I hope you have an amazing St. Patrick’s Day.

Here are a few interesting bits of information about St. Patrick.

He was not an Irishman!

He was born in western Britain.

His father, Calpurnius, was a Roman official and deacon.

Patrick, while still a boy, was captured and sold as a slave in Ireland.  He escaped to Gaul.

He probably studied in the monastery of Lerina before returning to Britain.

He received a supernatural call to preach to the heathen of Ireland, so he returned to Gaul and was ordained deacon.

Finally, he landed in Wicklow, Ireland (432) and traveled north, converting the people of

Ulster and later those of other parts of Ireland.

He died around 461 and may have been buried at Down in Ulster.

*These tidbits were primarily drawn from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase & Fable.

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Teaching ADD / ADHD Students

Whether a student has been labelled with ADD, ADHD, or some other attention or focusing deficit, a lot of the necessary teaching and coaching skills remain the same.
In fact, a lot of the strategies promoted for such students would benefit any student.  It is just more essential for those with some such challenge to have intervention and, sometimes, accommodation.
I know, I know, some will argue that this is not the case.
I still believe it.  I have seen all manner of students improve enough times to know that it is true.  I always tell my students not to use whatever challenges they might have as a crutch.
Why?
Because we all have some weakness or learning challenge.  Sometimes, it isn’t an academic delay.  It can be difficulty in social situations, anxiety, anger, etc.  So, use whatever resources are available to cope with the challenge and work toward minimizing it whenever possible.
Not all the following tips need to be used in every case.  Different students respond differently and require their own combination – and these change over time!

Tips:

• Structure lessons in small stages.
• Organization is very important for anyone with an attention issue
• Have clear expectations & consequences
• Divide tasks into small “chunks”
• Provide seating arrangements that assist focus
• Partnering can sometimes work well
• Draw attention to positive accomplishments including appropriate behaviour
• (Note:  Behaviour IS part of learning!)
• Introduce material before reading assignments (like a preview)
• Help underlining key terms

Computer programs

• can be helpful
• can be a problem!

I love technology, but it is just a tool.  It can be very distracting, particularly to those with limited attention spans.
Learning to use computers, iPads, cellphones – any technology or software has to be done in a thoughtful way.
I have found some students even today who do far better at least starting their written assignment on paper.  Don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater!
Use video, audio, text, and even kinesthetic methods to reinforce material.
Do not underestimate humour – including ridiculous comparisons and connections to help with memory.

Demystification

Having a learning challenge is not an excuse – do not use it as a crutch.
You CAN…
Yes, you CAN!

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Skype:          tutoringcentral

What is Learning?

What is learning?

Well, this question is far too broad to be answered in a short blog – assuming that it can be answered at all.

But, generally, I think the definition of learning needs to be broadened well beyond the memorization of facts and numbers.  Some people believe that is all there is to learning, but there is so much more.

Learning is engagement, comprehension, knowledge networking, and incorporation as well as acquisition.

I don’t believe in throwing the baby out with the bathwater, however.  There is value in what has come before, but there’s always so much to learn – especially about teaching and the methods to help students (of any age) reach their goals.

Helping students with motivation and encouraging them to be inquisitive is so important because these are the qualities necessary for life-long learning.

Young children are naturally curious and inquisitive.  We’ve all experienced the “why…why…why…why” questions!  (Feels a bit like an inquisition at times – lol.)

They want to know about everything.  The problem is that they are so broad and so brief that they have difficulty reigning in all the disparate bits to develop a coherent learning experience.

That, in part, is a teacher’s job (teacher = parent, tutor, coach, & teacher). The trick is to do so without completely squashing enthusiasm and eagerness to learn.

Technology today may be increasing the duration of this “scattered” learning, so as teachers/tutors/parents, our job will be to help bring the pieces together. Technology is an amazing tool, but that’s all it is without the proper use, it fails. (Yes, I dare to use the ‘f’ word!)

So, I’ve returned to my starting point. Yes, we need knowledge acquisition (facts, information) to be part of learning; however, we also need to be able to network and incorporate these pieces of data while retaining curiosity and enthusiasm.

So learners and teachers (we should all be both), stay motivated – look for the treasure inherent in all learning.

I know you can! 

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Just Help!

Just help me get through the course!
I hear this more often than I would like.
It isn’t that I don’t want to help – I do. However, just getting through a course isn’t the true goal of education.
Too often this is the focus of both students and parents.
The grade rules all!
When in reality gaining knowledge should be the ruling factor. (If you know the material well – the grades will come anyway. Staring at the number or letter won’t make one bit of difference!)

If you are studying a course you don’t particularly like right away – and I know there are compulsory courses in which we have no choice – try to find your way in.
Look for videos, magazines, blogs, diagrams, anything related that might ease the pain.
(Hey! Even a good tutor can help.)
Sometimes, you have to fake it until you make it.

Yes.

It can happen. I have seen it happen multiple times in my years of tutoring. Students sometimes stumble upon either a teacher, book, or method that works for them and that “horrible” course becomes one of their best.
Instead of waiting and hoping to stumble upon something, why not be proactive and seek out materials that can engender interest and more excitement about the course.

The more involved you become, the more you are likely to find those pathways into the course and gain that elusive knowledge.
Gaining knowledge, making connections, developing that network of information – that is education!

So try not to be negative. Instead of saying, “Just help me get through this course,” say, “I have lots to learn, and here’s how I’m going to do it.”
Is that cheesy? Maybe – but, hey, I like cheese!


The more positive you are (or become), the more others will be able to help you. Other students, teachers, coaches, tutors – even the books and articles themselves will be more useful to you if you are engaged and eager to learn.

So, take up the challenge. The next time you hear your inner voice saying, “Just help me….” – help yourself first by turning the negative into the positive.

For more tips and help with your studies, check out the website or contact me (Ron) to set up some sessions:

www.tutoringcentral.com

e-mail:  tutoringcentral@hotmail.com

 Skype:  tutoringcentral

READ!

READ!
Books
There are so many awesome genres or topics and so many enjoyable books that you can choose from.
Think of your interests, and then go find a book, novel, or collection of short stories – and read.
https://www.goodreads.com/list/tag/novels
Often, people say, “I just don’t have time to read.”
Well, I am here to tell you that you do have time to read.
You don’t have to dedicate hours and hours to reading (although there is nothing wrong with that!).
If you want to get started, read 10 pages per day – only 10 PAGES!
At this rate, you will read approximately:
9 regular sized novels / year (100,000 words – 400 pages)
Or
15 young adult books / year (60,000 words – 240 pages)
Or
30 middle grade books / year (30,000 words – 120 pages)

Of course, these are just averages. Many novels are shorter than 400 pages and some are much longer. I am just finishing a novel with 1,044 pages. (Neal Stephenson’s Reamde)
Still, you get the idea. Slow and steady wins the race. Okay – so there is no race. That’s the whole point!

You don’t need to get bogged down. A few pages each day – every day, and you will retain the thread of the story, but you can still get everything else done in the day.
There are so many things to learn in books.
So much excitement that many people are missing.

Give reading a try – you can take your time and “live” in the moment if you like a particular character or scene.
I hear you. You are thinking, “I am reading this, aren’t I?” But reading blogs and blurbs and bits is not the same thing.
(I do thank you for reading my Blog, however.)

Each kind of reading can be entertaining and educational – but reading a good book or set of stories is quite a different animal.  (Yes, e-readers count – the book doesn’t have to be printed on paper.)
Try it out – and encourage your children, friends, parents, etc. to try it out as well.
I hope you have read at least two or three novels before the end of summer!

L.T.L. Tutoring Central

Christmas decorations

 Here are a few interesting bits of information from Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase & Fable. 

A long time ago the Roman festival of Saturn was held in December and the temples were decorated with greenery. 
The druids are associated with mistletoe, and the Saxons used holly and ivy. 
These customs have been transferred to the Christian festival. 
The decorated Christmas tree was in use among the Romans and was introduced to Britain from Germany soon after Queen Victoria's marriage with Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha in 1840.

Arachnid !

For those of you who love critters! 

What a cutie.
I managed to keep it hidden under the couch while my students were here.  I didn't want any of them to "freak out."

According to the Encyclopedia of Animals [National Geographic], the venom of only 30 out of 40,000 species of spider can cause illness in humans.

No mention of those who have strokes or heart attacks, though!!  Lol.
I think they are very interesting creatures, but they can stay out of our house. 

Interestingly spiders, scorpions, daddy longlegs, mites, and ticks are all arachnids.  Imagine the fun at a family reunion! 
I'm picturing the nine-legged races - hmmm, okay, I don't want to picture that any more.

Reading & Brain Function!

The importance of reading cannot be underestimated for learning.

Now even more research indicates that reading is not only beneficial for obvious reasons, but that it helps develop stronger listening and observing skills as well.  This attentiveness will, in turn, develop even better readers, but it will also ensure that the student is able to learn via other means.

"Dr. Dehaene and his colleagues compared the brain function of adults who can read with those who had never learned to read.
What they found was that regions of the brain that all of us use to process visual information were enhanced among the adults who were readers; both those who had read from childhood and those who learned to read as adults.  They also found that listening skills were better among both groups of readers than among the adults who did not read." (Burns, Martha PHD [2011]: How Learning to Read Improves Brain Function)

Listening to a lecture, social learning, picking up on cues, all appear to be better developed in readers.
These skills are not only useful in academic settings but also in the workplace and individual development as well. 

Of course, these are broad strokes - individual cases are always subject to variations.  Overall, however, there is powerful evidence that improving students' access to reading material and giving them the ability to read will positively affect the breadth of their learning experience far beyond the mechanics of sounding out words and reading phrases.

Halloween or Hallowe'en or All Hallows Eve

HAPPY HALLOWEEN !! 

Halloween
or
All Hallows Eve

Halloween falls on October 31, which in the old Celtic calendar was the last day of the year, its night being the time when all the witches and warlocks were abroad.  On the introduction of Christianity it was taken over as the eve (even or e'en) of All Hallows or All Saints.
Brewers Dictionary of Phrase & Fable


 Of course, most young people know that the most important part is "trick or treating" - and the treats are the most important part of all!!

Changing Leaves !

As the days get shorter and frost starts to appear in the morning, those deciduous trees start preparing for winter - giving us some brilliant colour !

What causes this change ?
Without sufficient light and water, photosynthesis shuts down, and trees must live off food stored during the growing season.

As photosynthesis ceases, the leaves lose their chlorophyll, which gives therm their green colour.  Without chlorophyll, other colours emerge - yellows, oranges, and reds.
In sugar Maples, the red happens because glucose remains.
The yellows and oranges are normally in the leaves but the chlorophyll overshadows them until photosynthesis stops.

At any rate the poetry of colour is beautiful to behold!

PLRS Learning Cycle

Increase your knowledge !












Although the following may sound quite burdensome, it really isn't.  The main theme is that the more you rehearse material, the better you will remember it.  This is useful for tests, quizzes, and exams; but, more importantly, it is essential for building your own knowledge base.

 PLRS = preview, lecture, review, study.

Preview:   

• This preparation before class is similar to a warm-up before a physical activity.  It develops                  a specific readiness for class as previous lecture notes and textbook study notes are reviewed.  Written assignments and problems are proofread before being turned in.

Lecture:    

• Formal learning begins in the classroom where students and teachers engage in dialogue.  Through efficient listening / note-taking techniques and by means of questions, frequent recitations, and lively discussion, learning takes place in a dynamic atmosphere.

Review:   

• This active response to classroom learning includes both recall and reorganization of the lecture and preparation for later intensive study.  This review requires that lecture notes be edited and summarized and that any assignments be planned while their details are still fresh in the mind.  The review following each course’s final weekly class session can be expanded into a full review of all material covered in the past weeks (assignments and lectures).

Study:  

•  This intensive session normally occurs the night before the next class lecture.  It begins with a brief review of the latest lecture notes.  Then the textbook assignment is over-viewed and mastered with a study-reading technique such as Survey-Question-Study-Read/Summarize-Test. Questions and personal reactions to the study-reading should be written down to be brought up for clarification and discussion in class.

Cumulative learning is far better than cramming and temporary memorization.

Schedule a minimum of 1 hour per night  (more for high school) on the following days:
    Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Sunday
to review your notes, rewrite and correct when necessary, rehearse, and practise various learned concepts.
You have homework on these days whether or not your teacher gave you “homework.”  With additional homework, you will need to add time
Review notes nightly (weekly notes on Sunday and preview for the week).
Rewrite messy or incorrect notes - make corrections.
Self-Test or rehearse material (while not looking at answers - then check).

Note:     Simply reviewing your notes (even many times) before a test will not be enough as you progress.