• read the skill/strategy often over the week to absorb it and reflect on it.
To Do List / Notes
• keep a daily to do list.
• use this area for notes.
Homework & Assignments
• record any set homework and assignments. Due / Done
• record the due date.
• tick when completed.
Activities
• encouraging you to connect with yourself moment-by-moment.
• gives you an increased ability to focus and concentrate.
Study Essentials
Index and Breakup of Focuses
Wellbeing Tip / What Went Well This Week?
• small, actionable ideas that can contribute to your and others’ wellbeing.
• think about positive things that happened and consider why they happened.
• when you require a certain skill, look it up in the index
• they will point you in the right direction.
Semester Goal Setting
• at the end of each semester reflect on your progress to achieving the goals you set for yourself
• fill in any changes and refocus your energies.
Study Timetables
• design your own weekly study timetables (refer to index)
• at the weekend check that your timetable suits your upcoming week.
Value-Added Extras
Notes
• use this area to record any notes.
• explore the many extra features that will give you an advantage such as needs of individual learners, Emotional Intelligence, Learning Style, Goal Action Plans, Motivation and Guidelines. Self-Assessment
• every semester think honestly about your progress in each of your subjects
• then fill in areas that you can improve on, using your parents’ and teachers’ observations
• ask them to sign off each semester with you.
Approaches to Learning
The Five Skill Categories
APPROACHES TO LEARNING (ATL)
Skills are sets of strategies and techniques that people use to achieve a specific purpose. Through ATL you will develop skills that you can use across all subjects that help you “learn how to learn”. The five skill categories below are important in all aspects of your life:
• education
• the workplace
• the community.
Regularly revisiting these skill categories twice a semester, to reflect on your progress, can assist you to achieve your goals in education and in life. Use the scale and explanation below to self-assess your progress in each area.
• Novice/beginning: you have been introduced to the skill, and have seen others performing.
• Learner/developing: you can copy others who use the skill and can use the skill with guidance.
• Practitioner/using: you can use the skill confidently and effectively without guidance.
• Expert/sharing: you can show others how to use the skill effectively and can accurately assess how well the skill is used.
Novice Learner Practitioner Expert
Self-Management Skills
How well do I:
• demonstrate organization skills?
E.g. Bring necessary equipment and supplies to class, keep and use a weekly planner, plan assignments, meet deadlines.
• manage my own state of mind?
E.g. Practise strategies to overcome distractions, show persistence and perseverance, use strategies to overcome impulsiveness and anger, engage in positive thinking, “bounce back” after mistakes and failures.
• reflect on my learning process?
E.g. Identify strengths and weaknesses of personal learning strategies, consider what you can do to become a more efficient and effective learner, decide what ATL skills to work on next.
Social Skills
How well do I:
• effectively collaborate with my peers?
E.g. Practise empathy, take responsibility for your own actions, negotiate effectively.
• encourage others to contribute?
E.g. Work collaboratively in teams, build consensus.
• give and receive meaningful feedback?
E.g. Actively listen to other perspectives and ideas.
Novice Learner Practitioner Expert
Novice Learner Practitioner Expert
Novice Learner Practitioner Expert
Approaches to Learning
The Five Skill Categories
Communication Skills
How well do I:
• communicate through interaction?
E.g. Give and receive meaningful feedback, negotiate ideas and knowledge with peers and teachers, use a variety of speaking and writing techniques to communicate with a variety of audiences.
• demonstrate communication through language?
E.g. Read and comprehend a variety of sources for information and for pleasure, take effective notes in class, write for different purposes, structure information in essays.
Research Skills
How well do I:
• demonstrate information literacy?
E.g. Collect, record and verify data; analyse and process data to identify solutions and report results; evaluate, select and reference information sources; understand and abide by intellectual property rights.
• demonstrate media literacy?
E.g. Locate, organise, analyse, evaluate, synthesise and ethically use information from a variety of sources and media; seek a range of perspectives from multiple and varied sources; communicate information and ideas effectively to different audiences using a variety of media and formats.
Thinking Skills
How well do I:
• think critically?
E.g. Gather, organise and interpret relevant information to formulate an argument; consider ideas from multiple perspectives; revise understanding based on new information and evidence.
• have creative thoughts?
E.g. Consider multiple alternatives and create novel solutions, apply existing knowledge to generate new ideas, products or processes; create original works and ideas; use existing works and ideas in new ways.
• transfer skills and knowledge from one discipline or subject group to another?
E.g. Use effective learning strategies in subject groups and disciplines, make connections between subjects, apply skills and knowledge in unfamiliar situations.
Novice
Novice
Novice
Novice
Novice Learner
Novice Learner
Self-Management Skills
Time Management
Having sufficient time to meet all of your commitments requires planning. Before you can control your time usage, you must understand where it goes.
For three typical days list everything you do over the whole day. Break the day up into:
- before school - at school - after school - sleep. Summarize your time usage and fill in the gaps below by noting how much time you spend:
• sleeping • eating
• studying at home • travelling
• at school
• exercising
• working • other
• relaxing/friends
TOTAL
Remember, there are 168 hours in a week.
Are there any glaring time-wasters? If so, list them and be aware of when they occur.
Your education is an important key to your future, so study is a full-time commitment and must be viewed as such. One workable strategy is to allocate 38 hours per week to lessons and study. This is the same number of hours as full-time work.
For example, if you attended 25, 50 minute classes (about 20 hours), you should spend 18 hours minimum studying at home. It is also vital to relax and pursue leisure activities for about 12 hours per week, to create a balanced lifestyle.
Aim for your Study Timetable to tailor your lifestyle, bearing in mind that weekly:
• 38 hours academic time minimum
• sometimes ‘overtime’ will be necessary
• compulsory ‘leisure time’ of about 12 hours
• self-discipline and purpose are the keys.
Each week revisit your plan, taking into account any time-wasters from the previous week.
Actions
What are two changes I can make to improve my time management?
Creative Activity
Use the “10 Ways to” prompt to develop your creative thinking. You have 5 minutes to come up with your ideas. Find 10 ways to exercise.
TO DO LIST / NOTES
Wellbeing Tip
Take several deep breaths when feeling tense or stressed.
Thinking Skills
Ethical Dilemma Analysis
Imagine you’re a professional in your career field facing an ethical challenge (e.g. “Your company uses AI to track employees’ productivity. Some workers feel it’s invasive. What should you do?”).
Identify:
• The key ethical concerns
• The perspectives of all stakeholders
• Possible solutions and their consequences
Actions
What are two things I can do to improve my criticalthinking skills? 1.
Creative Activity
Ask a friend to make up an unusual question then try to answer it. Don’t try to be too logical! Here are examples: How would my life be different if I could travel into space? How much water is in this lake?
Wellbeing Tip
Think about this – we live by what we give.
Personal and Professional Skills
Intercultural Understanding
Intercultural understanding is a key to being a good human. It’s about appreciating and respecting diverse cultures, recognising the richness they bring to the global tapestry of the world we live in. By understanding different perspectives, you become a more effective collaborator, thinker, and communicator.
Diversity isn’t just about backgrounds and traditions; it extends to thoughts, ideas, and ways of problemsolving. Embracing diversity enriches your journey through life, making you a more resilient, flexible, and open-minded individual.
Intercultural understanding isn’t just about tolerating differences; it’s about celebrating them. It’s a lifelong skill that goes beyond the classroom, preparing you for a world where effective communication across cultures is a necessity.
Challenge yourself to step out of your comfort zone and engage in conversations with people from different backgrounds. It might feel awkward at first, but it’s these experiences that shape you into a confident, caring, and reflective individual.
Remember, the journey of intercultural understanding is ongoing. Embrace it, celebrate it, and let it shape you into a globally aware, compassionate individual. The world is your classroom, and every interaction is an opportunity to learn and grow.
Actions
What are some activities I can do to understand different cultures?
Mindfulness Activity
Country Names. There are about 200 different nations in the world. For five minutes write down as many of them that you can think of.
Wellbeing Tip
Find a higher purpose to have in life to aim for; say no to mediocrity.
Social Media Security Social Skills
We all post a great deal of information about ourselves online. Do you ever wonder if it is possible for people or businesses to gain access to your private information? It is important to be in control of all of your data and to set up your social media presence strongly and securely. If you are in an online environment and you feel someone is placing you under any kind of pressure, then stop and tell someone. Take screenshots, remove yourself from the situation and report it.
Every country has laws around privacy. You need to understand these laws to protect you and to avoid problems with anyone else. Many people reference
GDPR – General Data Protection Regulation. This is a regulation in EU law regarding data protection and privacy in the European Union and the European Economic Area. It also addresses the transfer of personal data outside the EU and EEA area and is a standard adopted in most parts of the world.
To prevent other people from accessing your information, check your privacy settings on all your socials. Turn off your camera when not in use; clear your cache and cookies every two weeks; do not accept cookies from 3rd parties; and turn off your search engine’s ability to track your search history. Protect your privacy!
Social Media Identity
Most people have an online identity. It is the way in which we use various social media platforms to show who we are, what we can do and what we stand for. You can use this social media identity to achieve some of your goals.
We present an impression to the world with voluntarily contributed information. However, you need to control the type, quality and amount of material about yourself that is available to the world.
Your online identity describes who you are. Does your online ‘name’ or avatar/photo represent you and your values? Consider this carefully.
Many people on social media make comparisons with others. Make sure that you develop a strong sense of who you are and what you believe in. This can protect you from developing an unhealthy envy of those on social media who seem to be having a better time than you or going to better places. Believe in yourself and remember – you can’t always believe what you see online anyway.
Review each of your social media platforms.
• How do you want to be perceived by the world?
• Is your online persona reflecting who you are and what you believe in, or is it someone you don’t recognise?
Your social media identity can blur the lines with your academic profile and can help or hinder in you attaining your goals.
Social Skills
People In My
Life
To be the very best that you can be, and then extend again to make your best better, you have to be in a “good place” as a person. You are a son, daughter, brother, sister, niece, nephew, cousin, grandchild, well before you are a student. Feeling that you are in the ‘right’ place as a family member and individual is a key to your success as a student. Therefore, it is essential to understand how you can set up your support TEAM. The various members of your TEAM will all be able to support your “needs” and “wants”, but the key is knowing which TEAM members are the best for the job; no one person can do it all.
There are four groups of people that you could turn to for support. They are:
• Family and Friends - their role for you is to care, love, share highs and lows and provide the emotional stability that enables you to know yourself and feel that you matter as a person first and foremost.
• Teachers - their role is to teach you how to learn effectively, how to think critically and creatively and how to study strategically so that you can get the most out of your education.
• Year-Level Advisors/Coordinators/Counsellors - their role is to assist you to overcome issues and situations which upset you and hinder your progress. By sharing any issues or concerns with them, they’re then able to offer support.
• Mentors - their role is to demonstrate positive and appropriate behaviors, and share successful strategies and possible pitfalls.
Action Stocktake
Reflect on each of the supports in your life and write down how they influence you. Be honest with yourself.
Family and Friends
Who else could I ask?
Teachers
Who else could I ask?
Year Level Advisors/Coordinators/Counsellors
Who else could I ask?
Mentors
Who else could I ask?
Life’s Kaleidoscope
Small twists of a Kaleidoscope create whole new mixes of colors. The same goes for your TEAM.
These people have the power to influence who you are and who you will become. Always remember that you are ‘uniquely’ you and learn more about yourself so that you can thrive even more.
