Name ____________________________________________________ PD _____ EVEN/ODD

Module 4

The 6 Master Keys to Learn Like a Genius

1. Learning style advantage – find out your learning style to help you with your academic success. We learn from seeing, hearing or experiencing, but each person uses one of these more than the others.

2. Expert problem-solving – you solve problems every day. Using the methods in the book will help you become a superb problem – solver.

3. Effective research strategies – Good research skills lead to better projects and better grades. Learning effective research strategies to help you find, organize, and use information will help you create a great research paper. You will learn to organize your research, make good arguments, and use evidence to support your arguments.

4. Reading for knowledge – Effective reading helps you understand concepts, remember information and become smarter. Reading is an important part of your mental development. Improving your reading will have a positive impact on your academic success. You cannot master good writing without good reading. Students that love to read are more creative and get better grades. You will develop better vocabulary, increase comprehension, and broaden your knowledge base with reading skills.

5. Writing with impact – writing helps you convey your thoughts, ideas, and facts. Writing skills are critical to both your academic and professional success. Students with good writing abilities are able to communicate appropriate information and get great grades.

6. Presenting with power – presentation skills are becoming increasingly important. These skills should be developed early in life. Studies show that students who make good presentations at school become more assertive, confident, and are higher achievers.

Chapter 15 – Learning Style Advantage

Vocabulary

1. learning style – the preferred way that a person learns

2. auditory – related to the sense of hearing

3. kinesthetic – physical learning style, learn by doing

4. predominately – mainly, mostly

Notes

1. Learn your learning style

A. Your learning style is the way that you learn best with the least amount of effort.

B. Learning style isn’t an indication of your intelligence, but it does explain why some things are easier for you than others.

C. Knowing your learning style and adapting to it can help in many ways:

1. You can start using study strategies best suited to your learning style and get better results quickly.

2. You will learn your strengths and do more of what you are good at.

3. You will identify your weak areas and strengthen them.

4. You can develop skills that will help you learn in a variety of ways.

5. Different learning environments are better for different learning styles. Now you will be able to use the right learning style for each situation

D. Once you know your learning style, you can change your study habits to match the way you learn. You can also force yourself to break out of your comfort zone and start learning in new ways when you need to.

2. Learning Styles

A. Visual learner – visual learners learn best through seeing things

1. Characteristics – Good at spelling, but forgets names, takes detailed notes, and needs quiet study time, focuses on visuals including body language, and facial expressions, learns through graphs, charts, pictures; sits in the front of the class; follows written directions and recipes

2. Learns best using – maps and diagrams, outlines and notes, lists and flashcards, videos, highlighters and sticky notes, notes with circled, underlined and color-coded words

3. Does best in written exams using diagrams, maps, essays. Don’t do well in “listen and respond” tests and oral exams

B. Auditory learner – auditory learners learn best through hearing things

1. Characteristics – reads slowly and remembers names, reads out loud to understand, not afraid to speak in class and is good at explaining, likes oral reports and discussions, enjoys music and acting, is good at grammar and foreign language, can follow spoken directions

2. Learns best using – word association to remember facts, audio books, reading out load with eyes closed, group discussion and study groups, recording notes on an audiotape

3. Does best in oral exams and writing about what they have heard. They do not do well in timed tests where they have to read passages and answer questions

C. Kinesthetic learner – kinesthetic learners learn best through experiencing and doing things

1. Characteristics – enjoys science labs, can’t sit still for long and is fidgety during classes, is not great at spelling or handwriting, studies with music and takes frequent breaks, lows adventure books and movies, is good at sports

2. Learns best using – lab classes, field trips and memory games, role-playing and discussion groups, studying with others, short study sessions with breaks, building models to figure out underlying principles

3. Does best during short tests, multiple-choice tests and fill in the blank. Don’t do well in long timed tests and essay exams

3. Change your study habits to get more done

A. Change your study habits to best match your learning style. Sometimes use learning strategies associated with the other learning styles to round out your learning skills.

B. Visual learner

1. Create keyword landmarks – watch for keywords in class lessons and organize your notes using keywords

2. Location, location, location – sit towards the front of the class and stay away from distractions

3. Notes that matter – take notes based on what you hear, highlight and color-code

4. Picture worth a thousand words – outline key topics, use charts, draw mental pictures, use visual cues like symbols, colors

5. Work your pre-word – complete pre-reading before attending classes to get the most out of them

C. Auditory learner

1. Tune in to win – listen to all info and instructions given orally during class, after class repeat the info out loud to yourself

2. Location, location, location – sit towards the front of the class where you can hear well, sit away from noise, work in quiet areas, study with music without lyrics, study with a partner and take turns reading to each other, have discussions

3. Notes that matter – take notes based on what you hear and repeat them to yourself as quietly as possible – sub-vocalization

4. Rhymes that rock – use rhymes and jingles to help you remember information, discuss diagrams out loud, create verbal descriptions of all visual information, tape yourself summarizing key points

5. Work your pre-work – read instructions and questions out loud to yourself to better understand them, use sub-vocalization during classes tests and exams

D. Kinesthetic learner

1. Questions everything – ask questions and participate in every discussion to stay engaged

2. Bite-size your efforts – use class breaks to stand up and stretch, break reading and writing tasks into small chunks, stop after each sub-task and take a short walk to reinforce what you just learned, take regular, short breaks when studying to stay energized

3. Notes that matter – take notes using a laptop whenever possible

4. Make it a tangible experience – use small objects like a stress ball while listening and taking notes, do something physical like stretching before sitting down to study, use fingers while reading and point at the words, personalize the information you are learning and think about how the concepts apply to you, use information you learned outside of class, move a body part to help you concentrate, use your hands when studying and explaining concepts to yourself.

5. Work your pre-work – use practice questions in the textbook to help rehearse information, if none is available, make them up; write process steps on cards and mix them up, practice by arranging them into the correct sequence

4. The left right mental march

A. The brain can be divided down the middle into the left and right brain. The left brain controls the right side of the body and the right brain controls the left side of the body

B. People who rely on their right brain are more imaginative and have artistic abilities like singing, painting, and poetry. Left brain people are more logical, analytical and are good at math and science.

C. To meet your potential, you need to use both sides of your brain. To become more “whole brained” you need to use both sides, or “exercise” your brain, just like your body – take classes that predominately use your non-dominate brain, and brain shift exercises

D. Using both sides will help you deal better with people and improve your grades

“Man’s mind, once stretched by a new idea, never regains its original dimensions.” – Oliver Wendell Holmes

“The greatest waste in the world is the difference between what we are and what we could become.” – Ben Herbster

Chapter 16 – Expert Problem-solving

Vocabulary

1. assumptions – accept as true without proof

2. critical thinking – actively thinking about information

3. contradiction – position opposite to another

4. affirmation – encouragement

5. judgmental – quick to criticize

Notes

1. Problem Definition Strategies

A. Know Thy Problem – the first and most important step of genius problem-solving is understanding the problem. Devote and dedicate as much time to defining the problem as needed. Don’t be too eager to jump to solutions and ignore this important step in the process.

B. The strategies below will help you define the problem and master this first step of problem solving

1. Test your assumptions – Every problem comes with its own list of assumptions, which many are wrong. Write them down and test them.

2. Zoom out – every problem is a smaller piece of a bigger problem. Generalize the problem to inspect it from a big-picture perspective

3. Zoom in – every problem is made of many smaller problems. Be specific to make the problem less daunting

4. Inside out, upside down – looking at problems from an opposite direction sometimes show answers

5. Multiply your perspectives – look at a problem from different points of view. Notice the differences and similarities

6. Reword to get rewarded – words are powerful. Reward the problem statement and try substituting different words using your vocabulary or thesaurus

7. Use your vocabulary – some phrases are more effective in stating a problem.

a. pregnant with possibilities – Instead of “How can I…” use “In what ways will I…”

b. positive power – negative sentences can slow you down, positive statements will motivate you towards the solution quickly

c. frame a question – Questions improve your thinking power. Your brain will start working on the problem as soon as it is exposed to a question

8. Enticing with excitement – come up with a problem statement that excites you to put your best foot forward

9. Fact-finding – brainstorm the causes, the circumstances, the origins and the consequences of the problem

2. Top 10 solution – seeking strategies

A. After defining the problem, you are ready to move to the next step of the problem-solving process, finding a solution. Great minds produce many great works. However, they are not afraid to fail in order to pursue excellence

B. Solving for solutions – top 10

1. Plenty of ideas – Always look for lots of ideas.

a. Have an idea Quota – come up with a certain amount of ideas

b. 100 ideas – This technique requires you to come up with a list of 100 potential answers. The exaggeration is actually what makes this technique super powerful

2. Don’t get in your own way – don’t judge your ideas too quickly. Just brainstorm and write down your ideas as they come to you.

3. Imagine your thoughts – Great minds can picture what they want in the future. With time, their picture gets clearer and sharper until it becomes a reality. Visualize your solution and your future.

4. New Combinations – Combine and recombine ideas, images, thoughts and concepts into novel combinations.

5. Connect the dots – make connections between odd subjects.

6. Accept contradictions – think in opposites.

7. Symbolize – think in symbols and you will be able to connect things that don’t seem to be connected.

8. Lessons hidden in failure – if your expectations are not met, don’t think of it as a failure. Unexpected results are useful. Use these creative accidents wisely. Analyze the situation to determine what you would do differently to change the results. Take “failure” out of your vocabulary. Ask “what did I learn,” not “why did I fail?”

9. Genius is a risky business – geniuses are not afraid to take risks. They know it is often the only way to make new discoveries and explore new opportunities. You should not take extreme risks, but use facts and intuition to analyze the risk before going further

10. Enjoy the experience – have fun by using your imagination

3. Critical Thinking Counts

A. Critical thinking is necessary for true creativity. To think creatively you need to observe, question, analyze and open up to new ideas

B. Critical thinking means analyzing creative thoughts and statements. Creativity and critical thinking go hand in hand. Creativity generates new ideas and thoughts.

C. 11 ways to boost your critical thinking ability:

1. Question Convention – Question everything. Curiosity and learning are linked. Never lose your curiosity. Remember you cannot grow, learn, create and innovate without asking questions

2. Be crushed or shine – be persistent and do not give up, especially when there are obstacles. Keep your eye on the prize and be persistent.

3. Open your mind – Each experience can offer you a piece to the puzzle of life. For critical thinkers, learning is a lifelong commitment.

4. Avoid generalized statements – over-generalization usually makes an argument wrong from the start

5. Attend to the details – pay attention to words like “may,” “can,” “will,” “should,” etc. There’s a big difference between “will” and “might.” Use the right words to draw conclusions.

6. Get past the obvious – What you see is not what you get. Evaluate everything deeply and never accept anything at face value.

7. Be wary of smoke and mirrors – watch out for inaccurate information. Don’t let flawed assumptions or unsupported data influence your conclusions.

8. Put away prejudices – your emotions jeopardize critical thinking. They keep you from having an open mind.

9. Accept other’s arguments – there are times when you will need to accept other’s arguments over your own. Be prepared to be wrong at times and recognize the validity of someone else’s arguments

10. Action reaction – it is important to understand the causes and effects of decisions, action and concepts. Think about how one action affects another.

11. Climb out of your comfort zone – be willing to learn and stretch past your comfort zone.

“Problems are to the mind what exercise is to the muscles, they toughen and make strong.” – Norman Vincent Peale

“Millions saw the apple fall, but Newton was the one who asked why.” – Bernard Baruch

“People rarely succeed unless they have fun in what they are doing.” – Dale Carnegie

“The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing.” – Albert Einstein

“The opposite of a correct statement is a false statement. But the opposite of a profound truth may well be another profound truth.” – Niels Bohr

“No problem can be solved from the same level of consciousness that created it.” – Albert Einstein

“You don’t understand anything until you learn it more than one way.” – Marvin Minsky

“We are continually faced with a series of great opportunities brilliantly disguised as insoluble problems.” – John W. Gardner

“A problem is a chance for you to do your best.”

Chapter 17 – Effective Research Strategies

Vocabulary

1. context – the setting in which something takes place

2. analyze – separate or break information apart

3. evaluate – make a judgment, determine value

4. synthesize – combine ideas, beyond summarization

Notes

1. Information Navigation System

A. Being able to categorize and organize information is important. Information sources can be divided into the following 6 categories based on content and format:

1. Primary vs. secondary – primary sources provide “direct from the source” information. Secondary sources are analyses of the primary sources

2. Fiction vs. non-fiction – texts originate from the world of imagination (fiction) or from the real world (non-fiction)

3. Books vs. Periodicals – a book stands on its own rather than being a part of a series

4. Scholarly vs. non-scholarly – Journals are always scholarly, but magazines are usually not. Scholarly work always has references. Also, use the author’s credentials.

5. Reference vs. general – reference information provides facts or a general overview on a topic – encyclopedias, dictionaries and thesauruses, manuals

6. Internet vs. published – most of the sources of information are available both online and in print – use information that provides references with clear sources

B. A few guidelines for navigating the information world:

1. For a single page summary or background information, use an encyclopedia.

2. For an overall analysis of a topic, look for multiple books.

3. For detailed analysis of a particular part of your topic, look at articles in publications.

4. For accounts of events, use contemporary newspaper articles.

5. For popular or cultural topics, use magazines and websites.

2. 7 Steps to remarkable research results

A. TOR GASP research process

1. Select a topic

a. make the topic a question – research requires a question for which an answer is not readily available. A question will provide you with direction on how to approach the topic

b. identify all the main concepts and key words in the topic

c. test the topic for breadth and depth – use keywords in your topic question to search for information. If you find more information than you can process, narrow the topic down. If you find too little information, then broaden or deepen your topic. Time, place and important keywords will help you to narrow or broaden your research topics

2. Create the outline and context – this step is often overlooked, but it’s important because it creates a skeletal framework that is fleshed out as you continue your research

a. understand your research – what is the purpose?

b. know the assignment – double-check your understanding of the assignment

c. get background information – look up topic keywords in subject encyclopedias. Browse your class notes, textbooks, and the web for additional background material

d. move from general to specific – it is most effective to start with a general perspective and then narrow it further.

e. use the bibliography shortcut – bibliographies at the end of relevant encyclopedias, periodicals and journals are excellent starting points for further research

3. Decide what information is needed – this step helps you determine the information sources you will need to answer your research question

a. use the digital library catalog

b. meet with the reference librarian

c. use all kinds of print material

d. find resources online – Don’t trust everything you find on the internet. Rely on reputable organizations and knowledge databases

4. Gather and organize data

a. KWL (know-want-learn) method – Organize research based on what you already know, what you want to know and what you have learned. Use your own words when recording the information in the KWL sheet

b. FSK (fact-source-keyword) method – use this method to organize facts, supporting data, sources and keywords

c. citations – give credit where it is due and cite all your sources on the last page of your research presentation

d. review and repeat – determine if you have enough information to complete your research based on the KWL and FSK lists you created

5. Analyze and evaluate – use the information you organized to combine information into sections. If you do find missing information, you may need to do more research to fill the gaps

a. 6W1H method – Ask why, what, when, who, where, which and how questions on your topic. Put facts with each question to further organize the info

b. clustering and mapping – use this technique to group notes into topic themes and categories. Use facts that relate strongly to your research question and get rid of facts you don’t need.

6. Synthesize – continue your final review before writing your paper

a. final review before writing – check and make sure that your info is relevant and complete

b. outline of your first draft – separate and organize various sections of your research paper based on the clustering and mapping method

c. make your information flow – structure your facts in an order of increase or decreasing importance

d. connect the sections – be sure that every section of the research is related to the previous section and leads into the next section

e. write the first draft – begin to write your paper based on the outline you created

f. finalize your presentation – edit your product and ask others to read it and give feedback

7. Present

a. present with confidence

b. use citations properly and refer to all your sources

Chapter 18 – Reading for Results

Vocabulary

Extensive: covering a large area

Catalyst: causing something to happen

Skimming: go over quickly

Notes

1. A Catalyst for All Learning

A. Reading is a key to academic success. Students with poor reading skills can face learning challenges. Books help you connect deeply with the world of knowledge, insight, and wisdom.

B. Academic success and grades heavily depend on reading skills

1. Leaders are readers

2. Great expectations – CEO reads more and earns more

3. Neglected opportunities – Books open doors and are an important source of knowledge and skills

4. Think success to succeed – success starts in our thoughts. You must first change your thinking to succeed. Reading is one of the simplest and most effective ways of developing skills and changing thought patterns

5. Idea connoisseur – books expand your horizons and your thinking capacity. The more you read, the more your brain will absorb and use the material to create new and creative concepts.

6. Deep engagement – contrary to what most think, reading is more engaging than any digital distractions. It expands your imagination and provides you with opportunities to be exposed to ideas that you would not normally encounter.

7. Knowledge booster – Reading makes you smarter and more knowledgeable. Books force you to use more of your brain, which forces you to think and hence makes you smarter.

8. Creativity charger – reading allows you to see similarities in seemingly different things. It helps you think outside the box. Avid readers are always open to new ideas. Their minds are always open and welcome all possibilities.

9. Winning vocabulary – reading a wide variety of materials and being exposed to various authors and literary styles increases vocabulary.

10. Mind yoga – reading is one of the most effective ways of exercising your mind. Your brain is a muscle and must be exercised regularly to keep it engaged and functioning. Stretching your mind through reading makes it sharper, smarter, and more flexible.

11. Brain health – Good readers can retain more of their mental skills under stress.

12. Relaxing escape – research has confirmed that reading is one of the most effective forms of relaxation. It can reduce stress by a whopping 68%. Reading for just 6 minutes a day can reduce your stress level by 2/3.

13. Focus, concentration and memory enhancer – reading requires brainpower. You have to focus and concentrate to get the most out of a book. With each additional book you read, your focus and concentration will improve. Reading also requires remembering details, plots lines, themes and characters and it enhances your memory.

2. Rich Reading Readiness Skills

A. Break bad habits – The reading habits you acquired in elementary schools are no longer useful. You now need to learn to speed-read by breaking the poor habits you developed. These techniques will teach you to become a more efficient reader, not just a fast reader. Replaced these old habits with the following recommendations:

1. Stop reading word by word – We were all taught to concentrate on separate words while reading. This lowers reading comprehension and doesn’t allow you to pay attention to the overall idea that is being communicated. It’s also not efficient.

*Instead: Start reading in blocks – reading blocks of words at a time while comprehending the meaning of that word group. The human brain understands ideas better when it digests a group of words at a time. The more words you can pack in a word block and read at once, the faster you will read.

a. Expand the number of words in your word blocks gradually through practice

b. hold the text further from your eyes to increase the number of words in a word block

2. Stop sub-vocalization – pronouncing each word in your head as you read is called sub-vocalization and it takes much more time than is necessary. The brain can comprehend a word much quicker than you can say it or sound it.

*Instead: Start reading quietly – turn off the voice in your head. Practice reading quietly. You will have to practice a lot to unlearn sub-vocalization.

a. quiet reading significantly increases your reading speed. Sub-vocalization only allows you to red at 250-300 words per minute.

b. train your mind to scan the words without thinking about their pronunciation

3. Stop inefficient eye motion – many people tend to focus on each word and work their way across each line. This is inefficient since the eye can span about 1.5 inches at a time, which usually equals four to five words.

*Instead: start expanding and softening your gaze – relax your face and expand your gaze. This will allow you to begin to see blocks of words instead of each word as a distinct unit.

a. expand and soften your gaze when you read

b. let your eyes drift across the page when you can

c. look at the last set of words in a line out of the corner or your eye so you can quickly scan the next line

4. Stop going back – Don’t go back and re-read. Sometimes people kip back a few words, but many times they jump back a few sentences to review their understanding, but it actually decreases their overall comprehension

*Instead: Start moving forward – stop yourself from re-reading text you have already read

a. use a pointer to read – finger, pencil, pen, etc.

b. follow the tip of the pointer with your eyes to smooth the flow of your reading

c. the speed of the moving pointer dictates your reading speed

5. Stop the distractions – multitasking is bad for concentration.

*Instead: start focusing without multitasking – focus on reading and turn off distractions

6. Stop reading linearly – we were taught to read across and down, word by word. Most people read this way and waste time reading things they don’t need to read

*Instead: start scanning, skimming and skipping – scan the page for headings, bolded items, italics, bullets and numbered items.

a. scan for specific focus – same technique you would use to scan for a name in the phone book

b. scanning key components – scan intro, first and last paragraph and concluding chapter

c. skim for important points – this technique allows you to get the gist of the material with speed. Good for reading newspapers or a magazine.

d. skim for review – skim quickly and efficiently to review what you’ve already read

e. skip redundant text – skip over extra material and unimportant information

B. Speed-reading strategy – practice the techniques mentioned above to break your old reading habits and master speed reading

1. Practice, practice, practice some more to replace your old habits

2. Start your journey with an easy book as opposed to a challenging textbook

3. Choose appropriate reading strategies before you read

4. Use a pointer to force your brain and eyes to keep the same pace

5. Measure your current reading speed.

C. Intensive Reading – intensive reading is used when you need to extract specific information from a text. It includes paying close attention and reading accurately while looking out for details. During intensive reading it is very important to understand the text while reading

D. SQR3 Intensive reading strategy – to thoroughly master a subject or topic you should follow the SQR3 reading strategy.

1. Survey – gather the information you need to focus on and set your reading goals

a. the title usually contains a lot of valuable information for you

b. read the introduction, preface and summary to extract the key points

c. notice any maps, diagrams, charts, or pictures to understand what the focus is

d. notice the reading aids: italics, bold face, questions and summaries. The first sentence of a paragraph indicates what is coming next.

2. Question – asking questions helps your mind engage and concentrate. Your mind is engaged in learning when it actively seeks answer to questions

a. turn heads and bolded items into questions

3. Read – read the first section with questions in mind and look for answers. Make up new questions as you go along.

4. Recall – after each section, stop and think about your questions. See if you can answer them from memory. If not, review and recall again.

5. Review – after finishing a chapter, go back over the questions and answer them. If you couldn’t answer a particular question, review it to refresh your memory and try again

E. Extensive reading – extensive reading is used to get a general understanding of an important subject. Reading course material requires you to engage with the text.

1. Always take notes to maintain your concentration and understanding

2. Underline and highlight to reinforce important text. This technique flags content for your brain so you can pay extra attention to it

3. Note key words and concepts to record important points. Add these keywords to your class notes so you can refer to them when studying for a test.

4. Before you start reading, prepare and note some general questions you want the material to answer. Write down questions as your read as well.

5. Write a summary after reading. Record the important concepts in your own words. Then check your summary to make sure it’s’ accurate. Make additions if necessary.

“The real purpose of books is to trap the mind into doing its own thinking.” – Christopher Morley

“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.” – Dr. Seuss

“Today a reader, tomorrow a leader” – Margaret Fuller

“The man who doesn’t read good books has no advantage over the man who can’t read.” – Mark Twain

“No matter how busy you may think you are, you must find time for reading, or surrender yourself to self-chosen ignorance.” – Confucius

“Life-transforming ideas have always come to me through books.” – Bell Hooks

“Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body.” – Richard Steele

“The reading of all good books is like conversation with the finest men of the past.” – Descartes

Chapter 19 – Writing with Impact

Vocabulary

Revising: reconsider and alter

Paraphrase: expressing meaning in different words

Redundancy: using over and over

Notes

1. Banish Writer’s Block

A. Academic writing – Writing in school

B. 4 Principles to write academic papers

1. The topic should be appropriate for school.

2. The topic should be academically interesting.

3. Your writing should contain more than your personal response. It should help someone understand the topic better

4. You should present the reader with an argument. This comes from a combination of your knowledge and your opinion.

C. Writers Web – Use this tool to help put your thoughts onto paper. Build on your topic by using the writer’s web template. Gather major facts, add small supporting details followed by the final finishing touches

1. Ask “what” questions about the topic – 5 most important facts on your subject

2. Ask “when” questions about the topic – research all important and relevant dates and events.

3. Ask “where” questions about the topic – not important geographical and topographical characteristics

4. Ask “which” questions about the topic – understand the kinds of features that distinguish your topic

5. Ask “who” questions about the topic – record all the people and characters associated with the topic. Target the 5 most important personalities that contributed to your topic.

6. Ask “why/how” questions about the topic – understand the importance and relevance of your topic to contemporary life. How does it influence your life? What can you learn? Record facts, but also establish your own opinions.

2. The writing system that words wonders

A. The writing process consists of 6 phases that will help you improve your writing.

1. Plan – create a writer’s web (pg. 243)

2. Outline – gather facts and opinions form step 1 and write them down in your own words. Paraphrase, write facts in order of increasing importance, include your own analysis and argument, write sentences and paragraphs quickly, read what you have written to check that it represents what you think

3. Revise – refine your draft to make it better, make sure sections are in the right order, clarify sentences and overused/unclear words, use facts to back up arguments, watch personal pronouns “I” or “my.” Avoid pronouns like “he and “him.” Read it allowed and review what you have written

4. Edit – proofread to make sure it is complete and accurate, fix spelling, capitalization, punctuation, and grammar. Cite sources and references accurately.

5. Analyze – Analyze to check if it makes sense and determine how well your sections relate to each other and the topic. Decide if your argument is well-supported and relates to opening and concluding paragraphs. Evaluate from the perspective of your teacher and make sure you’ve followed instructions.

6. Present – Share finished product, never wait until the last minute to finish your writing assignments. Set aside your final draft for a day and come back to it with fresh eyes. Check that the format is correct and that it looks professional.

“The skill of writing is to create a context in which other people can think.” – Edwin Schlossberg

“One of the most difficult things is the first paragraph… Once I get it, the rest just comes out very easily.” – Gabriel Garcia Marquez

“Writing is an exploration. You start from nothing and learn as you go.” – E.L. Doctorow

“If I waited for perfection, I would never write a word.” – Margaret Atwood

“The pages are still blank, but there is a miraculous feeling of the words being there, written in invisible ink and clamoring to become visible. “ – Vladimir Nabakov

Chapter 20 – Presenting with Power

Vocabulary

Techniques: a way to carry out a particular task

Illustrations: a picture

Notes

1. Public Speaking and Presenting

A. Public speaking is very important for anyone who has any ambition in life. The ability to communicate your thoughts takes on added importance when you’re a student.

B. Your academic career depends on how well you can communicate what you know. You can have the most brilliant ideas, but if you can’t communicate them effectively, they will not be heard and you will not get the credit.

C. Communication skills are not just valuable for leading crowds and addressing audiences. They are equally important for representing yourself to your peers and your teachers.

D. Good communication skills make you a more confident person and improve your self-esteem. If you want to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment, you must communicate and represent yourself well.

2. Fight the fear of public speaking

A. Effective tips to help you master the fear of public speaking

1. Outward focus – Think of your audience and how the speech could help people or change their life. Think about the audience instead of yourself to see the purpose and meaning of your talk.

2. Cheering Squad – The audience wants you to succeed.

3. Befriend the audience – talk with the audience ahead of time. Friendly faces in the audience will help you get comfortable.

4. Use nervous energy – Channel your nervous energy to make your performance better. Change the word “nervous” to “dynamic energy.” Keep it positive and think of it as a strength that is there to help you do your best.

5. Practice, Practice – the more you practice the more confident you will feel. Know your material very well. Rehearse with any equipment you might use. Practice with a timer and practice with a friend, but don’t over practice.

6. Visualize success – see yourself delivering your speech without any fear. Imagine yourself doing well and being successful

7. Expect some mistakes – Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. Even the most experienced professionals make mistakes.

a. acknowledge the mistake without emotion and correct it

b. remain calm and move forward

c. don’t dwell on the error

d. drop the mistake and move forward like the pros

e. some audiences will admire you for recovering gracefully and the other half won’t even know you messed up.

8. Message matters – focus on your message, without focusing on the tools you are using.

9. Ignore nervous symptoms – most of the time the audience can’t tell that you care nervous. Don't talk about them or apologize for them.

10. Make magic without memory – never memorize your material word for word – this just lead to anxiety. Just memorize the main ideas.

11. Be an expert – speak about the topics you are qualified to speak about. Think of yourself as the most qualified person on that subject. This attitude will allow you to deliver your topic to the audience with ease and excitement

12. Don’t look back – most good speakers have had a traumatic experience in the past, but they don’t let that experience spill into their future speeches. They work on their presentation skills to master them.

13. Appearance matters – look your best. When you look good, you feel confident.

14. Expert entry – the most fearful moment is the minute before starting. Take a deep breath and visualize success to reduce anxiety and build confidence. Walk in confidently and use that “dynamic energy.”

B. 7 Habits of powerful public speakers

1. Design your speech – list and prioritize the top 3 goals of what you want to accomplish with your speech and what you want the audience to get out of it.

a. Create a theme based around the one big idea of your talk.

b. decide on a tone for your presentation

c. 1 slide per idea

d. use pictures and minimize the words on the power point making sure the text is large enough for the audience to see clearly

e. provide hand outs

2. Create an outline – make sure you have enough time to talk about everything that you want to include

a. create an opening statement that takes about 5-10% of your presentation time and should include the goals of the presentation

b. the main body of the talk should last for about 70-80% of the presentation time. Include all the supporting thoughts and ideas that you want to share.

c. Closing statement should take 5-10% of the presentation and should summarize the key points

d. don’t call the closing a summary. Use important phrases that will stay with your audience

e. allow 10% of your presentation time for questions and answers

3. Deliver dramatically – your delivery is the most important success factor of your presentation. Research has proven that 93% of your presentations effectiveness is due to body language, voice and communication style. Only 7% is due to content.

a. make eye contact while speaking and look at different people

b. don’t look at our material continuously – look up every 5-10 seconds

c. speak a little louder and a little slower than your normal conversational pace – think news anchor

d. vary your volume and speed throughout – start each section with a pause and change your tone to emphasize points

e. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Every audience is easily distracted. By repeating yourself, you make sure your message is hear

f. use gestures and facial expressions – interact with the audience through body language – remember to smile!

g. stand with good posture and walk around on stage – move from side to side throughout the speech

4. Make first impressions count – connect with your audience in the first 5 minutes of your delivery. The first few minutes are some of the most important!

a. engage the audience and ask questions. Get the audience engaged and involved to get them vested in the presentation

b. start the presentation without using your slides – audiences respond better this way

c. use humor, but don’t be a comedian

5. Strengthen through stories – stories glue and solidify personal connections. Telling stories makes your presentation stronger

a. stories should be short and fit within the context of your presentation and should make a point that can be grasped quickly

b. stories should paint a vivid picture, and flow naturally

c. don’t tell too many stories – message could get lost

6. Belief and enthusiasm – put a little excitement into your talk and watch your audience come alive

a. never speak on a topic that you are not enthusiastic about or don’t believe in (unless it’s required homework)

b. make your audience see and believe in your enthusiasm – it will become contagious

c. animate your delivery – movement, gestures and voice changes are all means to display your excitement

d. speak with feelings and use your facial expressions to convey your excitement

7. Beyond bullets and words – a picture is worth a thousand words. Create mental images in the minds of your listeners so your message stays with them

a. make sure your illustrations are effective. Consider the audience and determine what kind of illustration would be most appealing to them.

b. use picture, graphs, diagrams, metaphor, analogies, similes, and parables as needed

c. keep them short and easy to understand

d. Illustrations work well at the beginning of the presentation. They can engage and attract special attention to the whole discussion. They also help by setting the stage.

Quotes

“Top presenters have control of their fears. They make fear their slave, not their master.” – Doug Malouf

“A person is only as effective as his communication.” – Anonymous

“Public speaking is not an inherent talent, it is an acquired skill.” – R. Hummel

“Audiences won’t always remember what you said, but they will always remember how you made them feel.” – Anonymous

“There are always three speeches, for every one you actually gave. The one you practiced, the one you gave, and the one you wish you gave.” – Dale Carnegie

“By failing to prepare, you are by default, preparing for failure!” – R. Hummel

“The audience only pays attention as long as you know where you are going.” – Philip Crosby