Reaching Lifelong Goals

One of the major things I neglected with this blog at the end of last term was to post a link to my WR123 Research Writing class project.   This class was one of the most useful that I have taken so far.   The entire term was devoted to one major research paper.   The skills learned will be invaluable to me throughout my college career.   The textbook was a keeper as well, The Bedford Researcher.   Search for this one and add it to your permanent library.   When it came to selecting a topic and major thesis, I could have taken the easy road and wrote about my History Major topic of World War One aviation, but I decided to stretch myself.   With the topic of nontraditional students being top of mind for me lately, I wanted to produce a work that could be beneficial to my Non Trad community.    I finally came up with the thesis of: THE NON TRADITIONAL STUDENT PHENOMENON:  How has the Non Traditional Student Demographic Affected Teaching Methods and Institutional Accommodations in Higher Education Today. I must have done something right in this class due to my “A” grade.   (I received the second 4.00 GPA of my lifetime for Fall Term 2009)    Researching this paper was challenging, I did find some great sources about new teaching methods for Non Trads.   Statistics about the nontraditional student population in higher education today was a bit problematic.   US Dept of Education statistics were somewhat dated.   The numbers of nontraditional students have risen over the past couple of years due to the economic situation in the US at present.   This information was not as easy to obtain.   Just look around your classrooms this week and you can see that the number of older students is increasing.   This phenomenon is more pronounced in the Community College setting, but major universities have seen increases in enrollment as well.   The student population of Oregon State University has risen to 22,000 this year, up by 8.1% over last year.    The trend towards new teaching methods for older students has been addressed for a number of years, and I highlighted some of them (with resources for instructors…) in my research paper.   My instructor for Research Writing  provided the class with an online “wiki” format to publish our papers.   This website is based on a program called Wet Paint.   Many of my classmates posted their papers here as well.   Feel free to cruise around the postings on this site.  The website is WR123.wetpaint.com and this link will take you to the Nontraditional Student Phenomenon paper .   Pass this link onto your instructors as well, they may even get a kick out of it.

One of the biggest study skills that a Non Traditional Student can master is TIME MANAGEMENT! As I sit here posting a blog entry, thinking about all the reading I have to do for ENG 201, HST 201 and my research paper on Non Trads in my WR123 class, I am reminded of what my father used to say to me all the time….”don’t do as I do, DO AS I SAY!”    Oh, I forgot to add that I need to study for my first MTH 065 module test as well.   The generally accepted ratio for study time is 2 hours of homework for every 1 hour of class time.   Like many Non Traditional Students, I look at this ratio and figure…if each day only had an extra 8 hours in it, I would be able to keep up!!    Actually, there is a plan that every non trad should consider.   Setting up a realistic hour by hour grid system with all of your needed activities for a day listed.  Plan the work and work the plan!   I find that I have more time in a day for study/hobbies/blogging etc, than it looks like on the surface.   By really breaking down your day into manageable blocks of assigned activities, you can utilize your waking hours more efficiently.   I went through this process for my first term back in school in my Study Skills Class (CG111).   I am embarrassed to say, I have not followed up with this activity during  Summer and Fall terms.   (again, see above axiom…).   The typical Non Traditional Student needs to balance many facets of their day.    I am in awe of some of my fellow non trad classmates who hold down jobs, deal with family matters, kids and carry a full load of classes.   This is what makes Non Traditional Students such a dynamic demographic in colleges today.   We need to keep our heads above water and find time to study.   I am researching a paper for my writing class that explores this very subject.   I am a wimpy example of a busy non trad, as all I have on my plate is going to school and  home to study.    No kids, no job, an understanding wife.   So I can expect little sympathy.   I had better start practicing what I preach….   Oh, did I mention that I have to prepare a power point presentation about Oliver Cromwell and the English Civil Wars for History class on Thursday…   Don’t let your classes get away from you, keep on task.   Fellow Non Traditional Students are looking for you to be their example!

While reviewing some of my materials from my College Skills Class, I ran into a great description of how we FORGET information.   This ties right into my post about Highlighting Notes and Textbooks.   Review of studied materials is essential to actually learning it.  The following five theories of forgetting are offered by psychologists to explain some of the reasons information can be “forgotten”.  The Decay Theory applies to short term memory.  It is possible that some stimuli, when received, are too weak.   The information simply decays or fades away before it can be sorted or processed.  Since this information is never processed, it was really never “learned”.  The second theory, Displacement Theory, also occurs in the short term memory.  The Displacement Theory states that if TOO MUCH information comes into the short term memory too rapidly, some of the information already in short-term memory is shoved aside, or “displaced”.   Adequate time was not given to process the information that was displaced; therefore, it was never really “learned” either.   The  Interference Theory applies to confusion that take’s place in long-term memory.   One type of confusion occurs when the new information you are learning interferes with your recalling or retrieving information that was previously learned.   For example, if you once knew how to speak Portuguese, but are now studying Spanish, words that you once knew in Portuguese may be difficult to locate in memory because your newly acquired language skills in Spanish are interfering.  This type of forgetting occurs when old information interferes with learning new information.  The old information is so thoroughly imprinted that it is recalled or retrieved instead of the new information you are trying to learn.  The  Incomplete Encoding Theory applies to information as it is rehearsed.   Some information is only partially learned or learned inaccurately.   When a person tries to recall this information, “forgetting” occurs.  The information cannot be remembered because it was not completely processed or imprinted in the memory system.   The Retrieval Failure Theory occurs when information has been learned, but cannot be “found” in the memory “bank”.   Failure to locate information in memory may be attributed to a weak organizational system for storing or “filing” information or to lack of use.  The information learned was not firmly attached or associated to well developed schemas (“file folders in your memory bank”) or ongoing review to practice accessing the information did not occur.    We see here that information can be “forgotten” during several different stages of the process of learning information.  Effective strategies for taking in information and processing, storing and rehearsing it can reduce or eliminate the effects of these five theories of forgetting.

Being a Non Traditional Student majoring in History, I am assigned large amounts of reading homework.   I looked around at my fellow classmates and noticed the use of colored highlighter pens.  This seemed like a good idea, so I dug out an old highlighter from the desk and went at it.   I ended up with a text book that looked like a 1st grader’s coloring book.   (I did note to myself….at least I colored within the lines!!)   Too much of a good thing is never the best.   Concurrently with this escapade with a yellow highlighter, I was taking my CG111 College Learning Skills Class.   Effective study skills – Highlighting Text was on the class schedule.    Save me from my over zealous use of a highlighter!!   The first thing we learned in this section will stick with me forever - just because it is highlighted, it does not mean it has been learned! Words to live by in college!!   I had pages in my Biology text that were 85% colored.   At most, effective highlighting will produce a passage or chapter that is no more than 20% highlighted.    Key factors for effective marking are; 1.  Underline or highlight the topic sentence completely (this is the only sentence in a text that will be completely highlighted.)  2.  Only highlight key phrases or ideas within the topic studied.   Try to only hit the key (important) words in each sentence, color should only be on the DETAILS.   3.  Circle important terms or new vocabulary words. (my system utilizes a different color for all vocab highlights.)  4.   Try to number or split out lists or steps by numbering them in the margins (again, here I use a separate color to highlight steps/lists)   5.   Use brackets or margin notes to separate large pieces of information that needs to be retained, only highlighting words that relate to the main point.

These 5 points to effective highlighting are essential when you go back to study for tests/papers.  By not giving color to non-essential information, you can use your study time wisely and focus on key phrases and vocab.   This system for highlighting applies to your note taking as well.   I always try to get back to my class notes as soon as possible to edit them.   If I do not use my highlighter during the note taking of the lecture, I make it a priority to go back after class and add my colors to the notes.   My colors, yes, I have decided upon a set group of colored highlighters that I will use throughout my college years.   I try to be very consistent with my highlighting of both notes and textbooks.

YELLOW:  TOPIC SENTENCES AND MAIN POINTS IN TEXTS/NOTES

PINK:  FOR BODY OF TEXT ONLY HIGHLIGHTING DETAILS – MINOR POINTS

BLUE:  RESERVED FOR NEW VOCABULARY WORDS OR SPECIFIC TERMS ON TESTS

GREEN:  LISTS AND STEPS.  A COLORED # OR MARK BY LISTS OF ITEMS.   CAN BE USED IN MARGINS.

The most important concept here is efficient information retrieval.   By only adding color highlights to 20-25% of the text and hitting the most important key phrases or details, your review of the material is focused.   Review of all of your notes or textbook materials before testing  will be funneled into an organized pattern.   “Never processed – never learned”

My learning style lends itself to a colored system like this.   I need to separate main points and vocabulary and lists of study materials in this visual way.   I learned this in the College Skills class (did I mention you should take one of these courses…VALUABLE)   Now, my notes and textbooks are colorful, but in an organized, concise way.   Leave the coloring books to my niece and nephew.   Everyone learns in a different way, and this color system may not fit your needs.   Some variation of these highlighting skills applies to all students, non trad or not.

Being the history geek that I am, my English Composition class is going to fulfill my needs in many ways.  Aside from being 3 credits towards my baccalaureate core at Oregon State, I’m soaking up some wonderful historical tidbits from every lecture.   My ENG 201 class, Early Shakespeare – 1587 – 1595 Shakespeare’s early years, poems and plays will turn out to be one of my “fun” classes this term.   My Professor, Peter Jensen has a lecture style that feeds my history addiction along with presenting the Bard’s works in an interesting format.   I am enjoying the historical perspectives that he adds to the study of the plays themselves.   We are starting with Richard III, which is one of the early works in his historical series.   I had not been exposed to this play prior to this class.  Sure, we all can utter the first few words of Richard’s speech, “Now is the winter of our discontent…”, words that come to mind in a list of great Shakespeare “one liners”.    But to really dive into the meat of this play and its history of royalty and the wars of the roses, has been a real joy for me.   Peter Jensen will be one of the teachers I remember from my time at LBCC.   In all of his lectures, I have been enthralled with the little “history tidbits” about Elizabethan Theater and England during the late 1500s.   Hence the title of this post…I am familiar with the term “groundlings”.    At Shakespeare’s Globe theater in London, the common folk would pay their “penny” to see his plays by putting their admission in a box at the entrance (this is where the term “box office” comes from…) and stand at the thrust of the stage in an area called the pit.   These folks were called the Groundlings.  The term “Penny Stinkard” was coined for the unwashed masses of commoners watching the plays while standing.  I find myself taking more notes about the historical bits (items I want to research further) than about the play itself.     One such note from Friday’s class sent me on a wonderful journey through history this weekend.   Peter made a comment about a news story he heard a few years ago.   It seems that 2 skeletons were found walled up in the Tower of  London, were they the two princes from Richard III???    This historical tidbit got my attention.   Quick….to google… and beyond!!!      What I found, led me to a great story and a possible research paper for ENG 201…    A work crew found a box at the bottom of a staircase during renovations that contained two skeletons.   They appeared to be small, like children.    Could these be the skeletons of Richard’s nephews, Edward V and Richard the Duke of York (ages 12 and 9)?   The kicker here is…they were discovered in 1647!!   The two “princes” were placed in an urn in Westminster Abby.   In 1933 the bones were studied with no conclusive findings other than the possibility that they were of the correct ages and had possibly been smothered.   I was hooked…could this be what my Professor was referring to?    I have a huge amount of information to sift through, some texts to find at the OSU library and more searching to do.    One comment in a lecture about Richard III and I found another historical quest before me!     I am determined to flesh this story out into a research paper.   References from the period, current news stories that involve the Queen’s denial of any further study of the skeletons,  and any references from a couple of years ago about walled up skeletons in the tower of London.   I really think that students should THANK their professors more often.    Professor Jensen, thank you for this new historical quest.