Study Skills

Hi 705!

Here's the notes from our conversation on study skills. Hope it helps, and remember these are skills that need to be learned and practiced. The more consistently you apply them the more studying will become a relaxing, contemplative process. See you tomorrow!

Mr. B


The Set-up

1. Study in a quiet room free from distractions. Your bedroom with the door closed is probably your best option. If you enjoy listening to music while you work, make sure it's music without lyrics.

2. Work on a clean desk without a lot of clutter in your visual field. That means your desk should be free of everything but what you need to study. The wall in front of you should be clear as well. This will help keep you focused.

3. You'll need your text book, your notes, a pen/pencil, and a highlighter can be handy.



The Process

1. Make sure all of your notes are complete. Go through your sheets and fill in any blanks you missed and answer any questions you were assigned that you didn't finish.

2. Read through your glossary. Read the terms and their definitions and highlight all the ones you are unsure of. Keep your glossary out of your binder and beside you as you study.

3. Read through your notes. Go chronologically through your notes (that means start with the earliest notes and work towards the most recent ones). As you read through your notes, have your textbook open to the pages that have the same information, look at the illustrations and examples and try to think of some of your own. When you get to one of the terms you highlighted on your glossary, read the explanation in your notes AND in the text. If you still don't quite get in, put a star beside it, go online and do a bit of extra research.

4. Have someone quiz you. This is REALLY helpful in studying. Have someone read a term to you from the glossary that you then have to define. Or have them read you a definition and you have to say the term. Also, have them go through your notes and ask you more detailed questions. Ex. Explain the cycle of water. This will force you to rely on your memory for the information.

5. Go back and look at the things that you had a hard time explaining while you were being tested.



* Remember, it's better to study for shorter periods more frequently. So set a timer and put it behind you. Study for thirty minutes, then take a break. Come back later and study for another thirty minutes. Do that a few times and before you know if you've studied for two hours... or more!

Movie Reviews

Hi 807!


Sorry this post is a bit late. Here is what you need to complete for your movie reviews. Please have ready for Tuesday, June 5th:

- ONE well-formatted, final copy of a movie review
TIMES NEW ROMAN, 12pt FONT, DBL SPACED
- two other movie summaries (in whatever state they are in now)
- a copy of a movie review that you read for each of your films. Check rogerebert.com or rottentomatoes.com


For your presentation you will:

-Tell us what your top three movies are
-Shows us the trailer for your #1
-Read us your perfectly formatted review of your #1 movie


Click on the pictures below to find out more!

Keeping Calm During Presentations

Hi guys,

Here's my reflections on the rest of your questions. Hope it helps. And here's a link to a good, simple morning yoga routine. Yoga's a great way to get yourself centred for the day, both physically and mentally. You are in control. I'm excited to hear the rest of your speeches, we're off to a great start!

Questions:

Can we have a sheet (cue cards)?

Is it better to memorize your speech?

A: Yes, you can use cue cards, but no full-page printouts of your speech. A big part of this activity is practicing the act/art of memorization. Learning to create and use cue cards effectively will benefit you greatly in high school. Visit the link in the post below for a how-to on making cue cards.

Questions:

What's the best way to start a presentation?

What are some tricks to public speaking that could make standing in front of a crowd less nerve-racking?

How do you find a place to look at so it's like you are looking at the audience but not in their eyes so it's not awkward?

How do you look up from your notes when talking? How do you become comfortable with the speech?

A: The best way to start a presentation is to take a deep breath. Breathe into your diaphragm, through your nose (just like in singing! And long-distance running. And cross-country skiing. And...). After that begin with your opening line. Some people use a question, some make a bold statement to get people thinking. Take a small pause after your first sentence, let people think about it then continue.

As you speak, use your cue cards to remind you what comes next. Keep them held at about a mid-waist level, it'll be easy to go from looking at the cards to looking at your audience. When looking up at your audience, move your eyes from one side of the room to another, just glance at people then move on, no long eye contact necessary. Remember to pause occasionally for a breath.  

Yoga Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2i5MgBrUT58

How to Make Cue Cards

Here's some helpful hints from a popular how-to site. Ideally, your cue cards are just highlighted important words or short phrases that are going to "cue" you to remember what comes afterward, or what the whole idea is. We'll look at one another's examples tomorrow.

http://www.ehow.com/how_6110453_make-cue-cards.html