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Learning To Teach Pilates – What Does It Involve?

Overview

The National Qualification in Pilates Matwork Level 1 is designed to enable learners to achieve the appropriate knowledge and skills necessary to teach Pilates movements at beginner level. Pilates can be taught on a one-to-one basis or in a group exercise session and this course is recommended for those individuals who wish to invest in a new rewarding career or for health fitness instructors and Personal Trainers who wish to enhance their earnings.

Entry requirements

Option 1 – Open to all individuals with no formal training or qualification but must have an interest in human movement and anatomy.

Option 2 – Approved Prior Learning Route (APL) route. This option is open to individuals who can demonstrate that they have undertaken formal training in the areas of anatomy and physiology, exercise science, gym instruction, personal training and group exercise. Suitable candidates for this option include qualified fitness instructors and personal trainers.

What can I do with this qualification?

On successful completion of this course candidates will receive the National Qualification in Pilates Matwork Level 1 and will be qualified to deliver Pilates Mat based classes to the general public.

Terms and Conditions

Reading this information will ensure that you understand the commitments involved when taking part on the National Qualification in Pilates Matwork Level 1 course. The points below will also help you to formulate any questions you may have in relation to the course.

It is each student’s responsibility to ensure attendance at every tutorial. Such attendance should be in a timely manner as late arrival at tutorials is disruptive for other participants.

In addition to our Code of Ethics and our National Standards and Guidelines, there are rules and regulations regarding personal appearance, conduct, time-keeping, and attendance. Participation on this course assumes your consent to be bound by these conditions.

Payment of course fees at any time guarantees a place on the course, subject to availability. This guarantee is valid up to the specified start date contained within the literature for this course. All course fees are non-refundable.

In order to receive the certificate associated with this course, students must sit final examination and achieve the minimum required pass mark.

All applicants for the National Qualification in Pilates Matwork Level 1 have a responsibility to ensure that they are not suffering from any illness or injury which may prevent their complete participation on the course. Applicants must also ensure that they do not suffer from any communicable disease and furthermore, should they contract such a disease during the term where they are participating on the course, that they will not attend for the duration of the period during which they could infect fellow students.

Once course fees have been paid refunds will not be offered in any circumstances. Should there be a genuine medical or compassionate reason why a student is unable to commence a course where fees have already been paid, they may apply to the Educational Committee to defer their participation to a later date. All submissions to the Educational Committee must be made in writing and sent by post.

The decision of the Educational Committee in all such matters is final. The Educational Committee meet on the last Friday of each month and when the last Friday of a month falls on a public holiday correspondence will not be dealt with until the following month.

Examination results and / or certificates will not be issued to any student who has not paid all fees due in respect of the National Qualification in Pilates Matwork Level 1 programme. Course dates and times are may be subject to change.

This article was written by Greg Merriman of National Training Centre ? http://www.ntc.ie ? providing Fitness Courses Dublin, Pilates Courses, Sports Massage Courses, Personal Trainer Certification.

Is Reading The Only Way To Experience A Book?

Ever since our childhood, we are told that books are our best friends and we must read as many of them as we can. It is definitely true that books teach us new things and improve our imagination and knowledge. They are also a great way to improve one’s vocabulary. There is nothing better than sitting comfortably with a great book in hand and with nothing else on the mind.

But in today’s world, when people hardly have enough time to sit in one place longer than 30 minutes, reading books is practically out of question. Most people would love to check out the newest books of their favorite author or give another read to a classic novel. But their time constraint stops many of them from doing so.

Of course there is a great solution to this problem. Audio books have emerged as a boon for literature as these allow people to listen to a book rather than read one. People can listen to the book while driving or doing chores around the house.

Audio books have also been used for many decades by the learning and visually impaired people. Earlier, they used to come in a recorded cassette which could only be heard on a bulky cassette player or car stereo. But today, audio books have become tech-savvy. Audio books have now become digital. They are easily available on CDs and can also be downloaded through internet also.

The invention of the IPod has done more for audio books than anything else. With an IPod, listeners can now enjoy their favorite audio books wherever they want to. These portable devices can store multiple books and their sound quality is unbelievable. The stereophonic headphones have enhanced the experience of listening to a book like never before. This incredible technology has even drawn sworn non-readers towards books.

But some people think that books should be read not listened to. But if we look at the whole action of reading a book and compare it to listening to an audio book, then we won’t find much difference. Audio books take us on a journey to a whole new place and make us visualize scenarios and experiences. Therefore, audio books don’t reduce the joy of a book at all.

On the contrary, some people say that hearing rather than reading a story is more engaging and enjoyable. This is a fact that every six year old will agree to. Audio books are also a great way to introduce a child to books. Some experts believe that children who listen to audio books at an early age are more imaginative and inclined towards reading. Audio books also instill a sense of curiosity in kids towards literature and different genres which is excellent for their intellectual growth.

Audio books are available at book and music stores everywhere. There are millions of sites on the internet which allow easy downloads of a wide range of books. So, don’t waste time, and start listening!

William Stephenson has been presenting audiobooks to the public long before IPODS and MP3 players made them popular. Come see an enormous selection of downloadable audio books. I’m certain we have what you’re looking for!

What is an Audio Book?

An audio book is a book which one can listen to instead of reading. It is a recording of words spoken by a person instead music or songs sung by someone. It may be a recorded version of a book or a recorded spoken program.

Earlier, we could find recorded spoken materials like nursery rhymes, etc mainly in libraries or schools but not audio books. During the 1980s, book publishers started showing interest in spoken word publishing. Audio books became a common term from that time onwards and now audio books are available widely in book stores along with printed ones.

One will get an audio book in the form of a CD, cassette tape or downloadable digital formats like MP3, Windows Media Audio, etc. Presently, some preloaded digital formats are also available.

The main purpose behind creating audio books was to help the visually impaired. These were published in formats typical for them and accompanied by special type of players. The players were made in such a way that the visually handicapped people were able to handle them independently without any help. They are also helpful while on the move and those who are very busy in their daily life.

According to a survey conducted by the Audio Publishers’ Association in the year 2006 for the year 2005, audio book sales were around $871 million. Present estimates are around $2 billion at retail value.

Publishers now produce audio books along with hard cover editions. The first example of a simultaneous publication of an audio book and hard cover edition was the publication of the spoken recording of Norman Mailer’s Ancient Evenings by Jedediah. P. God

CD technology has brought revolutions in this industry. Lots of information can be stored in a single CD and more than one book can be stored in a DVD. They can be played using ordinary CD or DVD players as well, now a day. Portable music players like the IPod, Zen player; Zune, etc have helped downloadable audio books to reach the common mass.

There are mainly two categories of audio books, unabridged and abridged.

A word for word reading of a book is called an unabridged audio book and if the original content is edited, then it is called abridged. The abridger is the person who edits the contents. Abridgements are necessary to maintain time and bring down the cost.

Audio books can be created by recordings by trained vocal artists. Text to speech software can also be used if needed but in such cases sound quality may not be up to the mark.

Audio books are more expensive compared to the hard cover editions as a recording on a CD is expensive. Preloaded digital formats are also available, where audio content is loaded in simple players, similar in price as CDs. Downloadable audio books on the other hand cost less as they don’t have any storage, packaging or transportation costs.

Due to high production costs, Audiobooks have not yet become as popular as their hardcover or paperback counterparts, although music CDs and cassettes are very popular.

William Stephenson has been presenting audiobooks to the public long before IPODS and MP3 players made them popular. Come see an enormous selection of downloadable audio books. I’m certain we have what you’re looking for!

Hiring a Piano Teacher: Things to Consider First

Every parent wants the best for their children and part of this is often music. However, it`s not a good idea to simply hire the first piano teacher you come across, there are some things you really should consider first. It`s important to realize that not all musicians are able to teach their art and not all music teachers are good at it . . . don`t waste your money on mediocre ones. Instead, do your research and make sure that the person you choose to teach your children piano is someone truly qualified to do so.

There are a few other things to consider, as well, so we`ve compiled this list for you.

Family

Readiness. Is your child ready to learn? Even the best piano teacher will have troubles teaching a child who is adamantly opposed to learning piano. Younger children will probably be more interested in learning, while older ones might rebel at anything that seems like work. Gauge the interest in piano carefully before you begin.

Practice. Do you have what it takes to ensure your child practices daily? It`s not going to help much if you find yourself ignoring practice and letting your kids watch TV instead of doing their homework. Unfortunately, kids tend to avoid this even if they enjoy the piano lessons, so you need to be ready to urge them to play.

Piano. If you want your little one to start tickling the ivories, you`ll be needing a piano in the house for practice times. It`s no secret that a real piano is expensive, so you might want to leave the real deal out of it for now. A more affordable alternative, though definitely not the same is a keyboard, which is often suffice until a child grows into a real piano.

Teacher

Distance. A piano teacher who lives within a decent distance from your home is going to be your best bet. These days, families are running from one activity to the next and there isn`t much time for long commutes. Another option is to find out if the piano teacher can come to your home.

Background check. Unfortunately, some families have learned the hard way that the music tutor they chose for their children should not have been allowed near kids. Do a background check on anyone you are considering letting near your children and keep them safe.

Experience. While experience and certificates are certainly not the only signs of a good teacher, they can definitely help. Someone who has been teaching for 30 years will have a few more tricks up their sleeve than someone who has just started a few weeks ago.

Likeability. Children have very keen people skills and tend to pick up on things that we don`t even notice. If your little pupil is not interested in continuing with this particular piano teacher, you might want to look elsewhere. It`s easiest for a kid (or anyone for that matter!) to learn from someone they trust.

Piano lessons can help shape a child`s life, so you`ll want to make sure you do a good job of choosing the right teacher. Kids are naturally interested in music and you`ll fare much better if you have the right teacher and think things through completely before enrolling them in classes. Knowing just what to expect is a good idea, so talk to the teacher about how much practice time will be expected and how many lessons each week, etc. This will all help you prepare for what is going to be a definite part of your lives from now on.

Music school offering piano, piano, guitar and voice lessons Mississauga and the GTA area. Visit our store to find new and used pianos.

Top 3 Reasons to Earn a Degree Online

Are you on the fence as to whether or not you should get a degree? Perhaps you have already started and are thinking about finishing up that degree? In either case, here are the top three reasons you should earn a degree online.

Earn a Degree Online To Advance Your Education

You should earn a degree online to advance your education. While it is well known that college graduates have a lower risk of unemployment, enjoy better job quality, are more likely to be in high-level positions and have higher income, college graduates also have much greater promotion prospects because of their advanced level of education. So whether you need to start with an associates or want to get that masters degree, these should be excellent reasons to earn a degree online.

Many jobs today already require a bachelors degree. According to the University Continuing Education Association, 24 percent of jobs required a bachelors degree. This percentage is expected to increase. As cited on the University Continuing Education Association website, between 2004 and 2014, 19 million new jobs are expected to be added. Of the 19 million new jobs, 36 percent will require at least a bachelors degree and 27 percent will require a minimum of some college education. In all, this accumulates to 63 percent of all new jobs requiring a minimum of some college education. Earn a degree online and you can remain competitive in the workforce and enjoy greater job stability.

Earn a Degree Online To Do Good For Society

Earn a degree online and you have better chances to contribute to your community and society. A report titled Education Pays: The Benefits of Higher Education for Individuals and Society puts forward that college graduates contribute more to society and make better decisions than those who don’t graduate from college. A more education work force makes for a stronger democracy. In the 2004 presidential election, more college graduates voted when compared to those who did not graduate from college as found in a report titled Education Pays. In one age group, 76 percent of college graduates voted vs. 49 percent of high school graduates that voted.

Those with a college education also tend to vonlunteer more. In 2006, 43 percent of surveyees with a minimum of a bachelors degree volunteered whereas only 20 percent of surveyees with high school as the highest level of education volunteered. With an advanced education, you are better able to take care of yourself, thus allowing you to help others and your society. When you earn a degree online, you will be better able to take part in making your community a better place to live.

Earn a Degree Online While You Work

So the first two reasons were compelling enough to earn a degree online, but there is one problem: you can not just quit your job for two to four years. That brings us to the third reason you should earn a degree online…you can still keep your job!

As online degrees become more and more popular, online college courses becoming a fast growing segment of the nation’s higher education curriculum. While working full time and attending school may seem like a lot, online college degree programs are quite flexible and allow you to learn at your own pace. You also have the opportunity to apply what you have learned at school in the workplace. You may also be viewed as motivated and career-minded by your employers. Jack Welch, former CEO of General Electrics, was asked about someone who earned a degree online (Business Week, January 14, 2008). He stated, “…they’re hungry to break open new possibilities in their careers…. People working all day and studying online all night have the kind of ‘grr’ most companies could use.”

Earn a Degree Online and Be More Successful

While there are many reasons to earn a degree, both personal and professional, these are the top three reasons to earn a degree online. Earning a degree online allows you to reach both your personal and professional goals without making you pause your life to attend classes on campus.

Kimberly Diane is a frequent contributor to EducationAdvancementOnline.com. Education Advancement Online promotes higher education for students seeking an online college degree and is a premier online education directory. For more information on Education Advancement Online or to find out more about how to earn a degree online, please visit EducationAdvancementOnline.com

Online Universities: An Inside Look

As online college courses increase in popularity, online college courses are a rapidly growing segment of the nation’s higher education curriculum. In fact, over one-fifth of the higher education population of students is taking at least one online course, that is, 3.9 million students, in the fall of 2007, and this number was a 12% increase over the previous year (Staying the Course, Online Education in the United States, 2008, I. Elain Allen and Jeff Seaman, Sloan-C.org). By the fall of 2008, it was expected that almost 2 million college students will be attending school without leaving home. How do they do this? By attending online universities…

Online Learning at Online Universities

When you pursue a degree at an online university, you take all of the classes required to get a degree entirely online. In online learning, sometimes referred to as E-learning, teachers mostly use computer-based technologies such as video streaming, e-mail, or other technologies over the Internet to teach material to their students. Online college students rarely attend school campuses because almost all, if not 100%, of their studying is done online. Keep in mind that online universities may or may not have a local campus, but that should not deter you from believing the college is a reputable university; just make sure that the university is accredited by an outside accrediting agency such as Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, New England Association of Schools and Colleges, North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, and Western Association of Schools and Colleges. A great way to check accreditation is to visit the U.S. Department of Education Database of Accredited Postsecondary Institutions and Programs.

What To Expect From Online Universities

As mentioned above, when you attend an online university, you will be taught over the Internet via e-mail, video streaming, or other online technologies. While some perceive this teaching method to be impersonal, it is quite the contrary. The quality level of online teaching is equivalent to the quality level of face-to-face teaching methods on campus. Some would even argue that the quality level of online teaching instruction is higher because an online student would have constant personal interaction with the through e-mail or online chat rooms whereas students that attend college classes at a campus-based university may be in a class with 300 other students.

With online universities, you can also expect to avoid travel costs, parking fees and the convenience and flexibility of studying on your own time.

A Wide Array of Degree Options From Online Universities

Is the degree you want to pursue unavailable at your local community college or university? If this is the case, there is no need to move to a new city with a college or university that does; just pursue your degree online. More and more online universities are increasing their program availability to cater to the needs of every student. From art and design, business, and engineering, to criminal justice, education, and social science, almost every degree imaginable is available at an online university. With hundreds of accredited online universities offering accredited online college degree programs, you can pursue just about any specialty you desire.

Online Universities: The Wave of the Future

With the economic downturn, more and more students are expected to attend an online university. Though rising fuel costs may no longer be a factor, students have realized the benefits of attending an online university. With the convenience, flexibility, and wide range of degree programs, student enrollment at online universities continue to excel. Don’t get left behind!

Kimberly Diane is a frequent contributor to EducationAdvancementOnline.com. Education Advancement Online promotes higher education for students seeking an online college degree and is a premier online education directory. For more information on Education Advancement Online or to search online universities, please visit EducationAdvancementOnline.com

Are You Too Old To Go To Nursing School?

I turned forty the month I graduated from nursing school. It is a different experience going to college at a later point in life than in your twenties, however, it is never too late to learn something new. Many people decide to go back to school at a later point in life to finish up a Masters Degree or to change careers. If you are looking to start a second career, nursing offers good employment, many different schedules and a chance to help people at the same time.

Nursing is a well respected profession. You will be working with people and their families and helping them deal with and recover from accidents and illnesses. You will be critically appraising the situation and solving problems independently and with the doctors.

Classes needed to become a nurse include biology, chemistry, general education as well as the nursing process. These classes will help you understand the workings of the human body, disease process and your future patients. You will also participate in clinicals, basically working in a hospital supervised by a nurse instructor.

There are a lot of nursing programs. Some are Associate Degree programs and others are at the Bachelor level. It is important to research the program that fits your needs. Things to consider as an older nursing student:

* The length of the program

* How many students that enroll pass and complete the program

* How many students pass the boards and receive their license

* Does the school offer daycare

* The cost of the nursing program — they vary wildly

There are a lot of nursing scholarships available. You can also apply for federal financial aid, loans and grants from the government. I was able to to get a local hospital to pay $4000 toward the cost of nursing school by agreeing to work for them upon graduation for a certain amount of time depending on the amount of money I received. Checking with the human resources department at local hospitals may be the way to secure money for nursing school. Also, there are often programs set up through the city where you are able to receive some assistance while going through school. These programs have a wide range of help available from full tuition, books, uniforms and even help with living expenses. You may want to work part time while attending school, but you may have to make a hard decision along the way about which is more important: finishing school or keeping your job.

Upon successfully completing nursing school your will have to sit and pass the NCLEX, a licensing exam, before you can work as a nurse. Warning: check with the college and your state board of nursing to make sure you can be a nurse. If you have a criminal record you may, not necessarily, be unable to receive a nursing license, but it is a could idea to confirm with state board before you spend a lot of money and time on a nursing program.

A lot of people decide to change their career to nursing because of the money you can make. There is nothing wrong with this, but you need to understand two things. First, nursing is hard work and you will be earning every penny. Second, you must provide excellent care regardless of your motivation. You will be taking care of people’s sons and daughters, wives and husbands. To succeed, you must be willing to put the patient’s needs first because you are in a health care profession where carelessness or laziness could mean the difference between life and death.

One of the great advantages of becoming a nurse is that full time is often three days a week. Those are three twelve hour shifts which permits you to have a four day weekend. This allows you the opportunity to spend more time with your children and grandchildren, travel or even pick up extra work at your own hospital or through an agency that sends nurses to many different areas.

Whether you become a nurse is entirely up to you. If you are unhappy with your current situation, just need a change or you feel like a challenge, nursing may be right for you. Changing careers later in life is always difficult, but it is more desirable than unemployment or a dead-end job you hate. If you really want to become a nurse, you will be able to overcome the challenges.

Read more from Gene about becoming a nurse, preparing for nursing school and other tips for college students.

Science Fair Food Projects – A Look At Another Bread Mold One

Why do we all love the science fair food projects so much? I think it is because they are so spectacular and we can see the results very clearly. What I think is important, is looking at it another way. The one about the bread mold can be looked at from two sides. One way of looking at it is the growth of the mold itself, meaning growth. The other side is looking at it from the decay side, mold as part of decay.

I think the bread mold one as the mold growing is the most well known one, but now I want to look at it from the decay side and see mold as part of the decay process. What is the role of mold in the process of decay and how can decay be stopped or slowed down.

So, first what is decay? What is the role of decay in nature? What are the conditions necessary for decay? How can decay be slowed down?

For good science fair food projects we always have to start with a hypothesis, which is saying what we want to prove and what we think the outcome will be. It is not important if your hypothesis is proven right or wrong, as long as you follow the proper scientific method and keep record of everything you do. This is the reason why you have to make meticulous notes of all your steps and preferably also take photos of every step as well as the end result.

So, on to our experiment now:

What you need for your experiment:

* Three slices of bread

* Three plastic bags with ties

* Any kind of antiseptic cream

* Three tags

* A pen

* A knife

* Rubber gloves

* A note book

* A camera

How to do this project:

1. Remember to make notes of every step of your experiment as you go.

2. Take photos of all your steps and remember to do it with every step as you go until you get your end result.

3. Start out by explaining what decay is. Decay is the process where bacteria and fungi, called mold, breaks down organic matter such as dead plants or animals.

4. Now explain what they need to grow and this will be your hypothesis as this is the first part of what we are going to try and prove with our experiment.

5. Now explain how decay can be slowed down and how you are going to prove it with this experiment.

6. Remember to wear your rubber gloves through the whole experiment as you may be allergic to the mould growing on the bread.

7. Place one slice of ordinary bread in one of the plastic bags, close it with the tie and mark it “A” with one of the tags. This will be your control. (What is a control in a science experiment?)

8. Slowly toast another slice of toast until it is completely dry and crisp and when it is cold place it and a plastic bag, seal it with the tie and mark the bag “B” with another tag.

9. Take your last slice of bread and cover the one side with antiseptic cream. Place this slice of bread in your last plastic bag, close it with a tie and mark it “C”

10. Place all three bags in a warm place and check them every day.

11. Remember the bacteria and fungi, called moulds, are everywhere and you want to find out what they will do inside your bags.

12. Keeps this up for a few days recording what you see every day.

13. What is your result? The toast is dry so there is no moisture for the mould and bacteria to grow on so it should have very little, if any, mould on it.

14. In the case of the slice of bread covered with the antiseptic cream, the germs have been killed and once again there should not be any mould on it, or at least very little.

15. Have a look at the ordinary bread. The ordinary slice of bread had lots of moisture for the mould to grow on and it should be covered in mould.

16. Now you reach your conclusion, this is where you say what happened and what it proves or does not prove, whatever the case may be.

17. Throw away the bread in the plastic bags, do not open them to prevent you from touching the mould and get ill from it.

This is one of our science fair food projects where we explain how decay can be prevented instead of proving what mould needs to grow on as in the usual “Bread Mould” projects.

Are you interested in more science fair projects? Visit the Squidoo Lens Elementary Science Fair Projects. For the usual bread mould project have a look at Easy Science Fair Projects.

Knowing Korean Language Helps

It has been many years since you have been promoting your export and import business and you have earned lots of money through it. Over these years you have built up a strong relationship with your overseas clients and have even visited some of them. It gives one a warm feeling when they are able to meet their business partner in flesh and blood. While you have discussed the finer points of business with them through various medias, meeting the live is another thing all together. You still recall the sights you were fortunate enough to see during your trip to the United Kingdom. These are the things dreams are made up of and these are memories that last one a lifetime.

These cross-cultural meetings help to strengthen the bonds between you and your business partners and make you all more of a global family. There have been other requests from your other business partners and you have been thinking about it too, but there are times when you find it difficult to accept their request. Recently one of your Korean clients requested you to spend your Christmas holidays with them in Korea. Though you are delighted over the prospect, you are worried since you do not know the Korean language at all. You just know a few words and they are all to do with your trade. They will not help at all when you are visiting Korea.

It is essential that you learn the Korean language before you accept your friend’s proposal. But where can you learn the Korean language? Just check out the Internet and you will be amazed to see the number of sites that help promote this language. In fact, some of these sites, that are affiliated to the Korean university go all the way and even offer degree courses in the Korean language. It is doubtful whether you’ll have the time or whether you do require a detailed course in the Korean language, but you do need to learn the basics. What if you got lost somehow while in Korea? You have heard that most natives over there do not know the English language and that the Korean language is the only means of communication.

You have got many options before you and one of them is going in for a special tourist course that will familiarize you with the common phrases and words. These courses are targeted for the tourist and will permit you to find your way back to the hotel in case you loose your way by mistake. This course will also give you a solid foundation about the Korean language and will assist you in the future, if you plan to go in for advanced studies. Apart from the websites, you can also check out the Korean embassies and consulates. Most of them have a library that is rich in books in the Korean language and if you are lucky, you might find some targeted at beginners.

Park is a professional Korean translator working for VERY TRANSLATION which provides Korean translation .

Study Tips — Using Mind Maps

If you are a college student, you have to make notes when you are attending lectures or studying at the end of the day. You latter use those notes to study for your exam at the end of the semester. This can be tedious and often counterproductive. How often do you take notes and never look at them again or find that they are incomplete.

You may have thought there must be a better way take notes. Is there a method that will work better than than my current technique?

There is probably no one way of note taking that works best for everyone in all classes, since people all have their own learning style.

The big issue with conventional note taking is that this is a passive process. Simply taking notes during class does not get the brain to interact with the material and store the information. When your brain is more actively involved in organizing the learning material it will recall it better later.

If you are a strong visual learner, one thing that you can benefit from is making notes that include lots of images, such as graphs, drawings, or even cartoons. If you are a lousy writer and more of an auditory learner than a visual one, tape recording your lectures may be the way to go.

For highly visual learners a particular method of note taking is called mind-mapping. Sometimes referred to as a learning map.

Although it takes some exercise and training to utilize mind-mapping effectively, people who become efficient at it find they can retain and remember more material in a lot less time.

The technique of the learning-map is very simple. The supplies you need include: a blank piece of paper, the larger the better, at least one pen, more if you want to use a variety of colors.

A mind map can become quite busy as you add your notes to it, so it is important to keep the size of your writing quite small. A fine point pen can help with this. Over time you will be able to judge what size of writing will work best.

Determine what you think the central theme is as you listen to the lecturer, or as you read the textbook you are studying. For example, you might be reading about the Great Depression where you decide the main topic is , ”What was the new deal?” .

Write down the main topic in the center of the page and circle it. You may also want to highlight your central topic. Do not write formally. Just write down a sentence or a fragment, whatever it takes to bring the ideas back into your mind.

Continue reading or listening, and paying attention for the first main sub-topic.

When the first major sub-topic presents itself, write down a few key words on the page to summarize the sub-topic. Circle the the words you just wrote down. Connect the sub-topic with the main topic by drawing a line.

Repeat this every time you come across a new sub topic. Eventually it will start resembling a wagon wheel, with the main topic surrounded by sub-topics.

Remember this is not an art project, the lines or spokes do not have to be straight or perfect, and they can vary in length as needed. The circles do not have to be round; they can be oval, triangles, or squiggles, or even hearts if you prefer. Different colors may help you organize the thoughts more completely.

As the lecture continues, you will find that some of the material being covered includes details that support one of the sub topics that you have all ready isolated. Using just a few words, write down these second generation topics, put a circle around them and connect them to their sub topic with a line. It is best to use a different color pen for each sub topic.

As the lecture progresses and the instructor expands on her ideas your sub-topics will have many second generation topics surrounding it. When you look at your paper you will instantly know the dominant themes of the lecture and the organizational structure of the topic.

Do not be afraid to write down any ideas or even questions of your own while listening to the talk.

This shows you have your brain actively interacting with the material and will remind you of where further study is needed.

The visual document that is created through the mind mapping technique differs a lot from classical note taking methods.

People who learn very well visually will love mind mapping; people that do not learn visually tend to find mind maps a waste of time. What kind of learner are you?

Gene Grzywacz write about college study skills, how to become a nurse and other college tips including essay writing, scholarships and time management.

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