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Learn better through outdoor playing

Rik — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 16:35:43 +0000

Some studies show that outdoor exercises are better for the development of young children. Scotland nurseries will try this more Scandinavian approach to education by taking their pre-school classes out more often.

Most nurseries now have outdoor spaces attached but for those which haven’t the guide sent by the Scottish Government will give some tips on how to hit the out.

Speaking before today’s launch in Edinburgh, Mr Ingram said:

“There are lots of helpful ideas and inspiration for teachers on the DVD, and one of the areas focused on is outdoor play. Not only is that great fun for children, it is crucial for development physically, mentally and socially, particularly during the early years.”

The learning curve

Rik — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 15:33:43 +0000

What we call learning curve is a graphical representation of someone’ learning rate in a defined subject. The curve usually has the shape of a ’s’.

The retention of information starts low, increases sharply after the initial attempts and will slow down when the persons gets less and less new information.

The learning curve is often used to illustrate how hard it is to learn something. There also cases, mainly for very wide subject where the learning curve looks like a staircase with many learning spikes. It if a good way to encourage people not to give up in learning something by showing them where they are in the learning curve and why it seems to go slower sometimes.

Are gadgets bad for learning

Rik — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 16:28:05 +0000

Apparently a recent study shows that gadget addiction is bad for pupils spelling and concentration. Research was conducted on 267 pupils aged from 11 to 18, all Internet and mobile phone user. 63% were feeling addicted to Internet and 53% to their mobile phone.

Dr Nada Kakabadse from the research team said new technoligies like mobile phone and computer games were having a bad impct on attention.

They are hiding these things under the desks so their concentration cannot be equally divided, they are not focusing on what’s going on in class.

They can’t get motivated to read for a long period of time.

Internet seems also to encourage plagiarism and 84% admitted coping pieces of information straight to their work.

Practice your knowledge

Rik — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 16:15:23 +0000

Learning is never a one way process. You can’t learn something and assume to have it forever. Knowledge, like skills need to be practiced to keep them alive.

There are many way to practice your knowledge. It can be playing educational games and quizzes or trying to resolve random questions you ask yourself on a subject. If you don’t know the answer then research it.

After a while you should see answers coming coming more quickly. The brain, like a muscle, can be trained so don’t live snoring passively, get it to work.

You can learn more about brain training on the dedicated Wikipedia page: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brain_training

Coursework- getting it right!

Rik — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 08:00:21 +0000

Having been in full time education until I was 21 years of age, I can honestly say I have had plenty of experience in completing coursework. It is often set at the beginning of a term and should be handed in near the end, but this does not mean you should forget about it until the last week of term!. The reason you get so long to complete your coursework is that teachers and lecturers understand it takes time to research a topic and then write about it.
Prior to starting the essay you should make sure you have read the suggested material on the topic. If you have a choice of topics, you should think long and hard about what you are most interested in and what you will enjoy writing about. Prior to actually sitting down to write it, draw a spider diagram with your ideas which you want to include, this will mean the essay will be structured. It should have a clear introduction, middle and end.
Once you have a first draft, you can take a break and revisit what you have done and make necessary changes where appropriate. Don’t rush it and remember not to go off on a tangent, stick to what has been asked for!

Learning- the opportunities are endless….

Rik — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 08:00:28 +0000

I think we have established that getting a good education means that people can give themselves a better start in life. However, there is help out there for people who perhaps did not enjoy school and therefore did not achieve the results they were capable of the first time round.
With the age of the internet it has never been easier to study online and gain a better education using resources from the web.

It means people who never expected to be able to go back into education and gain more skills are now able to.

Admittedly it will not be for everyone, however I am sure there are many people out there who can benefit from this type of learning.

For many the opportunity to study and learn at their own convenience means that they can move forwards at their own pace and fit courses around other responsibilities of child care and full time jobs. It is certainly worth looking into if you feel you do not have the time to attend classes at local education centres.

Which subjects should you study?

Rik — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 08:00:34 +0000

When I attended college I found it really hard to choose the subjects I wanted to study for the next 2 years. It was important that I choose subjects I liked, but it would also help if they were relevant to the type of degree I might want to do in the future. My parents did not have too much say in the matter and I felt it was important I stick to my strengths, so I opted for subjects I had enjoyed at high school. The same can be said for my decision regarding my university course. I wanted to continue my current interests up to degree level. The choice in todays current economic climate may be much more vital due to the increased competition for fewer jobs. When I was in education there were plenty of people available to help students make that decision and I am sure then same can be said today. If people are unsure of the path they wish to take, they should talk to teachers and career advisors in order to get the appropriate advice in order for them to make an informed decision.

Private education Versus state education.

Rik — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 11:54:56 +0000

Figures from this years A-level results showed that the number of A grades achieved by privately educated students increased by more than two percent this year. This increase was at least twice that achieved in state comprehensives, grammar schools of colleges across the country. The number of entries from students in private education who were given ‘A’ grades was more than 50%.
This information will no doubt fuel the debate that private schools are leaving state schools behind with students from fairly wealthy backgrounds taking over places at the leading universities. It seems many private schools are offering subjects to students which are in high demand not only from Universities, but employers as well. At present approximately seven percent of pupils across are privately educated.

Part time students face a difficult time.

Rik — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 08:00:19 +0000

Keeping with the topic of students in education, the government is encouraging us to continue learning throughout our lives, but this can be very difficult to achieve in today’s day and age, particularly with the recession.
Part time students make up approximately one third of the undergraduate numbers, and there have been calls recently to give them more support financially.
It can be an uphill struggle from the start if you are considering studying part time as tuition fees need to be paid upfront and there is only a slim chance of securing the financial help needed. Then there are the hidden costs each year with the requirement of certain books and in some cases equipment, not to mention living costs.
It is the Governments responsibility to make it as easy as possible for individuals to take the opportunity to improve their skills and perhaps their job prospects through part time study. Why should someone who wants to be educated further be held back for financial reasons?- they shouldnt.

University competition.

Rik — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 12:09:11 +0000

A-level results were released today. Sixth Formers have received a record number of A-level passes. However many will be faced with a mad scramble to find places through the clearing system in its most competitive year. The University admissions service has advised that 135,114 students are eligible for clearing this year, but only 22,000 places were available. In comparison to last year 112,000 students were eligible with 43,000 places. Students who go through the clearing process have either not met the grades required for their chosen University, have chosen not to take up their current offer or who did not have an existing offer.
It seems that there has been an unfortunate collision of the volumes of students in the system this year and the impact of the recession which has meant the demand for university places far outweighs the supply.
There is a huge debate weather going to university is more beneficial than going straight into full time work. It certainly is an opportunity to learn more, but in these very hard economic times you cannot blame people for wanting to earn money as soon as possible, so they can pay their own way from a young age.