29/07/2013

2000-2013 Careers Fast Track Pty Ltd

Saint Stephens College School Contact: Mr David Bear Phone: (07) 5573-8600

My Learn-Ability Report
Prepared for Rebecca Handsaker 28/07/2013 ESTJ SCBE
Dear Rebecca, Many students think that learning is just something that you do at school. However, the fact is that your ability to learn (that is your learn-ability) is a skill you will need for the rest of your life. Some students also think that getting good grades is all about your intelligence and the ability you have in the subject. However, being a successful life-long learner is as much about continuously improving your skills to learn effectively as it is about intelligence and ability. For instance, if you are able to identify a problem you're having early enough (or you have the skill to evaluate and understand yourself) and you are able to talk to someone who can help you (or you can communicate effectively with others) your results can dramatically improve regardless of your natural ability in the subject! This is as true for school students as it is for adults. This report will assist you to: identify the skills you have which support your learning; identify the areas you may need to improve; and allow you to track the development of your learn-ability skills over time. This report is a part of an integrated series of career-life development reports that we will be providing you as part of your personal learning and career pathway planning program. You are welcome to visit www.careersfasttrack.com.au for further information. Remember, we are here to support your success at school and beyond - so ensure you use all resources at your disposal and see me if you have any career related issues what-so-ever. I look forward to your success! Best Regards Mr David Bear Teacher

2000-2013 Careers Fast Track Pty . Ltd. Head Of f ice: Suite 109 - 370 St Kilda Road Melbourne Victoria Australia Tel: +61 3 8844 9444 www.careersf asttrack.com.au All rights reserv ed. No portion of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, stored in a retriev al sy stem, or transmitted in any f orm or by any means, including electronic, mechanical, photocopy ing, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the copy right owner. Careers Fast Track, its employ ees, of f icers and agents do not accept any liability f or the results of any action taken in reliance upon, based on or in connection with this document. To the extent legally possible, Careers Fast Track, its employ ees, of f icers and agents, disclaim all liability arising by reason of any breach of any duty in tort (including negligence and negligent misstatement) or as a result of any errors and omissions contained in this document.

asp2.careersfasttrack.com.au/Schools/Reports/ReportViewer.aspx?studentid=82404&report=LearnabilityReport

1/10

29/07/2013

2000-2013 Careers Fast Track Pty Ltd

Introduction to this Report

"Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful people with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb . Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent." Being a successful life-long learner is as much about the Predisposing Factors (your intelligence and ability) as it is about the Precipitating Factors (your attitudes, interests, habits and environment) in any learning experience. It has been said that the predisposing factors lay the foundation for learning, however it is the precipitating factors (or your learn-ability) that determines the extent to which your natural ability is utilised. Too often school students and adult learners give up because they feel they lack natural ability and hence learning is difficult. However, more often than not, the real issue is the under-development of learn-ability skills such as persistence, seeking help or the self-discipline required to study. The development of these and other learn-ability skills is critical to life-long learning success. This report is designed to be used multiple times to graph and show the improvement in a student's learn-ability skills. It is important to remember that this report is produced based upon the student's own response to a range of precipitating factors that influence successful learning. Hence, it is only as reliable as the student's responses. However, its purpose can be instrumental in assisting the student to develop skills surrounding their: personal learn-ability - or the precipitating factors that underlie their personal readiness for learning; classroom learn-ability - or the precipitating factors that underlie their readiness for classroom learning; and home-study learn-ability - or the precipitating factors that underlie their readiness for home-study learning. This is the first report in the Career-Life Skills Development Series and is designed to provide an integrated careerlife development program that unifies and builds upon the efforts of parents, teachers and students to improve engagement and educational outcomes. There are three major outcomes from using this report: to open dialogue between teachers, parents and students about the skills required to learn effectively; to benchmark how the student is currently doing; and to benchmark the development of learn-ability skills over time (through subsequent quizzes).

Instructions
You can maximise the value you obtain from this report by: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Reading this report carefully Note how your learn-ability skills are ranked in each of the three categories; Read the learn-ability skill descriptors and note how they are expressed for successful and struggling students Discuss these with your parents/guardians and note any differences in opinion in your rating Working with your teacher and parent a. identify just two areas in each category to improve b. record these in the Personal Learning and Development Plan (page 10) c. identify strategies and actions you can take to support your development d. negotiate a reward based upon your improvements with your parents 6. If you've taken this quiz before - note any movement in the learn-ability scales indicated in each category graph

asp2.careersfasttrack.com.au/Schools/Reports/ReportViewer.aspx?studentid=82404&report=LearnabilityReport

2/10

29/07/2013

2000-2013 Careers Fast Track Pty Ltd

Personal Learn-Ability
This learn-ability category brings together some of the major factors that influence your personal readiness for learning. For instance, if you were someone who loved computer games and stayed up until 2am each night playing - how would that impact upon your personal readiness for learning? Essentially, youd be tired all day and lack of sleep is proven to affect the short term memory and hence, your ability to learn. The issue is that people who don't get enough sleep, for whatever reason, often believe they are poor learners. The tragedy is that they start to believe that they lack the natural ability to learn when really they just need to manage themselves to get more sleep. There are a range of factors which influence your personal ability to learn - getting enough sleep is just one of them. The following graph shows how you have rated yourself under each of the personal learn-ability characteristics. Your honesty and accuracy in reflecting your current situation is useful to explore issues which may influence your educational success now and in the future.

To Do
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Read what each of the skills means on the following page Note the differences between successful students and struggling students Looking at your results, note any skills which are rated below the line Discuss why this may be an issue for you with your parents and relevant teacher/coordinator Circle just two of these skills to focus upon improvement over the next term. (You will be asked to list these in your Personal Learning and Development Plan later)

asp2.careersfasttrack.com.au/Schools/Reports/ReportViewer.aspx?studentid=82404&report=LearnabilityReport

3/10

29/07/2013

2000-2013 Careers Fast Track Pty Ltd

Personal Learn-Ability Skills

Each of the skills within this category is described below. Additionally, skill attributes of successful students versus struggling students are also briefly described to aid the discussion you may have about your own skills.
What it m eans Self-belief - refers to the belief that your ow n actions w ill lead to success in your education and so you feel very positive about school and learning. Locus of Control - refers to your belief that your actions are w hat causes good or bad results in your life. Seeking Help - refers to your ability to seek help w hen you require further information to assist your learning and development. Support to Succeed - refers to your feeling of being supported (by parents, teachers and others) in your learning and personal grow th. School-Life Balance - refers to your ability to effectively prioritise school-life activities to achieve your goals. Managing Stress - refers to your ability to focus more upon success (not failure) and to have strategies to deal w ith stress. A healthy amount of stress is helpful to us. Stress becomes harmful w hen it prevents us from thinking and behaving in w ays that help us achieve our goals. Positive Peer Relationships - refers to your ability to interact effectively w ith your peers and to build positive friendships and relationships. Positive Teacher Relationships - refers to your ability to interact effectively w ith your teachers and to build positive relationships w ith those that support your education. Rest - refers to your ability to adequately recharge your batteries, having the discipline to get adequate sleep so you feel alert. Healthy Diet - refers to your focus upon fueling your body for optimal performance. Successful Students ...have a strong belief that their efforts w ill lead to success and so they accept responsibility and accountability for their results. ...have a strong belief that their behaviour leads to their success. ...are able to talk to someone w ho can help them before problems get out of hand. ...not only feel supported in the learning environment but also actively use that support. ...have mastered the ability to do extracurricular activities w hile still excelling in school w ork. Struggling Students ...do not link their personal efforts to success and so they stop trying. When asked about their learning they w ill often respond w ith "I don't care...". ...feel that their success is linked to chance not their behaviour. ...do not talk to anyone w ho can help & sometimes tend to complain but do nothing. ...do not feel supported to learn or achieve their goals.

...feel overw helmed & often feel negative tow ards having school w ork.

...talk to someone before feeling overw helmed and engage in exercise and relaxation activities to gain balance.

...allow fear of failure or not being good enough to overw helm them and tend to feel pow erless to do anything about it.

...have mutually supporting relationships and build friendships that assist them pursuing their dreams and goals. ...relate effectively w ith their teachers and build relationships that support their learning.

...remain in negative relationships that stop their personal grow th, happiness and take them off course.

...blame others and feel pow erless to take positive action to change.

...feel alert, positive and ready to learn because they're fully rested. ...enjoy a balanced diet of a variety of healthy foods that provide optimal nutrition. ...have a regular routine of physical activity that maintains optimal health. ...become life-long learners finding valuable lessons in everything they're exposed to.

...lack the self-discipline to manage themself to get adequate rest. ...have an unbalanced diet often high in sugars and saturated fats that doesn't support their optimal grow th. ...have minimal physical activity and often experience lethargy and cravings that don't support their health. ...tend to resist learning new ideas and skills often seeing learning as painful rather than an opportunity to grow .

Exercise - refers to your focus upon developing your body for optimal performance. Enjoying Learning - refers to your focus upon finding the value, purpose and meaning in everything you're exposed to.

Use the above information to develop a meaningful Development Plan (see last page) to assist your personal development.

asp2.careersfasttrack.com.au/Schools/Reports/ReportViewer.aspx?studentid=82404&report=LearnabilityReport

4/10

29/07/2013

2000-2013 Careers Fast Track Pty Ltd

Classroom Learn-Ability
This learn-ability category brings together some of the major factors that influence your readiness for learning at school. For instance, if you were teaching two friends the latest computer game and one asked lots of questions to ensure they understood but your other friend was quiet and didn't ask any questions. Later on, when you are ready to log in and play who do you think would be more likely to have better understood the rules and how to play the game? The issue is that people who don't understand something immediately, but for whatever reason don't ask questions, often believe they are poor learners. The tragedy is that they start to believe that they lack the natural ability to learn when really they just need to develop the skill (and confidence) to ask questions to ensure they understand. There are a range of factors which influence your classroom ability to learn - asking questions is just one of them. The following graph shows how you have rated yourself under each of the classroom learn-ability characteristics. Your honesty and accuracy in reflecting your current situation is useful to explore issues which may influence your educational success now and in the future.

The subjects I enjoy most include: PE The subjects I enjoy least include: English

To Do
1. Read what each of the skills means (next page) and the differences between successful and struggling students 2. Looking at your results, note any skills which are rated below the line 3. Discuss why this may be an issue for you with your parents and relevant teacher/coordinator and how subject enjoyment influences your skills 4. Circle just two of these skills to focus upon improvement over the next term. (You will be asked to list these in your Personal Development Plan later)

asp2.careersfasttrack.com.au/Schools/Reports/ReportViewer.aspx?studentid=82404&report=LearnabilityReport

5/10

29/07/2013

2000-2013 Careers Fast Track Pty Ltd

Classroom Learn-Ability Skills

Each of the skills within this category is described below. Additionally, skill attributes of successful students versus struggling students are also briefly described to aid the discussion you may have about your own skills.
What it m eans Material Preparation - refers to your ability to come to class w ith the correct materials and/or clothes so that you can undertake learning activities. Progress Know ledge - refers to your current understanding of how you are progressing, your current grades and w hat you need to do to improve your grades and performance. Planning - refers to your ability to use your diary to plan your school activities so you can start and finish assignments by the due date and you don't forget important activities. Tim e to Understand - refers to your ability to catch on and understand subject matter in class before the teacher moves on to the next topic. Classroom Concentration - refers to your ability to focus on the subject matter in class thinking through new information until it makes sense. Learning Motivation - refers to your level of drive and determination to learn. Successful Students ...plan for classes ahead of time so that they have all the correct materials or clothes required. ...know how they are going in each subject, w hat their approximate grade is and w hat they need to focus upon to improve. ...consistently plan w hat actions they need to take by w hen to achieve their goals. This is how they stay on top of their game! ...understand new subject matter sooner because they are able to connect new subject matter to existing subject information. ...focus upon the subject matter and put it into their experience so that it makes sense. ...find pleasure in learning new skills and information and hence find learning motivating. ...are rarely distracted in class because they enjoy learning and tend to avoid activities w hich prevent them achieving the enjoyment in learning. ...are clear on the value that each subject has for their present and future needs. Struggling Students ...don't think about w hat they require ahead of time and often can't participate in learning because they lack the correct materials or clothes. ...have no understanding of their progress in each subject, w hat their approximate grade is and w hat they need to do to improve. ...have no plan in place to achieve their goals, are unprepared in class and often procrastinate. ...feel like they are sw imming in a sea of confusion unable to understand new subject matter before they have to move onto a new topic. ...lack the self-discipline and/or interest to stay focussed on subject matter.

...find school and learning painful and hence lack motivation to learn.

Avoid Distractions - refers to your ability to stay focussed on subject matter and avoid distracting yourself or others.

...get distracted often because they are looking for more interesting or pleasurable activities to do in class. ...have little or no connection betw een w hat they are required to learn and their present and future needs. Often asking, "Why do I need to learn this?" ...allow their mind to w ander and find themselves daydreaming or doing activities that are not relevant to the learning activity.

Interest Level - refers to your ability to see the connection betw een w hat you are learning and your present and future needs.

Tim e on Task - refers to your ability to keep your mind focussed upon the learning activities in class and not to day-dream. Most enjoyable subjects - These tend to be subjects in w hich you are achieving more success, feel a strong reason to study and more motivated to learn - because you find doing them 'easy', 'fun', and 'pleasurable'. Hence, you tend to spend more time on these subjects. Least enjoyable subjects: - These tend to be subjects in w hich you are achieving less success, feel little reason to study and have less motivation to learn. You find doing these subjects 'hard', 'boring' and 'painful'. Hence, you tend to spend less time on these subjects.

...spend most of the time in class engaged and thinking about the assigned learning activities. ...build their self-esteem through doing extra study on topics they enjoy to extend their learning. They also look for opportunities to teach others w hat they know .

...still do the bare minimum to get by. This often leads to mediocre results and Report comments like "...not w orking to capacity..."

...spend more time and energy on these subjects to improve. They believe it is possible to improve and see it as a challenge to develop their skills in this area.

...try to avoid the subject w hich just magnifies their w eakness in the subject - because you can't improve something you don't practice.

Use the above information to develop a meaningful Development Plan (see last page) to assist your personal development.
asp2.careersfasttrack.com.au/Schools/Reports/ReportViewer.aspx?studentid=82404&report=LearnabilityReport 6/10

29/07/2013

2000-2013 Careers Fast Track Pty Ltd

Home Work - My View

This learn-ability category brings together some of the major factors that influence your readiness for learning at home. For instance, if your friend told you they were selected to play in a national team you'd feel pretty excited - right? However, how serious do you think they were if, over the following months, they only went to training once or twice each month? The issue is that students who don't do regular and consistent home-study, like elite athletes who choose to miss training, deny themselves the opportunity of achieving their potential. While these students tend to claim they lack ability in a subject or blame the teacher - the fact is that it takes self-discipline to do homework. The tragedy is that they start to believe that they lack the natural ability to learn when really they just need to develop the self-discipline to set aside time each school night to revise and rehearse material. There are a range of factors which influence your home-study learn-ability - having self-discipline is just one of them. The following graph shows how you have rated yourself under each of the classroom learn-ability characteristics. Your honesty and accuracy in reflecting your current situation is useful to explore issues which may influence your educational success now and in the future.

To Do
1. Read what each of the skills means (next page) and the differences between successful and struggling students 2. Looking at your results, note any skills which are rated below the line 3. Discuss why this may be an issue for you with your parents and relevant teacher/coordinator and how subject enjoyment influences your skills 4. Circle just two of these skills to focus upon improvement over the next term. (You will be asked to list these in your Personal Development Plan later)

asp2.careersfasttrack.com.au/Schools/Reports/ReportViewer.aspx?studentid=82404&report=LearnabilityReport

7/10

29/07/2013

2000-2013 Careers Fast Track Pty Ltd

Home Work Learn-Ability Skills

Each of the skills within this category is described below. Additionally, skill attributes of successful students versus struggling students are also briefly described to aid the discussion you may have about your own skills.
What it m eans Regular Study Area - refers to your home study space. Successful Students ...have a regular place to study aw ay from distractions w here all materials are easily accessible. ...have a w ell organised study area, clear desk and filed subject notes for easily retrieval. ...have all materials and resources to study in easy access. ...have the self-discipline and motivation to complete assigned homew ork and review class notes w hen there is no assigned HW. ...manage their time and home-study so that w ork is completed by the due date. ...establish a home study routine that allow s them to complete their HW commitments w hile still relaxing at night. ...are able to break dow n assignments or goals into smaller achievable tasks. ...plan their assignments as soon as they receive them, breaking dow n big tasks into smaller tasks and plan to achieve one task at a time to meet the due date. ...have a w ell established filing system to organise all subject notes and assignments. ...use a term planner so they are aw are of all important dates in their learning calendar. ...discipline themselves to remain focussed w hen they study so they complete w hat they plan to. ...try their best even w hen the w ork is difficult. ...enjoy the challenge of learning and the good feeling of making something that w as once difficult and confusing easy. Hence, home w ork is motivating. Struggling Students ...do not have a regular place to study and often study w here it is difficult to concentrate. ...have a messy desk w ith piles of books, papers and find it hard to locate information they w ant. ...do not have easy access to resources and materials to study.

Organised Study Area - refers to how w ell organised the study area is. Study Resources - refers to your easy access to the educational materials and resources to learn at home. Regular Hom e Work - refers to your commitment to setting aside the prescribed amount of time each night to review subject content and complete assigned home w ork. Meeting Due Dates - refers to your ability to manage your home-study so that you meet due dates. Self-Managem ent to Study - refers to your ability to establish a regular home study schedule and to keep to it w ithout being continually asked by your parents. Ability to Break Dow n Tasks - refers to your ability to break dow n assignments and/or goals into smaller achievable tasks.

...do minimal or limited homew ork and even w hen they do HW they tend to get easily distracted. ...find it difficult to finish w ork on time and procrastination w astes a lot of the time they do have. ...avoid home w ork doing other things instead or find themselves being nagged to study and this causes conflict at home. ...feel overw helmed by the size of assignments and goals and find it difficult to achieve them. ...leave assignments to the last minute finding they don't have the time to complete w ork to the standard they are capable of.

Project Managem ent - refers to your ability to break dow n tasks in assignments and plan them in your diary so that you complete them on time.

Subject Organisation - refers to your ability to organise and file your classroom notes and assignments into topics so they are easily found later on. Big Picture Plan - refers to your habit of planning your term using an annual planner - so you can see all important dates in one view . Ability to Concentrate - refers to your ability to concentrate w hen you study (30 min of concentrated study is better than 3 hours of constant distracted study). Persistence - refers to your commitment to achieve an outcome even w hen the w ork is difficult. Study Motivation - refers to your personal motivation to do homew ork and your understanding of w hy it is important.

...do not organise or file their notes or assignments and can't find w ork w hen they need it. ...find that time slips by in a blur and experience panic as a due date approaches. ...lack discipline and find themselves looking for other things to do that are more 'fun'. ...give up too easily w hen the w ork is difficult. ...either refuse to do home w ork or reluctantly do it often feeling nagged by parents.

Use the above information to develop a meaningful Development Plan (see last page) to assist your personal
asp2.careersfasttrack.com.au/Schools/Reports/ReportViewer.aspx?studentid=82404&report=LearnabilityReport 8/10

29/07/2013

2000-2013 Careers Fast Track Pty Ltd

development.

asp2.careersfasttrack.com.au/Schools/Reports/ReportViewer.aspx?studentid=82404&report=LearnabilityReport

9/10

29/07/2013

2000-2013 Careers Fast Track Pty Ltd

My Personal Learning & Development Plan

Instructions This Learning and Development Plan is to assist you to develop your learn-ability skills. Go back over each of the three learn-ability categories and complete the following plan using the 2 skills youve circled. Complete this with help from your parents/guardians and teacher. 2 skills I will improve Personal Learn-Ability Skills 1. People who will support me What I will do differently

2.

Classroom Learn-Ability Skills 1.

2.

Home-Work My View 1.

2.

Home-Work My Parent/s View 1.

2.

What is my reward if I achieve all of these goals? Number of Exc. Progress Reviews needed for Reward = ....................

Dates

Progress Indicator Exc Exc Exc Exc Good Good Good Good Fair Fair Fair Fair Poor Poor Poor Poor

By signing this Personal Learning and Development Plan I am committing to taking personal responsib ility to improve my Learn-Ab ility Skills. I promise to undertake the ab ove tasks to the b est of my ab ility

Student Signature: ____________________

Parent Signature: ____________________

Date: _________
10/10

asp2.careersfasttrack.com.au/Schools/Reports/ReportViewer.aspx?studentid=82404&report=LearnabilityReport