Cheryl Golden, M. Ed., NBCT Loudoun County Public Schools NVWP Teacher Consultant NB Candidate Support Provider VMSA Conference November 2, 2012 Building a “Tool Bag” for Success: Studying so the Brain will Remember

Do Now/Warm-Up/Bell Ringer 1.Read the checklists in each section 2.Put a checkmark next to the bullets that describe you best 3.Add up all the checkmarks in each section and write how many in the bottom right corner of each box.

Why me? Why this topic? Who are you?

Goals for our session today.. review what experts have discovered about brain research how the brain works to move information from working/short term memory to long term memory what are researched based strategies for learning and how do students learn best how to implement a school-wide study skills program building a student’s “tool bag” with a variety of effective study strategies tools for parents on how to assist children in effectively studying Think Pair Share

Memory Jam 5 Senses The Brain Short-Term Memory seconds Working Memory A few minutes – 24 hours Tollbooth Long-Term Memory LOSTLOST

The Needs of the Brain for Long-Term Memory 1.Social Interaction 2.Emotions 3.Pattern/Visual 4.Novelty 5.Relevance 6.Repetition 7.Beginnings and Endings 8.Movement/Oxygen 9.Food/Sleep 10.Review Formula Rally-Robin

School Wide Implementation (Select “Kick Off”)  Select study strategies for each month  Form a committee and set goals/philosophies  Determine who will teach the students the strategies  Create a packet of support materials for teachers to use in the classroom  Create a packet of support materials for parents

Instructional Strategies Affecting Student Achievement Identify similarities and differences Summarizing and note taking Reinforcing effort/ providing recognition Homework and practice Nonlinguistic representations Cooperative learning Setting objectives and providing feedback Generating and testing hypotheses Questions, cues and advanced organizers 45% 34% 29% 28% 27% 23% 22% Instructional Strategy Percentile Gain Marzano, Pollack and Pickering in their book Classroom Instruction That Works

Enough Research & Theory – Let’s Apply It! Building a “Tool Bag”

If I Were….. If I were ___________________________, I would be ___________________________. I would also be _______________________. But, I would not be ____________________, because that would be __________________. Similarities and Differences

Summarizing/Note Taking Get the GIST Question & Answer

Researcher Marzano indicates that a student needs to interact at least SIX times with a word, concept or skill for 50% retention/understanding to take place. Repetition

Hexagon A six-sided polygon The six- sided hexagon sign hung on the pole. 4 Card Match

Social/Cooperative Learning Think Pair Share Lit Circles Class Review Games Rally Robin Study Partners

“The more fully we process information over time, the more connections we make, the more consolidation takes place and the better the memory will be.” - Pat Wolfe

If you remember nothing else… Teach in different modalities (especially visual/auditory and kinesthetic) The brain needs social interaction, visuals and repetition Help students determine their learning style and build them a “tool bag” for learning/studying

Resources Classroom Instruction that Works by Robert Marzano Brain Matters by Patricia Wolf Umm.. Studying? What’s That? by Fitzell Memorizing Strategies by LeAnn Nickelsen (Scholastic)