LEARNING STYLES: MAKE STUDYING EASIER

Does your child know his or her own learning style?  Knowing their learning style and using study strategies suitable for that style, can make learning quicker, easier and more effective.  Children will feel more comfortable with those strategies and achieve success.

ONE SIZE DOES NOT FIT ALL

Children learn in different ways.  One way is not necessarily better than another, it is simply different.  There are three main learning styles through which information goes into the brain:

·         Visual learning style, using the eyes.  Children learn by looking at pictures and colours, remembering the layout of a page and forming images in their brain.

·         Auditory learning style, using the ears.  Children learn by listening to the information.

·         Kinesthetic learning style, using the muscles and hands.  Children like to move around whilst learning.

Many children have mainly one learning style, while some have two learning styles, and some even have a combination of all three learning styles. 

STUDY METHODS AND LEARNING STYLES

Children can complete an appropriate questionnaire* to discover their learning style.  This will help them to choose the most suitable study methods for themselves.

It is important to note that although a child may have one learning style, it would benefit him if he also incorporates methods that are suitable for other learning styles.  The more modalities (or senses) he uses, the quicker learning will be.  Learning is a bit like filling a swimming pool.  If only one hosepipe is used, it will take a long time to fill the pool.  If many hosepipes are used simultaneously, the pool will fill up a lot more quickly.

Here are some study strategies for the different learning styles.

VISUAL LEARNERS

·         Encourage the use of coloured highlighter pens to highlight the key words.

·         Draw cartoons or pictures in the margin that relate to the topic or paragraph.

·         Pay attention to the layout of pages.  Use diagrams, flow charts and mind maps.

AUDITORY LEARNERS

·         Listen to soothing music with 58 – 60 beats per minute whilst studying.  Research has shown that this can help a person to learn more effectively.  Music with a faster tempo can have a distracting effect.

·         Read the work aloud.  One could also record the work and listen to it later.

KINESTHETIC LEARNERS

·         Use the ‘sticky notes’ system.  Write a keyword, and perhaps an additional word or two, or a little drawing, on each sticky note page.  Put each page up in a different place in a room.  Walk around the room and read each sticky note aloud.  Do this a few times, until you are able to recall what is written on each note.

·         Touch parts of your body in a set order, saying a keyword as you touch each part, e.g.

Right thumb          -        ‘Seven’

Right palm             -        ‘times’

Right elbow           -        ‘seven’

Right shoulder       -        ‘equals’

Right ear               -        ‘forty-nine’

* A questionnaire to determine children’s learning style is available in Lesson Two of the workbook at www.studyrightza.com.

Written by Karen Gottschalk

www.studyrightza.com

References:

www.brainboxx.co.uk

What are the Health Benefits of Aloe Vera?

Most of us know aloe for it benefits on the skin, but did you know that is has fantastic benefits on the inside too. That is because our insides are also covered with skin, albeit a little different in look and feel.  It is also beneficial for problems of the digestive, immune and joint systems.

Choosing the right Aloe Vera to drink is also key to these benefits.  The Barbadensis Miller or true aloe, made from the inner leaf gel, is the one with the most nutritional value.

So why would you drink Aloe Vera?

Here are the top 10 reasons to drink Aloe Vera written by Dr Peter Atherton.

1. Effect on the gut

Aloe Vera has a wonderfully beneficial action on bowel function which results in smooth and efficient transit of contents, often eradicating inconvenient colicky pain.

2. Assists in healthy digestion

A healthy digestive tract ensures that nutrients from the food we eat are absorbed into the bloodstream. There is clear, clinical evidence that by drinking Aloe Vera Gel the bowel is able to absorb these nutrients more efficiently, especially protein. I also suspect that many other substances are much better absorbed under its influence.

3. Effect on gut flora

Aloe Vera is a natural 'balancer' in many areas and nowhere more so than inside the gut, where it tends to regulate the various bacteria and yeasts that inhabit it. For example, if a person were to suffer with too much yeast in the gut, regular ingestion of the gel would tend to reduce this overgrowth. The same can be said of the more unfriendly bacteria that can accumulate in certain conditions.

4. Effect on the skin

When they are first produced deep in the epidermis, skin cells are rather large and very much alive, but by the time they reach the surface after 21-28 days (in normal skin), they are a shadow of their former selves and are transformed into just thin flakes of keratin which eventually fall off. Aloe Vera Gel provides the essential nutrition to feed the basal cells. Therefore the skin remains healthy and is able to perform its vital functions more efficiently - as well as looking much better!

5. Increases the activity of fibroblasts

Fibroblasts are specialised cells found in the skin. Their job is to produce fibre such as collagen and elastin. These fibres give the skin its structure and of course, make it look plump and elastic. The more you have, the younger your skin may look.

6. Antiviral activity

Within the mucilage layer of the leaf which surrounds the inner gel, there is a long chain of sugar or polysaccharide. This has the capability of being able to help us defend against attacks by various viruses, from the common cold to the more nasty viruses and could even help balance your immune system.

7. Anti-inflammatory and painkilling effect

Among the substances that have been identified in Aloe Vera are several that are naturally anti-inflammatory and painkilling. People who take it regularly often find that inflammatory conditions are greatly benefited.

8. A useful source of minerals

Some of the minerals found in Aloe Vera include calcium, sodium, potassium, iron, chromium, magnesium, manganese, copper and zinc. This is because the plant tends to grow in areas where soils are rich in these minerals and its roots are able to absorb and deliver them to us in a very available form.

9. A useful source of vitamins

Aloe Vera Gel contains a large range of vitamins - even trace elements of vitamin B12 which is rarely found in plants. Apart from vitamin A, it contains B-group vitamins, vitamin C, vitamin E and folic acid. Many of these vitamins cannot be stored by the body so we need to constantly top them up from the food that we eat. What better way than by drinking a daily amount of Aloe Vera Gel while at the same time building up the body's defence system against oxidative stress naturally?

10. A general tonic for good health

By drinking the Aloe Vera Gel with all its important ingredients (often now deficient in food) including 19 of the 20 amino acids needed by the human body and seven of the eight essential ones that just cannot be made, the body is able to get enough to allow complex enzyme systems to work really well. This means the body can function at 100%. The net result to the individual is a wonderful feeling of well being. As you can see from these 10 great reasons, taken daily Aloe Vera Gel is one of the best nutritional supplements available!

Written by: Nina Hill 

Ensure that you benefit from the best Quantity and Quality when choosing your aloe vera products.  

For more information contact 071 026 1454 or ninahill@flp.com

BULLYING IN SCHOOLS:

TREAT THE CAUSE NOT THE SYMPTOM

Why do we seem to not be able to eradicate bullying from schools? 

The answer is simple. We have been treating the symptoms and not the cause. We want to put a plaster on incidents and hope it heals instead of delving deeper and asking why did this happen in the first place. It has now been over a year that I have been visiting schools, doing talks and having discussions with smaller groups.  It becomes clearer to me daily; we are going about this problem all wrong. Currently we are identifying the bully, labeling him/her as the bully and punishing the bully.  We are doing the same for the victim.  Creating labels creates expectation.  

Look at clothing labels; we “expect” certain things from certain labels. No different from a bully carrying the label of “bully”. We forget the bully carries two labels, that of victim and bully.  There is not a single bully who has not been a victim. It is this protection against more pain that makes the victim take their anger and frustration out on others, adding to themselves the label of “bully”.

Being a bully is someone who chose to put on a mask, living a life of pretense.  

Pretending you have no fear, pretending to be the most confident kid in the school, while the person behind the mask lives in fear and has zero self confidence and worth. 

In group sessions I get the bullies to remove these masks, creating a safe space where they can share their stories and allow themselves to be vulnerable. I push the bully into a corner, in a gentle manner; he knows he is now exposed as someone wearing a mask and also just a victim trying to protect himself by using aggression.  They are forced to remove the mask, and face the pain. I help them deal with their trauma and give them tools on how to move forward having a label they need to lose as everyone still knows them as a bully.

Often bullies are victims of trauma outside the school. 

We live in a broken world, yet we expect our kids to act like angels and be “normal”.  Sadly “normal” to many kids are seeing horrifying images on television, going to sleep with the sounds of gunshots, hearing family members argue about money and survival and the list goes on.  Kids grow up with a sense of having to protect themselves.  No-one else will, so they put on a balaclava of protection, a mask.  They hide their pain and hurt others to feel a sense of control.

Until we look at solving the problem of bullying by labeling and punishing labels, we will never solve this problem.

Constant encouragement and support to victims to become survivors is the answer.

It is hard to have sympathy with a bully. Instinct makes us want to hate the aggressor but we need to understand why the aggressor is acting out, to solve the problem of bullying.

We have all added to this messed up society we find ourselves in, whether it be through accepting the lie on the front page of a magazine and believing that is what we should be, or whether we all strive to buy the same car to impress others, but we cannot expect the youth to know any better if we do not guide them.

Personally I feel schools need to focus more on counselling in these times we live in. Kids are left to find their own coping skills and due to lack of life experience, often make the wrong choices.  We need to allow kids to remove their masks and find their own authenticity.  

If you find what makes you different from everyone else, don’t ever change. 

Written by: Liesl Schoonraad

What is the Turn-It-Around Principle?

There is a lot to say about discovering yourself, living your true potential and facing your fears and difficulties.  We have to embrace life and learn how to overcome difficult situations so that we can move forward, improve ourselves and ultimately achieve our dreams.

Yet at the core of any life discovery is acceptance.  Acceptance without judgement.

Most of the problems, difficulties and challenges we face are not so much the actual circumstance in itself, but the fact that we judge or resist it.  The minute something goes wrong, we say “this is wrong, it shouldn't have happened – or I shouldn't be like this” etc. 

Talk about

self-discovery and how we need to change in order to improve?  Long before that we need to accept ourselves first. Discovering ourselves is not half as important as accepting ourselves first.

It is in this acceptance where the healing lies.

And this is where the Turn-Around Principle begins.  We cannot move forward unless we accept who we are, accept our circumstances, learn not to judge it and in so doing, we open the mind to look at positive possibilities as to how to Turn It Around!

That is the first step.

Secondly, the world of judgement can be devastating. We continuously judge ourselves, others and life. The root of self-esteem issues, in my opinion, begins here.  We don’t listen to one another because someone is always trying to be right.  We have difficulty in understanding one another – because that would depend ultimately on who wins the argument. 

How do I look at my life without judgement?

How do I look at my weaknesses, challenges and circumstances without it being WRONG?

This is the second step.

We form an understanding that every person, in his/her own right is unique, that circumstances are temporary and that we have, within our core, all the wisdom and ability to walk through these and to grow and to use every single weakness or barrier and turn it into a strength. Our fear can become our fuel.

And finally, once we learn how to do this – we pass it onto others. 

When we give away what we have learnt, when we make an effort to create understanding and remove judgement from others in the same way that we have removed it from ourselves – then we experience inner harmony and acceptance.

 

We don’t want to be right anymore, we want to be ourselves! We have the confidence and understanding that we can achieve, overcome and embrace life. We learn how to understand and love each other, our parents, our peers and our circumstances. 

In the light of the above, we have had huge success with the Turn Around Principle in adult workshops, turning from self-doubt and fear into self-awareness, worth and driving their own success in life and work – our teenagers need this. 

We can realise some of the learnings earlier in life,  we can be taught principles to turn any situation around from a young age.

This is why TEEN TURN AROUND was born.

Submitted by:

Michelle Vooght - Channel for Spiritual Teaching | Healing & Divine Guidance | Angel

Readings | Virtual / Face 2 Face | Inspirational Speaker & Trainer in Turn Around Principle

– www.michellevooght.com | 076 576 1664 |michelle@michellevooght.com

Roll your eyes and say ‘Go figure’?

“You do want me to pass, don’t you?”

That’s an ambush question like “Does your father still beat your mother?”  Say ‘Yes’ … say ‘No’…  you could be admitting dark family secrets.  Best answer?  “At what?”

The passing question came to me when I refused just before Valedictory in October 2012 to accept a Grade 12 learner’s project that had been due in March. 

In the US they have an expression accompanied by rolling of the eyes:  “Go figure!”  It suggests that whatever has prompted the frustrated rolling of the eyes is something incomprehensible. And crazy.

But let’s take up the challenge: What is the thinking behind the question in the context:  “You do want me to pass, don’t you?”

As a start, it suggests that my Grade 12 learner understood the teamwork and collaboration required between him and me for his success.

He also understood that handing in the project was essential to passing, and that his passing was desirable.

So why did he not hand in when he should have?  Myriad reasons are possible. Socio-economic. Psycho-social. Parental. Societal. Pedagogical. Maybe also that he knew I’d have it on my conscience if I didn’t.  Or maybe he knew that a WCED official would say “Go figure!” about me and force acceptance.  Maybe all of the above!

The buck stops with the teacher.  “If it has not been learned, it has not been taught.”  A colleague whose school in Khayelitsha offers a narrow Maths & Science curriculum like ours at Oude Molen has the following motto: “No excuses, just results”.

So what is the figuring that one has to do?  Education thinkers like Proff. Brian O’Connell (UWC), Jonathan Jansen (UFS), Crain Soudien (UCT) and others have focused our attention on the difference between the 1976 generation and the current cohort.  In 1976 the youngsters took to the streets to demand high quality education. Now far too many of the current cohort seem to have no sense of agency nor urgency to make the effort for their own success. 

Instead, a sense of entitlement seems to have been born from the expectation that matric pass rate will continue to rise whether or not there are teacher strikes, service delivery riots, widespread indiscipline and significant numbers of unprepared, unprofessional ’educators’ whose example is that you get a government job and then relax in expectation of payday. “You can’t get me, I’m part of the union”.

So if a sense of personal agency has not been learned, i.e. the understanding that you have to make an effort if you want to change your circumstances, then, yes, I have not successfully taught it.

Did the young man pass?  Yes, he did.  He’s working now. Predictably, he took seriously his supervisor’s warning about meeting deadlines.

Aware that the pedagogical explanation for this is the uneven developmental rate of humans, I am still considering different strategies to engage youngsters more effectively.  I suppose that’s it:  No excuses, just results.

Written by:

Tony Marshall, Headmaster of Oude Molen Academy of Science and Technology.

Africa’s Premier Education Event

African EduWeek will host 85 of the world’s leading suppliers to the education sector, house free-to-attend technical workshops and an expert-led conference, all taking place 

at the Sandton Convention Centre from 10-11 July 2014.

With a dedicated team and an unrivalled assortment of contributors from across the education sector, African EduWeek 2014 has progressed from a conference to the most comprehensive education event in Africa in the past eight years. SABC Education has, for the first time, come on board as our Premier Event Partner bringing a wealth of knowledge, expertise and connectivity into the education sector.

African EduWeek is split into six dedicated sectors - Basic Education, Higher Education, Inclusive Education, Technology, Publishing and Stationery. This allows visitors to network and engage with key industry stakeholders from across the education spectrum in an easily accessible environment. Whether you are a classroom teacher or a university dean, there is value to be found at African EduWeek 2014!

The EduWeek Event Sectors:

Basic Education

High quality basic education is vital in every learner’s development as it serves as the platform to ensure every student is equipped with the knowledge and skills to succeed beyond their school leaving years, be that further study or employment. At African EduWeek 2014 meet basic education suppliers including Totem Bags, Libwin, Leap Skills, Eduloan & Education Labour Relations Council.

Higher Education

Higher education is where a learner’s career path is shaped. With economic development comes the necessity for highly skilled and motivated graduates to enter the work place.  South Africa is at a pivotal point in its history and it has never been more crucial from higher education institutions to deliver the graduate the country needs. Help your institution take this step and meet key higher education suppliers including Sage Pastel, Regenesys Business management, Eduloan and Umalusi only at African EduWeek 2014.

Technology

The effective integration of technology into the classroom is widely considered to be a pivotal development point for education across Africa. See the latest classroom advances from tablets and mobile devices to interactive white boards from a host of education technology companies including our event Diamond Sponsor Intel Education, plus Audiosure, Dell, EDU365 Group, Extron, Festo, IQ Smart, Kyocera, LectorSA, LunchCard, MIB Technology, Mobitek, Mustek, Neotel, Parrot Products, RISO Africa and Samsung.

“If we want all the children of South Africa to have access to quality education, it implies that they should have access to technology to enable this engagement.

”- Andre Christian, Intel Education

Inclusive Education

Giving children with special needs and disabilities equal opportunities to participate in an integrated learning environment is becoming increasingly important in modern schools. Edit Microsystems are one of the country’s leading companies producing products and solutions to lower the barriers in the learning environment and promote inclusive education. Meet Edit Microsystem, plus Sensory Solutions, Intel and Microsoft to learn about the products and innovations designed to enhance the learning opportunities of your most vulnerable students.

“Inclusive education has become a key objective in education and there is a growing need to have the

correct tools and resources to meet this objective.”-Edit Microsystems

Publishing

Publishing remains at the core of education, providing learners with the resources they need to develop their analytical, reading and writing skills. The increasing affordability and accessibility of technology is changing the face of publishing as e-learning and m-learning are growing in popularity and may even provide a solution to the textbook shortages across Africa. Meet some of the world leading publishers including Impak, IO Publishing, Pearson, Macmillan, Capstone, Cambridge University Press, and Lectio Publishing at African EduWeek 2014.

Stationery

Stationery is simply a necessity of every education institution in the world. The stationery sector at African EduWeek includes BIC, Flip File, Butterfly products, and Statesman Stationery. So take this opportunity to meet some of the leading suppliers to the sector in one place.

The Expo is FREE to attend for all professionals, register NOW at www.educationweek.co.za to ensure you do not miss out on this fantastic event.

For more information regarding African EduWeek 2014 contact Event Marketing Manager Tim Phillips on tim.phillips@spintelligent.com or +27 (0) 21 700 3593

Pocket money - the ins and outs of what is best

“Deciding on when and how much pocket money to give your children is important when it comes to raising sensible, independent children who can understand the value of money.”  I am often asked about this as a Certified Financial Planner® and radio presenter.  Kirsty Scully, Core Wealth Managers, Cape Town

Pocket money is definitely one of the best tools to use to teach children the correlation between work and money.  For this reason, many parents see it as a ‘win-win’ situation when they are able to offer pocket money to their children in return for some chores around the house.  However, there are also parents of the opinion that children should be encouraged to do chores around the house without any form of pay back.  As a mom, I have found that it needs to be something in between the two, as I will explain later.

Why give pocket money?

Pocket money teaches children lots of things about money:

Earning power  -  I get paid for what I do

Spending power  -  Once I’ve spent it, it’s gone

Saving power  -  I have the power to save up for an item I wish to buy

Borrowing power   -  I can borrow, but it is tough to have to pay it back

When should I start to give pocket money?

Children as young as 5 or 6 can start to understand the value of money.  Personally, I wouldn’t start before then, as they are unlikely to have grasped the concept of needing money to buy things and of understanding that if all the money is spent now then there will be nothing left afterwards.

There are three main methods for paying pocket money:

1.        A reward system or a set amount

This is an ideal system for children under the age of 8.  They need to help with simple household tasks and then they receive the money regardless of whether they do the tasks or not.  This avoids it feeling like a ‘bribe’ that you are giving them.  Children under 8 can do tasks such as sorting the clothes washing into different colour piles, making their beds, simple cooking, and help with drying the dishes.  As they get older, these chores can include doing the dishes, sweeping, hanging out the washing, picking up the dog poop and making meals.  For young children, I would recommend that they receive their pocket money on a weekly basis.

2.        An income system

For older children, starting around 10 years of age, you can introduce a system where they are paid for doing additional jobs such as cleaning the swimming pool, clearing out the gutters before winter starts, babysitting or washing the car.  Doing jobs such as these will help children realise that the harder one works, the higher the pay is likely to be.  However, in addition it will teach them valuable tips such as how electricity works (when they change the light bulbs) and how to care for a garden (when they fertilize the flower beds).

As the child gets older, I would recommend that they move on to being paid their pocket money on a monthly basis.  This can be done at the end each month and will then teach them how to learn to ‘stretch’ money out over a month.

  

3.        An allowance system

This is the system which I recommend for older teenagers.  They continue to have responsibilities as discussed above; however, you pay them a higher basic pocket money amount which needs to then be used for payment of essential things such as clothes, transport and entertainment.  At this stage it gives them the opportunity to manage a budget, and ensure that their money ‘lasts the whole month’, whilst you are still providing for their basic needs of food, schooling and a home.  Watch how the realisation of ‘need’ versus ‘want’ comes to the fore!

The benefits of pocket money

Letting your child spend as he or she pleases is an important way for them to understand the concepts behind money and to develop a sense of responsibility and independence.  This said, it is definitely a very difficult thing for parents to do.  We know and understand the value of money and have a natural instinct to protect our children so that they have money left over, but we need to let them find that out for themselves.

It is easy to assume that all kids will just fritter their money away, but you may be surprised to find that your child is quite sensible about the power behind money; especially if they have seen you lead by example. 

Savings

Encourage your children from the beginning to start saving.  10% of their pocket money is a good percentage with which to start.  (This can also be 10% of birthday money or other gifts.) Allow them to set goals for themselves.  For young children it could be a small toy, for older ones a new cell phone.  Cut out a picture of the advertisement for the item and pin it in a prominent position, such as a mirror or cupboard door, for them to see on a regular basis.  Depending on their age and the amount which they need to save, use a piggy bank or a jar, or a savings account at the bank.

Giving

The chance to help others can make a child feel very good about themselves.  For children to know that they have sacrificed something such as their pocket money to help others in need can give them a sense of purpose in life and inner satisfaction.  Help them to choose a charity such as one which involves animals or other small children, alternatively to give when they attend church.

How much pocket money should I give my child?

This is the million dollar question, if you pardon the pun!  This decision is going to vary from family to family, but do realise that there will always be another child who is getting more than your child  -  or so you will be told by your teenager!  And always remember that how much you give is going to depend on what you are expecting your child to buy with this money.

I trust this information will make you feel a little ‘richer’ for having read it.

Written by: Kirsty Scully