As you have probably noticed we all

learn in different ways. Some of us

learn well by working in groups,
discussing and sharing ideas. Others
learn better by listening music or reading
silently in the library. Differences are due
to our experiences, habits and personal
innate ability to learn. We all have our
own particular way of acquiring new
information - this is called a learning
style.
Learning to be a Better Student
A Filipino student needs self-regulated strategies to enhance his/her
learning capabilities.
. The Filipino student’s perspective on
metacognition is also tackled to help students to equip them with
self-directed learning strategies and enhance their self-governance
skills.

Teaching is an exciting and challenging experience, for teachers

have a very important responsibility of shaping the lives of their
students. A teacher is not only someone who teaches, but also
someone who is a symbol of learning. The teachers’ job is to create
lessons that connect to the learner; they must develop a rich
repertoire of strategies to catch the attention of the learner and be
able to infuse knowledge, values, and skills.

On the other hand, a student is also be responsible for his/her

learning advancement. Students need to be organized, attentive, and
should be lesson-ready to succeed in their respective endeavors.
 What happens to your brain
when you learn something new?
The brain is made up of billion of nerve cells called
neurons. The neuron structure is composed of the dendrites,
the cell body, the axon, and the axon terminals. These are the
neural pathways.
These nerve cells are known to be conversant; they
constantly communicate with each other when they receive
new information and perceive new stimulus.
Incoming signals cause a listening neuron to fire or
send signals of its own. A cell fires when an electrical signal
travel through it. The signal moves away from what is called
the cell body, down through a long structure called an axon.
When the signal reaches the end of the axon, it triggers the
release of the chemical messengers called neurotransmitters.
The chemicals then leap across a tiny gap. This triggers the
next cell to fire… and on it goes.
NEURONS are best-known cells in the brain. But along
with neurons, there are also called GLIAL cells. The GLIAL
cells are 10x more of the neurons. They act as a backup
of the neurons ; glial cells assist all the activities of the
neurons to facilitate efficient communication. A recent
research revealed that glial cells also become active
during learning.
A type of glial cell wraps around nerve axons. Research found that
when new skills are learned, the amount of myelin insulating an axon
increases. This happens as the size of individual glial cells increases.

Sleep, on the other hand, has been known to contribute in the

formation of new memories. By learning information ahead of time,
strong neural connections can be achieved through repetitions and
rehearsals. Cramming tensed up neurosignals could prevent mental
block or "choking", as labeled by Sian Beilock, a cognitive
neuroscientist. The night before, give your brain a break and go to
bed early. This allows your brain a chance to cement that new
information into its cells. And that boost your chances of doing well.
 Metacognition as a Learning Strategy

METACOGNITION is a learning strategy where the learner

has an awareness and control of his/her own cognitive
processes.
It includes knowing when or where to use a
particular strategies for learning and problem solving as
well as how and why to use these specific strategies.

Research shows that metacognitive skills can be

taught to students to improve their learning.
Constructing understanding requires both cognitive
and metacognitive elements. Fogarty (1994) suggested that
cognition is a process that spans three distinct phases, and
that, to be successful thinkers, students must do the
following:
Learners can ask:

 What am I supposed to learn?

 What prior knowledge will help me
with this task?
 What should I do first?
 What should I look for in this reading?
 How much time do I have to complete this?
 In what direction do I want my thinking to
take me?
 Non - fulfillment
 How am I doing?
 Am I on the right track?
 How should I proceed?
 What information is important to remember?
 Should I move in a different direction?
 Should I adjust the pace because of the
difficulty?
 What can I do if I do not understand?
 How well did I do?
 What did I learn?
 Did I get the results I expected?
 What could I have done differently?
 Can I apply this way of thinking to other
problems or situations?
 Is there anything I don't understand - any gaps
in my knowledge?
 Do I need to go back through the task to fill in
any gaps in understanding?
 How might I apply this line of thinking to other
problems?
The goal of teaching metacognitive strategies is
to help learners become comfortable with these
strategies so that they can apply it automatically
to learning tasks, help focus attention, derive
meaning, and make adjustments if something
goes wrong.
Each person has different learning
preferences and styles that benefit
them. Your learning style is part of
your uniqueness. All you need to do is
discover more about you and your
potentials.
 There are seven key learning
styles, these include:

• Visual (spatial)

Learning through imagery and spatial

understanding
• Aural (auditory)

Learning through listening, sound,

and music.
• Verbal (linguistic)

Learning through speech and writing

• Physical (kinesthetic)

Learning through hands-on, tactile

interaction
• Logical (mathematical)

Learning through logic, reasoning,

and systems
• Social (interpersonal)

Preference for learning in groups

or working with other people
 • Solitary (intrapersonal)

Preference for learning alone via

self-study

SOL ITARY LEARNER

 Improving Your Memory

Short-term memory (also known as

working memory) includes what you focus
on in the moment and what holds your
attention.
To learn information so that you can retain
and recall it, you must transfer it from your
short-term to long-term memory.
Transferring information from your short-
term to long-term memory entails more
effort by rehearsing and learning repetition.
Long-term memory includes all the
information that you know and can
recall. Once information becomes a
part of your long-term memory,
you'll have access to retrieve it for
a long time.
4 KEYS TO REMEMBER EFFECTIVELY:
1. Choose to remember
Be interested. Stay focused. When
people are interested and want to
learn, they learn and remember
more effectively.
2. Visualize or picture in your mind
what you wish to remember
For each major concept that you
want to remember, create a mental
picture and then analyze it
carefully for a few seconds. Once
you've seen it clearly , you'll
probably be able to recall it.
3. Relate the ideas and information you wish
to remember to each other and to ideas and
information you already know.

Use Mnemonic Devices.

4. Repeat what you wish to learn until you

overlearn it.

Say it in your own words: research shows that

the time you spend on overlearning and
putting ideas in your own words pays off by
making recall easier and more complete.