Mnemonic device
|
Technique | Example |
Visual image | Associate a visual image with a word or name to help you remember them better. Positive, pleasant images that are vivid, colorful, and three-dimensional will be easier to remember. |
To remember the name Rosa Parks and what she’s known for, picture a woman sitting on a park bench surrounded by roses, waiting as her bus pulls up. |
Acrostic (or sentence) | Make up a sentence in which the first letter of each word is part of or represents the initial of what you want to remember. |
The sentence “Every good boy does fine” to memorize the lines of the treble clef, representing the notes E, G, B, D, and F. |
Acronym | An acronym is a word that is made up by taking the first letters of all the key words or ideas you need to remember and creating a new word out of them. |
The word “HOMES” to remember the names of the Great Lakes: Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, and Superior. |
Rhymes and alliteration | Rhymes, alliteration (a repeating sound or syllable), and even jokes are a memorable way to remember more mundane facts and figures. |
The rhyme “Thirty days hath September, April, June, and November” to remember the months of the year with only 30 days in them. |
Chunking | Chunking breaks a long list of numbers or other types of information into smaller, more manageable chunks. |
Remembering a 10-digit phone number by breaking it down into three sets of numbers: 555-867-5309 (as opposed to5558675309). |
Method of loci | Imagine placing the items you want to remember along a route you know well or in specific locations in a familiar room or building. Retrieved From: http://www.helpguide.org/life/improving_memory.htm |
For a shopping list, imagine bananas in the entryway to your home, a puddle of milk in the middle of the sofa, eggs going up the stairs, and bread on your bed. |
Education Opportunities
CARSA
Well, what the heck is that? CARSA stands for Community Action to Reduce Substance Abuse. Basically, it’s a bunch of important community members who come together twice or three times a year who are working to reduce substance abuse in Oregon. One of the most important people who spoke today was Dwight Holton, the former US Attorney for Oregon. He was the man behind the Prescription Drug (Rx) Summits in Oregon (the link to the summit’s page is at the bottom of the page). The Rx Summits had one goal: To reduce prescription drug abuse among teens. Rx drugs are one of the most widely used drugs, and are also a gateway drug to more “serious” drugs such as heroine and meth. Oxycodone, Adderall, and Vicodin may seem harmless, but they can quickly become addictive. Cheery, right?
Anyways, I was one of the youth representatives who went with Kovi to help her talk about our Rx Campaign. YAC created several PSA’s and posters to raise awareness about prescription drug abuse, and we were asked to share them at CARSA. We also got to hear about a huge grant that the tri-county area (Multnomah, Washington, and Clackamas) received to help reduce substance abuse. Finally, Mike Boyer, a police department representative, talked about the latest liquor control laws that are being passed to help limit public intoxication in downtown.
All and all, CARSA was a great experience that gave me a ton of ideas to apply to my school, my life, and other projects I’d like to see happen here at OP. Mr. Howser gave me some great advice I thought I’d share with you (paraphrased, of course): The way to make things happen and to get stuff done is through connections. The more people you know and the more people you have on your side, the easier it is to accomplish the seemingly impossible. Everything is a group effort.
Resources:
The Rx Summit:
http://oregonrxsummit.org/
The YAC Rx Media Campaign:
http://oregonrxsummit.org/media/
A video of some YAC-ers speaking at one of the Rx Summits:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p9WZ_zx8Mic&feature=autoshare
Happy Holidays!
A. Youth-Liner
P.S. Please subscribe to the Oregon Partnership Youthlink’s YouTube Channel! keep up to date with our projects with cool videos! Subscribe button is at the top of the page on the video above. Thanks!
Reteaching Gender & Sexuality
Check out this website and watch the video!
“THIS IS A MOVEMENT was created to broaden conversations about a LGBT movement to one that is multi-issued and demands that we understand gender and sexuality within context of our other identities. THIS IS A MOVEMENT is the second video in the Reteaching Gender & Sexuality (RGS) series.”
Do you struggle to do well in school?
You are not alone! Many students would like to succeed in their classes, but find it challenging because they simply do not know how to study and prepare for tests. Maybe you have tried hard and studied a certain way all throughout school, but have never seen the results. Check out this website to learn about some very cool and effective techniques to studying and mastering your school material.
Enjoy reading?
Check out this website! You can read up on books you may be interested in, read reviews, and even buy the books straight from the website. There is the ultimate teen reading list which is a list of 400 books chosen by teens just like you! Anyone like to share some personal favorites?
How to Fend Off an Attacker
With the constant danger of being mugged or attacked, it’s helpful to know how to protect yourself. Especially important for teen girls, self-defense and quick thinking may save your life. A can of pepper spray or mace is helpful. Also beneficial is this website, watch the video for added entertainment.