Chapter Six Reflection
Chapter Six Reflection
Description
This week's reading introduced the different theories of information processes. There are different types of learning and ways to process information. This chapter discusses brain research and how to make classroom knowledge meaningful to students.
Analysis
Brain research has led to discoveries that certain parts of the brain process certain types of information. Humans have information entering our minds constantly throughout every day. Some information is rapidly forgotten where other information stays with us our entire lives. Learning theorists have researched the brain and have many theories regarding the reason we forget things and why we retain things. The dominant model of learning processes is Atkinson–Shiffrin model of information processing. This model has three main components: sensory register, working (short term) memory, and long term memory. Working memory is what is considered to be the "thinking" portion of the brain. Executive processing includes the things that someone is interested in and puts into long term memory. This is what a person uses to determine how they react to stimuli and other information. "Learners approach each opportunity for learning with a set of motivations and orientations that determine the mental energy they are willing to devote to learning" (Slavin, 2015, p.125). The first component is sensory register. This component is when your brain uses its senses to gain large portions of information. If nothing happens with this information, it will quickly be lost. In order to retain the information, close attention must be made to it. It is important to gain a students attention in order for this information to be retained. The second component is called the working memory component. This is when a small of amount of information can be held for a few moments. "Working memory is where the mind operates on information, organizes it for storage or discarding, and connects it to other information. Working memory is so important that many researchers consider working memory capacity to be essentially the same as intelligence" (Slavin, 2015, p.127). Rehearsal is a way where this information can be stored for a longer period of time. It is important to provide ways for students to rehearse information so that they may be able to retain information that is important. Background knowledge enhances the ability of a learner to hold more information. The third component is long term memory. This is where a large bit of information is stored for an extended period of time. "In fact, many theorists believe that we may never forget information in long-term memory; rather, we might just lose the ability to find the information within our memory" (Slavin, 2015, p.129). Long term memory is divided into three parts: episodic (things seen or heard), semantic (facts and general information), and procedural (how to).
Another model of learning is called levels-of-processing theory. This theory "holds that people subject stimuli to different levels of mental processing and retain only the information that has been subjected to the most thorough processing" (Slavin, 2015, p.132). The more attention one gives to the details of stimuli, the greater chance they have of retaining the information. It is important to give students a way of categorizing information to help them hold the information for a longer period of time.
"A concept related to levels-of-processing theory is Paivio’s dual code theory of memory , which hypothesizes that information is retained in long-term memory in two forms: visual and verbal" (Slavin, 2015, p.133). In order for information to be transferred to long term memory, a person must be given cues visually and verbally.
Brain research has led to a belief in education that teaching should take on a more integrated and thematic form of teaching. It is also important to understand what makes some information easier to remember or forget. Interference can cause people to forget things. This can be due to interruption when learning is occurring or when someone does not allow for rehearsal time after learning new information. Primacy and recency effects state that students learn what comes at the beginning and end of a lesson best. This is important to remember in the classroom when designing plans for instruction.
The most commonly used type of instruction for students to retain information in long term memory is through practice. Distributed practice where students practice a little at a time daily has been proven to be more effective for retention. There are different types of memory strategies that can be taught. There is paired-associate learning, serial learning, and free-recall learning. Meta cognition means thinking about your thinking. This can be useful to know in the classroom because students can be taught strategies in order to assess their own understanding and adapt their study skills to fit accordingly. The best strategies for how to study is debatable but there are some used commonly throughout classrooms. Practice tests are used to mimic skills that students will be tested on formally. This allows for students to see what they know and do not know. Note-taking requires mental processing especially when provided categorically. Underlining or highlighting is commonly used but has very little benefit. Most students struggle with what they need to highlight and end up highlighting way too much. Having students write brief one or two sentences after reading a paragraph is an effective way to teach students to summarize. Writing to learn has new evidence that this can be an effective study tool because students have to express what they have learned in their own words. Outlining and concept mapping requires students to find the main idea of topics an organize their thoughts. The PQ4R method is one of the best known techniques for helping students study. This method stands for preview, question, read, reflect, recite, and review. This requires students to organize information in a meaningful way. "Advance organizers help students process new information by activating background knowledge. Analogies, information elaboration, organizational schemes, questioning techniques, and conceptual models are other examples of teaching strategies that are based on cognitive learning theories" (Slavin, 2015, p. 157).
Reflection
This week's reading was very interesting to me. I am intrigued by the human brain and how different people learn and why some ways are efficient for one but maybe not another. My family and I love to watch the show "Brain Games" for this simple reason. It shows and explains how the brain works and why we do or do not understand and respond to things the same way. When reading this chapter, I was constantly thinking about how I use these different methods in my classroom. One of the largest things that stood out to me was the importance of teaching thematically and with integrated activities. Throughout my early childhood training and my early years of teaching, this is exactly how I taught. Unfortunately, as the years have passed and more requirements from the "powers that be", my teaching has been forced to a "topical" and skills based teaching. I understand that there are certain standards and skills that must be taught but I wish I were given more freedom again and be trusted that these skills can be embedded throughout thematic teaching. This has inspired me to take a look at my instruction and work harder to do my best at incorporating this type of teaching with what I am required to teach. I am going to look at the science and social studies standards and see how I can align those with the reading lessons that are required and already mapped out for our district.
I also took interest in the research of the different types of studying that have proven to be effective or not. One that stood out to me was highlighting and underlining. I have used this quite a bit. I tend to allow students to partner off or get in groups and highlight portions of text. I am going to strive to do a better job of teaching more efficient strategies. I believe second graders can be taught how to use analogies effectively. I also want to do a better job with the PQ4R method. This is something that I have learned in the past but have strayed away from. I am going to be certain to put this in my lesson plans so that I am sure to use it. I was relieved to find out that writing to learn has been proven to be effective. This is a common component in my classroom. We are constantly using our journals to revisit what we have learned by reflecting about it in our journals and sharing it with our peers.
References
Slavin, R. E. (2015). Educational psychology: Theory and practice (11th ed.). Boston, MA:
Pearson Education.
Reflection
This week's reading was very interesting to me. I am intrigued by the human brain and how different people learn and why some ways are efficient for one but maybe not another. My family and I love to watch the show "Brain Games" for this simple reason. It shows and explains how the brain works and why we do or do not understand and respond to things the same way. When reading this chapter, I was constantly thinking about how I use these different methods in my classroom. One of the largest things that stood out to me was the importance of teaching thematically and with integrated activities. Throughout my early childhood training and my early years of teaching, this is exactly how I taught. Unfortunately, as the years have passed and more requirements from the "powers that be", my teaching has been forced to a "topical" and skills based teaching. I understand that there are certain standards and skills that must be taught but I wish I were given more freedom again and be trusted that these skills can be embedded throughout thematic teaching. This has inspired me to take a look at my instruction and work harder to do my best at incorporating this type of teaching with what I am required to teach. I am going to look at the science and social studies standards and see how I can align those with the reading lessons that are required and already mapped out for our district.
I also took interest in the research of the different types of studying that have proven to be effective or not. One that stood out to me was highlighting and underlining. I have used this quite a bit. I tend to allow students to partner off or get in groups and highlight portions of text. I am going to strive to do a better job of teaching more efficient strategies. I believe second graders can be taught how to use analogies effectively. I also want to do a better job with the PQ4R method. This is something that I have learned in the past but have strayed away from. I am going to be certain to put this in my lesson plans so that I am sure to use it. I was relieved to find out that writing to learn has been proven to be effective. This is a common component in my classroom. We are constantly using our journals to revisit what we have learned by reflecting about it in our journals and sharing it with our peers.
References
Slavin, R. E. (2015). Educational psychology: Theory and practice (11th ed.). Boston, MA:
Pearson Education.
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