Year 8 Study Smarter NOT Harder 2017 Presentation Summary

“I was going to ask if you’ve been studying long, but I think I can guess the answer.”

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Introduction - The Brain and Memory

There are two types of memory: short term (working) memory and long term memory. Short term memory - allows you to recall 7-9 things for up to 24 hours before they are lost. Long term memory – is unlimited in size and can last a lifetime. To increase how many “things” can be held in short term memory: 1. Chunk things together to reduce the size of lists

- use advantages / disadvantages, similarities / differences, causes / effects. 2. Use the primacy-recency effect

- learn important information first or last - revise subjects / content / lists in different orders each time - keep work times short (about 25 minutes before you have a break) to create more start and end points in your study program

To move information from short to long term memory: You must answer YES to BOTH these questions: Does it make sense (do you understand it)? Does it have meaning (is it relevant to you)? Test whether information is in long term memory (before the test!) Without revising first, do some of the following:

Memory boxes Quizzes Verbal testing Flashcards

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Get Organised! Organisation is not a trait most of us are born with. It is something that must be learned and then practised. Make new pathways – neural pathways – by repetition and practice. The more often you practise, the stronger the pathway so that organisation can become second nature. Essentials for School • Files are colour - coded (same each year) • File dividers - plastic • Extra lever arch file – for home • Exercise book - for summary notes • Palm cards – for dot point note revision • Highlighters • Sticky notes • Headphones Tips for Home • Desk – tidy work place - same place: kitchen table, own desk - yearly planner - cardboard - assessment planner – A3 paper - extra space – box • Mobile - out of the room (never in your room at night) Tips for School • Files – labelling worksheets (chapters, headings, dates) • Locker – easy access, come and tidy at any time over the weekend. • iPad – set up subject folders - name worksheets to save in folders - check emails daily • iPad diary – write homework for each class - write assessments in correct tab (some teachers populate their homework/assessments) * Parents have access to iPad – belongs to CCGS, not the student Assignments and Assessments • Wall Chart • A3 Year Planner Both useful for: - assignments and tests - to cross off / tear off finished work - to plan ahead

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The Use of Colour • If you use highlighters, use more than one colour • Take your notes in colour and organize the various paragraphs or topics by colour • Be careful not to overdo the highlighting • The brain sees and remembers the colour first, then the colour activates the memory! • Colour is a most powerful stimulus for the brain. Extra Tips • Room - same place, same desk • Light • Books • Files • Pencil case – pens etc • Storage – extra box • Study buddy - choose wisely!!! • Teach a friend – new neural pathways are engaged when teaching someone • Mind maps - the brain likes colour and images.

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Successfully Studying Mathematics Mathematics Study Strategies Practice, practice and more practice. The more you practise answering maths problems, the better! 1. Review errors (work through the process for each solution) 2. Master the key concepts (do not try to memorise the processes) 3. Understand your doubts (Maths requires time and patience to master) 4. Create a distraction-free study environment (Mathematics is a subject that requires

more concentration than any other) 5. Create a Mathematical dictionary / mind-map (Mathematics has specific terminology with a lot of vocabulary) 6. Apply Maths to real world problems. Be Motivated

• Half the battle is already lost if you think you can’t do it or if you are unwilling to do it • You must believe that you can improve your current level of performance • You must want to make that improvement • You must put in effort consistently to achieve that improvement

Effort in Class

• Be attentive. Take down notes to enhance understanding and retention • Be proactive. Ask questions when in doubt • Be productive. Work promptly on set tasks in class to apply the skills taught and seek

help where necessary. This will pave the way for smoother homework later. Effort at Home

• Homework is an essential part of Mathematics learning. Maths homework may take 20-30 minutes

• Review material taught in class. Read through the text book, paying attention to examples which illustrate how concepts are applied

• Use online resources to look up concepts which need further elaboration. Seek help from your teacher

• Mark your answers and write summary notes.

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Review Errors Understanding how you approached the problem and where you went wrong is a great way of becoming stronger and avoiding the same mistakes in the future. Write out questions where you have made an error / errors. Identify your mistake/s in words. Redo the same question with the mistake/s corrected this time. Summarise what you have to look out for in order to do it correctly next time.

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Make a Study Plan • Allocate 20 – 30 minutes per subject per weekday (for Year 7 & 8) • Weekend (Sat & Sun) allows for an extended period of learning. Set aside 45 min per

subject each weekend • Make a study plan that tells you when you should be studying, what subject you should

be reviewing /doing homework at each part of the day

Some Common Problem Solving Strategies • Guess (this includes guess and check, guess and improve) • Act It Out (act it out and use manipulatives or equipment) • Draw (this includes drawing pictures and diagrams) • Make a List (this includes making a table) • Think (this includes using skills you know already) Online Support 1. thatquiz.org Online quiz and assessments for boys to practise / learn with various options such as number of questions, level of difficulty and timed or untimed quizzes and assessment. 2. mathisfun.com Mathematics explained in an easy to understand language, plus puzzles, games, quizzes and worksheets. 3. khanacademy.org Khan Academy videos to explain various maths concepts as well as interactive quizzes. Good for boys from Year 5 to 12. 4. desmos.com Desmos is a fantastic online graphing tool. Explore and learn using the interactive facilities of this free site. 5. visnos.com This site allows boys to play, explore and interact using virtual manipulatives to grasp the basic mathematics concepts. 6. amathsdictionaryfor kids.com An online dictionary to define Mathematics vocabulary and, when necessary, it uses animation to illustrate the meaning.

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Mind-mapping Drawing a mind-map involves gathering in all your ideas about a particular concept and organising them into a pattern that shows the relationships between the ideas. Mind-maps let you see the big picture of a topic, as well as the details that make up the picture. Mind-maps • are flexible • are easy to create and clear to read • are visually driven • enable free flow of ideas • show relative importance of concepts • show the relationship between different concepts How to Create a Mind-Map 1. Create your central idea and put it in the centre of the page 2. Identify the key themes, each of which forms a major branch, thinning out for minor

branches 3. Add keywords, with one keyword per branch 4. Colour code your branches (as this links visual and logical) 5. Include images to support what is written

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Summarising How to Summarise

• Generate questions (and solutions to those questions) as you go • Distinguish between facts, opinions, examples, evidence • Use shortcuts: abbreviations, drawings, symbols • Include images: graphs, sketches, pictures • Change font, size, colour, underlining for headings and key content

Types of Summaries Outline Method T- Notes Cornell Method What to do Next With the Summary Notes Memory boxes – start with a topic heading

- take 2-3 minutes to write down as much as you can remember - Use any format you like - Don’t give up too early (struggling to remember actually helps you to remember in the future!)

Make up your own questions – make up questions and their solutions and test yourself.

- Use your “I can…” checklists to provide the content for the questions

Verbal testing – can be done by parents or peers.

-Ensure they ask different levels of difficulty of question • easier questions start with list / name / state • medium questions with explain / describe • harder questions with compare / differentiate / justify

Flashcards – make these up as your new content is covered - good for factual information: structure and function, cause and effect, definitions of new terms - keep them in sets, in labelled envelopes or zip-lock bags - mix the set up so you don’t always start at the same place, or on the same side each time

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How and When to Revise Use Different Revision Methods Different methods help you learn more than others Mix up what you do to revise to maintain focus and enhance learning

When Should You Revise?

Time since material was presented (days)

Amount forgotten (%)

1 62 2 69

75 75 For new material covered during class today • Revise it THAT NIGHT • 2 days later • 1 week later • 1 month later Each time you revise, do something different: use flashcards, create a mind-map, do a memory box, teach someone, get verbally tested etc. Lastly

• Keep a tally of how much revision you are doing (see if your effort is being rewarded) • Ensure at least 9 hours sleep each night (memories are made during sleep and lack of

sleep reduces the ability to form memories and recall information) • Practice makes permanent (not perfect!!) – so make your notes perfect – check with your

teacher whether they contain everything and are correct • Keep hydrated (dehydration reduces the ability to form memories and recall

information) • Eat complex carbohydrates and protein (not sugar and caffeine!) • Keep stress levels low – try the mindfulness apps on your iPad (stress reduces the ability

to form memories and recall information).