All about memory

    From the perspective of a student coming back to school, I often wondered if I would be able to remember all the material we will learn. This post will focus on our ability to capture, internalize and retain information. 

Kuemper, C. (2021). [Class handout]. St. Mary's University,  EDFN 311

    Above you can see a diagram explaining a model for processing information in our memory. I will explain the terms above so as to clarify the classroom management tips below:

Sensory memory: temporary storage of sensory information.

Working memory: brief storage of information currently being used.

Long-term memory: relatively permanent storage of information.

Tip # 45- Working memory training involves training the visuospatial sketchpad and phonological loop. Our visuospatial sketchpad holds visual and spatial information. Our phonological loop holds verbal and acoustical information such as speech and sound-related systems. By training our senses we can improve our chances of retaining information and moving such said information from our working memory to our long-term memory.

Tip # 46- When students independently seek assistance from peers, they learn at higher levels. Perhaps this is because we remember the answers to our own questions best. This memory tip might work in the same way that private speech helps young children learn. When we have a question and we discuss our questions with our peers we remember our answers best, we internalize our speech.

Tip # 47- Once a child acquires a concept, many new facts fit into it, enhancing the scheme and facilitating transfer. The more you learn the more you know, and the easier it is to learn more. That is why as teachers we should be constantly monitoring our students' understanding by assessing their learning.

I wanted to look a little further into the topic of storing information in our long-term memory. I wondered what strategies teachers are using to help kids retain information. Below are a few examples of techniques for retaining information that I found in a wonderful article entitled Effective Memory Strategies for Special Needs Children: The Ultimate Guide (Loveless, 2021).

Tip # 48- Use Mnemonics- Mnemonics is a learning strategy where students use familiar words, music, rhymes and / or rhythms and associate them with the information they are struggling to retain. Some examples might include:

        The ABC song is a popular way for children to learn their alphabet using music.

        ROY G BIV to remember the colors of the rainbow in their appropriate order

        Dr & Mrs. Vandertramp to remember verbs that must be conjugated with the verb etre in French.

Tip # 49- Hands-on learning- After learning a new concept the students could visit a site related to the concept, or perform an experiment that proves/disproves certain aspects of the concept. Students could also visit a site associated with the lesson. Hands-on learning allows the students to associate a concept with a place or activity, thus improving the chances of retaining information. Children always look forward to field trips. Field trips make learning fun!

Tip # 50- Role practice exercises- Repetition is key in retaining information. "Teachers can create drills students can complete on their own, or conduct drills with the entire class (Loveless, 2021)." To this day I still remember my multiplication tables, perhaps it was not the best way to learn, but it is strong proof to me that repetition sends information to your long-term memory storage.

Tip # 51- Go slowly! Slowing learning down allows the child to fully process small chunks before moving on to more information. This could mean repeating the material several times. Giving time requires a great deal of patience, but time is not only a great gift for learning, but also for our students ' mental health.

Tip # 52- Use Multiple Formats- We all have different styles of learning and might be more attentive when information is presented in a variety of ways. During our lesson planning, we should make sure to include written, oral, kinesthetic, and visual formats so as to improve our chances to reach a greater number of students. 

Tip # 53- Teach Active Reading- A highlighter and a pen can be great and simple tools for our students. The ability to highlight and make notes in our margins about what we are reading will help us remember the information we are trying to retain. This is not always possible, but if the possibility is there encourage your students to use this method. Active reading requires greater focus. 

Tip # 54- Use lists- lists allow our students to categorize large numbers of information into "chunk size" for learning. If we are using lists for classroom tasks or routines this allows the child to mentally check off each item as needed. The picture below is an example of chunking information from class:

Kuemper, C. (2021). [Class handout]. St. Mary's University,  EDFN 311

Tip # 55- Make it a game. Similarly to most play-based learning when learning becomes fun it takes the stress out of the learning process. Using cards, trivia, or a board game are just a few examples of how we can bring some fun into our classrooms.  

Tip # 56- Give less work. This might sound counter-intuitive, but getting a big pile of paper could discourage learning from the beginning and it can frankly be very intimidating. Breaking assignments down into small manageable chunks that can be easily completed will offer encouragement. 

Tip # 57 - Relate to real-life- Whenever possible we should seek to find real-life applications in our classrooms. Some fun examples might include a renovation project when learning about measurements and areas, or a pretend store in kindergarten to improve numeracy. 

Tip # 58 - Let the child teach you! One of the best ways to retain information is to try to explain it to someone else. When the child teaches make sure to be active in your listening, comment, and praise the learning!

References

Effective Memory Strategies for Special Needs Children: The Ultimate Guide. Effective memory strategies for special needs children: The ultimate guide. (n.d.). Retrieved November 7, 2021, from https://www.educationcorner.com/special-needs-memory-strategies.html.

        

Practice makes perfect.

    We have all heard the saying practice makes perfect. I have recently learned though that practicing is a little more than just repetitive drills. There are in fact six principles of effective practice and they go along well with teaching tips ☝:

Tip # 38 - Shaping- This practice takes place during the early stages of learning. The teacher moves the students through practice with different levels of assistance which may include: structured, guided practice, independent practice or homework. A critical key to this component is to make sure that mistakes are corrected ensuring the student does not memorize incorrect information.

Tip # 39- Length of practice - My teacher said it best "Short, intense, highly moticated practice periods produce more learning than fewer longer periods." Any seasoned student can recall cramming for that final exam the night before and then trying to remember the information a week later and what do we remember? nothing, NADA. The majority of the time all the information from the cramming is gone. 

Tip # 40- Monitoring- Similarly to shaping when we monitor our students we must ensure that we correct any incorrect practice right away otherwise the incorrect information will interfere with learning. "Correct learning is stabilized when it is reinforced quickly."

Tip # 41- Level of Accuracy- This part of practicing can be very tricky and it involves patience. "85% to 95 %  level of acuracy at the current practice level should be achieved before moving on." We might be tempted to move the learning along, but it is critical to ensure that all students have either achieved this level of accuracy, or have help in place before moving forward.

Tip # 42- Distributed practice- "80 % of new information is forgotten within 24 hours." If we can spread a number of practice sessions over an extended period of time (4- 5 months) more information will move from our working memory to our long-term memory. 

Tip # 43- Amount of Time Between Practice Sessions- At the begining of the learning process practice sessions should take place frequently, once correct principles have been established the practice sessions can be scheduled further apart. Practice sessions do not have to be complicated, they can be as simple as a quick oral review of the lesson.  

For further clarification you can check out my class slides below:

Kuemper, C. (2021). [Class handout]. St. Mary's University,  EDFN 311

Kuemper, C. (2021). [Class handout]. St. Mary's University,  EDFN 311

Tip # 44 - When students are asked to access prior knowledge so new information might be connected to it, it is called elaboration. A great way to improve our learning is to connected back to prior information. it is amazing how much more information we retain when we connected to prior knowledge. Students more thoroughly process and engage when asked to connect new information to prior knowledge.

It is About Relatioships

    

    Learning and relationships go hand in hand. Every class so far has emphasized the importance of building strong relationships with our students and our students building strong relationships with each other. In all our interactions we should always remember to preserve our students' dignity. 

    Although we are the teachers, we are not the only givers of knowledge in a classroom. Much learning takes place while our students interact with each other. I have seen this process first hand during our many class discussions over the last few weeks.

 Tip # 29 - Peers can help tutor, provide friendship, give feedback and make school a place kids want to be d = 0.64

    As we are building relationships with our students we need to remember that like us they are NOT perfect. All social human interactions occasionally run into conflict. As teachers, we need to remember that there may come a time when we will need to act as the authority in the classroom. Below are a few teaching tips for when we need to discipline our students:

Tip # 30- Logical consequences are a) connected to the offense b) as instructive and good for the child as possible. For example, you didn't do your work, you will need to stay in at recess to complete it.

Tip # 31 - Group punishments are ineffective as the students who behave are arbitrarily punished and it sends the message home that everyone is bad.

Tip # 32 - Positive and negative reinforcement are superior to punishment (because they reinforce good behavior rather than just suppressing bad behavior)

Tip # 33- Catch them being good. Excessive negativity sends the message the classroom is chaos. Classroom management is more than controlling bad behavior, encouraging good behavior is just, if not more, important.

On the topic of keeping a positive attitude, remember to accentuate the positive. PRAISE, PRAISE, PRAISE!

Effective praise is:

Tip # 34- Informational, not controlling.

Tip # 35- Delivered contingently

TIp # 36- Specifies the particulars of an accomplishment

Tip # 37- Is given in recognition of noteworthy effort or success in a difficult task.

There were many other descriptions of effective praise, but these examples above really resonated with me. I believe they encourage hard work and improve our self-worth. There is nothing that can lift up someone's spirits more than GENUINE praise and compliments.