Thursday, September 4, 2014

New Strategies for Sessions

Hello all! 
We hope that everyone's first week back is going well so far! Here are some tips that we compiled from the returning academic mentors for you to use in your sessions this semester.


Vocab/Grammar
Make 2 sets of notecards for the chapter the student is studying. Set 1 is only vocab cards, and Set 2 is grammar patterns. Using these 2 sets, make the student construct a sentence making sure all of the parameters are met.

TRIPLE THREAT
Ask the question 3 different ways to enforce what you’ve learned. This helps full comprehension of both the question and answer.

Back track
 In a math or states problem, get all the variables and then take each one out 1 by 1 and solve for it. This will provide many variations on the same problem (often on tests).

Retake the test
Cover all answers and take an exam at least 1 day after but less than 1 week after the original test. This will help solidify info that is missed originally and help students get back on track.

True/False
Designate sides of the room as T/F or Y/N and state facts or questions around and students stand and move to the side of the room they think the answer is. If there is time, explain why each side chose what they did.

Story (for languages)
Make a story together.
Go around the room or back and forth saying one work each, to create sentences and stories (help with coherency).

Connections / Real World
Connect with reality, applications in daily life. Let students think about how to use the knowledge they learn in daily life and try to use them to analysis. So they can get familiar with the concepts of the techniques. This helps them better remember definitions and explanations of the material.

Vrooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooom!
Get in a circle, and everyone acts like they are driving a car. Each person turns the wheel in the same direction to say vroom. If you want to change the direction, you make a screeching noise. If anyone messes up, then they must answer a question from a prepared list.

Clearing your head
Sometimes the noggin needs to be cleared of the academic clutter inside; take a walk or find another activity to refocus your mind.

Boggle (vocab development)
Set up a game of boggle and have the student find as many words relating to a certain topic. They have to define the word to get the points.

Re-Write Notes
Before the test, have students go back through their notes and rewrite main ideas. This also includes drawing new pictures or reorganizing the notes.

Pre-Quiz
Have a question/problem written on the board in the beginning of the session. Everyone will take the quiz/solve the problem. Each student will correct each other’s answers and explain to the other person what they think was wrong with each problem.

Multiple Cases
When working with a topic that has multiple cases, work with the student to create a table that lays out the different scenarios and how to proceed in each case. Then go through example problems and have students use the table to identify the situation they are in and solve the problem.

Music Synonym Game
Find a song in French and have the student listen to it. With the song, create a crossword puzzle for the student using synonyms of different vocabulary in the song. This will increase the student’s vocabulary and enhance their ability to use different synonyms.

Quiz Your Academic Mentor
Have your student generate 2 difficult questions and 2 easier questions based on the course material. The Academic Mentor will then attempt these problems while receiving help/instruction/explanation from their student. This is a good closing activity or review before a quiz or exam.

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