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In Short 3 page
If You Learn Best by Doing You need to get a sense of experiencing what is being talked about. You might need to try different ways to do this, both for doing and for moving. For doing, you could pretend you're a reporter for a magazine on the subject of the lecture and you need to take careful notes so your readers will have an accurate understanding of the subject. For moving, you might find that you stay focused best by writing down as much of what the lecturer is saying as you can, and/or gently tapping your foot or finger to the lecturer's rhythm of speech. Just do it so gently that you don't disturb others around you. On the other hand, some people who learn best by doing find that the simple act of taking notes is enough doing for them. You may not need to refer to your notes very often after the lecture (once you've gotten them in order, that is). The simple act of writing down the ideas helps you remember them.
reflection after the lecture Why do you look into a mirror more than once? What do you see that you haven't seen before? You have the same face—the same configuration of eyes, nose, mouth. What's different each time you look? Is there more sparkle in your eyes? Less color in your cheeks? A wrinkle on your brow? When you reflect, you look back on something. Sometimes, on taking a second look, you realize something you hadn't noticed before. Reflecting also helps you remember what happened. The same way you look into a mirror to make sure the part in your hair is straight, or your tie knot is tidy, you think back on a lecture to see if everything is in order in your mind, that all the information falls into place. Start by considering the questions you wrote (or recorded) before the lecture began. Were any of them answered during the lecture? How did your anticipation of the lecture, based on its title, compare with what was actually said? If you're left with questions, try to find the answers by reflecting on what you learned, or by speaking with the professor.
Write or Draw a Summary Things make sense to you, or "stick" with you, when you're an involved learner. You're able to connect what's new to what you already know. You find that your questions now have answers. Pictures come to mind and the order of events is clearer than before. Now, while it's still fresh in your mind, you need to put together a complete picture of what you heard in the lecture. You need to make a summary for yourself. In this case, the summary is a condensed version of the whole lecture. You can go about this in a variety of ways. You can write it in your notebook, draw a cartoon about it, or speak your thoughts into a recorder. Any of these methods lets you refer back for a quick review and helps you remember key ideas. The summary can be a couple of sentences for starters. Add on to it as more thoughts come to mind. You might want to have two summaries: a short one to remind you of what happened, which you can write in the
Using Notes to Help You Remember The more you go back to your notes, adding on to them any connections or questions and answers that come to mind, the greater chance you'll have of remembering the material. Re-writing notes can help you put them in an order that makes more sense to you. If you learn better by images, re-writing can help you connect your images more clearly. If you learn better by order, re-writing, perhaps in an outline form, can assist you in understanding—and remembering—more of what you've heard. Taking notes from your audiotape as you re-listen can help you focus on what you're hearing. The more you listen, writing down additional questions and ideas as they come to mind, the more you'll get out of your tape. Treat your taped lecture the same way you would treat a favorite album: listen to it over and over again. Since everyone learns differently, keep reminding yourself of what works for you. You will be more likely to repeat your success in getting a lot out of the lecture if you also figure out and write down why it was a success.
In Short
Before a lecture begins, pre-read by anticipating what it will be about. During the lecture, write questions as they come to mind. Then ask them of the lecturer. Use your learning style—take notes if you learn best by seeing, focus on listening if you learn best by hearing. After the lecture, write a summary of what it was about and its value to you. Practice Tips
Listen to a Radio Talk Show. Check radio listings in your newspaper to find a program that interests you. Get ready by writing out what you expect the program to be about. Then write down questions you expect the program to answer.
• If you learn best by hearing: Focus on hearing the program. As soon as it's over, write down or draw a comic strip of what it was about.
If you learn best by seeing: Take notes or draw as you listen. If other questions come to mind, write them down. Write or draw a summary of the talk.
Include in your reflections: • Which of your questions were answered? • What helped you focus on the talk? • What helped you write your reflections?
Try It in a Phone Conversation. The next time you're talking on the telephone, write down what the other person is saying. How did that help you remember later on what the person said?
chapter
A lot happens in class participation. You have to be on your toes—listening to the lecture and to other
what you hear with what Getting the
subject, and getting ready
upon to speak. It sounds Most from Class
getting involved is actually quite enjoyable and stimulating. The more active you are in class discussion, the more you'll feel a part of the class and the more Participation you'll get out of it.
ome teachers simply lecture for the whole Ýclass period, every class period. Other teachers, though, like to use class participation for all or part of their instruction. Many students don't like class participation, either because they'd rather hear what the teacher has to say than what their fellow students think, or because they just don't want to speak in class. (To get the most from this chapter, you may wish to review Chapter 3, "Looking and Listening," Chapter 9, "Getting Involved," and Chapter 12, "Getting the Most from a Lecture.")
Janine enjoyed the lectures in her nursing class. She just didn't want to be called on or pressured to volunteer. She'd cringe just before the student comment period that ended every class. She tried to slide down in her seat so she wouldn't be called on. She kept her eyes on her notebook. Her instructor saw what was happening and finally asked Janine to stay after class for a few minutes one day. She explained to Janine that she had set up the class so that students would get more out of it by actively taking part, and Janine wasn't taking advantage of that opportunity. Janine wasn't surprised to hear the teacher's comments; she knew she had to get over her shyness if she wanted to get the most out of the course.
Classes where professors encourage students to engage in discussion have many advantages over straight lecture courses. If you're one of those people who doesn't like class participation, consider the following benefits that don't come with a lecture course. A class in which you speak as well as listen is more active than a class in which you just listen. When you learn by doing, you are really learning. When you're involved, you're having a different experience than if you're just sitting there. You're more apt to pay attention, remember, and get real meaning out of the class. In fact, being involved can even make you excited about what you're studying!
ACTIVE LISTENING As you know by now, people listen and retain what they hear in different ways. How well you use your learning style in a class of participating students can make a great deal of difference in how much you learn and remember.
• If you learn best by seeing: You'll probably find an active class helps you keep better tabs on what you're hearing. There's more reinforcement for what's been said, with students (including you!) asking questions and offering comments. Taking careful and frequent notes will give you something to see—and re-reading them will help you recall the class. Remember, about half of everybody
• If you learn best by hearing: Much depends on the kind of memory you have. Some hearing-learners can hold onto information for a whole class period, writing their notes after class. Others find writing down some cues about what happened right away, as it happens, helps them remember later. • If you learn best using images: Draw pictures of the ideas, people, and images that come from what you hear, connecting pictures to show the influence of one on another and the relationships between them. • If you learn best using order: Make a list of ideas, events, even of the other students and what they said that you find significant. • If you learn best through doing: Talk a lot. Use hand gestures if this helps you get your ideas flowing. While you're listening, put yourself in the mind-set of somebody connected with the subject at hand and imagine what you'd be thinking, feeling and doing; who'd you be interacting with; and so on.
Janine (see box) found that if she pretended she was in a clinic, and her classmates and instructor were co-workers, it was easier for her to pay attention during discussion time.
Make Associations Another way to keep track of what's being said is to associate.Some clever teachers will pause or do something unusual after something important has been said—maybe stamp a foot or spin around. But, sometimes something unusual happens by itself: a woman has a sneezing fit just after the function of the thigh-bone is explained, for example. When things like this happen in the classroom, you're likely to remember that sneeze and also facts about the thigh bone. That's because people are apt to remember the unusual. Ask If You Can't Hear After her talk with her teacher and a little practice at home, Janine was becoming more comfortable with the participation part of class. She learned to say things like, "Excuse me, I can't hear you. Please repeat what you said," and, "I'm having trouble understanding what you just said. Do you mean . . .?" She found the more she helped others make themselves understood, the more she was getting out of the class—she discovered she was interested in what the other students had to say. Maybe you know how to help others listen to you, but some of them aren't helping you listen to them. You have a right to know what's being said. It's your job to tell someone if they're not loud enough, or if you're confused by what they're saying.
Putting It All Together You've listened carefully, but how can you make sense of what really matters and what doesn't, of what's valuable to your learning and what is just peripheral information that doesn't contribute anything important to your study? And how do you combine the instructor's lecture with student comments to keep track of what's happening in this class? How can you put it all together? This is where active learning can really help. Take notes to keep track of the exchange of ideas taking place in class. Use your learning style— drawing, making lists, whatever works for you. If you're a strong literal and/or visual learner, try numbering your notes or drawing lines connecting common themes in what you've written. This will help give you an idea of the direction that the instructor-student dialogue is going. Then you'll be prepared to ask informed questions! participating Getting the Gumption to Speak Usually people are anxious about speaking in class because they're afraid they'll make some kind of mistake. Aside from the fact that some teachers require participation, and grade accordingly, once you accept yourself as a bona fide class member—and an appreciated contributor—you'll not only get more out of class, you'll feel good, too.
You're Doing It Already When you speak at the dinner table, asking family or friends about their day, chatting comfortably, contributing to what's being talked about, you're in an active learning situation. Think of all the practice you've had already!
Get Comfortable to Share Experiences Think of your classmates as friends or co-workers. You're not on the stage of Carnegie Hall. You're in room 2G-432, Anatomy Class. And remember, you have something important to say that only you can say. Only you think and feel like you. Everyone in the class may have read the same text and come to similar conclusions, but only you have had your experience. When you share your experience with others, you're helping them keep an open mind.
Making Yourself Heard OK, now you'll talk. But you're afraid it won't come out right, that you'll be misunderstood, or that no one will listen. Consider the following advice.
Relax Nervous? You're not alone. Take a few minutes before class to close your eyes and imagine a quiet place. Take a few deep breaths—inhale for four counts, then exhale for four counts. Try to create this same calm feeling when you're in class with your hand raised. When it's your turn to speak, take it slow, and bring your voice down a little. You'll feel less nervous automatically. (There's more on keeping calm in Chapter 1, "Getting Started.")
Getting It Out Think out what you want to say before you say it. Writing it out or making a list helps, too. You might find after you've begun to speak, more ideas come to you—keep talking!
Tongue-Tied? When people who stutter are interviewed on the radio, they stutter less or not at all. If stuttering is a problem for you, talk to your instructor. Let him or her know your situation; maybe this will help you feel more comfortable. You might find that in the somewhat public situation of class, you stutter less.
Help Them Listen Wait until someone has finished speaking before beginning to speak. You'll get more respect—and better listeners when you do speak. If you had to wait awhile to speak, and the topic shifted a little, help the class understand your meaning by beginning with, "I want to go back to what we were talking about before................. " The clearer you are, the less questions others will have in their heads and the easier it will be for them to attentively listen to you.
Long-Winded? Being long-winded often means wanting attention. Participating in class means getting attention, but you want to make sure you're not demanding more than your share. Practice at home. Think of something that would be appropriate to say in class. Write it down to hold on to the complete idea. Set a kitchen timer for 30 seconds. If you're still talking, go back to what you wrote. Did you add to it as you spoke? Or did you write more than would be appropriate to say at one time? Reward yourself for every time you control the amount of time you speak. To avoid a mood where you feel the need to have all eyes on you for an unfair amount of time, try giving yourself a reward before class. Have a good meal or snack, or take a walk. Even giving yourself extra time to get to class can be a reward.
Sticky Situations Being Nervous You're nervous, and the instructor asks you to stand up or (gulp!) stand in the front of the class to give your presentation. Depending on just how nervous you are, try looking at a supportive friend. Alternatively, you can look over the tops of the heads of your classmates to the back of the room. You'll find avoiding eye contact helpful because you don't feel so much like you're being examined. Forgetting What You Were Going to Say You started to speak, then forgot what you were going to say. You can avoid this in the future by writing your comment on paper as soon as it comes to you. If you're pressed for time, list key words. If you're really pressed for time—no time to write, that is—try chanting the key words over in your head, or designating different fingers for each of your key words and holding onto those fingers. If your mind does go blank, just say, "I forgot what I was going to say." This happens to everybody at some time or other.
Questions and Answers Asking Questions All instructors encourage questions. If you have a question, chances are other students do, too. Check with your instructor if questions are preferred during class, or saved for after class. It's a good idea to write down questions as they come to mind, particularly if your instructor is lecturing and prefers questions after the lecture. Also, once you have your question in writing, you can re-word it to make it clearer. Try to stick to the point.
Responding to Questions In some classes, the instructor will pose questions for students to answer, or the instructor will encourage other students to answer student questions. Plan in advance. Before class begins, review your notes of the last class. Review any required reading, too. Pretend you're the instructor. Come up with questions. Then come up with your answers. Make sure you have proof—from your reading—of your answers. Even if the questions you raised are different from the questions that occur in the classroom, your practice will help you become familiar with the material. In Short
You make the most of your learning when you're involved, and many classes expect you to get involved through some kind of class participation. Often this is done by encouraging students to share their comments and questions during a lecture or immediately after it. Keep notes of what the instructor and your classmates say. Get more out of listening by asking questions. Help others hear what you have to say by speaking up and being informed and prepared. The next chapter shows you how to deal with a different kind of active classroom, one that uses small-group discussion.
Practice Tip The next time you're with a group of friends, family members, or coworkers, take notes to keep track of the discussion and to help you decide what you want to say before you speak. If they ask why you're taking notes, simply tell them the truth—that you're practicing for class—it'll give them something to talk about! chapter
In small discussion groups, everyone takes turns giving their impressions and opinions about a chosen subject. Members listen to each other, think about how they agree and disagree with others' comments, and, depending upon the assignment, complete a project or come to a consensus.
Getting the Most from a Class Discussion Group
mall discussion groups are a popular way of getting students actively involved in the study topic. Usually you'll break into groups of three to eight people. Often, you wind up in a group with those sitting near you, but sometimes a teacher wants to arrange the groups in a specific way. He might group people who have something in common, such as interests, or age, or both. Or he may intentionally combine people of different interests and ages so that each group represents the overall mix of the class. Usually the groups are given a specific assignment. They might, for instance, be asked to answer questions, debate an issue, work on an experiment, or prepare a short class presentation. Everyone is encouraged to participate.
WHY WORK IN GROUPS? When you work with other students in a group, you're becoming more responsible for your own learning because your voice is being heard, not just the instructor's. This is an easy and comfortable way to get to know students in your class. You'll also see that not only are "two heads better than one," but three or four contribute even more! To get ready for such interaction, you may want to review Chapter 16, "Working With a Study Buddy"
Types of Group Assignments Instructors set up groups and give group assignments for different reasons. Your group may be asked to: • Discuss something you recently learned, either through reading or a lecture, to help you solidify what you know and find out what you still have questions about. • Do a kind of group pre-reading, exploring a topic you have not yet learned by finding connections with topics you've already learned. • Perform a specific task, like dissecting a frog in biology class. • Respond to a written or oral contribution by each group member. For instance, in a writing class, each member of the group might read his or her essay aloud so that other group members can discuss what's good and what needs improvement.
Types of Group Structures There are different ways for a group to be organized. Yours might be structured along these lines:
• A leader or timekeeper makes sure each person speaks within a time limit. • A recorder or secretary writes down what each person says and reads back the notes to the group after everyone has spoken. • A reporter tells the class what the group discovered or decided in its discussion.
The instructor may have one person fulfill all these roles, rotating the position with each class meeting. Other groups are much less formal. Your instructor may not give you any instructions at all about who should do what, as long as your group accomplishes the work it's assigned. You'll probably find in such cases one or two students naturally take the role of leader. Your group may want to choose someone to take group notes. It's only fair to try to pass these roles around rather than having one or two people do all the work all the time.
how to make your group work As the group solves a problem or comes to a conclusion, every person needs to know how each other member thinks and feels. In order to accomplish this, it's important to follow some basic rules.
Group Etiquette Be Prepared Keep up with your assignments. Your group relies on each member's opinions and interpretations.
Speak When It's Your Turn If you're nervous about speaking, take a deep breath. Remind yourself you're with students who are very similar to you—and who are probably as nervous as you are. The more you speak, the less nervous you'll be. Go back to Chapter 13, "Getting the Most from Class Participation," for tips on overcoming stage fright when you speak in your group.
Keep Within the Time Limit Stay within your time limit, if one is assigned. If not, it's simply good manners to show consideration and only use your share of the discussion time. This is the only way everyone can get to speak. Also, there has to be time at the end of the discussion for the group to come to a conclusion. If it's difficult for you to stop talking, try saying what's most important first. Pay Attention Listen carefully when it's someone else's turn. It's a good idea to take notes. With so many different ideas being talked about, this will help you to keep track of all ideas and comments.
Help Your Group Get Going Whether your instructor has students take turns leading each group or you're all on your own, the group needs everyone to participate. Be prepared to coax someone who's shy. If someone is reluctant to speak, ask, "How do you feel about this?" or, "Do you agree with ...?" You might need to remind people to speak loud enough for everyone to hear.
Take Notes Some instructors have students take turns recording the discussion and reporting to the class. Even if your group doesn't have a recorder or secretary writing down what others say, take notes of what's happening. It is also helpful to bring your own tape recorder. These tactics will help you better remember what was discussed.
Talking in a Group Not everybody understands best by hearing. Even those that do might be distracted by what they're waiting to say, or by what they overhear other groups talking about. Try to keep people's attention by speaking clearly. Look at the faces of your group members. Does anybody look like they're not understanding what you are saying? Clues might include a wrinkled forehead or nose, or even a blank stare. If you get such signals, try speaking more loudly. If someone still looks like they don't understand you, try repeating what you said in a different way. Ask someone, "Could you clearly hear what I said?" if there's any doubt you were understood.
Listening in a Group A good way to make sure you heard what the speaker wanted you to hear is to repeat what you thought she said. Since people think faster than they speak, there's a good chance she didn't say quite what she thought she said—or what she meant was different from what she said. By telling someone what you heard, you are helping avoid confusion. If you're confused by what someone said, say what you thought you heard and follow that up with, "Is that what you meant?" If you use the exact word or phrase that your group-mate used, that will give him the sense that you understood what he said. Then you might try re-stating what he said in your own words so that you'll both know you mean the same thing.
Coming to a Conclusion After each person has spoken, the recorder reads back what each person said and the group considers how they see the same thing differently, or how they agree. In some cases, your group might be asked to argue the matter until you come to an agreement. This is called coming to a consensus. This occurs when each person in the group consents to a certain position. Reaching consensus takes good communication skills, so be sure to listen carefully and talk using the guidelines for group etiquette above.
In Short___________________________
Group discussion gets everyone involved. But in order for it to work well, each person needs to focus on the topic at hand, speak within time limits, listen carefully, and respect others' opinions. Identify what you agree with and why—and what you disagree with or are confused about and why. Practice Tips Polish your listening and speaking skills. The next time you're talking with someone—at the dinner table, at the water cooler, or whatever— tell her what you thought she said and then ask her if that was what she meant. As you are speaking, repeat a word or phrase that she used. Pay close attention to her response as you speak. If she shows signs of not hearing you or being confused, try saying what you just said in a different way. Write in your notebook what seemed to work best: How did you speak so that she understood what you meant? Date: 2015-01-02; view: 814
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learns better by seeing. You're not alone in working to make sense-of what you hear!