The Menu: Tools, Techniques and Ideas
• Multi-dimensional Learning
• Study Method
• Concept-Mapping
• Phrase Reading and Exercises
• Mind-Mapping
What Dimensions do you now use to study/learn?
How do you use:
Space?
Time?
Distance?
Depth?
Color?
Feel?
Memory: Or This?
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*Why did that make a difference, too?
Lunch in New York
Date Time Address Phone
Concept-Mapping: Visual, Spatial and Hierarchical dimensions
Theme
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Keys To Reading Well and Deeply
• Context ------> Without Context there is no MEANING. So the corollary: if you are confused, look for more CONTEXT!
• Exposure and Digestion --> Small meals, throughout the day. Snack when you can.
• Articulation ---> Synthesis. Unless YOU say what you know, there is no new neurological pathway to expand!
Start by PRE-READING: Your first exposure to the material
• We’re looking at and gathering information to establish an understanding of the CONTEXT
• We’re CREATING INTEREST
• We’re BUDGETING TIME (if we’re being efficient with our work..)
Next We Actively Read:And Do Our Work in Digestible Chunks
Be clear about what kinds of notes you’re taking:– Structural Notes --> show hierarchy of material
and are crucial for ‘scaffolding’ memory– Conceptual Notes --> force us to ARTICULATE
and synthesize material. Facilitated digestion.– Critical Notes --> links material to everything else
we know
Guidelines for Notes:
• The Way we REPRESENT information on the page is the Way we THINK about it.
• Your notes will be the KEYS to and MAPS of your MEMORY.
Review:Tighten your Grip on your Material --
EVERYTIME!
• Are your Concept-maps clear?• Copy/Neaten Concept Maps • Re-PRE-READ, and survey as a final
exposure • Are your notes complete? Add details
and structural clues if you need• Review Questions, etc
Summary of the Mind-Map Laws:
Use EMPHASIS -->- Use a central image- Use dimension in images- Use synaesthesia (blending of senses)- Vary printing size -- make it VISUAL and SPATIAL
Use Association -->- Use arrows and notations when you want to make
connections within and across branches- Use colors and codes- Develop your own personal style
Phrase Reading:A More Efficient and Effective Way to Read
I left Will in the bedroom and stood on the verandah. The mist had thinned to show a faint, diffused cold light coming from a sky half-obscured by the grey blocks they call buildings in this city. Paul was standing a few paces off looking at me. I would rather have had him a few paces even farther away, though.
Major Reading Difficulties:
• Backtracking --> Going back over material because you missed the point the first time around
• Fixation --> Going over a word or a phrase multiple times -- while the mind is in a loop
2 Exercises to shift the HABIT of ATTENTION when you read:
• Clustering --> An eye exercise that takes about 10 minutes/day. Done with a pen and a light-reading novel.
• Reading Sprints --> A Reading Drill to be done anytime you want a turbo-boost to your reading level
Reading Sprints: Bringing Fluency and Movement to Reading
1. Read for ____ Minutes- Count the # of pages you just read
- Note your comprehension
2. Moving on, Read for 1/2 that time- You MUST READ the SAME # of PAGES- How was your comprehension?
3. Moving on, Read for 1/4 your original time4. Moving on, Read for ____ Minutes again
- How many pages did you read THIS time?- How was your comprehension?