Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Lelish Depaso

As a student in high school I had a very difficult time with reading. I did not read much. I found reading boring and a waste of time because I usually did not understand what I was reading. I only read when I had to. I hated reading so much that when I got reading homework, I tried to find an easy way out, like Spark Notes or Google. Somehow I was able to get what I needed from those web sites so I kept on not reading. Soon, my habits came back to haunt me. Once I got to college I realized that I couldn’t keep doing what I used to do in high school. This was a different game and it required a lot more than just Spark Notes.

My career goal after graduating from college is to become an Engineer. As an engineer I need to read a lot of reports, newspapers and magazines. From Reading Secrets I learned many reading strategies I could use to be a successful reader. College has changed my outlook on reading. I realize that I need to read on a daily bases, whether if it was for English class or philosophy. Two of the most important strategies that helped me become successful in reading were: taking notes and highlighting important words. Taking notes is a great way of helping me identify the most important concepts in class. Even if I had a great memory I would not be able to remember everything I read, but if I have a small written record of notes then I can reflect back on it when I need some information. Highlighting important words can be helpful for most people especially if you have a lot of reading to do. I would recommend highlighting certain words you think are important or words that you couldn’t understand, so later on you can come back to them.

After I started using the strategies I learned in class, I started noticing changes in my grades. Reading assignments became easy for me and I actually started to enjoy reading. I started reading magazines and stories online during my free time because I could easily understand the text. As a result, when I have an assignment due, I easily work on it and I make sure I do it on time, which means my procrastination habit decreased greatly.

I have a little brother in high school. And every time I see him I would tell him not to be like me, to read more often and use strategies such as taking notes and doing his work on time because I don’t want him to end up like me by the time he gets to college. I guess the most important lesson I learned from this class was that you might be a doctor, an engineer or a teacher, but no matter where you go in life or what you would become, reading is a critical and the most important weapon you can acquire.

Ashley Potts

Reading secret formula is: #1 Remove Distractions + #2 Take Notes + #6 Set Aside Time to Read = Success

Coming out of high school I really wasn’t into reading. Now as a college student there comes a lot more reading. I mean who wants to spend hours reading their textbooks? I know I didn’t, but after taking this course I learned that reading is not so bad after all. Over the next four years of my life I will be studying to become a physical therapist. Therefore, I will have to stay current on all new information about the body. As a result, I will need to prioritize and not procrastinate. Also, I found out that I do my best work when I remove all the distractions in the room. I will use the Reading Secrets strategies that I learned through this semester in order to be a successful college student.

Time management was a big factor in my daily stress. In order to keep myself organized I wrote all my assignments down on the date they were due. This helped me to prioritize assignments and turn my work in on time.

When I use to read I would just read the words and not pay attention to what the text was saying. This created a problem for me. I couldn’t really get into what I was reading. Nothing interested me. One of the Reading Secrets is to take notes. Taking notes in class was a huge help in my success this semester. It helped me connect what I already knew to what I learned so the new information would transfer into my long-term memory. I now love to take notes in the margins of the texts and limiting my highlighting to three important things in the reading, prevents me from highlighting too much.

I use to do all my school work with the TV on and my phone right beside me. I tested the theory that I could do better work with the TV off, and it worked! I got better grades when I removed distractions.

As a result of my reading secret formula, I am now a mature reader. Therefore I know what techniques to use when studying and reading texts for school. Managing my schoolwork has become a lot easier and it just seems to flow with my schedule. I can still have a social life along with getting good grades in class without stressing out because I don’t understand the information. Thanks to Reading Secrets I’m able to keep things simple and easy to understand.

Monday, November 28, 2011

Who wants to be the next Millionaire?


What do you know about the game show, Who Wants to be a
Millionaire? Why does the value of each question go up as you proceed through the game? What are the life lines for? Why do you think the contestant talks
about their thought process?

Game shows are fun, exciting, challenging,
suspenseful. You could pretend you are on a game show every time you read.
Create that same type of atmosphere and create questions. Reward yourself if
you are able to answer the question.

Before reading: You create a question to determine the purpose for reading.

  • Preview the text and ask, "I wonder..."
  • Ask, "What text structure is being used?"
  • Turn the heading into a question that matches the text structure.
  • Remind your mind, "I am motivated, interested and curious about the text."

During reading: You can use your life lines to clarify the author's message.

  • Look for clues in the text.
  • Look for clues in your mind.
  • Look for clues from another source.

After reading: You can monitor your comprehension success.

  • Ask yourself, "What did I learn?"
  • What concepts do you need more information?

Remember, the more you read, the more you
know. The more you know, the more money you will make. Who wants to be the next
Millionaire?