Ms - Learning strategies
 

Learning Strategies provide members with the opportunity to demonstrate knowledge around competencies in learning strategies. This competitive event consists of an objective test. It aims to inspire members to learn about an individual’s way of organizing and using skills to learn.

Event Overview

Division: Middle School
Event Type: Individual
Event Category: Objective Test, 50-multiple choice questions (breakdown of question by competencies below)
Objective Test Time: 30 minutes
NACE Connections: Career & Self-Development

Items Competitor Must Provide: Sharpened Pencil, Conference-provided nametag, Attire that meets the Florida FBLA Dress Code

 Competencies

·         Summarizing
·         Notetaking
·         Cooperative Learning
·         Inquiry-Based Learning
·         Differentiation
·         Cognitive Skills
·         Active Learning
·         Critical Thinking
·         Advanced Organizer
·         Vocabulary Development

District

Check with your District Leader for district-specific competition information.

State

Eligibility

·         FBLA membership dues are paid by 11:59 pm Eastern Time on December 1 (or earlier date specified by the District Director) of the current school year.
·         Members may compete in an event at the State Leadership Conference (SLC) more than once if they have not previously placed in the top ten of that event at the National Leadership Conference (NLC). If a member places in the top ten of an event at NLC, they are no longer eligible to compete in that event.
·         Members must be registered for the SLC and pay the state conference registration fee in order to participate in competitive events.
·         Members must stay in an official FBLA hotel in order to compete.
·         Each district may be represented by participant(s) based on the Florida FBLA scaled quota system found on the Florida FBLA website.
·         Each competitor can only compete in one individual/team event and one chapter event (Annual Activities, Community Service Project).
·         Each competitor must compete in all parts of an event for award eligibility.
·         If competitors are late for an objective test, they may be disqualified or permitted to begin late with no extension of the time as scheduled.
·         Participants must adhere to the Florida FBLA dress code established by the Florida Board of Directors or they will not be permitted participate in the competitive event.

Recognition

·         The number of competitors will determine the number of winners. The maximum number of winners for each competitive event is 5.

Event Administration

·         This event is an objective test administered at the SLC.
·         No reference or study materials may be brought to the testing site.
·         No calculators may be brought into the testing site.

Tie Breaker

·         Ties are broken by comparing the correct number of answers to the last 10 questions on the test. If a tie remains, answers to the last 20 questions on the test will be reviewed to determine the winner. If a tie remains, the competitor who completed the test in a shorter amount of time will place higher.

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

·         FBLA meets the criteria specified in the Americans with Disabilities Act for all competitors with accommodations submitted through the conference registration system by the registration deadline.

Penalty Points

·         Competitors may be disqualified if they violate the Competitive Event Guidelines or the Honor Code.

Electronic Devices

·         All electronic devices such as cell phones, headphones, and watches of any type must not be brought to the testing site.

 National

Be sure to see National guidelines at https://www.fbla.org/divisions/fbla-middle-level/competitive-events/

Study Guide: Competencies and Tasks

A.      Summarizing

1.       Define summarizing as a means to identify the main idea and most important facts in order to write a brief overview that includes only those key ideas and details.

2.       Explain how summarizing involves sorting the most important parts from the less important parts.

3.       Explain the value of personalized words, points, or ideas for summarizing.

4.       Describe the long-term, lifetime value of summarizing and note-taking skills.

5.       Explain why it is important to spend time with information that needs to be condensed before ranking most important to least important.

B.      Notetaking

1.       Define the importance of notetaking.

2.       Explain how notetaking is a skill that individuals will use for a lifetime.

3.       Describe notetaking strategies (underlining, highlighting, and circling).

4.       Describe the Cornell Method of notetaking (highlighting critical information).

5.       Describe three different note-taking styles (outline, visual, and Cornell).

6.       Explain how notetaking helps students stay focused on the class presentation.

7.       Explain why it is important to listen, think, and take notes at the same time.

8.       Compare different note-making styles (standard format notes, pattern notes, and split-page format).

9.       List the advantages and disadvantages of taking notes.

10.   Define the notetaking outline or skeleton.

11.   Explain the purpose of notetaking (record, reduce, recite, reflect, and review).

C.      Cooperative Learning

1.       Define cooperative learning.

2.       Explain the value of cooperative learning for students.

3.       Explain the relationship between cooperative learning and debate.

4.       Explain how cooperative learning (teamwork) is relevant to the learning process.

5.       Describe the life skills that students gain from cooperative learning.

6.       List essential skills for successful collaborators and project managers.

7.       Define brainstorming.

8.       Define the deeper learning that takes place with cooperative learning.

9.       Describe the need for commitment and enthusiasm for effective collaboration.

D.      Inquiry-Based Learning

1.       Define inquiry-based learning

2.       Explain how the student’s role in the learning process is emphasized with inquiry-based learning.

3.       Explain how students are encouraged to explore the material, ask questions, and share ideas through inquiry-based learning.

4.       List inquiry-based learning approaches (small-group discussion, guided learning).

E.       Differentiation

1.       Defined differentiated learning.

2.       Explain why learning strategies are differentiated for different students

3.       Explain how differentiated learning strategies focus on the learning styles and levels of understanding to enable students to be better masters of content.

4.       Explain how differentiated learning enables students to access the learning to meet individual needs, interests, and abilities.

F.       Cognitive Skills

1.       Define cognitive learning skill.

2.       Describe cognitive skills (focus on the why, use storytelling, go for application, and use external aids).

3.       Define cognitive learning strategies.

4.       Define cognitive reading strategy, including mental processes and memory.

G.      Active Learning

1.       Define active learning.

2.       Explain the results of active learning (reinforces important material, provides immediate feedback to students, provides opportunities to think about, and talk about material).

3.       Explain how active learning reinforces important material, concepts, and skills.

4.       Explain how active learning provides more frequent and immediate feedback to students.

5.       Explain how active learning provides students with an opportunity to think about, talk about, and process course material.

6.       Explain how active learning creates personal connections to the material for students, which increases their motivation to learn.

7.       Describe how active learning allows students to practice important skills such as collaboration through group work.

H.      Critical Thinking

1.       Define critical thinking.

2.       Explain how critical thinking requires the ability to reason.

3.       Explain how critical thinkers rigorously question ideas and assumptions instead of accepting them at face value.

4.       Define active learners and their role in critical thinking.

5.       Explain how critical thinkers question ideas and assumptions rather than accept them at face value.

6.       Understand the links between ideas.

7.       Determine the importance and relevance of arguments and ideas.

8.       Recognize, build, and appraise arguments.

9.       Identify inconsistencies and errors in reasoning.

10.   Approach problems in a consistent and systematic way.

11.   Define critical thinking as a way of thinking about whatever is presently occupying your mind to come to the best possible conclusion.

I.         Advanced Organizer

1.       Define an advanced organizer.

2.       Explain how the advance organizer enhances students’ motivation to learn.

3.       Describe the parts of the advanced organizer (key terms, definitions, images, and key concepts that are critical to success in the course).

4.       Explain how an advance organizer is a type of instructional preparation that links previously learned or known material to a new lesson.

5.       Explain why key terms are repeated in an advanced organizer.

J.        Vocabulary Development

1.       Define vocabulary development.

2.       Explain how vocabulary leads to active thinking and word meaning.

3.       Explain how a person’s vocabulary grows through actively engaging them in word exploration and stimulating interest in knowing more words.

4.       Explain how a word wall can encourage students to increase their vocabulary.

5.       Explain how vocabulary can be increased with pictures, graphics, synonyms, antonyms, or related words.

6.       Explain the process of new word introduction each week to increase an individual’s vocabulary.