I am a 16 year old. Last semester, I completed a Science experiment focused on typing. Through the process I discovered how important typing is. I discovered others had a higher words per minute rate than me. This led me to realise that those people would definitely be at an advantage when it came to work rate and getting computer based tasks completed.
I discovered that I had developed some bad typing habits that were not helping me. These were, looking at the keyboard when I shouldn’t, using only 4 fingers and not 9 – 10 as I should.
I realised while completing that assignment that most people my age have no idea how to touch type and they have no idea how important it is to learn how to type properly.
The advantages to touch typing are –
* It is a life skill that we use daily (we don’t even realise that we use it daily)
*It helps get better results with homework and assessments due to a faster work rate and workflow
*It is more enjoyable to touch type and therefore motivates me to work
*It is a skill that you can constantly improve on over many years
*It teaches a disciplined approach, as in you have to dedicate yourself to the process of getting better
*It is a great skill for the future where many jobs require lots of typing or time spent in front of a computer single everyday
*Learning touch typing can be fun and relaxing
*It is very rewarding seeing your improvements over time
*Long assignments can become much more fun, taking some boredom out of the task
*Build muscle memory and hand and finger strength
*It’s better to touch type so that you don’t damage your hands, fingers and wrist as the keyboard is ergonomically designed for touch typing making it easier.
Touch typing is a great skill which is prominently used in today’s modern workforce, and is commonly required for employment. This is because it increases work productivity as it is a faster, safer and more enjoyable way to work. I would encourage all people my age to learn touch typing.
Rock and Water Program presented by Nathan O’Donohue
Nathan O’Donohue has run the 10 week Rock and Water program in local schools and has seen the positive results this program brings. Nathan ran a 1 hour session for Unity Studios in 2018, introducing our students to the main principles of Rock and Water. His next session with us will be Monday 1st July, 2019 at our Blaxland location.
Rock and Water principles align with the Unity Studios Mentoring Philosophy, as at Unity Studios we at all times
seek to always encourage, empower, expand communication skills and build self confidence. We also think there is power in handing over the teaching to Nathan O’Donohue from Rock and Water for the sessions and having our students learn and participate alongside their own mentors.
Rock and Water is a method for teaching boys and girls from 5 to 18 years of age, to develop self regulation, self confidence and self awareness skills.
Rock and Water teaches:
Practical anti bullying strategies
Self confidence, self awareness and selfCommunication skills and interpretation of body language cues
Alternatives to aggressive verbal and physical responses
Thinking and being in control through grounding, centring and mental focus
Boundary awareness
Mindfulness strategies
Participants:
Recognise, develop & appreciate their personal qualities
Develop social skills and resilience
Gain control over their body, emotions and thoughts
Reflect on actions
Develop understanding of, and relationships with, others
Learn strategies to control anxiety
We are looking forward to having Nathan visit us and teach us again in week 10, Term 2. If you are not enrolled in Unity Studios programs but would like to book for Rock and Water, please email info@unitystudios.com.au .
Homework, assignments, tests and exams. It can all get a bit overwhelming at times, especially towards theend of term.
Here at Unity Studios, we know that our students work hard keeping track of everything throughout the year and we have many different tools to assist you with this. Using one of the apps below is just another option available, which may be more suited to some students or helpful to use in conjunction with existing tools.
The Homework App
myHomework Student Planner
Class Timetable
My Study Life
All four apps are simple to use and can be downloaded for free from the App Store or Google Play store. You can buy an upgrade for each, which gives you access to features such as notifications and the ability to attach a photo to a task. I like this feature, as how many times are we rushing around trying to find the assignment before we can even start.
I have downloaded each app on my phone and had a quick play around. myHomework Student Planner seems great for younger students that just need help recording their timetable and assignments. My Study Life may be more helpful for Senior students as it has greater features and customisation. Everyone has their own way of keeping track of things, so the 4 apps are a good selection of what is available and it is just a matter of working out which one suits you best.
Happy organising!
The Homework App:(Available on iPhone and iPad only)
This is a popular basic option for younger students
Upgrade available for Boost Subscription for $8.99USD per year
The upgrade allows you to attach photos of your assignment (or anything else) to the task
On the front screen all logged tasks are listed and the number of days till they are due
You can then click on each task to see the detail
MyHomework Student Planner:(Available on iPhone, iPad and Andriod)
This is simple to use like The Homework App but has more customisation options
Upgrade to a premium myHomework account for $4.99USD per year
The upgrade also allows you to attach photos of your assignment to the task
You can enter your timetable – and it accommodates timetables with alternating weeks A and B
You can filter homework by class, priority and type
Class Timetable:(Available on iPhone, iPad and Android)
This one is very simplistic and is focussed on your timetable, listing it by day. It can record timetable weeks A. B, C and D
Upgrade to the ‘pro’ version for $1.99USD per year
The upgrade allows timetable export, task reminders and class notifications
There is a task screen that simply puts them in order of due date
You can then click on each task to see the detail
My Study Life: (Available on iPhone and Android)
This has more features than the others but still simple to use. Perhaps more suited to Senior students
The dashboard view gives you an overview of your day – classes, exams and incomplete tasks that are due soon.
You design how the dashboard looks
PLEASE FEEL FREE TO LEAVE A COMMENT IF YOU HAVE ANY FEEDBACK ON THESE APPS THAT MAY HELP PEOPLE DECIDE THE RIGHT CHOICE FOR THEM!
Unity Studios – where education and creativity unite!
The HSC can bring up a lot of negativity; stress and anxiety.
As a teacher of HSC students, you have high hopes that your students achieve their potential.
As a mother of a HSC student this year, I’ve learnt that the stakes are even higher, but at what cost?
I have always wanted my students and own children to reach their full potential. This is only natural, however, a saying I have had on my fridge comes to mind right now…. “Prepare the child for the path, not the path for the child.”
In the spirit of that quote, I write this post to share with students and their families.
The following tips I have compiled from my own experience as a teacher and mother, and following a workshop I recently attended at the Western Sydney Careers Expo conducted by Inspiration Education. I hope it is of help to other families out there!
TIPS FOR THRIVING IN YOUR HSC YEAR!
Remember some stress is good, it creates forward momentum.
The key to thriving, is in managing your stress and emotional states.
So how can we do this and why should we do this?
Ever heard of fight or flight? When we are stressed, and in high pressure situations, our brain can shut down. The parts of our brain capable of the critical thinking necessary for sitting a HSC exam can go down with it.
It is imperative that a student sitting the HSC have strategies and plans in place to look after themselves and set themselves up to feel on top of things.
I have a feeling students sometimes think that teachers and parents are pushing them so hard to study to know the content, and this is in part true. I truly believe though, that the push comes from the desire for the student to be on top of the content, not just to know the content but more importantly the FEEL on top of the content.
The presenter of the Seminar, “Stress – free HSC: top tips for students and parents”, shared the following at the Careers Expo as a way of approaching the HSC. I thought it was an excellent, well thought out approach.
COG’s – acronym for Calm, Organised, Goals
CALM– calm active leisure meals
Ideas for remaining calm are –
relaxation
meditation
destress with music
valuing sleep
reducing stimulation prior to sleep
Be active by engaging in regular exercise, sport or activity increase heart rate
Have some leisure time. Remember to maintain a balance and that the HSC year is not a sprint marathon, and requires a measured approach. Maintaining social connection is also vital to balancing and thriving in your HSC year!
Meals– Eat good food regularly and limit sugar/caffeine
Organised– Add essential blocks in your schedule like work, housework and leisure activities then add blocks of study. The idea is to be realistic about what you need to schedule and how much time you actually need to balance your schedule to get what you need done and feel on top of your workload in a calm manner.
Have a Study Plan and do school work in the following order –
homework due next day
homework due another time
assessment tasks
other study like writing notes, learning notes, doing practice exam questions
Don’t procrastinate, start your homework, assessment tasks, exam prep. etc. earlier
Set up a good place to study!
quiet
comfortable temperature
good ventilation and lighting
adequate desk space or table space
free from distractions like TV, telephone, siblings (computers, phones, iPods can be HUGE distractions)
Organisation– check you have the correct equipment for your examination, check BOSTES regulations and be prepared.
Steps
If you are looking at the big picture it can be scary and cause procrastination. It can cause you to overcommit yourself and become unbalanced in your approach. Procrastination can lead to a lack of organisation and preparation or indecision over what to do and how to do it. This could lead to results being less than your potential, this in turn brings in uncertainty.
It is imperative you break EVERYTHING down into manageable steps.
Organise your steps so that you can achieve what you need to in the short term.
Know about the levels of learning and where you’re at in regards to your learning so you can prioritise what’s important
The Levels of Learning
from
Unconscious incompetence
to
Conscious incompetence
to
Conscious competence
to
Unconscious competence
If you schedule “just 5 mins”, you will end up on a roll, generally spend longer than you originally planned and achieve much more than you thought.
Pick your prime time/ prime place and schedule your study for then.
Plan rewards e.g. 40 mins study then some down time
Plan then Do it!
This will give you a sense of achievement and satisfaction.
Goals
Goals are gold!
Good short and long term goals keep you motivated about what it is you want to achieve.
They provide clarity and drive us forward. They give you a laser focus and make you accountable.
For parents of HSC the advice is to take a team approach.
To remember learning is an emotional experience and that we need to integrate what we know about being emotionally supportive and knowing where they are at.
Studies show that 65% of the stress HSC students are under comes from the direct result of fearing letting down their parents and teachers
We need to be on the lookout for signs of high levels of stress that perhaps without obvious indicators.
The only way to be sure to know if the stress is taking a toll is staying connected and taking an interest.
Effective communication is essential!
Be supporting and encouraging, highlighting strengths and successes and not dwelling on failure.
Avoid unnecessary confrontation and nagging.
Encourage confidence by giving reassurance and keeping any doubts to yourself.
Help them to keep perspective and say often, “Just do the best you can”.
Help them to maintain a balance and lastly, give hugs!
Prepare the child for the path, not the path for the child. ~ Thomas P. Johnson
Additional reading/helpful sites and resources for study
Rock and Water Program presented by Nathan O’Donohue
Rock and Water is a method for teaching boys and girls from 5 to 18 years of age, to develop self regulation, s
The Homework App:
MyHomework Student Planner:
My Study Life:
COG’s – acronym for Calm, Organised, Goals
For parents of HSC the advice is to take a team approach.