Study Tools 2-Study Guides

 A study guide is a tool that helps you reinforce and increase your comprehension of material. They are usually created in advance of a quiz or test and are especially helpful for big exams like midterms and finals. Sometime you luck out and an instructor will provide you with a pre-made study guide. For the times that this doesn't happen, you can certainly make your own.

The great thing about self-created study guides is they be in whichever format best fits the content and your study style. If you're a note card person (like me) put the info on index cards. If you prefer mind maps, graphs, charts, pictures, or whatever you can create it. The steps are simple and the possibilities are endless!

Uses:

Condense all study materials into manageable sections

Identify, explain, and demonstrate relationships between ideas and concepts

Create practical examples that apply the material to real-life situations

To Create:

1. Compile all the information you need to study including textbook, class notes, assignments, and any other materials provided by your instructor.
2. From the materials you collected, identify the main concepts you need to include in your study guide. Create a list of these “categories.”
3. Under each “category” list or identify the supporting details and facts which pertain to them.
4. Choose a format and input the material from #2 and #3
5. At the end of each concept, create a brief summary statement or paragraph to reiterate key points

To Study:

• Read over the material-especially out loud.
• Create a self-test by turning the headings and factual material into questions. See if you can answer the questions.
• If you and a classmate each created study guides, you can each create a test and trade it to see how much you remember.

Tips:

• Focus on one class, topic, or section at a time
• Compare notes and study guides with a classmate-take the best points from each to create an even stronger study guide
• Use symbols, color, or other emphasis to note important points such as those the instructor said specifically would be on the test, vocabulary, etc.
• Words that are highlighted in your textbook are often key points and good indicators of study guide material

Study Tools Post 1: Note Cards

I love my job. Not only do I get to do the most fun parts of teaching (planning and presenting) I have been fortunate to add on the responsibility of counseling students who might need a little academic assistance to help them be successful. There is a big gap between the study skills needed for high school and those for college. In this new educational world of "teach to the test" we are neglecting to teach students to think, to discover, to challenge, in short we have a generation of students who don't know how to learn independently.

I confess, I am and always have been a nerd. I love to learn and have always loved school (I guess that's why I never left). If I needed to learn something, I developed tricks to teach myself. In high school and college note cards were my best friends. They helped me learn new material, write papers, and organize thoughts. Over the last six years in higher education, I've been alarmed at how little use note cards and other study tools receive. Students read and re-read their textbook and class notes and are surprised when they can't recall information on a test. They write their papers from memory or their sources and don't understand why they get cited for plagiarism or just don't get a good grade.

This month, in between presentations I'm making it my mission to create a "cheat sheet" of study tools. I want to create a list of tools, their uses, examples, etc. to have ready when students come to see me. I've even bribed some of my old students to give me their ideas. In addition, I thought I would share them here. I hope this is helpful:

Note Cards: Note cards are a “power tool,” meaning that for a little bit of effort, you reap great rewards. Simply making them increases your ability to recall the information, and studying them increases that retention exponentially. They are small, durable, and can be easily carried with you. They work well with terminology and concepts that required listing. Additionally, it’s easier to learn a few concepts at a time so note cards are a convenient way to chunk info.

Uses:

• Vocabulary definitions
• Formulas
• Dates
• Lists of information
• Processes or methods
• Theories
• Textbook note-taking

To Create

Textbook Note-Taking

• Before you begin reading, take a minute to preview the chapter
• Turn the section headings into questions
• “The Parts of a Cell”
• “What are the parts of a cell?”
• Then as you read, write down anything from the section that answers the question
• For Everything Else
• In your class notes, handouts, etc. skim through and highlight anything that was emphasized or likely to be on the test
• Using the highlighted material, write a question or clue word on the front of the card
• Record the answer, definition, or supporting information on the back of the card

To Study

• Quiz yourself by looking at one side and trying to recall the information from the other side (do this both with the front and back)
• Once created you can study them during “found time” such as between classes, waiting for the bus, on the treadmill, waiting in line, etc.

Tips:

• Create them on a consistent basis throughout the semester (at least 1 time per week you should be making new cards for each class)
• Read them aloud
• Color code them
• Include pictures, graphs, phrases, or rhymes
• If you don’t know the answer, resist the urge to cheat-instead put it back in the pile to see if you remember it later





An Educator's Thoughts On Gun Violence

Before I began a career in higher education, I was a teacher in the public schools. At various times throughout my career I taught just about everything from kindergarten through high school. I’d like to share a story about something that happened to me when I was in my fourth year of teaching. (And I promise that my next post will go back to my usual topics!)

Eight years ago I was teaching sixth grade in Brimfield Ohio. This was such a small town that it had   to combine with another local town to form one complete school district. Brimfield and Suffield, or Field, as it is known, were one of those places you used to see on 1950’s sitcoms. It was and is a place where neighbors know each other and sometimes even leave their doors unlocked when they run out on an errand. The kind of place where kids have an idyllic childhood and nothing bad ever happens, until January 2005. I still remember that last day, Friday January 21st. My English class had been doing a unit on poetry, and we traveled across the school to a second grade class to share what we’d learned. My kids acted as teachers to small groups of students teaching a lesson based on the poem “If I Were in Charge of the World” by Judith Viorst. The second graders created their own “If I Were…” poems and illustrated them. We’d “adopted” this class a few months before and most Fridays we’d get together, in either their classroom or ours, for some fun learning activities. We played educational games or read together, and my students acted as big buddies. It was a great project and a great self-esteem boost for my students who were all considered learning disabled. That Friday went really well, and I remember leaving feeling particularly pleased with my students and what we’d accomplished.



The next morning was a typical day for Ohio in January, cold but only partly cloudy. I was still warm and cozy in my pajamas, getting ready to start lesson planning and grading papers, so I could be done when my husband got off work later that afternoon, when the phone rang. It was unusual for us to be getting a call on a Saturday morning, but I don’t remember any particular sense of dread as I picked it up. The voice on the other end immediately ended all cozy good feelings. It was my contact on the phone tree at work; I knew immediately something big must be wrong-why else call on a weekend? She told me that it had been activated to let all the teachers know that one of our students and his mother had been killed the night before. My heart sank. And as she went on to explain what happened, I sank. Sliding down the wall to the floor I clutched the phone sure that I was dreaming-this couldn’t be true, not in Brimfield. It seemed that the mother’s boyfriend had shot them both before leading the police on an overnight manhunt which ended with him taking a young college student hostage in her apartment and finally killing her before the police stormed the building. Then the teacher on the phone told me his name. If anything could make this tragedy 

Sadly this is the best photo of Dakota that I could find online and it doesn't allow me to enlarge it.

worse, it was the words she said next. Dakota Bauer was one of the students in that second grade class we had visited the day before. While I hadn’t yet learned all their names, I knew Dakota. He was a bright light, a happy, sweet, and amazing kid who stood out in a crowd. I remembered him showing me his poem and being so proud of himself. Just yesterday. Not even 24 hours ago and now he was dead. His light extinguished forever in a hail of bullets.

For me the next few days were a haze of grief. As we learned more about what happened it just got harder and harder to deal with it all. I tried to be strong for my students, but honestly how do you help them understand when you can’t make sense of it yourself? I still remember bits and pieces. Visiting Mrs. Knippenberg’s class to comfort each other. The counselors coming in and talking to my kids. Writing letters to Dakota’s father. Going to the (closed casket) visitation at the funeral home. Mr. Bauer's Spider Man tee-shirt (not exactly typical at a funeral home but it was the last Christmas present his son ever gave him). And some good things too-lots of hugs. Manny, the "therapy" dog. Everyone comforting each other. I also remember a conversation I had with someone on the outside. On Monday nights I took a Tai Chi class at the community center. The only other student in the class was the county coroner. He and I talked about the murders a little. Before it became too much for either of us he told me that it was one of the most horrific things he’d ever witnessed. Roger had been a child in the Philippines during WWII and seen some pretty atrocious and violent things. He had also been coroner for a number of years, but the sight of that little boy, clutching his teddy bear, and wrapped in his mother’s arms caused even this strong man to break down.

By the time the trial started we had moved to North Carolina. I tried to forget, but I couldn’t help following it online. As each new fact came to light it just became more and more horrible to read, but I couldn’t stop. You see, this was a tragedy that never should have happened. Not just because these people didn’t deserve to die, but because their murder, James Trimble, was a convicted felon who was not legally allowed access to fire arms. At one point the prosecution laid his guns out on a table before the jury, guns he had managed to obtain through loopholes in the gun laws. Although only two were used in the actual murders, in total he owned more than 20 guns including an AK-47 assault rifle. Thirteen bullets entered the body of Renee Bauer, and eight were found in Dakota. The defense tried to argue that Dakota was an accident, and if his mother hadn’t been holding him he wouldn’t have died because most of those bullets passed through her body into his. Fortunately the jury didn’t fall for this. Trimble was convicted of all three murders and sentenced to death.

Now, almost eight years to the day since Renee and Dakota Bauer and Sarah Positano were brutally murdered in their homes James Trimble sits on death row. His lawyers haven’t exhausted all their appeals, but I have faith that the system will work and his sentence will eventually be carried out. In the years since we’ve all moved on. My former students have graduated from high school and Dakota’s former classmates are sophomores. They are getting ready for learners permits, proms, girl and boyfriends, college, and a life beyond school-all things Dakota will never experience. I’ve embarked on two new careers and had a child of my own. In a few months she’ll be seven and in second grade, the same age Dakota was when he died. I also can’t help but think of Sarah. Although I didn’t know her, she was only a few years younger than me and an education major. What would have become of her? Would she be married? Have kids of her own? She was only four months away from earning her degree. Would she have stayed in that area? Maybe even taught in my district? We’ll never know because James Trimble took those opportunities away. One night. Two guns. Three lives lost.

So if you ask me if I’m in favor of gun control, the answer is a resounding “YES!” I have always been a proponent of small government, equal rights, and upholding the constitution. I think that the government has a tendency to overregulate to the detriment of its people. I don’t believe that we need to abolish the second amendment and completely outlaw guns. I know plenty of people who shoot and hunt responsibly. My cousin is one of those people. He owns guns and likes to hunt. I don’t want to stop him (heaven knows we need to do something about the overpopulation of deer). But it’s his increasingly angry posts on Facebook, along with some less heated comments by friends, that have prompted me to write about my experience. You see, I don’t object to people owning guns IF they are legally allowed to. I object to the loopholes that allow convicted felons like James Trimble and the mentally ill Sandy Hook, Colorado theater, and Arizona shooters to own weapons. And no, I can’t see a reason why people need to own assault rifles and automatic weapons. These are only good for hunting one kind of prey-the human kind. And before you post something about the need to protect ourselves in case of a government uprising let me say this: In 1776 we began a war with England using the same weapons they had. We won because of a combination of strategy, effective leadership, and fate. In 2013, if we were to rise up against our government we would be crushed. Even if every single household had an assault rifle we would be no match for the tanks, bazookas, nuclear bombs, and other advanced weaponry our government controls. So it doesn’t really matter if your AK-47 has a ten round clip or a Rambo bullet belt-it just isn’t going to happen.

I have one other point. A lot of people have said that if there had been an armed guard at Sandy Hook this tragedy wouldn’t have happened. I also adamantly oppose the thought of armed men wandering around schools. We’ve seen that an armed guard didn’t stop the Columbine massacre, even though he engaged with at least one of them as they were walking into the school. Being in one of the most heavily armed places in this country surrounded by people who were trained in combat didn’t stop the Fort Hood shooter. And having access to more than 20 guns didn’t save Renee or her son. She was killed because she was leaving an abusive boyfriend. An abusive boyfriend who owned more than 20 guns and she surely could have gotten one had she wanted to before he started shooting.

On Monday we will celebrate a holiday dedicated to one of the greatest peacemakers of the last century, maybe of all time. Also on that day three families will mark the eighth anniversary of the violence that shattered their lives forever. I can’t help but think about them and the families of the 240,000 other people who have been killed by guns in this country in the past eight years. I can’t help but wonder what would have been if we had had the guts to stand up to the NRA and gun lobbyists eight, nine, or ten years ago. We have that opportunity now. The ability to say, “Enough is enough and we won’t tolerate another 240,000 or 2,400 or even 2 more deaths by gun violence when we can do something to stop it.” Won’t you please stand with me and do something for Dakota? For Renee? For Sarah? For all the other children we’ve lost and could lose if we don’t do something?

To those of you who own guns legally and responsibly, I don’t want to trample on your rights. Buy guns. Go hunting. Go to the shooting range. Protect your family if it comes to that. I respect your right to do so. Because stronger gun control laws aren’t going to infringe on your right to do those things, but they might just save the next Sandy Hook, Colorado, Arizona, or Dakota.

Energy Vampires

Energy is all around us. It is within us. The Chinese call it qi (chee) and it’s this qi, or flow of energy, that sustains all living things. It is the life force which permeates everything, connects everything, and links us all together. Yet this life force is not infinite. It ebbs and flows as it moves from one living thing to another. Think back to your high school physics class. Remember the law of the conservation of energy? Energy is neither created nor destroyed, it merely changes form.

Our internal energy levels are changed by the people around us and the activities in which we are engaged. Certain people and activities are energy givers while others are energy sappers. Introverted people tend to feel this drain more than extroverted people, but it can happen to anyone. Ever notice how leaving the gym after a workout you tend to have more energy, and yet sitting in front of the computer for hours on end will drain you to last reserves?  That’s conservation. In the former you are engaged in something that attracts energy to you. The latter is draining energy from you.

This also explains how we can come into work feeling energized and ready to face the day, but by 5:00 we’re exhausted, frustrated, and ready to go to bed. We have used up our energy reserves. It is especially true of people in “giving professions” such as education, social work, and nursing-in other words, any profession in which the person engages in care for another individual(s). In fact, a recent research project led by Noelle Robertson and Jenny Watts of the University of Leicester reported that in higher education, “staff exposure to high numbers of students…strongly predicts the experience of burnout." There it is. Proof that students are energy vampires.

(Just kidding)

In all actuality, anyone can be an energy vampire-a co-worker, client, or friend. You could be one and not even know it. Many of these people have emotional issues that prevent them from understanding the impact they have on others. They complain, live in a world of drama, act as victims, brag, ask questions, or seek approval from others. (Sounds like a group of preschoolers doesn’t it?) This constant bid for attention can be draining and leave you frustrated, tired, and depressed. You don’t want to be rude and send them away, but you have to take care of your own needs as well.

So what do you do when an energy vampire comes calling on you?

It’s important to keep in mind that energy (both positive and negative) is contagious. And it’s easier to get sucked into negativity than positivity thus handing your energy reserves over to the other person. Given those two facts, you need to take steps to arm yourself against those who would suck the qi right out of you.

1. Identify the people and settings which most drain your energy. The best defense is a good offense. Pay attention to what your body tells you. When you leave a meeting or someone leaves your office, take a quick mental stock of how you’re feeling. Are you excited, ready to go on to the next thing? Or are you ready for a nap? Same thing after a meeting, filling out paperwork, etc. What is your body telling you? Knowing what and who your energy suckers are will help you decide how to handle them.

2. Identify the people and activities which give you energy. Do you need time alone to be re-energized? Or perhaps you’d rather spend time with someone special? Does a certain song or quick stretch leave you feeling upbeat and ready to go? (For me it’s “The House Rules” by Christian Kane-fabulous energizing song!) Take some time to discover what makes you feel better. Once you know how to reboot your system, look for ways to incorporate these activities or people into your daily life.

3. Recognize your personal limits. Know what you can do and what you can’t and don’t be afraid to let the other person know. It’s okay to say “no” to a request, even a reasonable one. Remember, you can’t help anyone if you deplete your energy reserves helping everyone but yourself.

4. When dealing with energy vampires, set limits. This can be constraints on time, conversation topics, responsibilities, etc. You cannot solve the problems of the world, or even of one person. Give what you can, and then be ready to walk away. There is nothing wrong with making someone else handle the problems they’ve created. In fact, you’re doing them a favor. If the conversation becomes draining, simply end it by making an excuse to leave. You can also start a conversation with “I’ve only got a few minutes before I have to {fill in the blank}.” Then when time is up, politely bring the conversation to a close. Don’t allow the energy vampire to make you feel guilty or trap you into staying longer than you had indicated.

5. Don’t get drawn in. Limit your emotional response to the other person’s drama. You can listen without becoming involved. If a response is needed, say something neutral such as “I’m sure that hurt your feelings quite a bit,” and repeat as needed. It’s also perfectly acceptable to put an end to the vitriol before it gets going-especially if it involves another person. Simply stop the speaker with something like “If you have a problem with {person’s name here} I think you need to take this up with him/her.” Then refuse to engage in any further discussion. Keep your attitude positive and kill them with kindness-just don’t let yourself become involved. Whenever necessary, walk away. It’s okay to tell someone (even a student or client) that you are not equipped to deal with their problem today, and you need time to think about it. Schedule another appointment for a time in which you will be better prepared.

The bottom line in avoiding energy vampires is this: no one can take advantage of you without your permission. This energy drain is a lack of control. Take it back and it’s like a necklace of garlic. You can create your own vampire vaccine by setting limits on those who drain your energy. All it takes is practice.