This short instructional video features the third independent learning strategy I shared during my "Learning How to Learn" Workshop: novelty. The human brain naturally remembers things that are off-the-wall, unexpected, and unusual. We can use this fact to help children learn academic content. I hosted this workshop for my students and their families on October 26, 2011. About two-thirds of my students attended this hour-long, after-school workshop, and I followed up with the families of the remaining children at a later time. Though I try to create rich, authentic, contextual learning experiences for my students on a daily basis, there are still times when they need to learn how to study and remember discrete pieces of information independently, especially as they progress through the upper elementary grades and into middle school and high school. Helping children develop a strong repertoire of reliable "brain-friendly" learning strategies is the focus of this workshop. I hope you find this information helpful, and I welcome your questions and comments.
