Learning by doing 1 ppt

HOW TO STUDY
36
one end and moon at the other, for lightening and darkening your
screen.) Everything you type will still register; you just won’t be
seeing it. Try it. Remember to continue to press SAVE as you’re typ-
ing. When you feel calmer, turn the screen back on. You may find
you wrote more than usual. Remember to keep writing until you’ve
answered your questions, created clear pictures, and presented
your thoughts in an order that makes sense to you. Save correcting
for last! (You may want to take a sneak-peek at Chapter 19, Prepar-
ing for Essay Tests, for more suggestions on writing and editing.)
E-Mail
Some people become so attached to sending and receiving e-mail
messages, they refer to “regular” letters as being “snail-mail.” Even people
who say they don’t like to write enjoy sending e-mail messages.
What’s tricky is to make sure you have the exact e-mail address of the
person you’re sending a message to. Make sure each letter, number, and
symbol is accurate. It’s important, too, to use the same kind of spacing,
or lack of spacing! The computer does what you tell it to. Exactly. Every
punctuation mark, every space, each letter needs to be in the same precise
order of the person’s e-mail address.
What’s easy is that to answer someone’s e-mail, you click onto REPLY.
Then, simply confirm that it’s going to the person who sent you a
message. In addition, you can print a copy, and the initial message can be
repeated in your reply.
Some schools, libraries, and offices offer free courses for students and
employees to learn how to use computers. Check it out!
The Internet
The Internet is a gigantic network that behaves something like telephone
lines. Anyone with an Internet link can click on to a source such as an
online library. There is so much information available on the Internet—

even translations of documents that previously were very difficult to
obtain—that some libraries are focussing on Internet collections for
library-users to use.
LEARNING BY DOING
37
If the Personal Computer Is Old Hat to You
Discover new ways to use the computer in studying. For example, e-mail
can be a boon to working with a study buddy. Even if both you and your
buddy have tight schedules and find it difficult to arrange meeting times
with each other, e-mail is something you can read or send at any time.
Make sure you keep a copy of your message! What’s fresh in the mind one
day, can become confusing another day.
E-MAIL YOURSELF. It’s a simple way to
—remind yourself of something you want to do
—draft a paper you’re working on
—draft an e-mail message that you want to review later.
Computer Reminders
• Save everything! When writing, drawing, doing math calculations,
or composing a long e-mail message on the computer, create a file
to save what you’re working on. With some computers, go to the
word “file” and click on “save as.” Type in the name and/or date you
want to call the file. As you continue working, click “save” from
time to time to keep what you’ve done—perhaps after a page or
sooner. This is important because a file could be accidentally
closed by an electrical malfunction, accidentally touching a key, or
mistakenly pressing a combination of keys.
• Computers run on electricity or batteries. If yours plugs in, get a
surge protector to safe-guard the system if there’s an inconsistent
electric current that may erase what you’re working on.
• Make sure you’re sitting comfortably, in an ergonomically sound

chair, with feet flat on the floor, and supports for your wrists. Or,
prop your feet on a stool. Wrist supports help prevent tendonitis
and carpal tunnel syndrome.
T
HE
COMPUTER AND YOUR LEARNING STYLE
If you learn best by moving, you’ll probably find computers especially
engaging.
If you learn best by hearing, some computers have microphones you
can speak into—some even have a built-in voice component that will
read back what you’ve written. If English is not your first language, this
can be quite helpful!
HOW TO STUDY
38
If you are a visual learner, you’ll probably find the icons and symbols
available on many computer software programs, helpful. The little
pictures show you what to do!
WRITE AND
DOODLE
Have scrap paper handy for doodling in addition to your notebook or
tape recorder. Doodling will help loosen up your mind and give you
small breaks during intense study periods. It’s also a good idea to re-write
your notes. Writing them over will help you understand and remember
them better. You can re-organize them as you write them, too. Writing,
after all, is a physical activity!
There’s Action—and There’s Action
Kinesthetic learning takes different forms in different people.
• Jake hates sports, but he’s active in other ways. His hands move
like butterflies when he speaks. He’s successful in his marketing
career. He likes working with people, and he likes the frequent

activity of checking merchandise and prices.
• Katie’s friends say she’s quiet. She likes listening to music and
knitting. She often doodles when she’s thinking—on the
phone, in class, or on the bus to work. She feels knitting and
doodling help her stay calm and think clearly.
• Tara loves playing basketball and ice skating. In class, she’s usu-
ally tapping her foot. In fact, it’s sometimes difficult for her not
to tap her foot.
Jake, Katie, and Tara learn best when they’re moving in some
way. The ways vary, but they are all kinesthetic learners.
Find Out!
ESL
Want other suggestions? Use the tips listed in the beginning of
this chapter. The section “Becoming an Active Learner” provides fun and
effective exercises for developing your kinesthetic study skills.
LEARNING BY DOING
39
A
NOTHER ACTIVE LEARNING TECHNIQUE
Experienced active learners think ahead before they read, and then think
back about what they’ve just read. Now that you’re at the end of the chap-
ter, go back to what you wrote or recorded at the beginning of it.
• How does what happened in this chapter compare with what you
expected to happen?
• How would you answer the questions you had at the beginning of
the chapter?
• And the biggie: What was most useful to you in this chapter?
I
N SHORT
There are different ways of “doing” in learning. One is to become actively

involved through making your own questions and finding your own
answers—making the material personally interesting to you.
Another way is to actually move about. Walking, for example, can help
clear your head and help you remember what you learned. Some people
learn best by moving.
Practice Tips
• Study actively. Before you study, think of a real-life use for the sub-
ject at hand. Imagine yourself as a professional involved with the
study material. If you’re studying management, pretend you own
your own company; if you’re studying chemistry, think of yourself
as a chemist; and so on. Keep your character in mind as you create
and answer questions from the text or audiotape, make notes, and
review your study session.
• Study by moving. After a study session, take a notepad and pen with
you as you go for a walk of at least 20 minutes. Choose a time when
you don’t feel rushed. As you’re walking, think about what you stud-
ied. Stop and write down these thoughts as they come to mind. You
might also discover new connections with old material.
41
CHAPTER
6
MAKING
S
TUDYING
DO-ABLE
Break up a major study
project into pieces and it
won’t seem so impossible.
Make a plan based on your

unique learning style and
stick to it. Take into
consideration how much
time you have before the
exam, how difficult the
material is for you, and
where and when you study
best. The key here is to
study “brick by brick,”
making a study project—
whether reading a long
chapter or writing a major
paper—less intimidating
and more do-able.
T
he next time you’re in a group, ask each
person how long it took them to learn to ride a bike, type, or
drive a car. Chances are you’ll have a different answer from each
person. Someone might have learned in two months, someone else in
two years, another person in two weeks—or maybe even two days!
Everyone has their own rate of learning. And it varies, depending on
what it is you’re learning. When you’re developing a time-management
study plan, you need to keep in mind how you learn.