Saturday, January 19, 2013

Five Strategies to Help You Take Control of Your Learning and Your Time

Our world is changing so quickly that many of us find we need to be learning all the time. You might wonder how anyone has enough time to keep up with all they need to know.
Understanding how your brain works to retain new information, as well as having a few simple strategies that you can use to support your brain, will help you to eliminate any challenge that learning new information may present.
How your brain learns
Your brain is like a gigantic spider web. Just as a spider builds its web by attaching new strands of silk to existing strands, your brain retains new information by attaching it to information that already exists there.

Strategies to make learning easy
To make sure that any new information you wish to retain is firmly embedded in your brain, practice the following steps.

1. Get in the habit of discussing what you learn every day
Take advantage of the time you spend with others to discuss what you are learning. During your conversations, make connections between what you've learned and some other area of your life. And always ask for input for your conversation partners. The experience of having the conversation and the connections you make to other areas of your life are all going to help you to remember what you need to know.

2. Ask questions about the information you hear
Asking questions is another great way to build connections between new information that you are trying to absorb and knowledge that you already have. When you ask questions, you are building links that will help you to retain your new knowledge.

3. Ask questions about the information you read
Asking questions doesn't only have to happen when you are having a conversation or participating in a class or seminar. You can also ask questions while you are reading.

For example, before you begin reading something that you hope to learn from, make a list of questions that you would like the reading to answer. If you are doing research for a project, get a clear idea of the questions you want the reading to answer before you begin.
As you read, make connections between what you are learning and what you already know. Though these connections might be in the form of a statement, they can also be questions that you would like further research to answer.
And be sure to discuss what you are reading with your friends, colleagues, and family. Their input will strengthen the new neural pathways you are creating as you learn.
4. Keep a notebook with you at all times
Use your notebook to write down any thoughts, insights, or questions that occur to you as you are reading or gathering information. Anything that pops up to your mind is evidence that your brain is trying to build connections between what you already know and what you are learning.

A voice recorder can work just as well, if you find taking the time to write is too cumbersome.
5. Keep a learning journal
Use your journal to reflect on everything you are learning. Write about how what you are learning makes you feel. Write about how the information you are absorbing helps you to better understand yourself, the world in which you live, and your place in that world.

Schedule time to write in your journal every day. You'll be amazed at how recording your thoughts and ideas helps you to retain information and makes that information easier to recall at a later time.
These strategies will not only help you to recall the important information you most wish to retain, but also to make the most of your time.


Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7460026
By Elana Peled, Ed.D

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