I'm coming to y'all from MEXICO!
This week, let’s discuss how we learn, what works, and what
does not work. I believe myself to be an effective learner. I know what works
for me, and I understand that the way I learn may not be effective for everyone
else. I’m hoping today that I can perhaps give you some ideas to become a more
effective student.
Regardless of the type of material I am attempting to learn,
I always utilize four particular learning strategies: flashcards, specific note
taking, reading aloud, and outlining.
Let me tell you, flashcards are truly a wonderful tool, more
useful that just plain writing things down and it is easier to quiz yourself as
well. Flashcards work well in all types of courses- ones where you need to
understand the material as well as apply the material.
Specific note taking is a very useful tool to utilize, it basically
means taking your notes and organizing them in a specific ways. What I like to
do is use different markers to signify different things, and highlight
definitions. This strategy is used both in class and while outlining my work at
home. As discussed in week 1, I also color code basically everything as well.
Finally, I will read the chapter once to myself, then go
back through and outline what seems to be the most important. It’s important to
read the chapter once to distinguish what material is “fluff.” After I finish
my outline, I will then read the chapter aloud. Sometimes reading aloud is
useful because you tend to read more slowly, and it is easy to pick out more details
that you may have missed the first few times.
For courses such as mathematics, if I am having trouble
understanding a concept, I will use a website called “Khan Academy,” which has
useful videos and instructional content that is very, very useful, AND FREE!
As stated above, I know everyone learns material
differently, this is what works for me, and hopefully it can work for you as
well. I also think it is important to point out that if there are tutoring
services made available to you, I sincerely hope you will utilize those,
because they can be very, very helpful.
Until next time,
Kelly
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