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THE ACTIVE LEARNER... CONNECTS. An active learner knows that what they learn in the classroom has actual connections to the real world . It’s true! Learning comes alive in plays and museums, on hiking trails, at political meetings and rallies, at tide pools, community service jobs, science exhibits, elections, and academic competitions. Learning plays out every day in real life in the news. Active learners construct their personal knowledge by connecting it to their schemas and to the real world around them. TAKES IT PERSONALLY. What you learn at this stage of your life and how well you learn it will impact your later life. The active learner makes learning their personal responsibility . They pursue strategies for better learning, including adopting good study and organizational skills. They set education goals, and work around obstacles in order to achieve them. Active learners take college preparation seriously. Active learners understand that they are in control of their learning. REJECTS PASSIVITY. Active learners question, analyze, dissect ideas, reflect on, debate, wonder, disagree, compare...Yes, they actually think about what they’ve learned. They go beyond just knowing the right answer to fully understanding why the answer is right. LOOKS INWARD. The active learner looks within for motivation. Intrinsic motivation can come from something as simple as the enjoyment of learning, or pride in accomplishment. It may also come from knowing that learning and actively using your education are the keys to meeting your life goals. ENGAGES. The active learner knows that intellectual conversation won’t kill them. The active learner has the confidence to proudly engage in intellectual discussion and debate.
THE PASSIVE LEARNER... ISOLATES. A passive learner isolates their learning from the real world and learns only in the classroom – if at all. A passive learner would reject a weekend visit to a museum, ignore a plea from a local charity for volunteers, turn down an invitation to see a play, avoid watching the news or election debate, and consider attending a community council meeting a waste of time. Don’t isolate your learning. Seek out opportunities to connect to the world outside the classroom. AVOIDS RESPONSIBILITY. A passive learner thinks their teacher or school is 100% responsible for their learning. Ok, so a lot of students are in less-than- ideal academic settings. A passive learner assumes that because of the poor learning environment is learning and academic success out of their control . Own your learning and you can overcome almost any obstacle. Read books. Watch the news. Join an academic club. Go to the library. Talk to your counselor about college. Take an honors class. What you learn and how far you go in life is up to you . LEARNS LIKE A ZOMBIE. Learning by rote and memorization with little real understanding of or interest in a topic is a classic passive learner trait. Passive learners are more concerned about their grades than about actually learning something. ADDICTED TO REWARDS. A passive learner depends too much on extrinsic motivators like rewards or gifts of money to learn. In high school and college, extrinsic rewards are few and far between. A passive learner may suffer a motivational crisis when the rewards run dry. Develop a personal intrinsic reward system. It builds mental toughness. HIDES OUT. A passive learner keeps their intelligence in the closet . Let it out! Set it free!
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THE 21st CENTURY STUDENT’S GUIDE TO STUDY SKILLS 105
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