Excellence Effect Movement Visits New Orleans

The Excellence Effect Movement recently took their mission of reaching 50 million kids to two New Orleans schools, Schwarz Alternative School and Dr. Martin Luther King High School, which is located in the lower ninth ward.

“Your outstanding presentation, enthusiasm, selfless commitment, and sheer love permeated into our hearts, and showed students that there are persons that dedicate their time, love and efforts into making the lives of children more fulfilling,” School Administrator Mr. Lockett said.

As students suffer from a cultural Excellence Deficit and teachers struggle with lack of programs due to education budget cuts, the aim of the Excellence Effect Movement is to reverse this trend by offering a meaningful character education curriculum at no cost to families and students with a goal of reaching 50 million kids by 2015.

“The Excellence Effect is a program that guides young people toward a positive future full of confidence, motivation, creativity, teamwork, leadership and valuable life principles,” said Bobbi DePorter, President of the non-profit that created the Excellence Effect Movement, Learning Forum International.

At both school assemblies, members of the Transformational Leadership Council, an elite group of many of the world’s greatest transformational leaders, led talks on the 8 Keys of Excellence and interacted in small groups with the students.

The no-cost school program provides K-12 teachers with a full year of character education lesson plans, online resources, training and support.

Bobbi DePorter is the founder and president of Learning Forum International. Bobbi developed the 8 Keys of Excellence 30 years ago as an education tool for students attending her SuperCamp summer enrichment programs. She is the author of The 8 Keys of Excellence – Principles to Live By and has written over a dozen books on teaching and learning, which have been translated into seven languages. Ms. DePorter is also the founder and president of Quantum Learning Network, which offers training to youth, educators and businesses throughout the U.S. and in over 12 other countries. She attended the University of Washington and University of Southern California Graduate School of Business CME program.

“Our kids are at risk – it’s our responsibility to do something” she said.

A Thanksgiving Attitude

Our trusted Facilitator and loved SuperCamp administrator Marina McDonald shares some whooshed Thanksgiving love.

Watch this video and then ask yourself, what is it that you like in your life?:

Thanksgiving comes around and I find myself still sitting at the kids table with a paper plate and spork. I sigh deeply, look at my 30 year old sister and laugh because she is sitting next to me.

At SuperCamp I listed a series of “I am” statements including “I am a teacher, I am a friend, I am hilarious” in the first step to writing realistic, specific and measurable goals for myself. I took time to reflect on who I am and the goals I set. Admittedly, I would have to look back at my playbook to find specifically (how ironic) which goals I talked about. What happened to the goals you set at camp? How far along are you to accomplishing those goals?

In high school, I focused on the obstacles I faced to get to college including parents, teachers and the multitude of never ending exams.

College: same thing. I was focused on getting past these “obstacles” so I could enjoy life in the job I worked so hard for.

With this perspective, I was trudging through life. I did not realize until now that in high school and college I was growing, learning and developing those “I am” statements. Reality check.

Every Thanksgiving, I look in the mirror and reflect on what I am thankful for. Just like the little girl, I love my house, I love my mom and why not?–even my haircut. Simple things shift my focus from looking at the obstacles to admiring the opportunities.

In the end, I replace my “attitude” with “gratitude.”  I am grateful for all the work my mom put into making my lunches, taking me to school, and making sure I got what I needed all before she headed to the factory to work a 10-hour shift. I am grateful for the teachers who were constantly reminding me what assignments I was missing so they could catch up on a huge pile of papers to grade while they mulled over their leftover choices.

Reflect on your camp. Reflect on life. What are your goals? Who are you grateful for?

What are you saying to yourself in the mirror?

Sweet haircut, by the way.

If It’s Not Baroque, Fix It!

Try this out real fast: before reading the rest of this post, pick out the song that, for you right now, is the song that you just have to sing along to. For me, it’s that “Nothin on you girl” song by B.o.B. Don’t judge…it’s catchy.

Whatever it is for you, find it now.

Press play. Now read this:

Music is an integral part of an optimal study environment. The reason is that music actually corresponds and affects your physiological conditions. During heavy mental work, your pulse and blood pressure tend to rise, your brain waves speed up, and your muscles become tense. During relaxation and meditation, your pulse and blood pressure decrease, and your muscles relax. Normally, it’s difficult to concentrate when you’re deeply relaxed, and it’s difficult to relax when you’re concentrating intently.

Press pause.

Think for a moment: was it easy to read that paragraph while listening to the song? Without looking back, how much information were you able to comprehend and retain while listening? Were you distracted by the music at all?

Try reading the paragraph again.

Did you get more out of it this time around? Why?

Most likely, with your fave song playing, you felt some degree of distraction. Of course, some people have an easier time drowning out lyrics than others. Regardless, our brains all work relatively in the same way.

Ready for some awesome brain info?

We know that the brain has two hemispheres – left and right. For the most part, the right hemisphere handles creative, abstract, aesthetic information, while the left hemi deals mostly in logic, recall, and structure. Most of this sounds familiar so far, right?

What you may not know (unless you attended our Facilitator training a couple of weeks ago) is that retention and learning happen most effectively when the two sides of your brain are balanced. What do you mean by balanced brain, Jake? Well, this simply means that neither side is processing more than the other. For instance, if you are listening to Jason Derulo or something (and of course you know every word), the left side of your brain is concentrating on recalling the lyrics, drowning out most other thoughts. The right side is enjoying the beat, keyboard sounds, melody, and other aesthetic wonders – but it is definitely not as active as the left side.

If you tried to get down to Jason while doing homework, the left side of your brain (which you need to recall what you learned in class) will be almost exclusively focusing on the words of the song, keeping you from reaching that precious info buried in your head. I’m sorry to say it, but your favorite singer needs to go away during homework/study time.

But, if you’ve been to SuperCamp, you probably noticed that we use music – a lot. We use music to set the mood as well as to match it. For example, when you’re trying out some awesome strategies in academic rotations, there is most often baroque music played at low volume in the background. However, during breaks, we play loud, upbeat popular music because it encourages physical activity (dance circles, anyone?) and helps to create a positive, upbeat mood.

Obviously, music is great for learning. Dr. Georgi Lozanov, whose accelerated learning techniques are the basis for our summer enrichment programs, was one of the earliest researchers to discover the benefits of music in learning.

So how do I use music to maximize study time at home?

Well, the music Dr. Lozanov found most conducive to learning is baroque music, like that of Bach, Handel, Pachelbel, and Vivaldi. These composers used very specific beats and patterns that automatically synchronize our minds with our bodies. For instance, most baroque music is timed at sixty beats per minute, which is the same as an average resting heart rate.

Going back to our left/right brain struggle, baroque music also helps get the two hemispheres balanced. The right side of your brain is going to focus exclusively on Bach’s Oboe Concerto in D minor, while the left will be able to zone in on whatever you are studying. The simultaneous left and right brain action maximizes learning and retention of information. Huzzah!

Don’t have any baroque music lying around the house? No worries, you can stream a great deal of music for free on the internet at sites like Pandora.com or Grooveshark.com.

Classical music not your thing? That’s ok, try it out for a little while and see how it feels. As a self-proclaimed music addict, I’ve definitely experimented with other types of music while studying/working. I’ve found that Minimal Electronic music is also very effective in studying. Don’t just try anything though. You are looking for music that is non-lyrical and consistent in rhythm. Anything that switches up beats, sounds, or melodies quickly will be crazy distracting. My favorite songs to work to are by a band called “The Field.” Definitely worth checking out if you want to get an idea of what I mean.

Start studying to the right kinds of music and you could be amazed at the results. And next time your mom storms upstairs during homework time to tell you to turn your music down, you can say, “Mom, it’s good for my brain!”

Study and Test-Taking Tips from Bobbi DePorter

Over the past few weeks, our very own president and co-founder, Ms. Bobbi DePorter, has been jet-setting across the country in her ongoing efforts to educate parents on how to support their teens in school and in life. Here are just a few of her key study and test-taking tips:

Optimal Study Area

• Design the optimum study area at home. It should include good lighting, a desk or table to work at, a comfortable chair, inspirational posters, and plants.
• Play Baroque music softly in the background.
• Study at the same time every day and take a short break every 30 minutes.
• Tackle the most difficult subjects first. When you get them out of the way, the rest will be easy.

Cultivate a Winning Attitude

Maintaining a positive attitude is your most important learning asset. You need to mentally prepare before any learning experience. Henry Ford said, “If you think you can, you can. If you think you can’t, you can’t. Either way, you are right.”

Overcome the Obstacle of a Blank Page with Freewriting

When faced with writer’s block, freewriting provides visible and immediate progress. Choose a subject and set the timer for a specified amount of time. Write continuously until your time is up. Don’t worry about structuring sentences, checking grammar, backtracking or crossing things out – just keep writing. Freewriting clears your mind, focuses your ideas and makes the invisible visible.

Take Breaks

Every 30 minutes it helps to take a short five-minute break. Take mini-breaks more often by standing up and stretching whenever you notice your mind wandering. Studies show that you remember best what you learned just before and just after a break – so the more breaks, the more you learn!

S.L.A.N.T.

• Sit in the front row or middle section of the classroom.
• Lean slightly forward in your chair, as if you are hanging on the teacher’s every word.
• Ask questions to clarify anything you don’t understand.
• Nod your head to show you are listening and interested.
• Talk to your teacher after class to build rapport and establish a relationship.

Plan Ahead

Use a calendar to mark days for tests or due dates of important papers. Studying ahead reduces stress and increases your ability to remember at test time.

Discover the Power of “This is it!”

“This is it!” means making the most of every moment. It also means doing whatever it takes to make a subject interesting. Some ideas include studying with a friend or relating the topic to something you already know or like. When you know something well, you almost always find it interesting.

Test-Taking Strategies

• Allow yourself enough time to get to class a few minutes early – hurrying causes tension and mental crunches, and you can use the few extra minutes to review your notes one last time.
• Before and during the test, tell yourself positive messages, such as “I know this information and I’m going to get an A.”
• If you feel yourself getting tense, close your eyes for a moment and take a few deep breaths. Imagine a relaxing scene.
• If you’re having trouble concentrating or are feeling overwhelmed, try drawing a mind map in the margin of your paper. It will help you remember what you studied.

Remember the “F” Stands for Feedback

From infancy through adulthood, we learn through our mistakes. Remember to learn from the feedback you get from others, whether it is a failed test or a poor relationship. In your path to become an excellent learner, feedback is simply the information you need to succeed.

These strategies used together create the ultimate recipe for academic success!

Check out a few of Bobbi’s recent interviews below:

• Bobbi on San Diego Living with Renee Cohn 2/22/10

• Bobbi on Chicago’s WGN Mid-day News with Allison Payne 3/2/10

Overcome the Obstacle of a Blank Page with Freewriting

When faced with writer’s block, freewriting provides visible and immediate progress. Choose a subject and set the timer for a specified amount of time. Write continuously until your time is up. Don’t worry about structuring sentences, checking grammar, backtracking or crossing things out – just keep writing. Freewriting clears your mind, focuses your ideas and makes the invisible visible.

Take Breaks

Every 30 minutes it helps to take a short five-minute break. Take mini-breaks more often by standing up and stretching whenever you notice your mind wandering. Studies show that you remember best what you learned just before and just after a break – so the more breaks, the more you learn!

Hot Tips for Successful Note-Taking

Photo by Austin Kleon

As the school year progresses, it becomes more and more important for your kids to preserve what their teachers have been saying in class to ensure they’ve got the information they need to pass those tests. Here’s a quick review for you to share with your son or daughter of some ways to make their note-taking more effective:

Listen Actively

Ask yourself, “What does the teacher expect me to learn? Why? What is he saying? How does it relate to the subject? Is it important? Is it something I need to be sure to remember?” Asking these questions makes it easier to separate what is important from what is unimportant. If you use the Notes:TM technique, this provides you with a steady supply of things to jot down on the right side of the line.

Observe Actively

Pay attention to clues you can pick up from the teacher and your reading material. Clues in the reading material can take the form of headings, bold type, italics, pictures, graphs, and diagrams. Some books have chapter outlines that contain important topics. Look at section and chapter summaries. Note the author’s or teacher’s conclusions.

Look for physical clues from the teacher too. Every teacher has a unique style; you can pick up on important points by becoming familiar with that style. Activate your antennae to the teacher’s facial expressions, gestures, body movements, and raised or lowered voice. Notice when she repeats an idea or word, and be attentive to what she writes on the board. Always sit as close to the front of the room as possible – it’s easier to pick up on important clues that way.

Participate

If you don’t understand something or have questions about it, ask! Join in discussions. Some people hold back, worrying about what others might think. Surveys show that people in an audience usually think highly of participators, often envying them for their courage even when they resent them for interrupting. Besides, what’s the worst other people can think – that you’re selfish in wanting to gain new knowledge?

Preview

If you know what the teacher is going to discuss, preview the material and find as much information on it as possible beforehand. Having some knowledge ahead of time will help you identify important points during a speech or lecture.

You’ll also know which concepts are unclear to you, so you can be prepared to ask questions. As you hear bits of information, you’ll find it easier to see how they fit together in the big picture. Previewing is one of the most effective ways to insure success and understanding.

Make the Auditory Visual

Your notes should be personal and meaningful to you, just like snapshots. Have you ever noticed how a picture from a vacation or important event brings a flood of memories – things you thought you’d forgotten?

When you’re taking in information, snap pictures of it by adding visual associations like symbols, drawings, and arrows as they occur to you. This way, your notes, even if reviewed months later, will remind you instantly of the material you knew was important at the time – and need to recall now.

Make Reviewing Easy

When taking/making notes, write on only one side of the paper. Use single sheets, not paper in a bound notebook. Then you can lay the sheets out in front of you or hang them up on the wall alter, when you need to review.

It’s also helpful to copy key notes onto three-by-five cards that you can carry around with you. When you’re standing in line, riding a bus, or waiting for a class to start, you can take them out for a few minutes of extra study or thinking time.

If students apply these tips to their note-taking, they will be more organized and more prepared to tackle whatever comes their way this year. They’ll be begging for their teachers to, “C’mon, gimme that test!”

* For one-on-one support from a SuperCamp facilitator, call our Grad Support Hotline at 1-800-285-3276, extension 170.

Student Motivation – What’s In It For Me?

Hop on over to YouTube. In the search bar, type in “Bored in school.” When the results pop up, you will see that there are over 25 THOUSAND videos that were either filmed while bored at school or were thought up during that same “lull” time.

It’s not the latest research. One need only watch the first 30 seconds of the video to know what’s happening: lack of attention and motivation. It’s common knowledge that teens have a harder time staying focused and motivated in work settings than adults do. Adults can look at a situation and usually discern some value in the mundane; teens – for the most part – usually look at a situation and dryly ask, “When will I ever use this?” The result is that they operate with low motivation, which keeps them from advancing. Out of desperation, parents and teachers try a host of things to get a student motivated. Personal tutoring, special classes, or extra attention at home can help, but motivation will stay low unless the student takes interest in what she’s doing.

With almost 30 years of research under our belt, we’ve found a number of factors that play into a student’s motivation, or lack thereof. The most important stems from a simple question:

“What’s In It For Me?” or WIIFM (pronounced wiffem) is what our kids need to be asking themselves in the classroom. Most likely, they’re already asking this question, but for the wrong reasons. WIIFM works because it is a step-based process and we know that we tend to be less overwhelmed when we can take things in “baby steps”. Jimmy knows that he wants to go to college, so his first baby step is paying attention in math class. The next baby step is studying for the big test. Maybe even asking that cute girl he sits across from to be a study partner. And so on. Helping kids and teens find the relationship between what they are being taught and the life that they’re living is the key to switching a “So what?” attitude to a “Now what?’ attitude. Learning is brought to life when students begin to connect the seemingly abstract events in their lives to who they are and their interests.

There are certainly other aspects that play into the enthusiasm with which a student looks at school and it is safe to say that some of the responsibility rests with our teachers. Much of the training we do with our Quantum Learning for Teachers professional development program focuses on facilitating effective classroom management based on motivation and designing engaging lessons that make content more meaningful.

The responsibility, however, always falls on the listener. By encouraging our children to be thinking ahead and thinking about what they want, we are helping them to become proactive, motivated learners – regardless of the situation.

A Fun Technique for Better Writing Skills

Think for a moment about examples of writing that really grabbed your attention – the first paragraphs of a mystery novel – a very personal, very intimate letter, an passionate political essay. What was it about the writing that was so enthralling? Regardless of the type of writing it was, chances are the reason you were so impressed was that the words caused pictures to form in your mind and feelings to rise in your gut.

Vivid descriptions are powerful tools for writers. When a person learns to write descriptively, he or she is able to create visual pictures in readers’ minds. Dull statements of facts are transformed into fascinating illustrations. People not only read and understand what has been written, they are able to relate and react to it on an intimate level.

At our summer enrichment programs, we teach students a writing method called “Show Not Tell.” Developed by Rebekah Caplan, this technique takes “telling sentences” and converts them into “showing paragraphs.”

Consider the following sentence:

“It was a pretty day.”

Technically there is nothing wrong with this sentence; it’s grammatically correct. It does, however, lack the specific details that make descriptions come alive. What exactly does “pretty” mean? Your idea of pretty is probably different from what the writer was envisioning. And what time of day are we talking about here? What day of the week? If it’s a Saturday, you might see the day differently than if it is a Monday. Bottom line: after you read this sentence, a picture might form in your mind that’s not even close to what the writer intended. What’s more, “It was a pretty day” is SO BORING!

If this “telling sentence” were changed to a “showing paragraph,” it might read like this:

“The moment she opened her window that bright Saturday morning, she felt the freshness crackling in the air. The leaves on every tree sparkled with reflected sunlight. The rainbow of flowers lining the front walk shouted ‘Spring!’ And above it all, puffy white clouds scuttled across a brilliant blue sky.”

Now you know exactly what the writer means by a pretty day. You can see the scene in your mind as clearly as if you were watching it in a movie. When you use Show Not Tell, paragraphs form naturally and vividly. They seem to take on a life of their own. The effect is fun and easy to achieve – just show the scene as if you were filming it.

The best thing about Show Not Tell is that every writer will come up with his or her own unique description for any given “telling sentence.” It’s impossible to do it without letting your own personal style come through. So go ahead, give it a try!

10 Ways to Study More Effectively

In previous posts I have shared several study and other learning tips that SuperCamp grads receive while at SuperCamp. We’ve recently pulled together 10 of the most effective tips and put them into a free report entitled “10 Easy Ways to Study More Effectively.”

While you’ve probably seen most of these tips before, we thought you might like to download a document where they’re all in one place in order to easily review the information and share it with your kids. Also, you’re welcome to pass the link along to your friends and other family members. Enjoy!

Creativity is Key to Effective Study Skills

Karen Borbola uses Mind Mapping to enhance her study skills

For any learner, a significant gap can form between subject matter and student if the learning method isn’t approached intuitively. SuperCamp equips students with a repertoire of valuable study skills and advantageous techniques that work specifically with their individual learning pattern.

A favorite for many of our campers is Mind Mapping®, a method developed by Tony Buzan in the 1960′s that promotes active learning through colorful picture and word associations. The goal of Mind Mapping is to get creative! Personalizing the information in a way that employs both sides of the brain is the key to this learning technique. Anyone who needs to organize information easily for absorption can use this technique, whether in preparation for an exam, a book report, planning an event, or tackling a challenging problem.

How does Mind Mapping work? The first step is to turn the page horizontally. This gives you room to spread outwards. Since it is important to always be aware of the big picture, your first addition to the page should be the main idea of the subject at hand. As an example, consider the life cycle of a plant. You could choose to simply write this in the center of the page, but it would be more beneficial to the learning process – and more fun – if a picture is included that will signify the topic, like a quick sketch of a plant. From there, draw branches stemming from the main idea that represent important points: how a seed germinates, where a plant gets its nutrients, the process of photosynthesis, and the pollination of flowers. Each point can be paired with a picture and at least three different colors should be used throughout.

The use of color stimulates the imaginative part of the brain – additionally, it captures and holds the Mind Mapper’s attention. The pictures paired with words will help the brain form associations that can be easily recalled at a later date. The final product should resemble the many branches of a tree surrounding a central idea. And remember – the more unique your mind map is, the easier it will be to retain the information!

Students can build a better foundation for their academic careers if they develop engaging learning techniques at an early age. Regardless of the subject matter, a student who is able to manipulate content in a mentally stimulating way will adopt a positive stance on learning for years to come. For SuperCamp graduate James Ohnoki, Mind Mapping was the turning point for his academic career. The visual elements helped him connect facts to a bigger picture, while the drawing and coloring aspects gave him permission to be as creative as he wanted.

Just as James Ohnoki discovered, the learning techniques students develop at SuperCamp will transform them into more interactive learners for the rest of their lives. It can effectively bridge the gap between a student and his or her coursework and start them on the road to academic success. Armed with learning techniques like Mind Mapping, students will find this path to success remarkably easier to traverse.