This is a part of the portal where we will share with both parents and teachers some of the learning methodologies we use at camp, the rational behind the things we do, how to sustain the takebacks the participants will get from the camp and just as a place to share strategies, inspiration and sueccess stories….
Article : Model of the World
Contributed by : Ridhwan Yusoff, OE Trainer, AKLTG
Have you ever came across a situation when you couldn’t understand why your children did certain rash acts? Like for example why does he always forget to clear the rubbish? Or why does she wake up all night chatting on MSN? MSN? How many parents know this word? Just a sidetrack-i’ll explain why I brought this up in the first place later in this article. And have you ever came a cross a situation where you keep on thinking out loud : What was he thinking?
Yes that’s a good question. What was he or she thinking? It all depends on one thing. It’s called our model of the world. Yup that’s exactly the reason why some of us think durian is delicious while others hate it to the core. That’s the reason why some of us love Liverpool and others Man U. And that’s the key to unlocking your child’s obedience, diligence and ultimately genius.
Each of us have our own model of the world. That is we see the world in a certain way, This is on a primary stage influenced by the values we inculcate in our children since young. And as the years go by and the go out to the world, other forces will come to play an even bigger influence. Peer pressure. TV. Media. The internet. And what have you. The very things our children spend so much time with. And sometimes rather than banning these influences and elicit a negative attitude and a resentful state in our children, why not harness it to our advantage? After all, the internet served the US military so well before it came out commercially. After all, didnt we see how President Obama used TV and the Internet to win his election and make sketpics believe again ? Yes We Can.
Opt for CHANGE WE CAN BELIEVE IN today. Start to understand our child’s model of the world. To recap, what’s MSN ? Microsoft Messenger the premier internet chat tool that even CEOs of big companies use effectively. Know what music they are listening to…Rhianna, Jonas Brothers, Click Five. Start to appreciate the games they are addicted to like DOTA and Maple Story. And from there, build a common ground that you can connect with, a strong rapport that would make your child want to do the things you say, and totally changes the way I look at my daddy and my mommy. I think they are cool because they are just like me. And with this at hand, you have the power to guide your child to the path of greatness truly that easily. Connect with them at their level and you will be amazed what such connectivity brings : a spectrum of broadband results!
Video : Randy Pausch’s Speech on Living your Childhood Dreams
Be Inspired! In any way you want or wish to=)
Article 2 : Win-Win Discipline
Contributed by : Ridhwan Yusoff, OE Trainer, AKLTG
In the LIVE! Operation camp, many of your sons and daughters have learnt the true meaning of discipline. This was truly shown via the actions, when many a Deyian stood at attention during the parades, when many a Deyian strived to do their success claps with perfection, when many a Deyian proved to themselves that disciplined action will finally lead them to an outcome they can be proud of.
So we sometimes ask ourselves how come our sons and daughters, our students dont follow the rules and show a lack of discipline? Well here’s the secret if I may share…
You see, in normal daily life, we always set the rules for our children. We tell them not to do this or not to do that, to be home by a certain time or to study, study, study. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, just that there could be a more effective method that speaks to their hearts and minds…
Because usually, when we set the rules for our children, they may think that’s not fair, because it seems by obeying our rules, we will win and they will lose. Just like in a computer game. So why not we do this instead : Empower our children to set their own rules. Tell them rules has to be one that stretches them and gives them long term benefits, one that will have to strive to fulfill. This way they take ownership and they will do their best 100 per cent to fulfill these rules. And everybody wins!
And another simple tip for setting rules is to tell our children what to do instead of what not to do. Imagine this. Close your eyes. And DONT DONT DONT DONT DONT DONT think of a pink elephant. Haha. Bet that is what you exactly thought of right? So you see the brain responds better to positive versus negative instructions. So instead of saying dont watch tv, say read the newspaper! Instead of saying dont run, say walk fast:) That little bit of language and this little bit of ownership goes a long way in making a difference in results…Do give it a shot yah?
To follow what is happening during the camp you can be connected to TWITTER @ http://twitter.com/liveatdeyi
You would be surprised that even though your students do not admit it, one of their greatest fear is that they would not do well in their exams. Why is there a need to teach our students HOW to study? Every time we ask students how they go about studying for exams, we get very different answers. That is why different students get such different results. It is clear that the main reason why some students do not perform well in their exams is not that they cannot study but rather they have never been taught how to study
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The 10-step Study Formula |
Step 1: Positive Beliefs
The first thing that all successful students share is a very positive belief system. They believe that they CAN and DESERVE to achieve top grades. It is this positive belief that drives them to aim for top grades. When they do make mistakes or fail to achieve what they want, they don’t give up. Instead they will learn from their mistakes until they succeed.
In the rest of the book (especially in chapter 6), you will learn how to develop in your child a positive mental attitude and a high level of self-esteem.
Step 2: Set Goals
The second factor that sets top students apart is that they are highly goals orientated and they know what they want to achieve in life. Their future goals (e.g. to study at Harvard, to become a millionaire, to find a cure for cancer etc…) gives them the self-motivation to study hard when others get distracted. They set specific targets like scoring 9 ‘A’s for their exams and do their very best to achieve it. They see good grades as a means to help them achieve what they want in life.
On the other hand, average students get easily distracted (e.g. by computer games, Internet surfing) and lack the motivation simply because they have no clear direction in life. They have no idea what they are studying for. Most of them study because their parents or their teachers force them to. When asked what results they are aiming for, their usual response will be ‘I don’t know’, ‘it depends on how difficult the exam is’ or ‘I just hope I will pass’.
It is important to know that UNLESS our children first have a high level of self-esteem and a positive mental attitude, they will never have the confidence to set goals for themselves.
Step 3: Time Management
The next essential step is that ‘A’ students know how to prioritize and manage their time to get things done! When our children don’t learn the skills of how to manage their time, they will not know how to prioritize multiple demands from schoolwork, extra curricular activities, family time and recreation. They will usually end up procrastinating and leaving things to the last minute. Their usual motto would be ‘I will do it when I have the time’ or ‘I will do it tomorrow’.
In my book ‘I Am Gifted, So Are You!’, I teach students how to use an organizer to plan and manage their time in order to take the necessary action to get an ‘A’ in their subjects. They must plan to do the next six steps in order to get top results – i.e. Speed read, gather information, make notes, memorize, apply effectively and revise.
Step 4: Speed Reading
The first thing that students need to plan to do is to read their textbooks and other additional notes. In my workshops and my other books, I train students in the skill of speed-reading, not just to read much faster but also more effectively.
While an average person reads at about 150-240 words per minute (WPM) and comprehends under 50%, students who are trained in speed reading will be able to read between 850- 1500 words per minute. That’s more than six times faster, at a comprehension level of 80-100%!
Step 5: Gathering Information
As they read their textbooks, students must learn the vital skill of identifying and gathering the important key words in the passage.
Poor students try to learn and memorize everything they read. Top students know that in a textbook, only 20% of the keywords contain the information they need to score an‘A’. They know how to gather and extract the 20% of the key words, thereby reducing their revision time.
Step 6: Whole Brain Note Making
The next thing that all successful students do is that they organize the key words and information into whole brain notes for quick revision and recall. By using whole brain notes (e.g. Mind Mapping, Flow Charts, Concept Maps etc…) they will be able to save time during revision and remember the facts much better (since they will be using both sides of the brain). In fact, the quality of a student’s results depends very much on the quality of the notes that he makes.
Step 7: Memory Techniques
The biggest excuses and complaints that kids give for not being able to do well in their exams is a poor memory. Super students know that there is no such thing as a good or bad memory, only a trained or untrained one.
By using powerful memory techniques which were discussed earlier (I cover this more in depth in ‘I Am Gifted, So Are You’), students will be able to fully remember and recall all the facts and figures from their notes with ease.
Step 8: Application Strategies
After committing all the facts and information to memory, students must then move onto learn how to apply what they have learned to the different types of questions that may be posed in the exam.
Top students know that for every chapter that is studied, there are always a fixed number of question types that can be set. They will familiarize themselves with all the possible questions (from past year exam papers) and learn the steps to get the best possible answers.
Step 9: Revision
Research has shown that the human brain tends to forget 80% of what it has learned within 24 hours. Top students know how to keep their memory fresh and their mind sharp by consistently revising from their whole brain notes. The secret is to always revise what has been learned within the first 24 hours.
Step 10: Exam Skills
The final step is to learn and apply effective exam skills on the day of the examination. Effective students know how to relax their mind, write straight to the point and manage their time well in order to perform at their peak on this important day.
So, there you have it! The secret that all top students use to score exceptional results. As you can see, effective studying is not as simple as picking up the textbook and reading it over and over again. It is a ten-step process that must be learned and applied consistently.
PS: This diagram is in the LIVE! Operation booklet so you may want to revise it with your child or student so they understand it better 
