All growth depends upon activity. There is no development physically or intellectually without effort, and effort means work. Calvin Coolidge 1872 - 1933 American president

Learning to learn series

Learning as a student-athlete or student-performer

Body smarts refers to"kinesthetic intelligence":

• Talent or aptitude for moving your body or handling objects
• Well-developed and well-coordinated physical and motor skills
• Can be effectively used for communication and productivity
• Highly developed physical memory
  (Images in your thoughts can involve movement)

Besides in athletes and dancers, kinesthetic intelligence is found in
inventors, lab technicians, and architects;
physical therapists, chiropractors, surgeons, and dentists;
actors, sculptors, jewelers, and gardeners;
those in mechanical, construction and crafts trades;
and of course in do-it-yourselfers.  

How can your kinesthetic aptitude, intelligence, and skills,
be applied to a successful academic life?

With time management:

Complete our exercise in scheduling
No "performer" would prepare for the big event without a training program and schedule.
Intentional, balanced scheduling is the foundation of the successful athlete or performer: the same principle applies to learning

There are strategies you can develop and use
to be a successful (kinesthetic) learner:

• Develop routines and habits for learning
  Schedule when you study, what you study (begin with easier subject matter to build confidence)
  Simplify instructions down to basics, and build up from there
  Practice and repeat basic elements to strengthen recall
• Be directly engaged; move and act things out
  Jump in and try things; learn by trial and error
  Ask for real-life examples, or for an idea to be demonstrated if you don't understand
  Seek out courses with labs and field trips
  Ask your teacher for summaries of lectures, or alternative methods to get the same information
• Involve all of your senses in learning.
  Use a hands-on approach constructing or modeling things
  Use concrete objects as learning aids
  Use your hands to explain things; your body to act things out
• Be proactive in writing things down
  Put examples in note summaries
  Use pictures and photos to illustrate points
  Talk about notes with another kinesthetic person
  Use community-based assignments in developing writing skills
• Use concept mapping to organize information 
  in order to more actively engage with what you wish to learn
• Use technology to take advantage of your hand-eye coordination
  Multi-media technology can be used to gather and organize information from multiple sources
  Computer simulations and games can help you
  • see the big picture or system
  • work with parts of it and experiment with them
  • simulate, substitute for, and practice responses for situations that may come later in performance or the "real world"
• Prepare yourself for exams:
  Write test questions and compare them with your fellow students, a study group, or tutors
  Write practice answers
  Role-play the exam situation before the test
  Ask if your accomplishment can be assessed through building a model, delivering a presentation, or some optional activity other than a standardized or written test

The role of the coach
An academic counselor, a teacher, even a tutor can act as your coach, director, or trainer.  Each can provide guidance, encouragement, and context for your progress:

Academic development

Seek out a single reliable coach or support "center" that

• Provides encouragement/motivation, monitors progress,
  and assesses achievement
  --Provides resources for general wellness
• Assists in developing a personal and individualized set
  of performance- and mastery-oriented academic goals that mesh with your skills and interests
  --Develop selected study skills as fundamentals of learning
• Assists you in developing your academic team
  for mutual support in achieving goals and progress
• Holds you accountable for academic performance
• Provides for positive feedback and celebration

See also:

Learning to learn | Succeeding in continuing education | Visual/spatial learning |
Learning as a student-athlete | Learning as an adult | Learning with ADHD |
Active learning | Action learning | Language learning strategies |
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