Welcome to the 7th bi-annual newsletter for Enhanced Learning Educational Services. ELES specialises in helping schools help students develop effective study skills through study skills websites, resources and sessions. We also offer staff development sessions (based in Sydney region) in conjunction with Human Connections: www.beabetterteacher.com.au. This newsletter is sent at most once a semester.
In this newsletter:
1. Radio National Interview and a call for pens for Cambodia.
2.
Whose responsibility is it to develop students' study skills?
3.
Special offers for readers of this newsletter.
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Recently I was interviewed on Radio National Life Matters program about the library ELES sponsored in Cambodia. To hear the interview click here:
http://www.abc.net.au/rn/lifematters/stories/2009/2752996.htm
To see all the donations etc (300 pens so far, looking to get 700, 1 for each child in the school in Cambodia) click here:
http://www.enhanced-learning.net/eles_contact/donations.html
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In our grandparents' day, schools were very different places from what they are today. Back then, there was a huge emphasis on rote learning and memorization, but the focus now is on authentic and meaningful learning, tasks that are situated in a real-world context, and a collaborative approach to learning. Of course technology has both facilitated this shift and created a whole new set of challenges for both schools and the digital generation learners. Classrooms are now ‘learner-centered’ rather than ‘teacher-centered’, and there is a greater awareness of the need to cater to different learning styles. However this rejection of traditional forms of schooling, while helping to create much more independent thinkers with 21st century skills sets, has left a gap that needs to be addressed.
Schools have become so focused on becoming centres of excellence in new ways of learning and understanding, that they may be neglecting traditional study skills. The reality is that no matter how innovative and cutting edge the curriculum and teaching becomes, at this point in time students still generally have to take exams. They still have to know how to manage their papers, they still have to learn techniques and skills for managing their time and there is still a large amount of rote learning needed – as unfashionable as it might be to admit it. Study skills come under a number of labels: effective learning skills, learning to learn skills, metacognitive skills, self-regulating skills, independent learning skills. Whatever you like to call these skills, they are the generic skills that help students work more effectively at home, manage their assignments and study efficiently for tests and exams.
But whose responsibility is it to develop these skills? Some students seem to just work it out for themselves. But a large majority of students struggle to manage their time and deal with distractions, and many think that studying for a test just means reading through the textbook a few times. The doctoral studies I commenced in 2009 explores the following topic: Exploring how contemporary Australian secondary schools contribute to the development of students’ independent learning and self-regulation skills in the context of the 21st century learning environment. The reason why I chose this topic is that I have to come to the realization that there is a wide range of conflicting views on this topic. Parents believe that when students embark on secondary school, the school will provide any such guidance that may be needed in terms of study skills. And some schools do have amazing programs in place – but these may be in the minority. I was amazed recently when surveying the staff of a secondary school to find that 80% of the teachers in this school believed it was the role of parents to develop students’ study skills. Now this may have been an anomaly, but there is definitely a strong feeling among teachers that parents have a large role to play in this area.
As an ex-teacher, to some extent I can’t blame them, it seems that more and more responsibilities are being placed on the shoulders of time poor teachers – responsibilities that would many years ago have been the sole province of parents – in fact parents would have been angry had teachers involved themselves in some aspects of students’ lives that today that they are involved in. But at the same time I am a pragmatist, I know that realistically many parents do not have the time or the knowledge or skills to develop the study skills that students need. I am not in favour of placing all responsibility on the school, but I do believe that the school definitely has a role to play – we should not just be teaching our content but also the skills of how to learn in particular subjects. Schools need to educate parents as to their role in the process and what individual schools can and cannot provide with respect to study skills development. The problem comes back to the fact that parents believe this issue is being dealt with fully at schools, yet there is no consistency in what is offered across schools or the support provided by individual teachers. It is only through understanding each other’s roles and working together that we can ensure that students are given all opportunities possible to maximize their academic potential at school.
If your school has some good internal programs in place, I'd love to hear about them! I am looking for stories of what schools do to help their students develop these skills as part of my preliminary doctorate work.
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i) Choose any ELES PDF product and receive a 25% discount if you mention this NEWSLETTER SPECIAL OFFER. Offer valid till Jan 15th 2010 and for a maximum of 2 products per school. Click here to view the products: http://www.enhanced-learning.net/eles_studyskillsworksheets/resources.html
ii) Receive a 10% discount for your school's new subscription to www.studyskillshandbook.com.au for 2010. Offer valid until 15th Jan 2010 and available to readers of this newsletter only. You must mention this newsletter to receive the discount.
Don't know about the ELES Online Study Skills Handbook yet?
HAVE A LOOK AND SEE WHAT YOU THINK!
1. Go to www.studyskillshandbook.com.au (or you can access the handbook via the ELES website)
2. Click on the login for ‘on approval’ (NOT the main subscriber’s login link, the ‘login for on approval’ link below the heading 'just looking' )
3. Enter this username: viewhandbook and this password: studysmart
Annual subscription fees are as follows (and are in Australian dollars and include GST for Australian schools) and are based on total secondary school enrolment numbers:
Unlike many subscription sites that charge annual fees of $25-$99 per student, for most schools the study skills handbook works out at less than $1.60 per student per year – less than $1 per student for most schools. Subscriptions are based on a calendar year ie 1st Jan to 31st Dec.
So for around $1 per student, every student, parent and teacher in your school has unlimited access to the site and all the online activities at school and at home for a whole year!
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All the best for Xmas and your holidays!
Cheers
Prue Salter
Enhanced Learning Educational Services
PO Box 9, Neutral Bay, NSW 2089.
P: 0416 293 087 F: 02 9908 1893
info@enhanced-learning.net
www.enhanced-learning.net