In the New York Times<\/em> article, \u201cGiving Disorganized Boys the Tools for Success,\u201d the paper addressed the growing educational achievement gap between boys and girls. However, these days it is the girls who are having more success in school. The major premise of the article is that the lack of organizational skills may be holding boys back.<\/p>\n The article quotes Judith Kleinfeld, a psychology professor at the University of Alaska as saying, \u201cThe guys just don\u2019t seem to develop the skills that involve organization as early.\u201d The article then goes on to explain how certain $100 per hour tutors are getting these boys organized.<\/p>\n But before you go out and spend $100 per hour on an organization tutor, here are a few links to help you understand the organization of information, as well as how to get your students organized:<\/p>\n 1. The Six Traits of Writing: Ideas and Organization<\/a><\/strong> Pattern Based Writing: Quick & Easy Essay<\/a> <\/strong><\/span>develops organizational skills that both students and teachers can use across the curriculum. It creates a way of thinking about how we organize information. In a sense, it has the skill of outlining built into the program.<\/p>\n We spend a great deal of time teaching students how others have organized information. We do this because it helps them learn the information. Put simply, we help students see how the parts create the whole. Here are a few ways that we do this:<\/p>\n \u2022\u00a0 We preview the structure of chapters, sections, books, etc. In all of these activities, a main purpose is to help students understand how the information they are learning is organized. Understanding how the information is organized helps students retain the information. In short, it helps students create a filing system in their minds.<\/p>\n
\n2. How to Get Students Organized: The Student Notebook System<\/a><\/strong>
\n3. Pattern Based Writing: Quick & Easy Essay<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\nTeaching Students How We Organize Information<\/h3>\n
\n\u2022\u00a0 We skim and scan to get an overview.
\n\u2022\u00a0 We review chapters so that students can see the parts and the whole.
\n\u2022\u00a0 We connect the current information to what came before and what will come next.
\n\u2022\u00a0 We create outlines.
\n\u2022\u00a0 We create timelines.
\n\u2022\u00a0 We create webs and mind maps.
\n\u2022\u00a0 We create assignments related to the headings in chapters.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n