Families, communities, and
nations are strengthened when individuals understand the importance of studying
in their lives. As I discussed last week learning can take place without the
effort of studying, such as infants who learn to crawl, walk, talk, and feed
themselves. They do no studying, yet they learn a great deal. However, in order
to understand information, one must study.
A book titled The World Book of Study Power, book one of a set of two, has a
section about the reasons studying is important to succeed in school, at work,
and in life itself. Since I am now a student, I want to learn good study skills
and am sharing what I learning with you. The following is what I learned from
reading the above referenced book today.
When you study, you search for
understanding. You read, take notes, listen, and try to remember because you
know that you can learn and understand complex ideas, concepts, and subjects. Studying is a means to understanding….
Every time you learn something, you
prepare yourself to learn more. For example, you must learn to count before you
can learn to add or subtract. And you must learn to add and subtract before you
can hope to master more complex mathematical principles. The more you learn, the more you are able to learn. That’s because
by learning something, you expand not only your knowledge but your
self-confidence. Every time you complete that circuit, you deepen your
understanding of the world (pages 20-21).
The book states that there is a wide
variety of “steps to learning” that we must climb in order to study
effectively. These steps are called “strategies,” and the learner must “know
what strategies you have to choose from, how to use those strategies, and when
to use a particular strategy” (page 21).
When one learns something new, their
mind changes “to new ways of thinking or acting” causing one to change their approach
to learning. A suggested example of this change is looking for a library book.
One can search for a book by walking up and down each aisle looking at the
books, or one can use the data in the library’s computer. Learning to use the
information in the computer changes the procedure to find books in the library
(page 22).
Since studying is supposed to help
learning to take place, it stands to reason that one must study effectively,
and to study effectively means that one must understand how they learn. The
book uses Albert Einstein and Thomas Edison as examples. Einstein was a “pioneer
in physics,” yet he failed math. Edison was a “great inventor,” yet he was
labeled “addled” by his teacher. Both men were highly intelligent, but they
performed badly in school because they learned in ways different than the
normal student. Students do their best when they understand “how to learn.”
What Einstein and Edison did know about
themselves – and what you can find out – was how they learned best, what they
had to do to reach their goals, what resources they had, and how to get the job
done. You can learn to direct your studying so that it pays off. To do so, you
must organize your thoughts and time, channel your energy, and connect whatever
you’re learning to what you already know (page 23).
Because learning does not just
happen even though one has the desire to learn, one must prepare to learn, such
as warming up before exercising. This warm up includes the following (sometimes
summarized) elements:
. Yourself: What do you already know?
What are your strengths? What are your weaknesses?
. Criteria: What are you expected to
achieve? How much time do you have? How will you be evaluated? How will this
project help in the future?
. Resources: What do you need to
complete the task? Where can you go for help? What materials should you use?
Where can you get the books or equipment needed?
Task to be performed: Do you have to
prepare a report, take a test, master a new computer program, or give a
demonstration?
Strategies: What must you do to
successfully complete each task? Can you break down your task into smaller
steps? How and when can you take those steps?
Preparing oneself to learn gives one
a structure or outline to check progress as well as a timetable to complete the
task. The above checklist also helps one to know how one learns the best, the
most important preparation for learning.
“Everybody learns different things
in different ways. How you learn
depends on what you learn.” Some of
the different types of learning are: (1) kinesthetic learning or doing (riding
a bicycle); (2) tactile or feeling (kneading bread); (3) auditory learning or listening
(singing, playing a musical instrument, or learning to appreciate music; (4)
visual learning (learning about the stars and planets). You should note that
these types of learning come from our senses.
Your senses bring all kinds of
information to you. Without realizing it, you are learning all kinds of things
in all kinds of ways. Usually, if you’re learning for your own satisfaction,
you instinctively let the task guide you. Without thinking about it, you choose
the best way to learn…. Break down any task into smaller parts. If you take one
bite at a time, you’ll be able to enjoy each one (page 25).
As
parents, grandparents, and teachers our task is to help children and youth to
understand how they learn best. This knowledge will come in both formal and
informal teaching situations. By helping the rising generation to learn how
they learn best, we can strengthen individuals, families, communities, and
nations.
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