SESSION NINEMEMORY

Memory

• What types of things do you think you will never forget?

Memory

• Most of the events discussed are relevant to us,– We do not forget certain things like how to get

home, how to eat, the names of our family members.

MemoryThe science of memory

• The scientific understanding to day is that there is not one specific place for our memories. – Our memory system is very complicated and inner

connected- – The memory system is very holistic– Memory and retrieval are one and the same, they

are interconnected. – A memory is stored on a dormant neuron, when the

brain needs it, it is activated

MemoryThe science of memory

• When enough of the right neurons are fired at the right time, you get retrieval.– When people here certain words like school, Party,

football, a thunderstorm of activity is stimulated, hundreds of neural circuits may be activated

MemoryThe science of memory

• There is not one place that memories live, they are distributed in neurons throughout the cortex

• The fact they are spread out protects a person from the effects of brain damage. – A person can lose 20 percent of their cortex and

still have a “good Memory”

MemoryThe science of memory

• Memories are generated from all over the brain, – Memories of sound are stored in the auditory cortex– Memories of names, pronouns are traced to the

temporal lobes– Emotional memories are stored in the amygdala– Learned skills in the basal ganglia– Memories related to the precise timing of motor skills

are stored – The hippocampus is involved in speaking memory,

reading, recall about emotional events

MemoryThe science of memory

• Looking at the brain in this manner helps explain the idea of an “internal Voice”

• Your brain remembers something only once, and after that, it remembers the memory that was created by the brain

• The memory can have color, sound , smell,• The recall of the memory, only takes an

instant

MemoryThe science of memory

• As you can imagine, the recall of the memory, can change over time-

• Ever remember something and someone remembers it differently, and you are sure they are remembering the same event differently?

• Well one or both of your memories have been changed

• Green overcoat

MemoryThe science of memory

• The believe that the brain has an index of sorts, when instructions are given to recreate a memory, messages are sent out to recall the different components from different parts of the brain

• A simultaneous message is sent to get the “audio file, the visual fine, the emotional file , the olfactory file etc

MemoryThe science of memory

• This is often why children have difficult recalling a particular word for a sentence they are constructing

• They may be trying to recall classroom, but lost of words are associated with that word, school, a teachers name, desks, books and so on

MemoryThe science of memory

• The term scientist use to describe where and how these memories are stored is called (LTP) Long Term potentiation

MemoryChemically Speaking

• One problem with poor memory is the loss of calcium.

• Vitamin A can assist in the formation of memories

• Adrenaline- acts as a memory fixative and helps lock up memories of traumatic events

Memory

• As we have seen before, mental states of anxiety, stress and some other emotional states hamper memory, they bind up information- the memory can only be retrieved by returning to the state in which the event was first stored

• Learning that occurs un these conditions is called state dependent

Memory

• Some ways to facilitate the memory of state dependent learning– Facilitate reviews that engage all five senses– Encourage discussions about the learners feelings of new

information– Get the learners to incorporate the learning in their personal

lives– Use story boards to present ideas– make video tapes of more complex concepts– Use peg words to link numbers or pictures to an idea for ease of

recall– Create a redo song with lyrics that represent the new learning

Memorypeg words

• Pegwords• https://www.youtube.com/watch?

v=0FJG5Rle5ZU

Memorythe science

• Context bounded Memory– Each memory is linked to a moment in time and to

that emotional state at that time and the context of the situation

– Therefore cramming, which is done in a hyped up state, hyped up on coffee, the brain has a hard time recalling the information unless you are taking a test in the same situation.

Memory

• Context bounded Memory– Have you ever gotten up and went to another room

and then forgotten what you want and then gone back and your remembered? That is a great example of context-bounded Memory.

– Role playing is an excellent tool at dealing with context bond memory. Students learn a situation in how it will eventually be used and under a similar environment

– War games are and example of this/ fire drills/ mock emergency situations are all a part of this

Memory

• Glucose• Excessive amounts of glucose or deficient amounts of

glucose have a negative effect on learning• Moderate, normal and elevated levels of glucose have

found to have and advantageous impact on learning• These levels can be brought on by eating or exercise

Memory

• Sleep– Cutting sleep by two hours a night may impair

your ability to recall during the next day– The more complicated and complex the material

is, the more important sleep is– Sleep acts a a means of unlearning and cleaning

up your memories much like defragging/ optimizing is done on your computer

Memory

• Time of day and learning – Adults can recall information learned in the morning

better– Young adults can recall and perform better of

information learned in the afternoon– May et al, found that when adolescents were

allowed to learn at their preferred time of day, their motivation, behavior and scores in math improved

– Obviously, we can not allow students to pick when they will learn

Memory

• Memory

Memory

Children seem to remember learning when it is associated with field trips, a performance, a guest speaker, a disaster, complex projects, or study in a novel learning environment?

Why do you think that is?

Memory

• Children learn better in these situations, because all of the senses are stimulated and multiple memory pathways in the brain are activated.

• There are two main types of memory pathways– Implicit- learning is automatic, reflexive( handshake),

procedural ( riding a bike)– Explicit- Learned by an effort, Semantic( learned by

words, symbols, videos) Or Episodic ( locations , events , or circumstances

Memory

• Semantic is learned by reading and studying- – Is usually formed by deliberate or rote memory, it

requires rehearsal, it inherently lacks meaning and is independent of context• Ex- who is the author of the textbook we are using?

• Episodic is easily updated, and is used by everyone naturally.– What did you have for dinner last night? That is

drawing on an episodic memory.

Memory

• Engaging multiple memories– Much of the learning we expect our students to

learn, is explicit and not a natural type of learning• To help with this, you can try to create a more

contextual learning– Through real life simulations– Story telling– Filed trips– Visual learning– Cultural celebrations

Memory

• BEM learning– This is a theory that what is presented at the

beginning of a the lesson is most memorable– Then what is presented at the end and finally what

is presented in the middle BEM

Memory

• Memory Storage Ideas– Increase the use of storytelling, visualization, and metaphors

in your presentation– Attach a strong to new learning with a purposely designed

intense activity– Review or repeat new learning within 10 minutes, then after

48 hours, and again after a week– Attach concrete reminders to new learning, like a token or an

artifact– Act out new learning in a skit or a role play– Attach and acrostic to new learning( the first letter of each

key word forms a new word) and other mnemonic

Memory

• Memory Storage Ideas– Depict new learning on a large colorful poster and put it up in

the classroom– Asks students to identify patterns and look for connections to

prior learning– Personalize the lesson by incorporating students' names,

ethnic customs, and real life issues– Ask learners to summarize new learning with a mind map– Give new learning strong context with field trips, guest

speakers, and concrete objects to touch and feel– Have students identify, “what is in it for me?” to increase

meaningfulness and motivation

Memory

• Memory Storage Ideas– Start a new learning session with something exotic, then

familiar then unusual again – increase accountability with frequent reviews and check-

ups– incorporate real life problems and situations to teach

about the content as well as process– Facilitate frequent group discussions on new material– Incorporate journal writing and other forms of personal

reflection– Provide downtime and frequent short breaks

Memory

• Often poor memory is due to poor study skills– Get good nutrition– Set goals and develop a purpose– Browse material, learn how to identify key concepts, and build

perceptual maps– Develop mind maps that reflect their thoughts, questions,

concerns and connections to prior learning– Read with a highlighter in hand and make notes in the margins– Summarize what you have learned, reflect on it, and ask

questions– Act on the learning, build models, do projects, give PowerPoint

presentations

Memory

– Pre- exposure• If students have pre-exposure to information, memory

is facilitated– Priming is the most notable way to do this, priming can be

accomplished sometimes by just asking questions before the material is presented

– Torpedo- try to get students to solve a problem when you know they do not have a skill yet needed to do so, very effective in math

Memory

• Mind Mapping– The cortex has the ability to detect and create

patterns of meaning- the brain needs to decipher cues, recognize relationships, and indexing information

– Best when done in a non-linear manner– We can never really understand something until

we can create a model that is derived from our unique personal world

Memory

• Mind mapping• https://www.youtube.com/watch?

v=4wZ5wV5dPZc

Memory

• One of the greatest strengths of the cortex is for it to see patterns and relationships.

• Jensen- feels that teachers too often break down and present material in a linear format and this bores the child’s mind,

• He feels teachers need to use a more Gestalt format

• He feels that you never really understand something until you have created your own mental model of it

Memory

• Mind Mapping Think of how your mind works when you go into a mall you are not familiar with or a town

• You first figure out where you RE ( look for you are here)

• Then you try and find where you are going and look for path to get there

Memory

• Posting mind maps in the room helps improve learning

• It makes the learning personal and helps the students visualize how it is all connected and helps them conceptualize ideas

• Mind maps are great at introducing lessons or pre-exposure/ you can post them and not explain them weeks ahead of time and allow them to try and put it together

Memory

• Five Stages of optimal learning– Preparation– Acquisition– Elaboration– Memory formation– Functional integration

Memory

• Five Stages of optimal learning– Preparation• Provide a framework for the new learning, prime the

learner brain with possible connections• Provide background, the more background that

learners have, the faster they will absorb the subject

Memory

• Five Stages of optimal learning– Acquisition• Can be achieved through direct means or indirect

means– Direct means Is a handout– Indirect is putting up related visual– Both approaches work and can be used together and

compliment each other

Memory

• Five Stages of optimal learning– Elaboration• Explores the interconnectedness of topics and

Encourages depth of understanding

– Memory formation-• Cements the learning so what was learned will be

retrievable at another time

– Functional integration• Reminds us to use the new learning so that it is further

reinforced and expanded upon ( homework)

Memory

• Acquisition- the neurological definition is the formation of new synapse connections- – When information or experiences are mundane these

connections remain unchanged, when the experience is unique and novel, the connections are strengthened

– Do not confuse ha ha with ah ha, insight is not learning– A Chinese proverb says, learning is not a singular

event, but using it over time– Fly tying homework and not doing it

Memory

• Elaboration– An enormous gap exist between a teacher

explains and what a learner understands– Teachers need to sue implicit and explicit methods

to close that gap ( examples are next) – Once a learners is lost, the mind shuts off or stress

out

MemoryExplicit elaboration

• Discussion• Reading• Listening• worksheets• lectures• Spelling• Math facts• Q & A

Implicit Elaboration• Simulations• Theater projects• Field trips• Role playing• Complex modeling• Role modeling• Life experiences

Memory

• Memory Formation even after doing much of the preparation, acquisition and elaboration, the memory is not quite formed to stand the test of time

• Other factors such as emotional state, rest, stage of development, nutrition all play a role in this

• Memory – once we believed that our brains could fill up with information,

• However, we now know that our brains grow with the more we learn

• A brain of a musician that continues to play his entire life, continues to grow

• The brain needs to consider the information important enough to commit to long term memory

Memory

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