I recently got my marks back from University. My grade point average was a 4.2 out of a possible 4.5, resting between an A and a perfect A+. In itself, this isn’t an incredible achievement. But I managed to do this while spending only a fraction of the time studying than many of the people I knew.
Is it just natural talent? Perhaps. I’ve always had a knack for understanding concepts and learning new ideas. But I also believe the way I learned the information played a role. Instead of cramming last minute or memorizing details, I try to organize information in a way that makes it easier to recall.
This strategy of organization I label holistic learning. Holistic learning is simply the process of organizing information into webs, that interconnect ideas. Instead of forcing ideas into your skull, you focus on the relationships between information. Linking ideas together to see the whole, instead of just the parts.
Building an Understanding
Learning is a process similar to building a house. You aren’t fed the complete picture. Limitations on communication prevent the instantaneous transmission of knowledge. Instead you listen to lectures, read textbooks and take painstaking notes to try and comprehend a subject.
You are fed building supplies, bricks, mortar and glass. It is up to you to assemble the building. Unfortunately, most learning strategies fall into two basic types:
1. Memorization - Instead of building anything you simply stare at each brick for several minutes trying to record its position.
2. Formulas - This is the equivalent to being blind, fumbling around a new house. You can’t see the building itself but you learn to come up with simple rules to avoid walking into walls.
There is nothing particularly wrong with either of these strategies, assuming they aren’t your entire strategy. The human brain isn’t a computer so it can’t memorize infinite sums of knowledge without some form of structure. And formulas no longer work if the questions they are designed to solve change scope.
Learning Holistically
The alternative strategy is to focus on actually using the information you have to build something. This involves linking concepts together and compressing information so it fits in the bigger picture. Here are some ideas to get started:
1. Metaphor - Metaphors can allow you to quickly organize information by comparing a complex idea to a simple one. When you find relationships between information, come up with analogies to increase your understanding. Compare neurons with waves on a string. Make metaphors comparing parts of a brain with sections of your computer.
2. Use All Your Senses - Abstract ideas are difficult to memorize because they are far removed from our senses. Shift them closer by coming up with vivid pictures, feelings and images that relate information together. When I learned how to do a determinant of a matrix, I remembered the pattern by visualizing my hands moving through the numbers, one adding and one subtracting.
3. Teach It - Find someone who doesn’t understand the topic and teach it to them. This exercise forces you to organize. Spending five minutes explaining a concept can save you an hour of combined studying for the same effect.
4. Leave No Islands - When you read through a textbook, every piece of information should connect with something else you have learned. Fast learners do this automatically, but if you leave islands of information, you won’t be able to reach them during a test.
5. Test Your Mobility - A good way to know you haven’t linked enough is that you can’t move between concepts. Open up a word document and start explaining the subject you are working with. If you can’t jump between sections, referencing one idea to help explain another, you won’t be able to think through the connections during a test.
6. Find Patterns - Look for patterns in information. Information becomes easier to organize if you can identify broader patterns that are similar across different topics. The way a neuron fires has similarities to “if” statements in programming languages.
7. Build a Large Foundation - Reading lots and having a general understanding of many topics gives you a lot more flexibility in finding patterns and metaphors in new topics. The more you already know, the easier it is to learn.
8. Don’t Force - I don’t spend much time studying before exams. Forcing information during the last few days is incredibly inefficient. Instead try to slowly interlink ideas as they come to you so studying becomes a quick recap rather than a first attempt at learning.
9. Build Models - Models are simple concepts that aren’t true by themselves, but are useful for describing abstract ideas. Crystallizing one particular mental image or experience can create a model you can reference when trying to understand. When I was trying to tackle the concept of subspaces, I visualized a blue background with a red plane going through it. This isn’t an entirely accurate representation of what a subspace is, but it created a workable image for future ideas.
10. Learning is in Your Head - Having beautiful notes and a perfectly highlighted textbook doesn’t matter if you don’t understand the information in it. Your only goal is to understand the information so it will stick with you for assignments, tests and life. Don’t be afraid to get messy when scrawling out ideas on paper and connecting them in your head. Use notes and books as a medium for learning rather than an end result.
src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js">
Monday, 10 December 2007
Tuesday, 4 December 2007
5 Minute Summer Makeup
It’s hot. Your skin is sticky. You can’t imagine putting heavy makeup on your face in this heat. But, you know you need something. Here are some tips for putting together a summer makeup routine that will leave your skin glowing.
Create lasting colour. The hot weather can wreak havoc on your makeup. When you sweat, your makeup fades. Wash your face with an oil controlling formula and follow up with a light foundation. Apply an oil controlling product to reduce shine. Before applying the rest of your makeup, use a large powder brush to apply some pressed powder. This will help create a solid base for your makeup.
Ditch the heavy foundation. If you think it is too hot to use foundation, you can either skip it or mix a little in with your moisturizer. This will give you some coverage without the heaviness. You can also use a powder foundation which also gives you light coverage and can also control oil. Also make sure to use a little concealer on your under eye circles, if needed. If you want to wear heavier foundation, look for a product that controls oil.
Use bronzer. Bronzer is a great way to give your skin that healthy sun-kissed look without the sun damage. Apply it with a large powder brush on your forehead, cheeks, and nose for a more realistic glow. If you normally apply self tanner on your face, skip this step.
Add colour. Apply blush and eye makeup just as you normally would, but remember not to apply as much as you would in the winter. Choose lighter colours in oil control products whenever possible. If you plan on going in the pool or hitting the waves at the beach, use waterproof eye makeup.
Just because it is hot and sticky doesn’t mean you can’t have lasting makeup. Choose products that will help create a healthy glow and control oil. Pick colours that are flattering but not too bold. With the right techniques and colours, you can create a flawless look that will stay on all day.
Source: http://www.marcell.com.au
Create lasting colour. The hot weather can wreak havoc on your makeup. When you sweat, your makeup fades. Wash your face with an oil controlling formula and follow up with a light foundation. Apply an oil controlling product to reduce shine. Before applying the rest of your makeup, use a large powder brush to apply some pressed powder. This will help create a solid base for your makeup.
Ditch the heavy foundation. If you think it is too hot to use foundation, you can either skip it or mix a little in with your moisturizer. This will give you some coverage without the heaviness. You can also use a powder foundation which also gives you light coverage and can also control oil. Also make sure to use a little concealer on your under eye circles, if needed. If you want to wear heavier foundation, look for a product that controls oil.
Use bronzer. Bronzer is a great way to give your skin that healthy sun-kissed look without the sun damage. Apply it with a large powder brush on your forehead, cheeks, and nose for a more realistic glow. If you normally apply self tanner on your face, skip this step.
Add colour. Apply blush and eye makeup just as you normally would, but remember not to apply as much as you would in the winter. Choose lighter colours in oil control products whenever possible. If you plan on going in the pool or hitting the waves at the beach, use waterproof eye makeup.
Just because it is hot and sticky doesn’t mean you can’t have lasting makeup. Choose products that will help create a healthy glow and control oil. Pick colours that are flattering but not too bold. With the right techniques and colours, you can create a flawless look that will stay on all day.
Source: http://www.marcell.com.au
Top 10 Travel Tips
1.Check the latest travel advice for your destination and subscribe to receive free e-mail notification each time the travel advice for your destination is updated.
2. Take out appropriate travel insurance to cover hospital treatment, medical evacuation and any activities, including adventure sports, in which you plan to participate.
3. Before travelling overseas register your travel and contact details online or at the local Australian embassy, high commission or consulate once you arrive, so we can contact you in an emergency.
4. Obey the law. Consular assistance cannot override local laws, even where local laws appear harsh or unjust by Australian standards.
5. Check to see if you require visas for the country or countries you are visiting or transiting. Be aware that a visa does not guarantee entry.
6. Make copies of your passport details, insurance policy, travellers cheques, visas and credit card numbers. Carry one copy in a separate place to the originals and leave a copy with someone at home.
7. Check with health professionals for information on recommended vaccinations or other precautions and find out about overseas laws on travelling with medicines.
8. Make sure your passport has at least six months validity and carry additional copies of your passport photo with you in case you need a replacement passport while overseas.
9. Leave a copy of your travel itinerary with someone at home and keep in regular contact with friends and relatives while overseas.
10. Before departing Australia check whether you are regarded as a national of the country you intend to visit. Research whether holding dual nationality has any implications for your travel.
Source: http://www.smartraveller.gov.au
2. Take out appropriate travel insurance to cover hospital treatment, medical evacuation and any activities, including adventure sports, in which you plan to participate.
3. Before travelling overseas register your travel and contact details online or at the local Australian embassy, high commission or consulate once you arrive, so we can contact you in an emergency.
4. Obey the law. Consular assistance cannot override local laws, even where local laws appear harsh or unjust by Australian standards.
5. Check to see if you require visas for the country or countries you are visiting or transiting. Be aware that a visa does not guarantee entry.
6. Make copies of your passport details, insurance policy, travellers cheques, visas and credit card numbers. Carry one copy in a separate place to the originals and leave a copy with someone at home.
7. Check with health professionals for information on recommended vaccinations or other precautions and find out about overseas laws on travelling with medicines.
8. Make sure your passport has at least six months validity and carry additional copies of your passport photo with you in case you need a replacement passport while overseas.
9. Leave a copy of your travel itinerary with someone at home and keep in regular contact with friends and relatives while overseas.
10. Before departing Australia check whether you are regarded as a national of the country you intend to visit. Research whether holding dual nationality has any implications for your travel.
Source: http://www.smartraveller.gov.au
Advice to an Undergrad
Advice to an Undergrad
PASADENA CA - As a staff scientist at The California Institute of Technology (CalTech), I'm pretty isolated from the undergraduates. Caltech has many more graduate students and post-doctoral research fellows than actual college students, and we often joke that it's difficult to spot an actual undergraduate student around campus (are they all in the library or the lab all the time?) But the other day I happened to attend a meeting across campus and ended up having lunch in the main dining hall, surrounded by chatty, active, lovely undergraduate students.
It was great to be back in a real dining hall again. The conversations going on around me were just like I remembered from college: part gossip, part trying to impress each other with how deep and philosophical you are, part shared-anxiety and comfort seeking about the stresses of college life ("Did you hear about the quantum mechanics mid-term? I heard the class average was 35 percent. Someone got an 80 percent, though ..."). It was amazing how familiar it all seemed, but I guess it shouldn't surprise me. I went to Harvard for my undergraduate studies, and the atmosphere of any selective, competitive school is bound to be similar to any other one.
Now, don't get me wrong, I had a wonderful time at Harvard, but recently I've found myself thinking about how I would do things a bit differently if I could go to college all over again. In many ways, I wasn't very well prepared, as a young Midwestern woman, for the atmosphere and challenges of a prestigious university. I could have used some good advice about what to expect from college, and what to watch out for.
The real problem I faced in college was intimidation. Strangely enough, the source of this intimidation wasn't the world-class Harvard professors, the highly competitive students, or the amount of work expected of me. It was me. Somehow, during the course of my college career, I managed to work myself into this extreme state of self-doubt, anxiety, and abject fear that I was about to ruin the rest of my life. I bit my nails to the quick, hid from professors in the hallways, and lived, constantly, with the utter certainty that I was screwing everything up. I know it didn't seem that way from the outside (I did manage to complete an astrophysics major, and many of my friends thought of me as self-confident and well-organized), but my main memory of undergraduate life is fear.
Now, with a doctorate and a good amount of professional success under my belt, I can't help but look back and wonder what the heck I was so worked up about. Why was I so worried? How did I ever get the idea that failing a test would somehow ruin the rest of my life in the first place? To be sure, universities don't usually go out of their way to alleviate the stress. It was constantly reinforced that being at Harvard was a 'Huge Honor' and a 'Great Opportunity'. That may be true, but it's also worth putting things in perspective. So, from the vantage point of someone who survived college and beyond, here are a few things that I wish I knew before I started.
1. You are not an idiot if you don't understand something right away.
Wow, there were so many classes where the professor had lost me in the first five minutes, but I never asked a single question. Everyone else was studiously taking notes and nodding like they understood everything (which, by the way, I was too), that I was sure I'd be stoned if I asked a question. I know that sounds strange, but somehow I'd gotten the idea into my head that I was the only one that was lost. I spent entire courses, lecture after lecture, completely lost and sure it was all my fault.
2. You have a right to extra help.
In college, I felt that asking questions and getting extra help was an admission of failure, as well as a nuisance for the professor (and it was way too embarrassing to start out with "I haven't understood a single thing you've said this semester ..."). What I would do now if I got lost during a lecture, seriously, would be to go to the professor's office after class and refuse to leave until I understood the lesson. It is their job to teach you, and speaking as someone who has now taught college physics, I was never offended by a student spending extra time, even hours, with me to learn a lesson. It may be inconvenient for the professor, but you (or more accurately, your parents) are paying good money for this. You are the customer; never forget that.
3. Good scientists are often bad teachers.
Remember who's doing the teaching in most science classes: scientists. Now, that professor may have been hired because they published sixty papers in five years, but they may not be able to teach their way out of a paper bag. In short, a good researcher does not necessarily (and in fact, not usually) make a good teacher. This is good to keep in mind for some perspective when a class seems confusing or overly difficult. It's not that you don't have the capacity to learn quantum mechanics, it's just not being presented in a manner that gives you much chance of learning it. Ask the professor, during an office visit, to try and put things in a different way, or start from more basic principles. Try talking to a graduate student or a tutor, anyone who can communicate more effectively, instead.
4. Get under someone's wing.
Try hard to find some professor who can act as a mentor to you, even if you're not actually in one of their classes. I did a couple of individual research projects with some of the astronomers at Harvard, which turned out to be extremely worthwhile. Not only can they help you with questions or problems you may be having in class, but they will often become an advocate for you. Individual relationships are key. A faculty advisor, either formal or informal, can help you get help, provide emotional support, suggest resources, and provide advice. My advisor (still love you, Dave Latham!) even helped me apply and get into graduate school.
5. Take a minimum number of classes in your area of study.
This may seem like strange advice, but let me explain. In most colleges, there are prescribed courses that you need to take to fulfill a "major". I majored in astrophysics, so every semester there were two or three courses I had to take. There was also a smattering of required, general education courses, like writing, history, basic philosophy, and such. But then there were some unassigned credits, where I could take any class I liked. Most of my friends who were doing a physics major decided to take extra physics courses. I took Icelandic literature (no joke!), Japanese art, and human behavioral biology, among others. I can not tell you how much the random, extraneous classes I took in college enriched my life. Not only did these classes provide welcome variety to my education, they've also provided me with a good understanding of many different fields, and gotten me started on some wonderful, life-long hobbies. Believe me, in graduate school I had the opportunity to take any and every course in physics I could ever have wanted. In retrospect, I should have learned more languages, practiced more art and studied more history.
6. Mistakes and failures will not ruin your life.
Life in college feels overwhelmingly, painfully, latent. Your performance now, it seems, will set you on a path or either wild success or dismal disappointment for the rest of your life. Baloney. Don't delude yourself into making college such a be-all and end-all. Yes, work hard and get the best grades you can, but remember that nothing you do, even totally screwing up an exam or failing a class, will lead to a life of misery. For science students, I offer this small but significant statistic: everyone I know who wanted to go to graduate school did go to graduate school. No one, not even people who picked up a few bad grades (including myself) was left out in the cold. Doing well in college is no guarantee that your wildest dreams will come true, and conversely, making a few mistakes in college will not ruin the rest of your life.
7. This is not the best time of your life.
Our culture puts those "golden college days" on quite a pedestal. By all accounts, this is the time of our life when we are at our most beautiful, most promising, most talented. This is where we form friendships that will last the rest of our lives, find our mates, even find ourselves. Talk about stress! There are some truly unique joys about being in college. Living in the dorms and having a ready-made social life was a blast. Learning new things every day, burning the night oil in dusty old libraries, walking over the Charles River to the stadium on a gorgeous fall day to watch a football game. Great stuff. It would be fun to do it all again, but only with the confidence, strength, and wisdom that I've found long since my college days. Would I go back to that same time and be that same person? Not on your life.
Michelle Thaller | csmonitor.com
PASADENA CA - As a staff scientist at The California Institute of Technology (CalTech), I'm pretty isolated from the undergraduates. Caltech has many more graduate students and post-doctoral research fellows than actual college students, and we often joke that it's difficult to spot an actual undergraduate student around campus (are they all in the library or the lab all the time?) But the other day I happened to attend a meeting across campus and ended up having lunch in the main dining hall, surrounded by chatty, active, lovely undergraduate students.
It was great to be back in a real dining hall again. The conversations going on around me were just like I remembered from college: part gossip, part trying to impress each other with how deep and philosophical you are, part shared-anxiety and comfort seeking about the stresses of college life ("Did you hear about the quantum mechanics mid-term? I heard the class average was 35 percent. Someone got an 80 percent, though ..."). It was amazing how familiar it all seemed, but I guess it shouldn't surprise me. I went to Harvard for my undergraduate studies, and the atmosphere of any selective, competitive school is bound to be similar to any other one.
Now, don't get me wrong, I had a wonderful time at Harvard, but recently I've found myself thinking about how I would do things a bit differently if I could go to college all over again. In many ways, I wasn't very well prepared, as a young Midwestern woman, for the atmosphere and challenges of a prestigious university. I could have used some good advice about what to expect from college, and what to watch out for.
The real problem I faced in college was intimidation. Strangely enough, the source of this intimidation wasn't the world-class Harvard professors, the highly competitive students, or the amount of work expected of me. It was me. Somehow, during the course of my college career, I managed to work myself into this extreme state of self-doubt, anxiety, and abject fear that I was about to ruin the rest of my life. I bit my nails to the quick, hid from professors in the hallways, and lived, constantly, with the utter certainty that I was screwing everything up. I know it didn't seem that way from the outside (I did manage to complete an astrophysics major, and many of my friends thought of me as self-confident and well-organized), but my main memory of undergraduate life is fear.
Now, with a doctorate and a good amount of professional success under my belt, I can't help but look back and wonder what the heck I was so worked up about. Why was I so worried? How did I ever get the idea that failing a test would somehow ruin the rest of my life in the first place? To be sure, universities don't usually go out of their way to alleviate the stress. It was constantly reinforced that being at Harvard was a 'Huge Honor' and a 'Great Opportunity'. That may be true, but it's also worth putting things in perspective. So, from the vantage point of someone who survived college and beyond, here are a few things that I wish I knew before I started.
1. You are not an idiot if you don't understand something right away.
Wow, there were so many classes where the professor had lost me in the first five minutes, but I never asked a single question. Everyone else was studiously taking notes and nodding like they understood everything (which, by the way, I was too), that I was sure I'd be stoned if I asked a question. I know that sounds strange, but somehow I'd gotten the idea into my head that I was the only one that was lost. I spent entire courses, lecture after lecture, completely lost and sure it was all my fault.
2. You have a right to extra help.
In college, I felt that asking questions and getting extra help was an admission of failure, as well as a nuisance for the professor (and it was way too embarrassing to start out with "I haven't understood a single thing you've said this semester ..."). What I would do now if I got lost during a lecture, seriously, would be to go to the professor's office after class and refuse to leave until I understood the lesson. It is their job to teach you, and speaking as someone who has now taught college physics, I was never offended by a student spending extra time, even hours, with me to learn a lesson. It may be inconvenient for the professor, but you (or more accurately, your parents) are paying good money for this. You are the customer; never forget that.
3. Good scientists are often bad teachers.
Remember who's doing the teaching in most science classes: scientists. Now, that professor may have been hired because they published sixty papers in five years, but they may not be able to teach their way out of a paper bag. In short, a good researcher does not necessarily (and in fact, not usually) make a good teacher. This is good to keep in mind for some perspective when a class seems confusing or overly difficult. It's not that you don't have the capacity to learn quantum mechanics, it's just not being presented in a manner that gives you much chance of learning it. Ask the professor, during an office visit, to try and put things in a different way, or start from more basic principles. Try talking to a graduate student or a tutor, anyone who can communicate more effectively, instead.
4. Get under someone's wing.
Try hard to find some professor who can act as a mentor to you, even if you're not actually in one of their classes. I did a couple of individual research projects with some of the astronomers at Harvard, which turned out to be extremely worthwhile. Not only can they help you with questions or problems you may be having in class, but they will often become an advocate for you. Individual relationships are key. A faculty advisor, either formal or informal, can help you get help, provide emotional support, suggest resources, and provide advice. My advisor (still love you, Dave Latham!) even helped me apply and get into graduate school.
5. Take a minimum number of classes in your area of study.
This may seem like strange advice, but let me explain. In most colleges, there are prescribed courses that you need to take to fulfill a "major". I majored in astrophysics, so every semester there were two or three courses I had to take. There was also a smattering of required, general education courses, like writing, history, basic philosophy, and such. But then there were some unassigned credits, where I could take any class I liked. Most of my friends who were doing a physics major decided to take extra physics courses. I took Icelandic literature (no joke!), Japanese art, and human behavioral biology, among others. I can not tell you how much the random, extraneous classes I took in college enriched my life. Not only did these classes provide welcome variety to my education, they've also provided me with a good understanding of many different fields, and gotten me started on some wonderful, life-long hobbies. Believe me, in graduate school I had the opportunity to take any and every course in physics I could ever have wanted. In retrospect, I should have learned more languages, practiced more art and studied more history.
6. Mistakes and failures will not ruin your life.
Life in college feels overwhelmingly, painfully, latent. Your performance now, it seems, will set you on a path or either wild success or dismal disappointment for the rest of your life. Baloney. Don't delude yourself into making college such a be-all and end-all. Yes, work hard and get the best grades you can, but remember that nothing you do, even totally screwing up an exam or failing a class, will lead to a life of misery. For science students, I offer this small but significant statistic: everyone I know who wanted to go to graduate school did go to graduate school. No one, not even people who picked up a few bad grades (including myself) was left out in the cold. Doing well in college is no guarantee that your wildest dreams will come true, and conversely, making a few mistakes in college will not ruin the rest of your life.
7. This is not the best time of your life.
Our culture puts those "golden college days" on quite a pedestal. By all accounts, this is the time of our life when we are at our most beautiful, most promising, most talented. This is where we form friendships that will last the rest of our lives, find our mates, even find ourselves. Talk about stress! There are some truly unique joys about being in college. Living in the dorms and having a ready-made social life was a blast. Learning new things every day, burning the night oil in dusty old libraries, walking over the Charles River to the stadium on a gorgeous fall day to watch a football game. Great stuff. It would be fun to do it all again, but only with the confidence, strength, and wisdom that I've found long since my college days. Would I go back to that same time and be that same person? Not on your life.
Michelle Thaller | csmonitor.com
Some tips to score high on the TOEFL
(svduhoc.org)
The Test of English as a Foreign Language- the TOEFL is not so much different from any kind of sport including soccer or basketball. The test requires you some skills in listening, reading and writing as well as the skill to control the test formats and timing. However, a high-performing soccer player or TOEFL test taker needs more than just these basic skills to score the goal or get the high mark. That is Strong Mental Preparation before the very important test. Throughout my years of observation, this is the very factor that draws the line between the score of 600 and 677. Do you want to know how to do it? Let me share with you some of my findings:
1. First Thing First is to set up a realistic timeframe: The plan should include when you want to take the test. The time frame should not be too long to make you bored, or too short to make you unprepared. For me, the ideal period is 3 months when you are at your peak performance.
2. Begin With The End In Mind: you should clarify the target score you want to get. The score should be Realistic and Attainable. If you want to score 630, write it down and buy it into your heart and to your mind. Recall it before you start to do anything in the morning. Just by doing this, you have finished half of the process. No commitment, No involvement.
3. Try to put you in the real testing situations as much as possible. If you are lazy, higher scores on the TOEFF is unrealistic. You often need to put you out of your day-to-day preparation for 3 hours, sit down and take the practice tests just as you will have to do on the actual test day. Take it seriously. Then, do it over and over again. You will soon find out that you are making progress day after day. The science of psychology proves that human brain forms habits naturally after certain routines of practice. The more you
practice, the more you will see your testing skills getting better, your judgments becoming faster and more accurate. “Practice makes perfect” and as a result, perfect practice makes perfect progress.
Another factor, which determines higher score on the TOEFL, is your “biological clock”. If you feel comfortable and energetic working in the afternoon, you should register the test in the afternoon. If the test will be in the morning, from now on, try to wake up and start working early in the morning.
4. Last but in no way least is Physical Preparation. The TOEFL test will certainly consume you a lot of energy. Staying focused and giving good adjustments during the test require you to have very strong brain stamina – the body strength in the testing conditions. So, make sure you exercise regularly, have good diet and adequate rest well before the test day. Strong physical preparation will determine whether you will hit the high score.
I hope that you will find these insights helpful to you. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact me at neosystem@hn.vnn
Good luck and happy scoring!
mikenguyen
The Test of English as a Foreign Language- the TOEFL is not so much different from any kind of sport including soccer or basketball. The test requires you some skills in listening, reading and writing as well as the skill to control the test formats and timing. However, a high-performing soccer player or TOEFL test taker needs more than just these basic skills to score the goal or get the high mark. That is Strong Mental Preparation before the very important test. Throughout my years of observation, this is the very factor that draws the line between the score of 600 and 677. Do you want to know how to do it? Let me share with you some of my findings:
1. First Thing First is to set up a realistic timeframe: The plan should include when you want to take the test. The time frame should not be too long to make you bored, or too short to make you unprepared. For me, the ideal period is 3 months when you are at your peak performance.
2. Begin With The End In Mind: you should clarify the target score you want to get. The score should be Realistic and Attainable. If you want to score 630, write it down and buy it into your heart and to your mind. Recall it before you start to do anything in the morning. Just by doing this, you have finished half of the process. No commitment, No involvement.
3. Try to put you in the real testing situations as much as possible. If you are lazy, higher scores on the TOEFF is unrealistic. You often need to put you out of your day-to-day preparation for 3 hours, sit down and take the practice tests just as you will have to do on the actual test day. Take it seriously. Then, do it over and over again. You will soon find out that you are making progress day after day. The science of psychology proves that human brain forms habits naturally after certain routines of practice. The more you
practice, the more you will see your testing skills getting better, your judgments becoming faster and more accurate. “Practice makes perfect” and as a result, perfect practice makes perfect progress.
Another factor, which determines higher score on the TOEFL, is your “biological clock”. If you feel comfortable and energetic working in the afternoon, you should register the test in the afternoon. If the test will be in the morning, from now on, try to wake up and start working early in the morning.
4. Last but in no way least is Physical Preparation. The TOEFL test will certainly consume you a lot of energy. Staying focused and giving good adjustments during the test require you to have very strong brain stamina – the body strength in the testing conditions. So, make sure you exercise regularly, have good diet and adequate rest well before the test day. Strong physical preparation will determine whether you will hit the high score.
I hope that you will find these insights helpful to you. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact me at neosystem@hn.vnn
Good luck and happy scoring!
mikenguyen
Elementary Web Sites for English Language Learners
by Judie Haynes
Attention all elementary ESL and classroom teachers! Do you want to discover great web sites for the English language learners in your class? Here is a painless way to give students English language practice in the classroom or at home.
There are not many websites designed especially for elementary-age English language learners. In order to provide these students with extra practice in English, it is necessary to examine sites intended for English native speakers.
How do students use these sites? First, I introduce a web site in ESL class and allow students to try out a few activities. In order to do this, you will need to have a computer in your room or access to a computer lab. I use wireless laptops in my room so that students can each look at their own screen.
Directions for accessing the site are handed out. Students then work on the site on their own in their mainstream classroom or, if they have a computer, at home. They print out results or make a screen shot and bring it to me the next day. Some games can not be printed or saved. In that case, I ask students to practice a skill for homework and do the game again quickly in class the next day. In some cases, the information on a site will need to be modified for English language learners. Some of the sites listed will not be suitable for beginners in a particular grade cluster.
Here is a list of some of the sites my students are using.
Sites for Grades 1-2
Starfall.com- Reading instruction and reading games for students in Pre-K-1. It's hard to believe this site is free.
Reading is Fundamental.This site has many stories for Pre-K-2 students.*
Kid's Lab -Great site with tons of terrific activities. Try the reading comprehension section.*
Storyplace.org -a site with online stories and activities. Grades pre-K-Kindergarten.*
Online Story Time-This site is more for teachers but has many online stories. It is advertised as a pre-school site but the stories are suitable forK-1 students.
British Council Stories -This site has many stories that are read aloud. Check for spelling and pronunciation differences.
Games on PBS Kids - Games for K-2. "WordPlay" can be used for students in grades 3-4.
Arthur -Sequencing activity where students hear a story and put pictures in order.
Printable Games -For readers in Grades 1-2.
Storyline Online -A terrific site with stories read by actors from the ScreenActors' Guild. Grades 1-4.*
Reading-A-To-Z - This is a commercial site with free books that you can download and print. Grades 1-4.
Raz-kids.com-Reading and listening activities for elementary age students.*
Tumblebook Library - Click on "stories." A large collectionof stories from the Los Angeles Public Library. All grades.
Clifford - Activities pre-K-2.Try the reading and writing section with students in grades 2-3.
Videos - Short Clifford videos. Click on "See and Hear." Grades K-2.
Berenstain Bears Games and Songs - Great activities for young children including word games, songs and puzzles. Grades K-2.
Game Goo - Learning that sticks - Great learning games for young children. Grades K-2.
The Reading Lady Includes short plays for students in grades 1-2.*
Calgary Public Library. See Children's Talking Tales for Grades 1-2.*
Enchanted learning Printable books and for students in grades K-4.
Kiz Club Printable books and for students in grades K-1.
Sites for Grades 3-5
MadLibs for Advanced Beginners in Grades 3-5
Reading is Fundemental. Look at the writing activities for students in Grades 2-5.
Grammar Gorillas for Advanced Beginners in Grades 3-5
Stories for Kids for Advanced Beginners in Grades 3-5
Bookhive.com -This site has multicultural children's stories told by famous storytellers. Be sure to click on "Listen to a story." For Grades 2-5
Songs for Kids - Grammar songs for students in Grades 2-5.
Postcards from Buster - See Buster’s adventures from various places in the U.S. Each city has video, audio, map skills and games. Grades 3-5.*
Kid's Lab -Terrific site with many great activities. Try the Science vocabulary section.
Arthur -Games from Arthur. Grades 2-5.
Captain Underpants - Make a comic. Grades 2-4
Scholastic - A program for kids to make flashcards. Grades 3-8.
Surfing the Net with KidsSite with games and puzzles in different subject areas.
Write a book report - Students make a book report sandwich. Grades 4-8.
Spelling Wizard - Use spelling words to make a word search or sentence scramble. Grades 3-6.
Tumblebook Library - Online stories read from the Los Angeles Public Library. All grades.
Poetry - Gives examples of different types of Poetry.
Science vocabulary - Label pictures using science vocabulary. Grades 4-8.*
Songs and Rhymes- Songs for students in all grades.
Songs for ELLs with words.*
Grades 3-12.
Word Game Intermediate students in grades 5-8.
Owl online This is a good grammar site for 6-12
FunBrain reading Intermediate students in grades 5-8.
Zoom - Games, activities and science experiments from the TV Show Zoom. Grades 4-6.
U.S. Symbols - U.S. Government information from Ben's Guide. Grades 3-5.
Social Studies Vocabulary Games - Vocabulary from U.S. government. Grades 3-5.
Spiders. Spider activities for kids. Gr. 3-6.
Sites for Grades 4-8
Jamestown Adventure.Students become colonists and make decisions about how to run their colony. Grades 5-12.*
Listening Activities - Designed for older students but pronunciation and listening activities could be used for students grades 4 and up.*
BrainPop-This site has some free sections to teach grammar. Look up "nouns" and watch the video. Grades 5-8.
ESLbears-A site for beginning students. Exercises in pronunciation, reading and vocabulary. Grades 3-8. *
Multicultural Stories -Stories from around the world by Nick Jr. Grades 3-8
Brainteasers, Puzzles and Riddles - Kids' page from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. Grades 5-8
Translation Site - Students can bookmark this site to translate words from English to their native language. Grades 3-12.
Interactive games and activities- Social Studies Games from Ben's Guide to the U.S Government. Grades 5-8.
Audio Comprehension - An audio concentration game for Grades 4-12.*
Homophone game - Match homophones in this concentration game.* Grades 4-8.
Wordsearches - Wordsearches on U.S. Presidents. Grades 4-8.
Movie Trailers Listening activities using movie trailers for Grades 5-12.
ESL and Archie Comics - Lesson plans and comic strips for Grades 5-12.
Vocabulary Vocabulary games - From Interesting Things For ESL Students, aa collection of vocaabulary games for Grades 6-12.
Source: http://www.everythingesl.net
Attention all elementary ESL and classroom teachers! Do you want to discover great web sites for the English language learners in your class? Here is a painless way to give students English language practice in the classroom or at home.
There are not many websites designed especially for elementary-age English language learners. In order to provide these students with extra practice in English, it is necessary to examine sites intended for English native speakers.
How do students use these sites? First, I introduce a web site in ESL class and allow students to try out a few activities. In order to do this, you will need to have a computer in your room or access to a computer lab. I use wireless laptops in my room so that students can each look at their own screen.
Directions for accessing the site are handed out. Students then work on the site on their own in their mainstream classroom or, if they have a computer, at home. They print out results or make a screen shot and bring it to me the next day. Some games can not be printed or saved. In that case, I ask students to practice a skill for homework and do the game again quickly in class the next day. In some cases, the information on a site will need to be modified for English language learners. Some of the sites listed will not be suitable for beginners in a particular grade cluster.
Here is a list of some of the sites my students are using.
Sites for Grades 1-2
Starfall.com- Reading instruction and reading games for students in Pre-K-1. It's hard to believe this site is free.
Reading is Fundamental.This site has many stories for Pre-K-2 students.*
Kid's Lab -Great site with tons of terrific activities. Try the reading comprehension section.*
Storyplace.org -a site with online stories and activities. Grades pre-K-Kindergarten.*
Online Story Time-This site is more for teachers but has many online stories. It is advertised as a pre-school site but the stories are suitable forK-1 students.
British Council Stories -This site has many stories that are read aloud. Check for spelling and pronunciation differences.
Games on PBS Kids - Games for K-2. "WordPlay" can be used for students in grades 3-4.
Arthur -Sequencing activity where students hear a story and put pictures in order.
Printable Games -For readers in Grades 1-2.
Storyline Online -A terrific site with stories read by actors from the ScreenActors' Guild. Grades 1-4.*
Reading-A-To-Z - This is a commercial site with free books that you can download and print. Grades 1-4.
Raz-kids.com-Reading and listening activities for elementary age students.*
Tumblebook Library - Click on "stories." A large collectionof stories from the Los Angeles Public Library. All grades.
Clifford - Activities pre-K-2.Try the reading and writing section with students in grades 2-3.
Videos - Short Clifford videos. Click on "See and Hear." Grades K-2.
Berenstain Bears Games and Songs - Great activities for young children including word games, songs and puzzles. Grades K-2.
Game Goo - Learning that sticks - Great learning games for young children. Grades K-2.
The Reading Lady Includes short plays for students in grades 1-2.*
Calgary Public Library. See Children's Talking Tales for Grades 1-2.*
Enchanted learning Printable books and for students in grades K-4.
Kiz Club Printable books and for students in grades K-1.
Sites for Grades 3-5
MadLibs for Advanced Beginners in Grades 3-5
Reading is Fundemental. Look at the writing activities for students in Grades 2-5.
Grammar Gorillas for Advanced Beginners in Grades 3-5
Stories for Kids for Advanced Beginners in Grades 3-5
Bookhive.com -This site has multicultural children's stories told by famous storytellers. Be sure to click on "Listen to a story." For Grades 2-5
Songs for Kids - Grammar songs for students in Grades 2-5.
Postcards from Buster - See Buster’s adventures from various places in the U.S. Each city has video, audio, map skills and games. Grades 3-5.*
Kid's Lab -Terrific site with many great activities. Try the Science vocabulary section.
Arthur -Games from Arthur. Grades 2-5.
Captain Underpants - Make a comic. Grades 2-4
Scholastic - A program for kids to make flashcards. Grades 3-8.
Surfing the Net with KidsSite with games and puzzles in different subject areas.
Write a book report - Students make a book report sandwich. Grades 4-8.
Spelling Wizard - Use spelling words to make a word search or sentence scramble. Grades 3-6.
Tumblebook Library - Online stories read from the Los Angeles Public Library. All grades.
Poetry - Gives examples of different types of Poetry.
Science vocabulary - Label pictures using science vocabulary. Grades 4-8.*
Songs and Rhymes- Songs for students in all grades.
Songs for ELLs with words.*
Grades 3-12.
Word Game Intermediate students in grades 5-8.
Owl online This is a good grammar site for 6-12
FunBrain reading Intermediate students in grades 5-8.
Zoom - Games, activities and science experiments from the TV Show Zoom. Grades 4-6.
U.S. Symbols - U.S. Government information from Ben's Guide. Grades 3-5.
Social Studies Vocabulary Games - Vocabulary from U.S. government. Grades 3-5.
Spiders. Spider activities for kids. Gr. 3-6.
Sites for Grades 4-8
Jamestown Adventure.Students become colonists and make decisions about how to run their colony. Grades 5-12.*
Listening Activities - Designed for older students but pronunciation and listening activities could be used for students grades 4 and up.*
BrainPop-This site has some free sections to teach grammar. Look up "nouns" and watch the video. Grades 5-8.
ESLbears-A site for beginning students. Exercises in pronunciation, reading and vocabulary. Grades 3-8. *
Multicultural Stories -Stories from around the world by Nick Jr. Grades 3-8
Brainteasers, Puzzles and Riddles - Kids' page from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. Grades 5-8
Translation Site - Students can bookmark this site to translate words from English to their native language. Grades 3-12.
Interactive games and activities- Social Studies Games from Ben's Guide to the U.S Government. Grades 5-8.
Audio Comprehension - An audio concentration game for Grades 4-12.*
Homophone game - Match homophones in this concentration game.* Grades 4-8.
Wordsearches - Wordsearches on U.S. Presidents. Grades 4-8.
Movie Trailers Listening activities using movie trailers for Grades 5-12.
ESL and Archie Comics - Lesson plans and comic strips for Grades 5-12.
Vocabulary Vocabulary games - From Interesting Things For ESL Students, aa collection of vocaabulary games for Grades 6-12.
Source: http://www.everythingesl.net
Monday, 3 December 2007
Read Along Stories and Songs!
Now you can read along with stories and sing along with songs right here on the RIF Reading Planet. Choose from the titles below.
Stories:
Croak Went the FrogCroak Went the Hog & Oink Went the Frog
A frog and a hog do not get along. Read this story to find out what happens when they get into trouble and have to see a judge.
Drippy the IcicleDrippy the Icicle
Do you ever wonder what it is like to be an icicle? Read this story to learn about what happens to Drippy the Icicle.
River OtterRiver Otter
This story is an entertaining and educational story that you can read to learn about river otters.
BlueLined SocksBlue Lined Socks
Read this story about a science experiment that finds its way into the wrong place -- a boy's laundry basket!.
MuskratMuskrat Mix-Up
A family of beavers discovers that a baby muskrat has gottn mixed up with all of the baby beavers.
Test TroubleTest Trouble
Tests! Tests! Tests! Read along to find out how this boy deals with his fear of taking tests.
Captain CaitlynCaptian Caitlyn to the Rescue
Meet Captain Caitlyn. She loves to help all of the animals in her neighborhood. Learn about her adventures one rainy morning.
Nat and PatNat and Pat Have a Spat
Try this rhyming story about Nat, Pat, and their spat about cats!
Story Songs:
Barnyard BabiesBarnyard Babies
Sing along with this story to learn about barnyard babies and count how many are on the farm.
If I Were a FishIf I Were a Little Fish
Sing along with this catchy tune about underwater life.
Stories and Songs in Spanish:
RebotaRebota Ants Las Hormigas Negras Y Rojas
Sing along with these traditional children's songs from Latin-America.
o
Los Elefantes
Elephants, elephants, galore! This counting song is a favorite for all children.
o
Pimpón
This well-behaved doll, keeps out of trouble by staying clean and not making a mess.
o
Naranja Dulce
This song sings of parting being sweet sorrow, but its actually a popular playground game.
FlashPlease note: You need to have a plug-in called Flash installed on your computer to view the stories. It is free, and it is easy to download. If you don't have it, just ask your parent for help. Click the button to the right, and follow the instructions.
Grown-ups, what do you think of these stories? Would you like to see more of these on the website? Please consider making a donation to RIF to help us continue to offer these online resources. If you have comments about these stories, please email them to kids@rif.org.
Stories:
Croak Went the FrogCroak Went the Hog & Oink Went the Frog
A frog and a hog do not get along. Read this story to find out what happens when they get into trouble and have to see a judge.
Drippy the IcicleDrippy the Icicle
Do you ever wonder what it is like to be an icicle? Read this story to learn about what happens to Drippy the Icicle.
River OtterRiver Otter
This story is an entertaining and educational story that you can read to learn about river otters.
BlueLined SocksBlue Lined Socks
Read this story about a science experiment that finds its way into the wrong place -- a boy's laundry basket!.
MuskratMuskrat Mix-Up
A family of beavers discovers that a baby muskrat has gottn mixed up with all of the baby beavers.
Test TroubleTest Trouble
Tests! Tests! Tests! Read along to find out how this boy deals with his fear of taking tests.
Captain CaitlynCaptian Caitlyn to the Rescue
Meet Captain Caitlyn. She loves to help all of the animals in her neighborhood. Learn about her adventures one rainy morning.
Nat and PatNat and Pat Have a Spat
Try this rhyming story about Nat, Pat, and their spat about cats!
Story Songs:
Barnyard BabiesBarnyard Babies
Sing along with this story to learn about barnyard babies and count how many are on the farm.
If I Were a FishIf I Were a Little Fish
Sing along with this catchy tune about underwater life.
Stories and Songs in Spanish:
RebotaRebota Ants Las Hormigas Negras Y Rojas
Sing along with these traditional children's songs from Latin-America.
o
Los Elefantes
Elephants, elephants, galore! This counting song is a favorite for all children.
o
Pimpón
This well-behaved doll, keeps out of trouble by staying clean and not making a mess.
o
Naranja Dulce
This song sings of parting being sweet sorrow, but its actually a popular playground game.
FlashPlease note: You need to have a plug-in called Flash installed on your computer to view the stories. It is free, and it is easy to download. If you don't have it, just ask your parent for help. Click the button to the right, and follow the instructions.
Grown-ups, what do you think of these stories? Would you like to see more of these on the website? Please consider making a donation to RIF to help us continue to offer these online resources. If you have comments about these stories, please email them to kids@rif.org.
Tips on Communicating
by Judie Haynes
Show your school's mainstream teachers and students how to communicate with your newcomers from the very first day.
Mainstream teachers and students can communicate with new non-English speaking students from the very first day. ESL and bilingual teachers will find it worth their time to help them learn to communicate. When classroom teachers communicate with newcomers, that communication must to be comprehensible.
Show them how to use drawings, gestures, actions, emotions, voice variety, chalkboard sketches, photographs, and visual materials to provide clues to meaning. Adding visual and kinesthetic support along with the language will provide additional comprehensible input.
Encourage mainstream teachers and students to allow your new learners of English translation time when listening and speaking. Explain that newcomers are translating the language they hear back to their native language, formulating a response and then translating that response into English.
Remember that there will be times when you will not be able to get an idea across to newcomers. Give each classroom teacher a list of students in your school who speak the newcomer's language. You will be able to call on these students to act as translators if necessary.
Provide clues to meaning
Use drawings, dramatic gestures, actions, emotions, voice, mime, chalkboard sketches, photographs and visual materials to provide clues to meaning.
If necessary, repeat your actions using the same simple structures and actions.
Simplify your message as much as possible breaking them into smaller, manageable parts to give newcomers a chance at comprehending.
Make sure the student's attention is focused.
Don't insist, however,that students make eye contact with you when you are speaking to them. This is considered rude in many cultures.
Modify your speech
Talk at a slow-to-normal pace, in short sentences.
Use a pleasant tone
Use simple sentence structure (subject-verb-object) and high-frequency words
Use names of people rather than pronouns.
Pause after phrases or short sentences, not after each word. You do not want to distort the rhythm of the language.
Avoid using the passive voice and complex sentences.
If you have something important to convey, speak one-on- one to the newcomer rather than in front of the class. The anxiety of being in the spotlight interferes with comprehension.
Ask simple yes/no questions so that newcomers have an opportunity to respond.
Accept one-word answers or gestures.
Be an active listener
Give full attention to your newcomer and make every effort to understand his / her attempts to communicate
Smile
Talk in a calm, quiet manner. Raising your voice does not help comprehension
Demonstrate your patience through your facial expressions and body language.
Give your ESL students extra time to respond.
Encourage new learners of English to act out or to draw pictures to get their meaning across.
Don't jump in immediately to supply the words for the student.
If the student response is heavily accented, correct by repeating the words correctly. Do not ask the student to repeat the correction. This can be very embarrassing.
Resist the urge to over correct. This will inhibit newcomers so that they will be less willing to speak. Allow students to use a bilingual dictionary for words that can not be acted out.
Check comprehension frequently
Don't ask "Do you understand?" unless you have taught it. This is not a reliable check since many students will nod "yes" when they don't really understand.
Teach the phrases (or have a bilingual volunteer teach them) "I don't understand," "Slowly, please," and "Please repeat."
Write down messages so students have a visual as well as auditory input. Make a list of phrases you want your student to learn and to understand. Ask a bilingual volunteer to work with the student on those phrases.
Source: http://www.everythingesl.net
Show your school's mainstream teachers and students how to communicate with your newcomers from the very first day.
Mainstream teachers and students can communicate with new non-English speaking students from the very first day. ESL and bilingual teachers will find it worth their time to help them learn to communicate. When classroom teachers communicate with newcomers, that communication must to be comprehensible.
Show them how to use drawings, gestures, actions, emotions, voice variety, chalkboard sketches, photographs, and visual materials to provide clues to meaning. Adding visual and kinesthetic support along with the language will provide additional comprehensible input.
Encourage mainstream teachers and students to allow your new learners of English translation time when listening and speaking. Explain that newcomers are translating the language they hear back to their native language, formulating a response and then translating that response into English.
Remember that there will be times when you will not be able to get an idea across to newcomers. Give each classroom teacher a list of students in your school who speak the newcomer's language. You will be able to call on these students to act as translators if necessary.
Provide clues to meaning
Use drawings, dramatic gestures, actions, emotions, voice, mime, chalkboard sketches, photographs and visual materials to provide clues to meaning.
If necessary, repeat your actions using the same simple structures and actions.
Simplify your message as much as possible breaking them into smaller, manageable parts to give newcomers a chance at comprehending.
Make sure the student's attention is focused.
Don't insist, however,that students make eye contact with you when you are speaking to them. This is considered rude in many cultures.
Modify your speech
Talk at a slow-to-normal pace, in short sentences.
Use a pleasant tone
Use simple sentence structure (subject-verb-object) and high-frequency words
Use names of people rather than pronouns.
Pause after phrases or short sentences, not after each word. You do not want to distort the rhythm of the language.
Avoid using the passive voice and complex sentences.
If you have something important to convey, speak one-on- one to the newcomer rather than in front of the class. The anxiety of being in the spotlight interferes with comprehension.
Ask simple yes/no questions so that newcomers have an opportunity to respond.
Accept one-word answers or gestures.
Be an active listener
Give full attention to your newcomer and make every effort to understand his / her attempts to communicate
Smile
Talk in a calm, quiet manner. Raising your voice does not help comprehension
Demonstrate your patience through your facial expressions and body language.
Give your ESL students extra time to respond.
Encourage new learners of English to act out or to draw pictures to get their meaning across.
Don't jump in immediately to supply the words for the student.
If the student response is heavily accented, correct by repeating the words correctly. Do not ask the student to repeat the correction. This can be very embarrassing.
Resist the urge to over correct. This will inhibit newcomers so that they will be less willing to speak. Allow students to use a bilingual dictionary for words that can not be acted out.
Check comprehension frequently
Don't ask "Do you understand?" unless you have taught it. This is not a reliable check since many students will nod "yes" when they don't really understand.
Teach the phrases (or have a bilingual volunteer teach them) "I don't understand," "Slowly, please," and "Please repeat."
Write down messages so students have a visual as well as auditory input. Make a list of phrases you want your student to learn and to understand. Ask a bilingual volunteer to work with the student on those phrases.
Source: http://www.everythingesl.net
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)