"Memory does not refer to a single aspect of our experience but rather encompasses a myriad of learned information, such as knowing the identity of the 16th president of the United States, what we had for dinner last Tuesday or how to drive a car. The processes and brain regions involved in consolidation may vary depending on the particular characteristics of the memory to be formed. "
Preston, Allison. "How Does Short-term Memory Work in Relation to Long-term Memory? " Ask the Experts. Scientific American, 27 Sept 2007. http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=experts-short-term-memory-to-long-term&print=true
Today's Discussion
The reading mentions that long-term memory takes awhile to form. It suggests that if a school day were set up to maximize long-term memory retention, it would include half-hour "skinnies" with students returning to each class for another half-hour after a two hour absence. This will never happen in our situation. How could we structure instruction to make sure students DO remember what they need to learn? After your discussion, respond to this brain rule on this blog.
Click on the link below to find out about the brain in an interesting way.
http://thebrain.mcgill.ca/flash/index_i.html
From Chapter 6, I appreciate how Medina states that new information must be introduced gradually and not crammed in. No wonder why I enjoyed teaching on the traditional schedule more than on the block. I found that students had the opportunity to process information and the next day we could have a great discussion. Now, I expect students to read and make meaningful connections on the spot, but it's not happening without me leading them there : (
ReplyDeleteMemory systems are so variable. We need to engage in best practice and students need to adapt activities that help their own memory systems on an individual level. We own our brain and we need to learn how to tweak it for the response we desire. If we do too much for near adult learners they will be helpless without us and that doesn't serve anyone.
ReplyDeleteChapter 6 touches on the idea of the traditional schedule for high schools. Teaching in the 9th grade Academy, but teaching on the block in previous years, helped to show me the difference in student behavior and student memory. I do feel as if students remember more during a 45 minute class period versus a 90 minute class period. I've talked to the students about this as well. They feel as if they have more time to "space out" when they are in the same class for 90 minutes. I know there are some classes that benefit from 90 minute classes, but, overall, it seems as if the traditional schedule would benefit student learning the most.
ReplyDeleteThis chapter focused strongly on the importance of repeating in order to form long term memories. Jane mentioned the importance of repeating somebody's name back to them when you are introduced as a key for helping remember names. I do not usually do this in my daily life and names are usually one of the hardest things for me to remember. I can remember faces because the image is repeated in front of you the entire conversation but names are usually provided right away and rarely mentioned again. When I start with new students, I try to repeat their names in my head several times during the first few class periods to memorize them and I find that it helps me remember their names faster then when I don't do this.
ReplyDeleteOne thing that I found interested in the reading was when he was talking about how in an ideal school, students would have short classes and then come back to the same subject later in the day in order to help them remember for information. While this wouldn’t be feasible to schedule, the concept makes sense. This is why I give homework, in order for students to have practice over what they learned in class. If you review the material while it is still fresh in your mind, then you are more likely to remember it. Another way I try to do this in my classroom is to have a constant theme that I can connect everything back to. For example, I can connect a unit back to the scientific method or cells. This is a way to use repetition and help students commit the information to long term memory.
ReplyDeleteI thought it was interesting that the author says the ideal school situation is that students receive information then 90 minutes later need to be retaught the information...rinse and repeat. This certainly gives credence to the idea that repetition is the key to memory. "The way to make long-term memory more reliable is to incorporate new information gradually and repeat in timed intervals."
ReplyDeleteThe other thing that struck me was that we NEED to forget to make room for more memories and that some some long-term memories take years and years to be formed. Interesting!
Here's another thing: We expect students to be "at grade level" but how do we get them there?
Chapter 6 was an interesting chapter about converting short term memory to long term memory. Perhaps we should re-expose students to elaborate information in specifically times intervals to help them fix the memory in their brains! Reviewing every three or four days is definitely worth a try.
ReplyDeleteI found it fascinating that our present knowledge is a blend of past knowledge; I can understand why the legal system goes rounds with knowledge of witnesses and different points of views. We forget those things that are irrelevant to survival, and we need time to review and reflect.
ReplyDeleteMy husband is good at remembering names. He says the trick is when someone new is introduced to you, you should say that person's name aloud. This doesn't always help me because many times I forget that I am suppose to repeat the name aloud until I have already forgotten the name! I can remember my lock combination from college (1980 grad) or my VISA card number, but I can't remember what I walked into the next room to get or do. Therefore, I rely on notes!
ReplyDeleteTell me again why we are on the block schedule?
ReplyDeleteThis was an interesting session this week. I was fascinated how memory is constantly being constructed. It takes time for it to "sink in". This certainly does not lend itself to the block schedule. The phrase "sleep on it" definitely applies.
ReplyDeleteI recently read an article on how as you age your brain is getting smarter. Although your memory does fade as you get older you become more intelligent because you have more experiences to draw on (more connections made) to rely on. This makes me wonder why employers seek the younger rather than older worker.
From a scientific perspective, the neural structure and function actually change when short term becomes long term memory. It doesn’t surprise me that in order to convert short term into long term memory that one has to review more than once for it to “stick”.
I do daily openers and ask students questions about the previous day’s lesson to get it to “stick” longer. This has helped my student’s state test scores!
The statement that, "missing one piece of information hurts a student's ability to understand new information related to it" is a good argument for reviewing regularly, and using exit slips to help connect with what was learned.Those are simple strategies that would also help the teacher see what connections are still needed. I think if I keep in mind what is necessary for students to remember/recall it will help me to be more compassionate and patient when they are struggling to grasp a concept.
ReplyDeleteThe chapter included reference to a traditional school day but in the case of Fine Arts the block schedule really works for creativity. Yes, it is a longer period to explore, take in information, but in the arts we don't lecture for 45 minutes, in fact there is normally a 10 to 15 minute sketch time (centers the student), then the introduction to the assignment with visuals (10-15 minutes) and finally, the student explores their own ideas in a lab-based forum. Memory does come into play and students use long term memory more often. Short term memory is more prevelant in the art history based classes, like painting and AP. Moreover, to change to totally traditional, would undercut the opportunity for the 90 minute creative flow to be stifled.
ReplyDeleteThis chapter keyed in on a number of difficulties with our educational system. Our 90 minute block poses a siome unique problems. Some teachers feel the need to put too much information before students in a given period of time. I know I've had the experience that students leave my class glutted with information that they have not had time to truly assimilate. Then when they try to do homework, all they have is a jumble of information they can't make sense of. This new learning mixes with incompletely learned previous material. What we end up with is students who try to "memorize" the math because understanding eludes them.
ReplyDeleteI fully agree with the author that learning is best done is small chunks with time for assimilation.
A second problem from a math viewpoint with our block system is the semester gap between math courses. If a student has a semester and a summer between math courses, the forgetting is huge.
The topic was interesting because of all of the biology involved. There has been research that the actual nerve changes with use – thicker axons more dendrites. There should be proof then that a student has learned something.
ReplyDeleteOne more time, however, I feel that the block system is not serving our student’s needs.
Medina's suggestions as always stimulate my thinking. While I understand Mary's point of view about art benefiting from longer classes (and I can see the same advantage for some industrial arts and science classes as well) in general block seems to be the worst way to teach. However, I can't see how Medina's idea of teaching the same material 2-3x per day is any better. We struggle to cover the "basic" material we have now and even if we eliminate summer break completely, we would still lose 1/3 of the "contact time" with students. How does learning less of what we need to know help students. Real home work (meaning homework that is done at home) would accomplish the same goal without the lose of time. All it requires is that students (and parents) make academic learning their top priority.
ReplyDeleteMedina's suggestion for "review days" seems much more useful. Building something like this into your weekly lesson plan (and having something new and interesting for the gifted kids who process declaritive memory much faster then everyone else) would be easy to do. We could even give up our wed. advisory and inservice time and do this without losing any instructional time!
Ch6 Long term memory
ReplyDeleteI thought I already posted a blog to this but guess it didn't appear...for whatever reason.
This reaffirmed one of my classes I teach on student skills when I talk about short term memory. I actually have the Ebbinghaus curve showing the data from his research. Very interesting. Most importantantly:
"thinking or talking about an event immediately after it has occurred enhances memory from that event.
That's why class discussion is so critical, we must engage the students to make that brain connection thicker so they can remember easier. It is crystal clear: Deliberately re-expose yourself to the info if you want to retrieve it later (from long-term memory).
The interesting part of the book is on pg141 where the author traces the exact science of a memory being formed (synaptic changes in cortex, directed by the hippocampus, becomes independent and a more stable memory trace stored in the cortex, and finally retrieval mechanisms using the original patterns of neurons.
And lastly, the part of brains giving us only an approximate view of reality, mix new with old knowledge, scafolding, is awsome!