Strategy

Comenius project

Strategic planning is an organization's process of defining its strategy, or direction, and making decisions on allocating its resources to pursue this strategy.

Generally, strategic planning deals with at least one of three key questions: "What do we do?""For whom do we do it?""How do we excel?"

The key components of 'strategic planning' include an understanding of an entity's vision, mission, values and strategies.

Outlines what the organization wants to be, or how it wants the world in which it operates to be (an "idealised" view of the world). It is a long-term view and concentrates on the future. It can be emotive and is a source of inspiration. For example, a charity working with the poor might have a vision statement which reads "A World without Poverty."

Defines the fundamental purpose of an organization or an enterprise, succinctly describing why it exists and what it does to achieve its vision. For example, the charity above might have a mission statement as "providing jobs for the homeless and unemployed".

Values drive an organization's culture and priorities and provide a framework in which decisions are made.

Strategy, narrowly defined, means "the art of the general"

Having a good strategy while you are studying or preparing for a test is very important.In the following you are going to read about different learning styles or strategies.

Learning Strategies

The VAK learning styles model suggests that most people can be divided into one of three

preferred styles of learning.

Which is your preferred learning style?

What is VAK?

VAK stands for Visual Auditory Kinesthetic

To find out whether you are a visual, auditory or kinesthetic learner, do the VAK questionnaire in the .pdf file

You can make your own learning strategy by completing the ‘Learning Diary’ (the Word document) and write an essay about your strategy.

Visual learners prefer seen or observed

things, including pictures, diagrams, demonstrations, displays, handouts, films, etc.

use phrases such as ‘show me’, ‘let’s have a look at that’

like performing a new task after reading the instructions or watching someone else do it first

like using lists and written directions and instructions

Tips for visual learners use coloured highlighter pens identify key words use different colours for

different types of information draw sketches or cartoons learn to Mind Map use flow-charts (in science, history, English and

other subjects to keep track of events) or diagrams (in science, geography , maths and other subjects.)

Auditory learners prefer getting information

through listening to the spoken word, of self or others, of sounds and noises

use phrases such as ‘tell me’, ‘let’s talk it over’ like performing a new task after listening to

instructions from an expert are happy being given spoken instructions over the

telephone, and can remember all the words to songs that they hear

Tips for auditory learners

play soothing music as you revise record key points on tape and play them over when you have identified key points from your

revision notes, try making these into a rhyme, rap or song - this will make them more memorable

explain what you have learned to someone else, perhaps to your parents

Kinesthetic learners prefer physical

experience - touching, feeling, holding, doing, practical hands-on experiences

use phrases such as ‘let me try’, ‘how do you feel?’ like performing a new task by going ahead and

trying it out, learning as they go like to experiment, hands-on, and never look at the

instructions first

Tips for kinesthetic learners use all your senses - sight, touch, taste, smell,

hearing try things, reflect on your experiences and learn

from your errors go through previous

exam papers use role plays,

act things out use illustrations

People commonly have a main preferred learning style, but this will be part of a blend of all three. (very strong preference vs. mixture)

When you know your preferred learning style(s) you understand the type of learning that best suits you. This enables you to choose the types of learning that work best for you.

There is no right or wrong learning style. The point is that there are types of learning that are right for your own preferred learning style.

What strategy can you try this week to help you with your learning?

What strategies can you use in different subjects?

Writing tasks:

There have been many great strategists during the course of history. Find out more about them.

1. An imaginary interview with Julius Ceasarhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julius_Caesar

2. An essay about Napoleonhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Napoleon

3. An imaginary interview with Alexander the Greathttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_the_Great

Why were they such great strategists?