Right? Well, not exactly.
Research on the approaches to teaching and learning in the classroom have shifted significantly. In today’s world of academia, the questions at the center of every activity in my classroom are: What are my students doing to gain knowledge? How are they using the knowledge gained? Are they applying the knowledge in new situations?
Students should ask these same questions with regards to revising for their subjects at home. As a young learner; “What am I ACTIVELY doing to revise the knowledge I gained?” “How I am ACTIVELY using the knowledge previously gained to ensure I understand it?” “Can I take the knowledge gained in my lessons, and ACTIVELY use it in new situations?”
I want to encourage students to move away from passive study habits; such as: re-reading notes taken from a teacher’s in-class presentation, re-reading textbook chapters previously assigned, or reading chapters in the textbook that cover material taught but may have not been assigned to read by the teacher. What tends to happen when learners use passive study habits is they do not retain the information in the long-term. The inability to retain information, long-term, inevitably becomes a concern in a two-year IGCSE course; where learners need to be able to display their knowledge, understanding, and skills from the entire course at the end of Grade 10.
In many cases, students will be focused and ready to study, they
sit down somewhere in their house, take out their notes or textbook;
and with the best of intentions, begin to re-read the necessary
content that will be covered on their upcoming Summative
Assessment.
But then....
… Their mobile phone buzzes with an incoming text message, of
which they must answer…
… Their background music is now playing their favourite song, so they begin singing along…
… They suddenly remember a funny conversation with a friend from earlier in the day…
… Or, like most people when our minds are not stimulated, they start to daydream…
Let’s Get Active!
Ms. LaTosha Parker - Jackson (VIS IGCSE Program Coordinator)
They receive a low mark on a recent Summative Assessment. They are upset and confused. “How did I earn such a low mark? I studied for hours! This just doesn’t make any sense.” And you, yourself, are just as frustrated. You witnessed your child revising her notes from class and spending hours with her nose in the textbook. These frustrations among students and parents are frequent.
Have you experienced this situation before with your young learner?
As IGCSE Program Coordinator for all Grade 9 and 10 learners at VIS, I encourage students to use ACTIVE study techniques; and refrain from reverting to comfortable, but passive, methods. I’m asking the students and parents to break an old practice. We, as human beings, are creatures of habit. What worked for us once before should work for us now. What helped me find success must be the method my children use to find success.
HIGH SCHOOL
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