01.12.2009
Some parents have asked the question, is Study Technology a secular methodology and why do we use it?
The overarching purpose of using the method of Study Technology is to teach students how to be independent learners. The goal is that students become self-reflective as they are studying and when they get frustrated or stop understanding something they are studying, they are able to figure out why, and what to do about it.
We just finished teaching upper grade students (in the Learning How to Learn course) that there are three main reasons, or “barriers,” to learning. First is that a person may need to see, experience or touch the object he is learning about. Teachers use a “hands-on” approach with “manipulatives” or “mass” when teaching so students understand in a multi-sensory way – using seeing, hearing, and touch (sometimes smell too!)
The next barrier to learning is being taught at a level, or a “gradient” too high for where the student really is. For example, if a student hasn’t mastered simple fractions, how can they then understand the relation between decimals and fractions? This is why we have tested the students (math is a perfect example) to make sure there are no gaps in learning. So many students as they get older feel like they are just plain bad at math. Imagine if they could figure out themselves that they needed to go back and review fractions? Imagine if a student felt really confused and instead of being frustrated, he or she could say to themself, “OK, it’s not that I am bad at algebra, I just need to go back and relearn exponents.” This really empowers learning!
The last barrier is the misunderstood word. We teach students to ask when they don’t understand words and we look up lots of words so they know what they are saying and what things mean. As students get older, we show them that when they don’t understand something they are reading, they need to go back and see if there are words they didn’t understand and look them up. This increases understanding and it also increases retention of information because students comprehend the whole of what they are studying, and not glossing over parts that are difficult.
Our goal is that students take ownership of their learning by “catching” themselves as they are studying when they hit a problem, get frustrated, or don’t understand. They then will be able to figure out the barrier they are experiencing and progress quickly rather than give up or feel like they aren’t “good at something”. As they move toward being completely independent learners, teachers help them figure out their own barriers.
Parents are also welcome to take the Learning How to Learn course at the school and we encourage this as it demystifies what Study Technology is. Though developed by L. Ron Hubbard, it is a secular course and not affiliated with the religion of Scientology, just as the Montessori method, though developed by a devout Catholic, is not a way to teach religious concepts. If you have any questions, please ask any of the teachers or Dr. Jacquie.
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