How to prepare for assessments.
Ask yourself how do I get ready for an assessment?
- Do I practice?
- Do I open my book?
- Do I do questions?
- Do I copy out the text book word for word?
- Do I write out only what I know?
- Do I look at areas I struggle with?
- Where and when do I study?
Student will have one of two reactions:
Fight (give it a go) or flight (avoid or ignore it).
(1) Look at your past tasks, assignments and tests. What were your results? Were you happy with the results? What did you do to get ready?
- Students will often repeat the same patterns of effort that they put into a task –even if it does not work or gets a poor result because they don’t know how to try something else and results in the same outcome. This leads to negative thinking and attitudes we have to change.
- Change your patterns and try something new.
(2) How we learn: we learn in different ways some of us are visual, some are discussion, some write repeatedly, some are able to summaries – we need to combine all these skills.
(3) How to quickly make improvements – write it out once = 45%, twice 55%, third 70%. We need to make stronger links in our memory from immediate to short term to long term.
If you allow yourself a minimum of a week or 5 days this will help. A night before or morning = no chance. Time is the key.
(4) You need a space FREE OF DISTRACTION. Not in front of the tv, or on the computer or in a busy area= distractions you need space to think and focus.
(5) Time an hour a day = break into different times 20mins (min) throughout the day that fits you.
(6) Writing notes copying chunks from a text book, worksheet or overhead is not going to help. We can only hold specific bits on info. Eg 8 numbers in a row (such as a mobile/home number example) or a sentence of 8 to 9 words. We want to start to get key points so we need to summarizes and draft two sets.
Sub headings – (we don’t need words like ‘the’, ‘at’). Use bullet points. Have the correct definitions and spelling of unit terms and concepts (easy marks).
Mind maps are great to show topic ideas or relationships because it uses both sides of your brain – particular visual and you can ‘see’ the links.
(7) Go through your books/text books and look at the areas you have covered or areas you have been told to look at.
(8) Write it out – did you know some people rewrite only what they do know ? why? Because it is what they feel safe with. They are missing the other important information that is going to be tested and not really advancing their chances. Only way to get better is to practice like we would to train.
(9) Go over your past results in tasks – where did you struggle? This is your road map to avoid the same ‘pot holes’. Good areas to focus on.
(10) Practice, practice, practice is the key. The effort you put in will pay off. HAVE SOMEONE TEST YOU by asking questions. Try and write down all you know or can remember about a aspect or all of a subject and compare it to your previous writing.
-Creative writing – Show , don’t tell
The cat sat on the mat.
The fat, black cat sat lazily on the mat.
Don’t go then I did this and then that and this happened. Describe what is going on in the environment, the person’s thoughts, the visual appearance of people.
- Do I practice?
- Do I open my book?
- Do I do questions?
- Do I copy out the text book word for word?
- Do I write out only what I know?
- Do I look at areas I struggle with?
- Where and when do I study?
Student will have one of two reactions:
Fight (give it a go) or flight (avoid or ignore it).
(1) Look at your past tasks, assignments and tests. What were your results? Were you happy with the results? What did you do to get ready?
- Students will often repeat the same patterns of effort that they put into a task –even if it does not work or gets a poor result because they don’t know how to try something else and results in the same outcome. This leads to negative thinking and attitudes we have to change.
- Change your patterns and try something new.
(2) How we learn: we learn in different ways some of us are visual, some are discussion, some write repeatedly, some are able to summaries – we need to combine all these skills.
(3) How to quickly make improvements – write it out once = 45%, twice 55%, third 70%. We need to make stronger links in our memory from immediate to short term to long term.
If you allow yourself a minimum of a week or 5 days this will help. A night before or morning = no chance. Time is the key.
(4) You need a space FREE OF DISTRACTION. Not in front of the tv, or on the computer or in a busy area= distractions you need space to think and focus.
(5) Time an hour a day = break into different times 20mins (min) throughout the day that fits you.
(6) Writing notes copying chunks from a text book, worksheet or overhead is not going to help. We can only hold specific bits on info. Eg 8 numbers in a row (such as a mobile/home number example) or a sentence of 8 to 9 words. We want to start to get key points so we need to summarizes and draft two sets.
Sub headings – (we don’t need words like ‘the’, ‘at’). Use bullet points. Have the correct definitions and spelling of unit terms and concepts (easy marks).
Mind maps are great to show topic ideas or relationships because it uses both sides of your brain – particular visual and you can ‘see’ the links.
(7) Go through your books/text books and look at the areas you have covered or areas you have been told to look at.
(8) Write it out – did you know some people rewrite only what they do know ? why? Because it is what they feel safe with. They are missing the other important information that is going to be tested and not really advancing their chances. Only way to get better is to practice like we would to train.
(9) Go over your past results in tasks – where did you struggle? This is your road map to avoid the same ‘pot holes’. Good areas to focus on.
(10) Practice, practice, practice is the key. The effort you put in will pay off. HAVE SOMEONE TEST YOU by asking questions. Try and write down all you know or can remember about a aspect or all of a subject and compare it to your previous writing.
-Creative writing – Show , don’t tell
The cat sat on the mat.
The fat, black cat sat lazily on the mat.
Don’t go then I did this and then that and this happened. Describe what is going on in the environment, the person’s thoughts, the visual appearance of people.