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Transcript

Long-Term

Short-Term

Resources

Memory and Transfer

Megan R. Ahlgren TCU 520 – Brain-Based Learning

Sensory

Types of Memory

Retention and Transfer

Established Memories

Overview

Relationship to Learning

Strategy #2

Strategy #1

Trauma and Memory

Strategies to Improve Memory

Trauma and Memory

Occurs in the Brain

Short-Term Memory

  • Short-term memory is the storage of information for a limited time (Sousa, 2022).
  • Immediate memory, a type of short-term memory, lasts for about 30 seconds. Immediate memory is held in the brain until a decision is made and the information is no longer needed. (i.e. a phone number that needs to be memorized) (Sousa, 2022).
  • Working memory is defined as the limited capacity where an individual reworks ideas from storage someplace else. Working memory can come from immediate memory, sensory memory, or retrieved from long term memory (Sousa, 2022).
  • Educators should keep the number of lesson objectives at an age appropriate number and time frame. In this case, less is more (Sousa, 2022).

Long-Term Memory

  • Declarative or explicit memory includes retrieval of facts, faces, music, or momentous events (Sousa, 2022).
  • Nondeclarative or implicit memory describes procedural activities such as how to ride a bike, drive a car, tie your shoes, how to read, and how to solve a problem (Sousa, 2022).
  • Students are most likely to remember curriculum content if there’s an emotional investment. Teachers must showcase a positive classroom climate (Sousa, 2022).

Sensory Memory

  • Sensory memory is the short-term retention of information obtained through the sensory register that allows an individual to screen data to determine its importance (Sousa, 2022).
  • Iconic memory: The brief memory of something just seen (Sousa, 2022).
  • Echoic memory: A brief memory of a sound that was just heard (Sousa, 2022).
  • Educators should keep in mind how a student feels about a learning situation will determine their amount of attention devoted to it (Sousa, 2022).

Established Memories

  • Memories are formed when a group of neurons fire together when activated. The more meaning the learner can attach to new material, the more likely it will be stored in different networks. This gives the learner multiple opportunities to retrieve information (Sousa, 2022).

Overview

  • Retention is when one can locate, identify, and retrieve information from long term memory (Sousa, 2022).
  • Transfer is the influence that past learning has on new learning, and the level in which the new learning will be useful in the future (Sousa, 2022).
  • Transfer is the epitome of problem solving, critical thinking, and the ultimate goal of teaching and learning (Sousa, 2022)

Relationship to Learning

  • Retention is influenced by student focus and impact of prior learning (Sousa, 2022).
  • Teachers should teach new material first when they have student focus.
  • Teachers should use a combination of kinesthetic, auditory, and visual learning methods.
  • “Today’s learning is tomorrow’s transfer. Therefore, if something is worth teaching, it is worth teaching well" (Sousa, 2022, p. 129).

Trauma and the Brain

  • For children affected by trauma, continuous levels of the stress hormone, cortisol, can change the makeup of the brain and lead to lowering the volume of brain tissue in the prefrontal cortex (Hobbs, C., Paulsen, D., & Thomas, J., 2019). The prefrontal cortex manages functions of the brain which leads to successes in the classroom.
  • Stress and trauma are negative factors that can prohibit information from reaching the cortex and forming memories (Hobbs, C., Paulsen, D., & Thomas, J., 2019).

Trauma and Memory

  • Exposure to stressful situations can lessen the volume and activity in the hippocampus, which is the section of the brain that is crucial for memory and learning (Hobbs, C., Paulsen, D., & Thomas, J., 2019).

Strategy #1: Classroom Management

  • Teachers can support students by implementing trauma-informed classroom management strategies. Teachers can use consistency and routine in their learning environment (Hobbs, C., Paulsen, D., & Thomas, J., 2019).
  • Teachers can work with students to improve how to regulate their emotions (Hobbs, C., Paulsen, D., & Thomas, J., 2019).
  • Consistent and predictable environments contribute to a calm and safe classroom. This lowers stress for students, improves sense of belonging, and supports positive relationships with their teachers and peers (Hobbs, C., Paulsen, D., & Thomas, J., 2019).

Strategy #2: Implementing Meditation and Mindfulness

  • Mindfulness meditation helps an individual focus on having appreciation for the present moment. Research has shown that mindfulness improves memory and learning by increasing the density of the hippocampus (Mendel, 2023).
  • This form of information has also been shown to improve self-awareness and focus, reduce stress, and develop more compassion for oneself and others (Mendel, 2023). Practicing mindfulness in the classroom develops a sense of belonging for students as well as in order for students to be open to learning. Students need to feel a sense of belonging, safety, and connection with their teacher. In order to be successful, teachers need to communicate effectively to have information obtained in the student’s cortex of the brain.

ResourcesHobbs, C., Paulsen, D., & Thomas, J. (2019, May 23). Trauma-informed practice for pre-service teachers. Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Education. https://oxfordre.com/education/display/10.1093/acrefore/9780190264093.001.0001/acrefore-9780190264093-e-1435 Mendel, B. M. (2023, October 25). Does meditation improve memory? - mindworks explains how (learn more). Mindworks. https://mindworks.org/blog/does-meditation-improve-memory/ Sousa, D. A. (2022). How the brain learns (6th ed.). Sage Publications.