How The Daily Can Teach a Useful Study Habit
As I listened to The Daily, the New York Times podcast, I was struck by the use of a strategy I often suggest to my students.
The narrator, Michael Barbaro, summarizes the point his interviewee is making. First, the reporter explains the concept; for instance, the one that I was listening to was on biodiversity. Then Michael asks the reporter to pause as Michael explains back what he thinks the reporter is trying to relay. So, in this podcast, Michael used his own vocabulary and language to show the reporter his understanding of biodiversity. Then the reporter answered and told Michael that either his explanation was accurate or inaccurate and proceeded to define or clarify it a bit more. This is a fantastic strategy for studying.
One of the best ways to test yourself and figure out whether or not you understand something is to ask yourself the question and then explain it out loud. When we explain ideas in our heads, we can brush over some points and convince ourselves that we know more than we do. It’s a bit like a vocabulary word. If you see it in context, you understand it, but that’s only on one level. Suppose you have to explain the word out loud to somebody; that is quite different. It requires you to choose vocabulary and form ideas to articulate the meaning. Students laugh when I encourage them to speak out loud and talk to themselves. But they can also do this with a partner, a study buddy, or a parent. If they’re trying to understand some social studies, for instance, what were the causes of World War I, I ask them to explain it to themselves (or whoever is listening) as if they are teaching it.
This draws an important distinction between merely understanding a concept that involves recalling its meaning and understanding the deeper meaning of a definition, term, or event. They’re going to have to choose their words and the vocabulary to articulate its meaning, but they’re really going to need to have a more general understanding of the concept. I find this is something lacking in the way students study. So often, they are just memorizing the term, a definition, a date, or an event. Explaining it or having them teach it to someone else or even themselves is a great way to make sure that they are understanding not just a surface level of the information, the date, the time, etc., but that they’re understanding the larger concepts of how that event or definition or concept fits into the larger body of work, of history, of science.
Give it a try at home and see how it goes.
Message me and let me know.
