1. Chapter 6 focused on ways in which we can increase our memory through strategies such as keyword method, method of loci, and organization. This chapter also talk about metacognition (your knowledge, awareness, and control of your cognitive processes), which we use to determine how confident we are that we will recall the information and metacomprehension that focuses on how likely we feel we are to understand and recall what we are reading. Chapter 13 looks into children's memory and how they are not as likely as adults to remember. Also, they do not put a lot of effort toward remembering, so this affects what they remember. strategies that may be used with children are rehearsal, organization, and imagery. Rehearsal is repeating items, organizations is categorizing and grouping, and images is helping them to visualize what they are trying to remember (such as remembering something based on which room it is in).
2. This fits into what we have learned this far because up until now, we were learning what our memory is capable of, what it can hold, how long, etc. Now, we are learning ways to help ourselves remember and recall information. These two chapters also looked into why children may not remember as much as adults and ways to help them to remember more effectively. Chapter 6 really helps to tie the information from previous chapters into how we can use our memory and strategies to improve our memory.
3. Something that is still unclear to me is the study on prospective memory. I can’t figure out why someone who writes things down in a planner still forgets as often as someone who doesn’t. I can’t help but wonder if I would forget the same amount of things or more if I didn’t use my planner because I live by it. Also, I would have thought that children would remember objects much better than adults. It always seems like kids are the ones who remember everything.
4. The memory strategies that were learned in chapter 6 would have been very helpful for me last year while I was doing my internship as support services in two schools. Some of the students needed help with study skills. Knowing more about memory strategies then could have helped me to help them learn study skills or ways to remember things better. I will also be able to use this in the future as a school counselor. Helping students to understand their memory may help them to learn better ways to help themselves remember.
5. The author continues to provide numerous studies, examples, and demonstrations to show that this information is valid. The examples in this chapter specifically help to clarify and validate the information. The most important thing the author did here was give us examples of things we have already done because we have all used these memory strategies. By allowing us to connect these to things we have used in the past really helps us to understand and to believe these concepts.
6. This is important because it can help to connect these ideas and concepts to real life. To better understand them means to be able to better use them in our lives and our schools.
7. Again, I would use this for students who need help in classes with study skills or with students who need help with organization. Many students could use help with organization and they are forgetful or lose things because of it. This really could help these students.
8. A better way to accomplish what the author talks about in chapters 6 & 13 are to put them into action in the classroom. Allow students to try and figure out what memory strategies work for them. Also, we can try them out ourselves and do a little personal research one what techniques help us to remember better than others. Honestly, I’m tempted to get rid of my planner for a week and see what I would and wouldn’t get done. I’m also a little worried that none of my school work would get done and that probably isn’t the best idea. Maybe I’ll ditch my planner for a week over the summer!
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After reading these two chapters, I am a firm believer that we need to teach memory strategies to our children. After reading the results of my discussion question #2, it appears that the children who use memory strategies perform better. SO let us all start to teach them as part of our regular lessons.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you 100% that we need to allow students to figure out what strategies work for them. The students may be able to come up with new ways for us as teachers to explain information, they are the experts of how they learn. We facilitate and give them ideas to run with. You mention getting rid of your planner for a week, I would be lost without my planner. I would miss meetings or appointments and this would stress me out. I depends on my planner many times throughout the day. The summer is a much better time, when we have the oppurtunity to relax and be care free :)
ReplyDeleteI think how you write a note down effects your ability to recall it. What your mind is doing/ thinking as you are transcribing a message has the greatest effect on your potential to recall it.
ReplyDeleteAlso, maybe its not so much a matter of whether we write the events down in our planner, but about how frequently we look and take heed of what we have written. Often, when I am writing a note, I do not write it with the intention of memorizing it, but so that it will be there for me to look back at.
On the other hand, when I am writing something as a means for remembering, I often use a different mindset- repeating the message in my head and focusing on the importance of its recall.
#8 is something I would like to do also. I don’t use a planner, but I do have a calendar in my purse, at school, and on my frig home. The home one is color coordinated: blue-husband, pink-daughter, green-son, and red for me. I never put school or any other things on this but things that relate to the four of us. My school calendar is of course for school only. The one in my purse is a combination of school, home, and odds and ends. I think during a school year if I ditched my calendar for even a week I would be lost. To me these things are only important at that certain time and they are not worth my time and effort to memorize. I see a planner the same way. Things that are more important like a birthday are on the calendar but the month reminds me of those, and I don’t usually have to look at the calendar to remember. The dates never change for those important people in my life.
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