Writing about how I learn and what learning is in my blog posts this year, has given me a lot of new insight about myself. I have learned new ways to think and help myself learn by doing research for these posts.
I think that the most important thing that I have learned about learning is that everyone learns at their own pace. I have always been told this throughout school but I have never understood that it is actually true. I have realized that it is okay if I learn at a slower pace than the person sitting next to me. I have seen that I am not the only one who takes a little longer to grasp things. This is not only comforting, but makes me feel more confident as a student.
OHS is a hard school which means that I am surrounded by other kids who can listen to one lecture and understand everything there is to know about the subject. I have come to realize that OHS is also a large school which means that I am surrounded by others who need more repetition as I do sometimes.
Spending a little more time studying and learning is not a bad thing. It does not mean you are any less smart than everyone else. It just means that you need more practice and anyway, doesn’t practice make perfect? I am so glad to have learned so much about learning this year and I hope I can continue to learn more and more about how I learn.
A few years ago when I was in middle school, I had no concept of what studying was. Almost every class I took was a breeze and I never had to spend hours upon hours studying and doing homework. Once I got to high school, I realized that all had to change.
My freshman year I remember feeling so confused and lost and I had not built up the study skills I needed for high school. It was a stressful year for me because in reality, I did not actually know how to study or how to take proper notes in class.
My first step in becoming a better student was to take detailed notes in so that I could remember all the small things as well as the big ideas. I was not really used to taking notes before high school so this was a big step.
The second thing I learned is to take homework seriously. I learned to not just rush through the problems. Instead, treat it like a study time. Repetition and practice is what makes us remember what we learned which is why homework is so important.
The third step was to work ahead. If there was a project I had to do but it was not due for a few more days, I would work on it before the night before because this creates less stress and decreases the chances of forgetting about the project entirely.
Learning to take these techniques and incorporate them into my daily routine was difficult at first, but now it is just natural and I have found them to help me become much more successful at school.
Skiing is my all time favorite activity to do in the winter. I love to go up north and spend the weekend skiing with friends and family. When I was 3 years old, my parents taught me how to ski. I don't remember much from that time, but I do remember as I got older, it got easier.
Learning how to ski is much more simple than people think. The hardest part is trying to not lose control when going down the hill. The easiest way to prevent this is to make the front ends of the skis touch and make a 'pizza' shape. This was the first skill I learned when I started skiing.
Once a person has control of their skis, they need to gain control of the hill. To do this, they can go back and forth across the ski hill in an 'S' shape. Doing so will slow them down and help them gain control their movements.
Eventually, they can move onto their ski form. No one wants to look like a beginner forever! When they realize that they can control themselves while skiing, they can start to ski with their skis closer and closer together eventually so that they are parallel with each other. Using this form makes a skier look professional and like an expert.
Learning all these techniques can take time but practice makes perfect so never stop trying. It took me a few years but now it is the most enjoyable part of my winter.
I read an article online called "Why Academic Teaching doesn't Help Kids excel in Life." I found it interesting and I enjoyed reading it. The author Shelly Wright makes many valid points that I completely agree with. My favorite point that she makes is that kids who are "academic" or good at school are that way because they have figured out the school system. Figuring out the school system may help you get good grades in school, but in real life it is irrelevant. I personally am not an "academic" person. I cannot sit through lectures and lectures and remember everything. I get bored. I start to think of all the other things I could be doing instead. Wright says in this article that if you are not academic, it is okay. Being academic does not tell you who you are as a person. Just because I am not good as good at school as some others, does not mean that I am not going to exceed in my life. My whole life I have struggled with not being as smart as other people in my class or not getting the best score on a test. This article says that in the big scheme of life, it does not matter. Wright also says that the school system destroys children's curiosity. I agree with this one hundred percent. In school, we as students are expected to be interested in whatever is being taught. If we want to know something that does not have to do with what we are learning about, it is a bad thing. I am curious about many things in the world but I might never find out while I am still in school. Everyday in classes like math and science, I wonder why I even need to learn these things. How do they apply to real life? Every time I ask myself these questions, I always give myself the same answer- no, none of this is going to apply to my life. I hope that someday someone will be able to make a change to our school systems so that we are learning how things apply to our lives and our school is not so focused on being "academic." If you want to read this article, here is the link. I would highly recommend it!
I know it may seem very cliche that I am blogging about how to put an outfit together, but it is a very important part of our lives that not many people think about.
Not everyone loves fashion or loves to go shopping, but everyone should be able to put an outfit together. It is a very simple process and there are only a few guidelines to follow.
1. Do not be afraid of patterns. Patterns are a good thing. Even combining different patterns can be done if it is done the right way.
2. Do not be too 'matchy-matchy'. Most people think that everything in their outfit needs to have the same color scheme but actually, that does not always have to be the case. If someone is wearing a pink shirt with black pants, they should wear yellow shoes and not pink or black shoes. If the outfit is too much of the same color, it usually does not work.
3. Do not over-accessorize. The biggest thing that I cannot stand is when I see someone wearing lots of bracelets with big earrings and stacked necklaces. Just chose one accessory. My personal favorite are statement necklaces. Just one necklace is all that is needed to make an outfit look complete.
Remember, simple is better. Following these 3 simple steps will help anyone create a good outfit. Here is a link below that gives some great examples of what I am talking about. Enjoy! xx http://www.glamour.com/fashion/outfit-ideas
This past summer I began to become very interested in art. I developed a special passion in particular for painting with watercolor. I learned so many new techniques and I learned how to create a painting in a way that keeps the viewer viewing. The first technique I discovered is that when painting with watercolor, there always needs to be 3 layers. The first layer is thin and light. Most of the first layer consists of water and a tiny bit of paint. The second layer is still a lot of water, but with a little more paint than the first layer. Finally, the third layer is mostly paint. This is usually the final layer of paint with the exception of any touch-ups at the end. Another technique I learned is that the painting needs to have a certain "flow" to it. This means that when a person views the painting, their eyes keep moving from one place to another in a circular kind of motion. In order to do this, the painting needs to have a center of focus which is where the viewer views first. The best way to do this is to have extreme color contrast. If you were painting waves for example, you would use an extremely deep blue with a bright white right next to each other for an extremely dramatic effect. The most important part of painting with watercolor is to have the right materials. The paper that is used must be a certain weight and cold or hot pressed depending on the painting. High quality paint brushes are also important. Most people do not know that paint brushes can actually be quite expensive. Mine cost between $30-40. Even though they are pricey, they are definitely worth it. Another thing that people do is use the cheap watercolor pallets that can be bought at meijer for $2 or $3 dollars. Unfortunately, those do not look good when the painting is finished. Windsor Newton watercolor tubes have the most pigment and produce the best paintings. I keep learning new techniques every day that help me get better and better at painting. I love to keep experimenting and creating new things.
In my last post, I talked about the importance of visual learning. I have come up with a few ideas of what school systems could do to help us visual learners.
One idea is that schools should require incorporating some sort of visual aid during every lesson. This would help me remember that one specific picture and it would therefore help me remember the lesson from that day. I think that if it was required for teachers to use something visual, then it would definitely make the visual learner’s learning process easier.
Another idea that I had was that the teachers could do a very quick review of what we learned the day before. Doing this would create a little bit of repetition every day so that the information would stick in my head. It only has to be 5-10 minutes of review but just that few minutes would engrain the information in my brain.
I know that all teachers might not be able to fit in a small review every single day, but they could definitely incorporate a few pictures or short videos into their lesson. I believe that every little thing helps and it does not have to be something long and detailed to help me remember information.
What do you think about these ideas? Do you have any other ideas of ways that would benefit visual learners?
Everyone learns in different ways. Some are visual learners, others can just listen to a lecture and remember everything. I am a visual learner which can sometimes be difficult at school when all you do is listen to lectures all day long. In order to remember things, I need to see a picture, video, or a visual representation. For example, math has always been a difficult subject for me. Math can not really be taught with pictures so I often have a hard time understanding what I am trying to be taught. As Napoleon Hill- a famous American author once said, “Any idea, plan, or purpose may be placed in the mind through repetition of thought.”
I think that the school system should start teaching in ways that benefit visual learners instead of hindering their learning. It would make my life, and many other people’s life much easier as far as in school. The school system is built mainly for students who do not need a visual representation which gives some individuals an advantage in school. Another way that I learn is by lots and lots of repetition. If I read a section from a textbook or a chapter from a book, I need to take notes on what I just read. This way, I can go back and look at my notes and remember the idea of the text.
I think that learning is important and I think that some things need to change in order to meet the learning needs of everyone. In what ways do you think that we could alter the school system to help visual learners?