Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Blog #11 - due by MIDNIGHT 11/24/08!

“Seek first to understand, then to be understood.” –Stephen Covey

1) Reflect upon what you read in Chapter 11 of Thriving in College. What does this quote mean to you or how can you apply it to your life?

2) (Refer to page 380 of the text):
Are you a “Crisis Tickler,” “Withholder,” “Irritator,” “Blamer,” or “Gunnysacker?” Explain.

HAVE A WONDERFUL THANKSGIVING BREAK AND ENJOY LIFE, FRIENDS, & FAMILY!!

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Hypocrisy is a funny thang.

So, my Mom's in the hospital as you know and the Doctors keep stressing how important nutrition is in order for her skin to heal. However, her hospital meals consist of hamburgers, pork roast, beef stew, etc.. to name a few. I have been preaching about FFN for months now and she's obviously listened because when I was there last week she berated her Dr. for feeding her "poison, chemical-ridden red meat" and kept saying "Give me other proteins like peanut butter and beans!" Go Mom!

BLOG #10 - due by MIDNIGHT 11/17/08!

"Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world."--Nelson Mandela

Chapter: 11 - please answer the following question on your Blog.

"Who are the people in your life that you tend to turn to for social support when you are experiencing stress or need personal encouragement?"
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READ the following excerpts from your classmates' Mid-Term exams on how they approach studying and retention of information from textbooks. These are extremely successful and their grades are reflecting it. If you haven't cracked your Anatomy textbook especially, you are doing yourself a great disservice!

"Steps that I take include skimming over the chapter, analyzing the preview & questions about the chapter, read headlines and depict the bold terms in context. When I do a reading assignment, the very first thing I do is flip through the pages and look for visuals that would enhance my comprehension of the chapter. I read the preceeding paragraph or overview of the chapter and try to answer the questions as I follow along in the context..then look up bold terms to understand their definitions. By knowing the highlighted words, it's easier to understand what the chapter is actually about. When I cover all these necessary steps, it is easier for me to complete a reading assignment and feel prepared for an upcoming quiz or test."

COMMENT: WOW!

"First I read the title, subtitles & objectives. I find that it's helpful to highlight them just to help reinforce the idea of what I'm learning. I quickly (and sometimes subconsciously) review in my head anything I might already know about the subject; that way I can try to find a connection of my previous knowledge to what I'm going to learn. If I think anything in the piece will be important for me to know or find quickly in the future, I take notes on the side about it or underline/highlight it. When I'm finished with the piece I look it over (my notes & highlighting) to help keep the main ideas fresh in my mind."

COMMENT: Brain-based research reveals that eliciting previous knowledge allows the brain to retain information more effectively. Nice!

"I glance through the entire chapter and skim through the main paragraphs and read the first sentence. I always look at and read the objectives of every chapter. They come in very handy towards the end, that way you know if you have successfully completed the reading. I try to be as active as possible during reading because it helps me comprehend the information easier and this way I am retaining the information more than once."

COMMENT: Active learning (taking notes in margin/highlighting )is way more powerful than passive learning (just reading).

"If I am doing a reading assignment such as the Chemistry one provided I found it helps a lot if I put it into my own words because the scientific terms can be confusing. I highlight what is important and then write notes in a notebook. I also write the page # down next to what I took notes on just in case I want to refer back to the page. Sometimes I have to read the more complex articles more than once or at least until I can filter them into my own words."

COMMENT: Wow! Putting reading excerpts into your own words helps the brain to create a connection and therefore, retain the information longer. Writing the page #'s in your notes is something I never thought of doing before but what an efficient way to re-visit info! Yes, sometimes you will have to read more than once. A lot of students are lazy and won't do this - good for you!

THIS WEEK'S BLOG IS JUST READING. YOU'RE DONE! :)

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Blog #9 - due by MIDNIGHT 11/10/08!

CONGRATS! You made it over "slump time" and now things should start to go smoother and be less intensive as the semester wraps up.

1) What are you most stressed-out with at the moment? Why? Is your body re-acting to this stress? Devise a plan to deal with it.


2) FFN: Chapter 8 / This is a creative writing exercise! Read the following scenario and finish it based on your knowledge after reading Chapter 8.

You are "Raul" and have just immigrated to the American West illegally from Mexico. You brought your wife and two young children with you on a frightening and expensive 4-day journey in the back of a beat-up truck to arrive in Texas. You can't find work there and Border Patrol is cracking down, so you decide to migrate north a bit where you have relatives in Colorado. You are hired on the spot by ConAgra to work in one of their "beef processing" plants.

-Describe in sensory detail your place of employment. (What's it look like, what is going on, how do people act, what do you wear, what is your job? etc..)
-How much $$$ do you earn?
-How do your days go? What are your work hours and what do you do after work?
-Where do you live, what do you live in, how is your quality of life?