find a Study Buddy Write it, write it, write it again Create note cards Create study guides Direct students to “Learning Devices” and “Mnemonics/Strategies” in their packets. Review these strategies.

Remembering Strategies Practice “N.E.V.E.R. F.O.R.G.E.T.” N – notice E – emote V – visualize F – free yourself from stress E – exercise/eat right O - organization R – rest R – rehearse G – guard your brain E – enrich your brain T – teach Direct students to “Practice NEVER FORGETing” in their packet. Review each part.

Math Strategies Be precise: write numbers clearly, place columns precisely, copy numbers correctly Problem solving - Break problem into pieces: Read entire problem first Decide what type of problem you are solving Define terms Look for relationship of terms Write down formulas Make drawings Make applications A study at Penn State showed that students who were precise in writing #’s clearly, placing columns and copying #’s correctly received 20% higher math grades.

Reading Strategies 7 Keys to Comprehension Create a mental picture of what you are reading Relate it to what you already know Constantly ask questions and look for the answers Use what you know to predict what will happen Look for most important ideas Look for the “big picture” Fix-up what you don’t understand

Text Structure Decide which type of text you are reading and choose a graphic organizer that matches: Descriptive Cause and effect Problem solving Compare and contrast Sequence Refer to Text Structure handout. Explain why certain graphic organizers are best for certain types of text.

Studying Text Use SQ3R: Survey the text Question (ask yourself questions using chapter headings or bold text) Read actively with pencil in hand Re-read Record (2-column notes or graphic organizer) Self-explanatory

Listening Strategies Listen well: There is a difference between hearing (goes in one ear and out the other) and listening (paying attention to what is being said) Focus on what is being said, not how you will respond Enter class with a positive attitude- be determined to learn

Listening Strategies Be an active listener- arrive in class prepared (NB, pencil, paper) Sit where you can best listen – away from friends if they are a distraction Use techniques to match your learning style Use 2-column note-taking Listen prior to writing Practice taking notes at home (ex. take 2-column notes while watching a show on Discovery or Nova)

i-Plan to Be a Student Complete the Academic Success Checklist Complete Academic Difficulty Checklist Develop/adopt characteristics of a “student” in a systematic manner Strategically Study Strategically Listen Allow time to complete both Checklists. Discuss “systematic” development or adoption of positive characteristics. Discuss “strategic” studying and listening. Summary – Have students explain what they learned about studying, reading, and listening that will help them be successful middle school students.

i-Plan to be a Student Failure is not Fatal Success is not Final. Never, never, never…give up! Winston Churchill You are the only person on earth who can set limits on your achievements. May you always soar with the eagles! Once upon a time a young Indian body found an egg on the ground very close to a prairie chicken’s nest. He picked up the egg and put it in the nest beside another egg. Before long the two eggs hatched. Following the example of the mother prairie chicken who hatched the eggs, the two birds began pecking and pecking for food. One thing you need to know about prairie chickens is that they cannot fly, so they were destined to go about pecking their whole lives. One day the bird who hatched from the egg put into the nest by the Indian boy, looked up into the sky and saw an eagle majestically flying overhead. The bird thought how wonderful it would be to soar above the earth everyday instead of just pecking and pecking in the dirt. One day he mentioned to his nest mate that he wanted to be like the eagle overhead. He wondered what he had to do to accomplish his dream. His friend made fun of him and said that there was nothing he could do because he was a lowly prairie chicken and the sky was off limits to him. The dreamer sighed, looked up for the last time and continued pecking and pecking day after day. Little did he know that he hatched from an eagle’s egg and not that of a prairie chicken. He choose to listen to the limits placed on him by his friend. Never did he seek to fulfill his dream. He made a choice to continue pecking. That choice had a consequence - he would live out his life as a lowly prairie chicken, never knowing that he was actually a majestic eagle.

iPlan to Be a Student RAM PRIDE- LIVE IT!!!!!! Have them chant: you say “RAM PRIDE”, they respond- “LIVE IT!”