Synopses & Reviews
This book focuses on developing effective learning techniques to help readers excel in school, in their careers, and throughout their lives as lifelong learners. Unlike traditional study skills books, this one emphasizes how people learn effectively by involving them in the active process of mastering their mental abilities and their personal confidence. The authors outline getting ready to learn through self-awareness, goal setting and time management, as well as, critical and creative thinking, targeting success in school through reading and studying, listening and memory, taking notes and test taking, quantitative learning, researching and writing, gathering and communicating ideas, as well as, creating life success. For individuals interested in effective learning techniques.
Review
"Keys to Effective Learning builds on student strengths and allows students to define themselves, address their needs, and reflect on the progress they are making in the world of college. It is only in REFLECTION that students identify and internalize the material".
-- Helen Woodman, Ferris State University
"I appreciate the authors' theme of "success in your hands" throughout the chapters". The Habits of Mind are useful and focus on practical application. It takes the book beyond a "do this, do that" to more of a "this is a natural way to use what you are learning in real life" approach.
-- Jeanine Long, Southwest Georgia Technical College
"Compared to (other texts), this text is more in-depth in regards to covering the skills."
-- Maria Parnell, Brevard County Community College
"I like the focus on motivation and persistence--without these, no one makes it through college."
-- Christine Laursen, Westwood College
"The activities within the text truly engage students' critical and creative thinking about their personal, educational, and profesional lives."
-- Donna Bontatibus, Middlesex Community College
About the Author
Carol Carter is founder of Lifebound, a career coaching company that offers individual coaching sessions and seminars for high school students, college students, and career seekers. She has written and co-authored multiple texts. She has taught welfare-to-work classes, team taught in the La Familia Scholars program, and conducted numerous workshops for students and faculty around the country. Carol is a national college and career expert and is interviewed regularly in print, on the radio, and for television news programs.
Joyce Bishop holds a Ph.D. in psychology and has taught for more than 20 years, receiving a number of honors, including Teacher of the Year for 1995 and 2000. For five years she has been voted "favorite teacher" by the student body and Honor Society at Golden West College, Huntington Beach, California, where she has taught since 1987 and is a tenured professor. She worked with a federal grant to establish Learning Communities and Workplace Learning in her district, and has developed workshops and trained faculty in cooperative learning, active learning, multiple intelligences, workplace relevancy, learning styles, authentic assessment, team building, and the development of learning communities. Joyce currently teaches on-line and multimedia classes, and trains other faculty within her 21 college district. In addition, she has co-authored multiple texts and is the lead academic for the Lifelong Learning Telecourse.
Sarah Lyman Kravits comes from a family of educators and has long cultivated an interest in educational development. She has co-authored several books and has served a Program Director for LifeSkills, Inc., a nonprofit organization that aims to further the career and personal development of high school students. In this role, she helped facilitate both curricular and organizational elements of the program, working closely with instructors as well as members of the business community. Sarah has also given workshops on critical thinking.
Table of Contents
PART I: GETTING READY TO LEARN
1. Welcome to College: Opening Doors
2. Values, Goals, Time, and Stress: Managing Yourself
3. Diversity Matters: Learning Styles and Communication
4. Critical and Creative Thinking: Solving problems and Making Decisions
PART II: TARGETING SUCCESS IN SCHOOL AND LIFE
5. Reading and Studying: Focusing on Content
6. Listening and Memory: Taking In and Remembering Information
7. Taking Notes: Recording Concepts and Information
8. Test Taking: Showing What You Know
9. Quantitative Learning: Becoming Comfortable with Math and Science
10. Effective Writing: Communicating Your Message
11. Creating Your Life: Building a Successful Future
APPENDIX: A Guide to Library and Internet Research
Answer Key
Index