current learning

Wednesday, november 20th

What we learned: This week, we explored strategies to make learning more engaging and effective. We discussed creating optimal learning environments, implementing reward systems, and "gamifying" education, along with various games and apps to enhance the experience. Additionally, we examined the role of study partners and groups, highlighting how they can either support or hinder progress and how to navigate successful collaborations. We also focused on the importance of good nutrition, sleep, and exercise in supporting brain function, and how to integrate these practices into daily routines. Finally, we explored how adopting a growth mindset and incorporating meditation can further enhance learning.

Ideas to reinforce learning at home:

-Remind them of our class discussion in class about how good nutrition, exercise, and getting a good night’s sleep helps in the learning process whenever you feel they may need an extra push to make good choices in those areas.

-Encourage them to return to this webpage to look at the links and remember the lessons they have learned over the past five weeks.

-Remind them to keep working at incorporating all the strategies learned into their daily lives.

Questions you can ask your child: Do you want help in setting up a fun “game” with rewards like you learned about in class? What websites or apps have you tried to “gamify” learning? Some include Blooket, Gimkit, Anki, Seterra, Quizizz, Kahoot, Duolingo, Quizlet. How well do you feel they work for you?

Resources/Background Information: Get a better night’s sleep, How to get to bed on time, How food affects the brain, How exercise affects the brain, 5-minute meditation

Wednesday, November 13th

What we learned: This week we worked on improving our writing skills. We went through the entire writing process, from planning and drafting to editing and finalizing. Students were given tools for time management of their work to stay on track, writing templates to enhance efficiency, and explored tools and software that streamline the writing process. Additionally, we reviewed several online resources for creating bibliographies, managing citations, and ensuring your work is polished and error-free with editing and proofreading checklists. Students are ahead of the game when it comes to the higher-level writing assignments that will be coming soon.

Ideas to reinforce learning at home:

-Ask to see the resources they looked at in class (many of these are below in the resources/background information section).

-Ask about their next writing project and remind them to use the tools they learned about in class.

-Congratulate them on learning how to manage the writing process so early on.

-Remind them to keep up with using the strategies learned so far in class so they can make them a habit.

Questions you can ask your child: Can you show me the site that helps with time management of the writing process? How do you look up MLA and APA formatting online?

Resources/Background Information: Time management & the writing process, Writing essays, Editing software, Spelling and Grammar.

Wednesday, November 6th

What we learned: We reviewed last week’s learning and reflected on how well we did on remembering to incorporate the new strategies into our routine. This is the toughest part by far and the most important too so we will continuously work on this. We learned and practiced several reading comprehension strategies including text annotation, REAP, KWL and even how the previously learned Feynman Technique and LPC strategy can be used for reading comprehension as well. We made bookmarks that have the text annotation symbols so they have a “key” to refer to when annotating to either keep in their book or near their computer during reading time. We learned about different types of annotation for different text and content and reflected on which would work best for us. Sometimes none are needed at all when we are reading something interesting to us or reading for fun.

Ideas to reinforce learning at home:

-Compliment them on learning these college-level study strategies at such a young age. These are truly concepts are used at the college level. It’s very impressive!

-Buy them a Pilot Frixion pen (LOL! A student asked that I include this). Kidding aside, having new supplies can make learning more “fun” and these erasable pens come in all kinds of colors and can make text annotation fun and more organized if they color code.

-Ask to see their bookmarks and explain how they will use them when reading.

-Watch any of the below background videos below.

-If you annotate text when you read, share how you do it and why. This will help them formulate even more ideas as they get to know what works best for them.

Questions you can ask your child: What does REAP stand for and how can you use this to increase reading comprehension? How about KWL? Have you tried either of these or text annotation yet? If yes, how did it go? What have you learned about yourself as a learner by trying these techniques (do they work for you, not work, etc)? Do you want me to record you while you try the LPC strategy?

Resources/Background Information: Text annotation 1, Text annotation symbols, KWL Charts, Reading Efficiency

Wednesday, October 30th

What we learned: We talked about our experiences with implementing the new study strategy of the Pomodoro Technique over the past week. Incorporating new systems and habits into our daily/weekly routines is the most difficult and important part of the “WOOPS” method for goal achievement and they did great right out of the gate. They also are learning how to reflect on their learning which develops their high-level “metacognitive” skills.

In addition, we learned two new strategies called the Feynman Technique and the closely related Learn, Practice, Critique (LPC) strategy. Students committed to trying at least one of these two methods over the course of the next week in addition to continuing the Pomodoro Technique which they found to be a useful strategy. We also started on text annotation and how to use it for increasing reading comprehension. We will continue this next week so I told the kids they could bring reading from a class to annotate if they wanted otherwise I’ll have text they can practice with as well.

Ideas to reinforce learning at home:

-Congratulate them on doing such a great job of trying these new strategies.

-Reinforce the idea that these are skills they will use their entire lives and how impressive it is that they are learning them at such a young age.

-Remind them to use their trackers to reflect on how well these strategies work (or don’t work) for them to continue to learn about themselves as learners.

-Watch any of the below background videos below.

-Encourage them to try the strategies even if they don’t seem to work at first. Sometimes it just takes practice before you can see the benefits.

Questions you can ask your child: How has the Pomodoro technique worked for you? Do you have an idea of what you will study using the Feynman Technique or LPC strategy? What have you learned about yourself as a learner by trying these techniques (do they work for you, not work, etc)? What is the most difficult text you need to read for school? Do you want to bring that to class next week to practice text annotation? (I will provide sticky notes for text that shouldn’t be marked).

Resources/Background Information: Feynman Technique and LPC strategy, Text annotation 1, Text annotation symbols, Focus on actions for goal achievement

Wednesday, October 23rd

What we learned: We participated in a WOOP activity paying particular attention to what our obstacles are as learners and how we can overcome them. The class identified time management, overcoming procrastination, staying motivated, increasing focus & study efficiency and remembering to bring home and turn in work as top priorities so we will learn strategies for these in the upcoming weeks. I would love to hear your thoughts on what you would like to add so please email me at cynthiadmullen@hotmail.com. To start skillbuilding in the areas of motivation and focus, the students were taught the Pomodoro technique. They will try to use this technique over the next week and brought home success trackers to track and reflect on how well they did in remembering to do it each day. This is the “S” that we added to the WOOPs which stands for the systems and habits which we will create throughout this course. Please have them bring their success trackers back to class next week so we can discuss them.

Ideas to reinforce learning at home: You may want to ask a question or two from the below list. Volunteer to be an “accountability partner” to help them remember to use the success tracker they received in class. Or watch any of the below videos together.

Questions you can ask your child: What do you feel are your strengths and challenges as a learner? What does WOOP stand for (Wish, Outcome, Obstacles, Plan)? What about the “S” added at the end (Systems/habits)? What are the 4 elements of the Pomodoro technique (watch the below video if they forget)? How are you going to remember to do this each day? What does your success tracker look like? Would you like my help in remembering to do this each day?

Resources/Background Information: WOOP, Focusing on actions, not goals, Pomodoro Technique, 4 Steps When Unmotivated, Tiny Changes/Big Results, Getting Habits to Stick