P.O.W.E.R Learning

P.O.W.E.R Learning

1. P

   • Prepare. Before we seek to accomplish any task, all of us do some form of planning. The trouble is that most of the time such planning is done without conscious thinking. The best way to plan systematically is to use goal-setting strategies. In many cases, goals are clear and direct.
     • Short-term goals are relatively limited steps you would take on the road to accomplishing your long-term goals.
     • Long-term goals are aims relating to major accomplishments that take some time to achieve.

2. O

   • Organize. By determining where you want to go and expressing your goals in terms that can be measured, you have already made a lot of progress. But there’s another step you must take on the road to success
     • On a basic level is physical organization, involving the mechanical aspects of task completion.
     • Mental organization is even more critical. Mental organization is accomplished by considering and reviewing the academic skills that you’ll need to successfully complete the task at hand.

3. W

   • Work. In some ways work is the easy part, because—if you conscientiously carried out the preparation and organization stage—you should know exactly where you’re headed and what you need to do to get there.
     • We use the concept of motivation —or its lack—to explain why we just don’t work hard at a task. But when we do that, we’re fooling ourselves. We all have some motivation, that inner power and psychological energy that directs and fuels our behavior.

4. E

   • Evaluate. It’s natural to feel relief when you’ve finished the work necessary to fulfill the basic requirements of a task. o. Even the greatest creation does not emerge in perfect form, immediately meeting all the goals of its producer. Consequently, the fourth step in the P.O.W.E.R. process is evaluation
     • Take a moment to congratulate yourself and feel some satisfaction. Whether it’s been studying for a test, writing a paper, completing a report, or completing a hard task at work, you’ve done something important. You’ve moved from ground zero to a spot that’s closer to your goal.
     • Based on your evaluation, revise your work. If you’re honest with yourself, it’s unlikely that your first work will satisfy you. So go back to Work and revise what you’ve done. But don’t think of it as a step back: Revisions you make as a consequence of your evaluation bring you closer to your final goal.

5. R

   • Rethink. To rethink what you’ve accomplished earlier means bringing a fresh—and clear—eye to what you’ve done. It involves using critical thinking , thinking that involves reanalyzing, questioning, and challenging our underlying assumptions.
     • Question the outcome. Take a “big picture” look at what you have accomplished. Are you pleased and satisfied? Is there something you’ve somehow missed?
     • Identify your underlying assumptions; then challenge them. Consider the assumptions you made in initially approaching the task. Are these underlying assumptions reasonable? If you had used different assumptions, would the result have been similar or different?