Study Skills » Classroom Skills

Argumentative and Persuasive Essay Topics to Avoid

Sun, 22 Aug 2010 16:30:01 +0000

Many students don’t want to write a paper like everyone else has, so they come up with topics on their own. That’s great, but here are some topics to avoid.

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Castlevania Harmony of Despair Review – Summer of Arcade, XBLA

Sun, 22 Aug 2010 16:28:28 +0000

Harmony of Despair, the second Castlevania game released on Xbox Live Arcade, offers up to six-player online co-op with addictive loot-driven gameplay.

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Seinfeld: The Five Best Shows

Sun, 22 Aug 2010 16:27:57 +0000

Seinfeld entertained with some great shows from the Spogeworth to the Bubbleboy to Shrinkage, but the following could be the five best Seinfeld shows ever.

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Journals — Interactive Writing Idea for the Classroom

Sun, 22 Aug 2010 16:26:58 +0000

Writing an interactive journal with students is a good way give each child individual attention. Learn how to start interactive journals with young writers.

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Environmentalists Join First Nations Call to Save Caribou Habitat

Sun, 22 Aug 2010 16:25:46 +0000

Environmental groups joined Alberta First Nations call for Environment Minister Jim Prentice to take action to protect woodland caribou habitat in Alberta.

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Boiled Chocolate Cake

Sun, 22 Aug 2010 16:24:32 +0000

Learn how to make a boiled chocolate cake recipe that never fails and will always impress, whether it’s for a humble afternoon tea or formal celebration.

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Beating Distractions in Learning with Home Study

Guest Author — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 13:57:51 +0000

Many people who work from home are often heard complaining of all the distractions; the phone ringing, the lure of the television set, the pile of dirty dishes that beckon, and the like. So, many of you might be concerned with allowing your child to school from home for the same reason. You can barely get them to do their homework as it is, right? And if you have to nag to get them to do their housework, how can you possible get them to do their schoolwork?

The outstanding records of hundreds of our graduating students can help put these worries to rest. Take for instance, Stephanie Large. Stephanie was a top notch student in her high school and was highly involved in extra-curricular activities that made her a favorite amongst her peers and teachers alike. Yet, even with all her scholarly and activity-based successes, Stephanie was not content. She felt that she was not being challenged enough in her high school environment and wanted to try something different. She enrolled in a private school, hoping that the supposed higher echelon of education would give her the push that she really needed to excel, yet she soon found that there was little difference in the education and she still felt that something was missing.

Stephanie did a little researching and came across Citizens School and within a remarkably short time was able to complete our requirements to an honors standard. In fact, Stephanie excelled at a higher level with Citizens School than she did than in her forays in public and private school. Like many of our students, Stephanie found that studying from home was less of a distraction than the highly social aspect of public schools.

And while a work-at-your-own pace may not be suitable for some, most people find that our guidebooks, tutorials, and online assistance offer all the guidance, inspiration and support that students normally receive from the classroom. On top of that, they are able to move quickly through the topics that they find easy and are able to devote more time to the subjects that they find more challenging. With the support from our organization and structure provided in the home environment, our students are able to function very well with self-paced learning. In addition, the students learn a life tool that has no price tag and is rarely learned in school self-discipline. This ensures a more well-rounded and comprehensive education and experience that really will last for a lifetime.

About the Author
If you need more information visit http://www.citizenschool.com to learn about Home Schooling GED and a High School Diploma or if you prefer phone 1-800-736-GRAD (4723) or email studentservices@citizenschool.com. Internet Marketing done by Crackmarketing.com.

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Beating Distractions in Learning with Home Study

Blame the Furniture for the Poor Education!

Colin Cookson — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 14:37:59 +0000

In the learning process, there are determinants if the students do really learn as or not. Factors such as the ability and effectiveness of the instructor, the method of instruction, the attentiveness of students… But did you know that the furniture arrangement in the classroom affects learning too? Yes it does.

A classroom is called as the learning environment of both teachers and students. The former has the control over the classroom setting while the latter are in one way, is controlled by classroom environment and its elements. According to recent studies, teachers hold dominion over their classroom environment- they even make it personalized in most cases. Teachers believe that through this, they are able to control the social interaction among students. If the classroom is being set in such a way that students would be able to feel free and comfortable, the teacher could ask them or encourage them to participate in much easier means.

Sensory stimulation is another effect of a good classroom setting. For children, it is easier to learn in a very appealing classroom- like the elements of the things that would appeal to the senses are there. Pictures, colors, sound, and so forth. The arrangement of furniture affects space allocation and space allocation has effects to the learning atmosphere. If the classroom looks narrow and small for students, they feel restricted and they do not interact well. On the other hand, if a classroom provides adequate space, students feel that there is space for interaction.

“Many teachers and administrators tend to focus on pedagogical and interpersonal issues, ignoring the physical-spatial context in which the teaching-learning process occurs.” (Loughlin & Suina, 1982; Weinstein, 1981). As observed, this is indeed true. What is a class of seemingly smart students when a classroom seems too dark for interaction?
In modern times, technology is being integrated to the curricula. On the other hand, if the classroom setting is not improved in such a way that it will not create an atmosphere of participation, it is useless.

By tradition, classroom arrangements come in two patterns: the territorial and the functional arrangements. In a territorial set-up, desks are arranged by ownership while in the functional, they are arranged according to the tasks in an activity. Both may be effective as long as external factors are considered well.

It is surprising to know that furniture arrangement affects learning- but indeed, it is true.
By Colin Cookson

Should Teachers Lecture or Students Talk?

Colin Cookson — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 19:12:29 +0000

While some students prefer lectures where the professors do all of the talking, other students like to participate in the discussion. The latter is commendable. When students are allowed to speak, they become better communicators as well as become more interested in the topic.

Students who are encouraged to speak in class learn how to express their selves verbally. Students who possess strong communication skills are making it big in interviews and perform better when dealing with clients or customers. As we are all aware of, the employment industry often requires people with good communication skills. These people appear to be more confident as well.

Passive form of educating students is not that common these days. This method is existent in conservative countries only. This does not polish students well. It looks like they appear to be absorbers only. Communication is a two-way process and it is the best form of education. Could we call it communication when the receivers do not even have the chance to give feedbacks?

Talking in class help students to stay focused and interested. Students are more concerned because they anticipate being asked to answer. Each would love to be heard and listened to as they actively participate in the discussion. The class will not only be interesting but also practical for everyday life.

Evaluation is a process of measuring what has the students learned. How could an instructor evaluate his or her students when he or she is the only one talking? Paper and pencil tests are also forms of evaluation but they are not complete at all. There are a lot of evaluation types needed in order to come up with the most reliable source.

Evaluation is important because it will give answers to the following questions: Were the objectives of the lesson or chapter achieved? Was the teacher effective? Did the students learn what they needed to?

The active way of teaching has kept the most literate countries move fast when it comes to their educational system improvement. Education is important for a country to keep it tall against these challenging times. Having uneducated people is the worst liability a country could have. The economy is also affected by the degree of education it has.

In the end, tall buildings could not substitute the people’s mind. As a person explores life, he will need the tool of communication. Being silent is necessary sometimes but keeping one’s mouth all the time is almost next to ignorance and selfishness.

Discover your Learning Style

Tue, 02 Jun 2009 18:40:36 +0000

Learning style is not only an important consideration when teaching a class, but can be very important for the student as he/she prepares to study for a class. For a teacher, the fact that most classes contain more than one learning styles makes teaching a challenge. Conversely, when a student understands his/her learning style, it allows the student to adapt to the method which best fits his abilities. Your goal as a student is to learn the material, and the ability to adapt to the learning tools that best suites you is vital. Consider three types of learners and how best to develop a learning style that works for you.

The visual learner learns primarily through written materials, and tends to take down a lecture word for word. A visual learner learns by seeing and takes in many factors in their quest to understand a class lecture. It is important for the visual learner to sit near the front of the class. He/she needs more than just a voice to motivate learning, but needs to see the teacher’s body language and facial expression. They are often distracted by movement and the present of objects within their field of vision. Visual learners are motivated by diagrams, pictures, drawings, overhead transparencies, etc. Often ribbed for liking books with lots of pictures, the visual learner does retain more information due to the presence of pictures mingled into the texts. Visual learners often do not participate much in classroom discussions because they concentrate on taking down an almost word-for-word note set. Study time is most effective in a quiet place, away from distraction and noise. A visual learner is hindered by study groups because they usually are noisey and unproductive. Their time is better spend working alone.

The auditory learner learns primarily through listening, discussion, talking and interacting. They tend to pick up on many things missed by other types of learners such as voice, tone, inflection, etc. Reading is not their forte and most reading assignments make little sense to them until they engage in the class discussion or hear the lecture about the material. The auditory listener can benefit from reading his notes and assignments aloud so that his auditory skills are brought into the learning equation.Study groups are most helpful to the auditory learner because the group allows for discussion, questions, and the ability to verbally interact with the material. When alone, the most effective study is accomplished by repeating keep concepts or recording and replaying the concepts to allow for auditory stimulation.

The third type of learner is commonly called the tactile or kinesthetic learner, and must touch, feel, move, and do something in order to grasp the content. This time of learner often makes the statement, “I learn best by a hands-on approach.” They are the explorer, the inquisitive person who wants to see for themselves. This need for a hands-on, active approach makes it more difficult for them to sit and listen to a lecture. The most effective study strategy for the tactile learner is usually to highlight and take notes on the material as you read. Think about what you read and try to apply the information in creative ways to real life situations. In every classroom, all three learning styles are present. Unfortunately, many teachers do not take student learning styles into consideration when planning their lessons. Therefore, it is more important that students understand their personal style. Your must learn to adapt the teacher’ style to your own style.
By Dr M Smith