American classroom learning

1. American classroom learning

2. Before class: • Do your homework!Read critically; form your own opinions • Review your notesfrom the previous lecture and reading for the day • Communicate immediately with professorsabout any study problems • Focus on the task at hand before class:take a moment of silence to gather your thoughts and mentally prepare yourself to the topic • Write any objectivesthat come to mind at the head of your notepaper: • preparing for an up-coming test, • understanding a particular concept, • gaining a good foundation on a topic • understanding or reviewing the readings

3. In Class: • Arrive on time for class.Professors do not take lateness lightly • Position yourself in the classroomto focus on the subject matter; consider the best location for: • listening • asking questions • seeing visual materials • discussing--not only with the teacher but also your classmates • Avoid distractionsthat may interfere with your concentration(daydreaming, looking around the room, talking to a friend, passing notes, dozing)

4. In Class: • Evaluate as you listen: • Decide what is important and should be placed in your notes and what can be left out; • Listen long enough to be sure you understand what was said before writing. • Ask clarifying questions (but wait for "breaks" in the instructor's stream). • Review your class objective(s) throughout the class period • Did your objective(s) mesh with the instructor's introductory remarks? • Has the class digressed from stated objectives, yours or the instructor's?

5. In Class: • Make a to do list including • assignments; • reviewing difficult concepts; • joining study groups; • making appointments with a study pal, tutor, or the instructor.One resource often overlooked is a classmate who seems to have a good grasp of the material. If it seem appropriate, seek the individual out for help. • Periodically ask yourself if the course is meeting your objectives. If you find yourself dissatisfied with a particular class or the course in general, make an appointment with the instructor to discuss your expectations. The earlier the better. • Material adapted from: Gail M. Zimmerman, Assistant Dean of First-Year Students and Academic Counselor, Dartmouth College and Bob Nelson, et al, Learning Resource Centers, Rutgers University

6. Paying attention in the classroom • Try to anticipate the main ideas of the coming lecture:Look over your notes of the previous lecture and read the course material.If you have questions about material from the previous class or text, ask the instructor before class about themPrepare a few questionsyou expect to be answered on new material if possible • Resist distractionsby sitting in front of the room away from disruptive classmates and by focusing on the instructor through active listening and note taking

7. Paying attention in the classroom • Put yourself in the "mood" withattentive expression and posture; do not sprawl • Shift position in your seat every so oftenDon't sit frozen in one positionShifting on occasion will help keep the blood circulating, send more oxygen to your brain, and help you remain alert • When appropriate: ask a question, ask for more clarity,or engage an instructor and the class in dialogue • Train yourself not to give in to distractions

8. The Spider Technique • Hold a vibrating tuning fork next to a spider web. The spider will react and come looking for what is vibrating the web. Do it several times and the spider "wises up" and knows there's no bug and doesn't come looking. • You can learn that. When someone enters the room, or when a door slams, do not allow yourself to participate. Rather, keep your concentration on what's in front of you.

9. Form a tunnel between you and the lecturer • Practice letting people move or cough without having to look at them - just let them "be out there" as you focus on what is being taught • When talking with someone, keep your attention on that person, look at his face, and note what is being said. Let the rest of the world just be "out there." • Use the Be here now technique to help you regain concentration when you do become distracted momentarily. • Adapted with permission from Help Yourself, University Counseling Services, Kansas State University • See also: J. R. Hayes, The Complete Problem Solver,Franklin Institute Press, 1981

10. Taking notes in classroom lectures • You can develop your own note taking system and study strategywith the five "R's" of note-taking: • Record * Reduce * Recite * Reflect * Review • Get a good loose-leaf notebook:This will enable you to add, delete, and re-sequence pages and materials. • Begin each session's notes with a cover page for later summaries and test preparation.

11. Taking notes in classroom lectures A typical notes page:

12. Taking notes in classroom lectures • 3. Recite: Talk aloud! • Review from memory what you have learned • Using the left hand margin's key words and questions, talk through, or illustrate definitions, concepts, etc. • Create your own examples • 4. Reflect: Think over! • How does this relate to what you knew before? • Note the essay terms and find the best ones that refer to your studies: Apply, Compare, Diagram, Evaluate, etc...

13. Taking notes in classroom lectures • 5. Review the notes you took • At your next study session • Before reading new material • When studying for tests • Make notes on your "notes page" • Multiple pages of notes for one lecture: • summarize each page at its bottom, • summarize the lecture on a cover or end page • Adapted from Walter Pauk (1989) and the Cornell Notetaking System (Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH)

14. Credits • Information taken from: http://www.studygs.net/shared/mgmnt.htm • Study Guides and Strategies