Improve Study Habits Student Questionnaire

Enhance the Way You Study Through Reflection and Self-Analysis

High school students have grown up hearing that study techniques vary from person to person, so they should select techniques that work best for them. Certainly, this is true to an extent. However, students often select study methods that are not currently meeting their needs.

Designing a lesson around improving study habits is well worth the instructional time. The objective is not to introduce students to new study habits but to have them analyze their current habits. They can then decide what is working and what needs to be improved. Naturally, students can learn from the suggestions and “best practices” of other students, so this will be a collaborative activity.

Teacher Preparation for Student Questionnaire Lesson

For this activity, arrange your students into four collaborative groups. Be sure to construct mixed ability, mixed gender groups in advance and assign students to groups at the very beginning of class. Give each group one section of this questionnaire:

• Location
• Time
• Company
• Priority

Lesson Guidelines

Instruct each group to write down everyone’s responses and then discuss among themselves which methods they feel are most effective and why. Inform them that half way through class groups will be reporting back to the class to discuss the results of the following questionnaire.

Location: Where Do You Study?

• on your bed
• at a desk in your bedroom
• on the living room couch
• in the family dining room
• at the library
• at a friend’s house
• in the car
• at a tutoring center
• at school in between classes or during study hall

Time: When Do You Study?

At what time do you study or complete homework?

• immediately after school
• right before dinner
• right after dinner
• just before bedtime
• only on the weekends

Company: With Whom Do You Study?

• alone
• your best friend
• a motivated student who is just an acquaintance
• your sibling
• your parent
• a supportive teacher during extra-help sessions
• a private tutor

Priority: How do you prioritize your assignments?

• big projects first
• difficult assignments first
• easy assignments first
• a specific piece of a large assignment first

Which assignments do you postpone?

• studying for a test
• short less important assignments
• major assignments like an essay or research paper
• projects with creative elements
• projects with extensive research
• collaborative projects with other students

Once you return to whole group discussion half way through the class, you may want to draw a graphic organizer or chart on the board to represent the four categories. Ask one student to write the best practices of each group on the board as each group reports their findings.

Naturally, you will want to point out that different methods work for different students. However, students should continue to explore and experiment if they find one method is not as effective as they would like. Encourage them to select at least two new methods recommended by their classmates and try them out for a week or two. They may be surprised at the positive results.

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Resources: 25 Useful Lesson Plan Links

For new teachers, designing curriculum for classes can be a challenge, as they don’t have the experience of veteran teachers to go on when creating new lessons. New teachers don’t have to go it alone, however. There are plenty of resources on the Internet that are designed to cater to the needs of teachers just entering their first years of teaching, as well as those with years of experience. Here are 25 great resources to check out to help you create interesting and effective lesson plans.

1. Columbia Education Center Lesson Plans: This site is full of lesson plans created by teachers for their own classrooms that you can repurpose and use as part of your plans as well.
2. The Teacher‘s Corner: Here you‘ll find lesson plans on topics that range from social studies to arts and crafts as well as printable worksheets, bulletin boards, recommended books and more.
3. Teacher Vision: Whether you teach high school, middle school or elementary classes, you‘ll find helpful lesson plans on this site as well as advice on classroom management and fun activities.
4. Thirteen Ed: This New York based site has numerous resources for all kinds of lessons including science, math, technology, art and more.
5. Reach Every Child: Horace Mann and teacher Alan Haskvitz have compiled this collection of resources for teachers. Get a little assistance in approaching math, science and language arts from another way.
6. Scholastic for Teachers: This leading educational publisher provides teachers with a number of resources, including some sample lesson plans that can help get them on the right track to better teaching students.
7. Educational Resources and Lesson Plans: Professor Edmond Sass has created a list of thousands of lesson plan resources that can fit the needs of any teacher, from those working with special education students to those working to boost self-esteem.
8. Busy Teachers’ Website:Get a long list of educational resources and lesson plans on this site. You’ll not only find links to lesson plans on just about every subject, but tips on relevant museum exhibits and projects as well.
9. The Educator’s Reference Desk:This site contains a huge archive of lesson plans that you can search by subject, keywords or grade level.
10. Teachers.net: Here, teachers can find over 4000 different lesson plans that have been created and submitted by other teachers for a variety of grade levels and subjects.
11. Kathy Schrock’s Guide for Educators: Discovery Channel has an educationally focused site and among many other resources, teachers will find sample lesson plans and ideas to make technology-focused learning more fun and easier for students.
12. Access Excellence: Biology and life sciences teachers can get some ideas for great lessons on this site on topics like DNA, radioactivity, the circulatory system and more.
13. Microsoft Lesson Plans: Tech giant Microsoft gives back to the community through educational programs like this one that helps teachers. Here you‘ll get ideas for lessons on geography, history, technology and much more.
14. Sites for Teachers:Whether you’re looking for an entire lesson plan, educational resources, or just some worksheets to print out, you‘ll find what you need on this comprehensive listing site.
15. Pro Teacher Directory: Get some examples of lesson plans and class schedules as well as advice on writing effective lesson plans. You’ll also find common mistakes to avoid as well as guidance in creating lessons.
16. Adprima: Here you‘ll find not only access to sample lesson plans but a little advice and guidance on how you can best go about writing your own lesson plans.
17. Lesson Plans Page: Sponsored by Hot Chalk, this site contains over 3,500 different lesson plans. Teachers will also find help and advice from fellow teachers through articles and forums on the site.
18. Read Write Think: English teachers can get some helpful lesson advice from this site, geared towards improving reading and language arts education.
19. Lesson Plan Search: Search through a huge archive of lesson plans for help on a particular subject or grade level.
20. Teachnology: Teachers can take advantage of over 28,000 lesson plans on this site as well as printable worksheets, teaching tips and more.
21. Lesson Tutor: Get reproducible lesson plans, worksheets and some helpful advice from this instructional site for home schooling parents and teachers.
22. Curriculum Archive: Find advice from other teachers, lesson plans, and classroom ideas on this searchable site.
23. Technology Lesson Plans: With technology becoming an ever growing part of education, why not give your lessons a head start with some help from this site?
24. Thinkfinity: Teachers can take advantage of the lesson plans as well as loads of other educational resources and tools found on this site.
25. Xpeditions: National Geographic gives teachers some ideas of lessons on this site, which focuses on the earth sciences and biology.

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Child Development for Students: Lesson Plans for Daily Routine Building

Establishing routines and patterns of behavior are important aids for children. Much of family conflict revolves around getting from one place to another or from one activity to another. Parents come for counseling because their children resist getting up in the morning, feel anxious over homework, dispute parent’s instructions, or delay in getting ready when the family needs to get somewhere. These difficulties can last into the teenage years and can leave the emerging young adult incapable of coping with independence and responsibility.Some household adjustments can help remedy the challenges in the present and prevent future problems.

As parents, it is our job to train our children to become successful adults. Successful routines are at the core of independence and responsibility. Babies learn feeding patterns, nap patterns, and play patterns. Toddlers learn waking patterns, snack patterns, and clean up patterns. Preschoolers learn activity patterns, sitting and listening, and bedtime patterns. Elementary school children learn chore patterns, homework patterns, and social patterns. These patterns are not innate; they are learned. Parents are the teachers. Thus parents must teach these routines with the patience and encouragement of a professional. Although so much of what we ask may seem simple, a child may find them complicated.

There are four major routines children must establish during elementary school:

• Morning Routine: This pattern includes getting up on time, making their beds, getting dressed, eating breakfast, brushing teeth, washing up, packing lunches and getting their backpacks ready.
• School Routine: The teacher and the school establish this pattern but it can be a very complicated set of behaviors and thought patterns.
• After School Routine: Transitioning from school to home or an activity is a pattern in and of itself. This pattern might include snacks, breaks, sports and homework.
• Nighttime Routine: This pattern might include mealtime, homework, snack/dessert, free-time, brushing teeth, washing up, settling into their own beds and going to sleep.

Your children have a need to feel comfortable and safe in their patterns. And your children need your help in the training process. Here are some helpful hints to aid in their success:

1. Establish your own pattern. Most people are forced to have routines due to their line of work (from lawyer to home manager). But if you live chaotically, understand that your children will live chaotically. Establishing a routine for yourself will greatly help in establishing a routine for your children and help model for your children the act of routine-building.
2. Establish expectations and home routines. Sit down with your child and discuss what works best for the morning routine, after school routine and night routine. Use your child’s input and make a list. Post the lists in appropriate places. Again, you are training your child to be a responsible adult.
3. Encourage your child to adopt the plan by emphasizing that life is easier with routines. Remember that repetition is critical. Gentle reminders and keeping the focus on established lists aids a child in the training process. If a routine is not working, re-work it! Consistency yields results. Help your child daily until the behavior patterns solidify. You will likely be rewarded by a calmer atmosphere at home.
4. Review school routines. Most kids feel overwhelmed and anxious by new school routines. No matter how helpful and forgiving the teacher may be, kids feel a need to impress and fit in. Go over the expectations of the school and talk to your child about the best way he can manage within that system.

Remember, it is never too late to establish routines. Look at what has worked so far, what is not working, and what will work in the future. Develop a plan with your children and then understand that you are responsible for training them step by step. If you use patience and understanding, your children will gladly participate in finding what works. Nobody likes a chaotic, hurried experience. After thirty days of intense training, your children will relax into the patterns.

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What Is Magnesium Sulfate Used For?

Magnesium has many uses in the body but generally promotes biochemical reactions within cells that ensure proper growth, proper heart rhythms and oxygen transport. Additionally, many prescription drugs use a magnesium supplement to normalize the body in patients with acid reflux disorders, heart failure and renal failure.

Generally, adult women need 310-320 milligrams of the mineral each day, while adult men require 400-420. Having too much or too little can result in many troubles.

Magnesium is found in a number of foods. To get the recommended daily value of 310-320 for adult women, 400-420 for adult men, doctors recommend a healthy diet that includes fish, nuts, milk and carbohydrates. For instance, three ounces of cooked halibut contains 90mg; one ounce of roasted almonds contains 80mg; one ounce of roasted cashews, 1/2 cup of soybeans and 1/2 cup of cooked spinach all have 75mg; and two biscuits of Shredded Wheat cereal have 55mg.

Other great sources include baked potatoes, oatmeal, peanuts, wheat bran, yogurt, bran flakes, baked beans, avocados, kidney beans, lentils, pinto beans, bananas, whole wheat bread, a milk chocolate bar, reduced fat milk, raisins and chocolate pudding. A magnesium supplement can also be taken in cases of a magnesium deficiency.

For a patient suffering from magnesium deficiency, a magnesium supplement can cure the body's irritability and restlessness. Often, a person will have insomnia, cramps, constipation, twitches, muscle tension, tingling, vibration, anxiety, chest tightness and sensory sensitivity.

The least expensive supplement is magnesium oxide, but it may not absorb as well as others. Prescription magnesium chloride is probably the best option (called slow-mag). Taken elementally, the recommended dose is around 350mg, although those in therapy may take as much as 800. Too much of this mineral will cause diarrhea.

People with kidney failure should be careful of how much of this chemical element they're ingesting because their kidneys have a harder time ridding the body of the mineral, which can result in an unsafe build-up. Doctors can test for the body's absorption with a 24 hour urinalysis.

The uses of magnesium chloride run far and wide. Not only is a version of this substance used to salt the roads in the winter, but a high magnesium supplement can also help ease some of the symptoms of Parkinson's disease, Epilepsy, Diabetes, Cancer, Heart Disease and Urinary Tract Infections for patients with Prostate Cancer.

Some of the links are suggested by research but not necessarily proven beyond the shadow of a doubt. However, researchers admit that magnesium and chloride have important functions that keep us young and healthy, aiding in gastric acid activity and rejuvenation, preventing the calcification of organs and tissues associated with aging.

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Taking the First Steps in Making Your Own Electricity From Windmills Or Solar Panels

Whether you are just thinking about converting to wind and solar powered electricity, or you are already convinced that this is what you want to do, you need to find the best way to go about it. It doesn't really matter whether you want to do this to save money on your electricity bill or because you believe that it is far better for the environment - using wind power and solar power can achieve both of these objectives at the same time.

The simplest solution would be to spend a few thousand dollars on ready made solutions, but most of us don't have that kind of money available - if we did, we might not be so worried about the cost of electricity. A much better alternative is to build your own windmill turbine or solar power collection system. The cost is very low indeed and materials are readily available either cheaply or even, in many cases, totally free.

You don't need to do both at once, either. If you are living in an area where there is hardly ever a breath of wind, then solar power is going to be your best option. It is surprising how little sun it will take to make a difference to your power bill, or to how much 'un-green' electricity you use. On the other hand, you don't need a constant gale to power a wind turbine - even a slight breeze will make a difference.

The next stage is to find an expert to advise you on how to build your electricity making project. Experts come in all shapes, sizes and costs! Luckily a good DIY (do it yourself) handbook will tell you everything else you will need to know. These are lot cheaper than human experts who charge by the hour! For less than $50 you can equip yourself with everything you need to know and start making your electricity savings now.

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Podcast Lectures For University Students

In 2004, Duke University in North Carolina gave 1600 freshmen free iPods. Tempting enrollment incentive, or visionary application of must-have mp3 player as an educational tool?

Five years later it appears that, by promoting iPods as cutting-edge educational technology, Duke Administration was really onto something.

The journal Computers & Education recently published a study claiming that podcasts of college lectures can be more effective than the real thing.

A class of 64 psychology students was divided into two groups. The first attended a regular course lecture and the second only listened to a podcast of the lecture. All students received printouts of the PowerPoint slides used in the lecture.

The results showed significantly higher scores (71 percent average) on an exam of the course material for students in the podcast group. Those who attended the in-class lecture scored 62.5 percent. Scores for students who took notes during the podcast lecture rose to 77 percent.

The researchers don’t claim their study’s results are any indication that audio copies of lectures could or should replace actual professors, or regular class attendance. Instead, the podcasts give students a chance to play the course material repeatedly. In a traditional lecture setting, although students can ask questions, they can only hear the material once. Students with a podcast lecture, however, are more likely to listen to the lecture more than once, as did two thirds of the students in this study’s podcast group.

Even with printouts of PowerPoint slides before lecture, students madly jotting down notes on a previous topic can miss other concepts in a lecture. If they could go back and listen to the professor again, they’d likely be able focus more on the material and less on detailed note taking.

Learning by podcast is an idea whose time is now. Web sites like iTunes U and Academic Earth offer a wealth of recorded lectures to highschool and college students and the public alike. Podcasts like Stuff You Should Know offer continuing education for anyone with a desire to learn and be entertained while stuck in traffic, waiting for a bus, or jogging on a treadmill.

College, continuing education, and high school students everywhere are learning that Spacelocker is a quick and easy way to organize and keep their podcasts—and a whole lot more—just a click away. Spacelocker users enjoy instant access to all their sites, friends, pictures, videos, games, . . . from a single place.

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