Southern Nevada Regional Professional Development Programwww.rpdp.net

Saralyn Lasley

RPDP Secondary Literacy Regional Trainer

Memory and the Brain

“Learning and memory are synonymous. If you have learned something, the only evidence of that

learning is memory.”

Brain Class Mantra• There is no without .

• Students make meaning by connecting to existing .

• Neurons that together, together.

Practice makes permanent!

learning memory

knowledge

fire wire

“Memory is not a singular place or thing; it is a collection of complex

electrochemical responses activated through multiple sensory channels and stored in unique and elaborate neural

networks throughout the brain.”

Reaction Guide--Memory

1. Once a memory has been placed in long-term storage that memory will never change.

2. Much of what we call intelligence is nothing more than a good memory.

3. The best way to put information into your memory is to keep going over it.

4. Memory is stored in one area of the brain.

5. Age has nothing to do with memory.

6. People who appear to have super memory abilities are using some sort of memory trick.

7. How you “feel” about something has nothing to do with learning and memory.

8. If information can stay in our working memories for 24 hours, it will automatically be transferred to long-term memory.

We Remember…

Information that aids our survivalWhat we give our attention toWhat we find meaningfulWhat we practiceWhat we link to prior learningWhat we encode with a mnemonic or other memory device

We Forget…

That which is insignificant to usWhen we are not engagedWhat we don’t practice, review, or useWhen something is too painful to rememberWhen prolonged stress interferesWhen we don’t consciously activate a memory cue

Memory Types (two ways to classify)

• Duration/life span• Manner encoded and retrieved

Even if we were to figure conservatively that we keep very little in active memory-say one-tenth of 1 percent of whatever we learn in life-it would still mean that our active memories hold several billion

times more information than a large research computer.

Morton Hunt

Our Brain’s Information Processing Model--duration

• Sensory or perceptual memory– Lasts less than 1 second-long enough to interpret

a string of images

– Attention to stimulus will allow it to move to short-term memory

– Lasts long enough to dial a # or make change

– If we say it aloud, we reinforce with auditory and time increases

• Short Term or Working Memory– Can hold information for minutes, hours,

days or even weeks

– Holds data in chunks of 3 and 7

– Provides ability to form long-term memories but does NOT always do so

– Information must be meaningful, form patterns and connect or it will be lost

The Importance of Applying New Learning

• Verbally or physically repeating newly learned material (drill and practice) is a low-cognitive demand process that helps the brain store information in short-term memory.

• To make it stick in long-term memory, the learner must apply the new material in various performance situations.

• When practical applications of a newly learned skill are followed by immediate and frequent feedback, memory is further enhanced.

• Long Term Memory– Can last a lifetime– May loose connections through neural

pruning– Memories are altered as they are accessed,

connect to new learning, and are re-stored.

Memory is the cabinet of imagination, the treasury of reason, the registry of conscience, and the council chamber of thought. –St. Basil

Learning & Time The brain is not designed for continuous

attention

• Attention span-1 minute for each year; stops at 20 minutes

• BEM principle—beginning/middle/end• Review 10 min – 24 hours – 7 days – 1 month• Reflection and frequent, specific feedback

from various sources— minimum every 20 minutes

• Takes sleep for a skill to “imprint”

The Importance of Sleep• During sleep, the cortical executive functioning of the

frontal lobes is less active because of less sensory input.

• This reduced-activity brain state is needed to allow recently learned material to be rehearsed or repeated, sometimes in dreams.

• Because the brain is at rest, it can devote a greater portion of its energy (metabolism) to organizing and filing the memories formed during the day.

• fMRI show that there is increased oxygen use 24 hours after the information is stored.

• This has led researchers to test and confirm their predictions that increasing sleep time from six or less to eight hours can increase memory and alertness up to 25 percent.

Journaling Improves Memory and Cognition

• Writing down information helps the brain organize and make sense of complex information. Intermittent review of these details increases retention, both immediate and long-term.

• Journaling engages the mind and the senses in a creative process of personal storytelling. Writing our way through a problem not only encourages viable solutions to come to the surface naturally, it also helps us take advantage of our inner thoughts and helps us overcome “writer’s block”

Take two minutes and memorize the following list:

BedMusicCupShoeVasePenCrayonBookChairScissorsBellCatTreeCarTelephone

PictureDressMagazineWindowKeysPlateComputerDoorTableSpoonToothpickFlowerDeskDogHorn

We have 5 memory systems…

Semantic Memory—Most academic and professional knowledge

• Ideas, facts, typical exam questions• Weakest of our retrieval systems; newly evolved• Triggered by language and books• Stored in hippocampus• Uses working memory, so must be presented in small

chunks• Most difficult of memory lanes—takes repetition,

relevance and sleep• Must be stimulated by associations, comparisons, and

similarities.

Episodic Memory (autobiographical, contextual, spatial)

• Driven by location and circumstance• Like a film rolling, the occasion comes to life• Storytelling• Also, stored in hippocampus, but in separate

part• “Invisible information” students can’t solve

math in English• Least reliable—over time tends to change

Procedural(motor/muscle memory)

• The how of a memory task• Riding a bike• Automatic• Once memory becomes routine, it is

stored in cerebellum• Gives us multitasking

Automatic Memory (conditioned response memory)

• Alphabet, multiplication tables, ability to decode

• Once automatic, stored in cerebellum• Memories automatically triggered by music,

smell…• Flash cards, singing, signing…• Automatic memory often triggers other

memory pathsSmell is potent wizard that transports us across thousands of miles

and all the years we have lived—Helen Keller

Emotional Memory• Takes precedence over any other kind of memory

• “neural hijacking”

• Can release the hormone, cortisol

• Stored in the amygdala—the amygdala’s repsonsealways matters!

All but emotional memory must be stimulated by an outside force.

What we remember most…• 90% teaching others• 75% practicing and doing• 50% discussion• 30% watching a demonstration• 20% audio and visuals• 10% reading• 5% lecture• 1% worksheet• Visuals increase memory 4Xs (400%)

Think of your preferred mode of instruction. How much do your students remember?

Synesthesia• The more sensory experience we incorporate into our

memories, the more likely we are to remember.

• Luria, a Russian, spent 30 years studying a man named Shereshevskii who consistently exhibited perfect recall over long periods (several years).

• In addition to having amazing visualization skills, he was also adept in synesthesia-the ability to express a memory generated in one sense in terms of another.

• S. described a tone with a pitch of 2,000 cycles per second as looking like a pink-red hue, “The strip of color feels rough and unpleasant, and it has an ugly taste—rather like that of a briny pickle.”

Stop! What are you thinking?

• Do you have any questions?

• Has your thinking changed?

• Are you confused?

Memories can be….

Explicit (declarative)-meaning achieved through purpose and effort

• Semantic and episodic

• Learning how to spell

• Solving a math problem

• Remembering stories

Most learning in school is explicit

Implicit (non-declarative)-organically, automatically or indirect

• Procedural, emotional and automatic (stimulus response)

• Some memories begin as explicit but through repetition become implicit.

• Driving a car• Knowing fire burns• Primal memories; they keep us safe!

How do you remember best? Which memory system is your strongest? Which one is your weakest? Has your memory changed over time?

“It is impossible even to think without a mental picture…

Memory or remembering is a state induced by metal images….”

~~Aristotle~~

“I shut my eyes in order to see.”Paul Gauguin

• Are the buttonholes on a man’s shirt horizontal or vertical?

• In which hand is the Statue of Liberty’s torch?

• Which way does water flow down the drain, counter or clockwise?

• Which way do fans rotate?

• Which way is Lincoln facing on a penny?

• How many curves are there on a standard paperclip?

Activity: Read the brief fictional story. As a group, label the types of memory involved. The first one is

done for you.

Jesse is awakened with the sun shining in his face telling him it is past his usual rising time (1. automatic; implicit; long term). He jumps out of bed when he realizes his alarm clock failed to ring (2.) Intending to report the power outage, he finds the power company’s phone number and repeats it a few times before dialing (3.). Since he is going to be late for work, he dials his office number, which he knows by heart (4.) and remembering he had car troubles in the past, tells his boss that his car won’t start (5.) and he will need to take the bus to work. Jesse pats down his hair and brushes his teeth, while dressing (6.). He grabs an apple and jumps in the car and drives away (7.) remembering to slow down before he hits the huge pot hole at the exit of his subdivision (8.).

Jesse is awakened with the sun shining in his face telling him it is past his usual rising time (1. automatic; implicit; long term). He jumps out of bed when he realizes his alarm clock failed to ring (2. procedural; implicit; long term). Intending to report the power outage, he finds the power company’s phone number and repeats it a few times before dialing (3.semantic, short term). Since he is going to be late for work, he dials his office number, which he knows by heart (4.semantic, long term) and remembering he had car troubles in the past, tells his boss that his car won’t start (5.episodic; long term) and he will need to take the bus to work. Jesse pats down his hair and brushes his teeth, while dressing (6.procedural; long term). He grabs an apple and jumps in the car and drives away (7.procedural; long term) remembering to slow down before he hits the huge pot hole at the exit of his subdivision (8.episodic; long term).

Memory Activity:Demonstrate your understanding of the

memory systems using any of the following activities

• Write a story (verbal/linguistic)

• Create a Mindmap (visual/spacial)

• Draw a flowchart (logical/mathematical

• Create an analogy (verbal/linguistic)

• Write a song or a poem (musical/rhythmic)

• Create and perform a dance or set of movements (bodily/kinethetic

The Memory Family By Susan Berry and Bonnie Bruckner

There once was a brain named Martha Memory. Marthalived in Minnesota with her five distinctly different children.They were so different that at times she thought she would loseher mind. Her eldest Semantic, the academic ace, wasconstantly fighting with the youngest child, Emotional Memory.Semantic thought Emotional was always acting like a cry baby.Emotional thought Semantic had no heart. The twins,Automatic and Procedural, never had to put much thought towhat they did, yet they were always busy thinking and doing.So busy, in fact, they often didn’t make it home in time fordinner. Episodic Memory, her middle daughter, was the familydrama queen. Everyday was a new play on her life. Yes,Martha Memory was very busy with her many children, butwithout them she wouldn’t remember a thing!

Mind MappingMimics how our brains work

• Uses BOTH left and right hemispheres• Visual• Spacial• Kinesthetic• Shows

– Connections– Relationships– Associations

What all this means for the classroom

• Most learning in school uses semantic memory

• Semantic memory must be processed in several ways for long term storage

• The most powerful learning comes from using all 5 memory lanes

• Remember emotion always wins!

Semantic Memory StrategiesSemantic memory operates word by word and uses working memory. If is not processed in several ways, the brain has a hard time making

neural connections in the semantic memory lane. • Graphic organizers• Peer teaching• Questioning strategies• Summarizing• Role-playing• Debates • Outlining• Time lines• Practice tests• Paraphrasing• Mnemonic devices

Episodic Memory StrategiesStudies show that if people receive information in a specific

location they will more easily remember it in that some location. Episodic memory is highly visual.

• Bulletin boards

• Changing seating when you change units of study

• Accessorize with items that trigger learning

• Field trips

• Changing color of paper as you change units.

Procedural Memory Strategies• Establishing and maintaining classroom procedures• Repetition of procedures will increase chances of

long term storage in cerebellum• Almost anything that provides movement

– Role-playing– Debate– Dance– Marches– Monologues– Games– Puppet shows– Even standing when answering questions

Automatic Memory StrategiesThis path stores multiplication tables, the alphabet, and

other memories triggered by simple associations.

• Music—putting information to songs

• Flash cards

• Repetition

• Oral conditioning

• Quiz shows

Emotional Memory StrategiesEmotional memory strategies are the most powerful

and often activate other memory storage areas.

• Music to set mood or engage emotions

• Celebrations

• Debates

• Role playing

• Your attitude and enthusiasm

• Cooperative learning

Access Multiple Memory Lanes

Storytelling: brains process parts and wholes simultaneously. Putting semantic information into a story format gives the student the whole idea and details.

Emotional memory is tapped through the conflict, plot and characters. Episodic memory is access by where you tell the story and what you are wearing.

Application: Choose a concept you teach. Describe a strategy you can use to teach that concept that will access multiple memory lanes? Share with your neighbor.

Three elements in memory process…

• Encoding/recording

• Strengthening/storing

• Retrieving/recalling

Strategies for Encoding• Positive attitude/belief

– Produces Dopamine-optimism– Noradrenaline-energy– Activates the frontal lobe

• Precise Observation– 99 percent of what we process is unconscious– Pay attention-use your senses– Write it down

• Consider Context– The meaning/overall picture– Understand how it fits together

• The BEM Principle

– Beginning, middle, end

– Tag the middle

• Get Active!

– Manipulate information

– Solve a problem related to learning

– Talk about it, watch a film, draw a picture, write a story…

• Chunk it

• Engage Emotions

– Memory stored in emotional (limbic) system

• Seek Feedback

– Think pair share

– Asking and answering questions

Maintaining & Strengthening• Get enough sleep

• Do interval learning– Schedule down time– Learn and rest and learn…

• Make it Important

• Review new learning…– after 10 minutes– after 24 hours– after 7 days

• Put it in Hard Storage– Write it down– Calendars

• Form Habits--Post notes--Placement of objects

Strategies for Retrieval(mnemonic devices)

• Loci Method: Associate a location with what you want to remember– Location cueing– Public speaking– Visually dominant

• The Peg-Word System: Associate a concrete object with what you want to remember– Learn a set of peg words: one two, buckle my shoe– Say aloud, visualize it, do a physical motion

“Learning how to cue oneself is the true art of memory.” —Danielle Lapp

Peg List-use visualization or rhyme• One

– space needle (it looks like a one)– sun

• Two– door (has 2 positions)– shoe

• Three– stool (has 3 legs)– tree

• Four– horse (has 4 legs)– boar

• Five– star (5 points)– hive

• The Keyword Method: Association with another word– Sounds like and/or looks like– Good for foreign lang and abstract concepts

• The Linking Method: Connecting one word to another with action or image– Often used with Pegging– Will give you order-shopping list

• Acronyms: A single word made from the first letter of each word in a series– NASA– RADAR– HOMES-Great Lakes– AWOL– SCUBA

• Acrostics: Utilizes key letters to make an abstract concept more concrete– Roy G. Biv—red, orange yellow, green blue, indigo, violet– Every Good Boy Does Fine-EGBDF– My very educated mother just sliced up nine pickles-the planets– Fanboys-for, and, nor, but, or, yet and so

Question?? How many Acrostics do you know? Compile a group list and share.

• Rhymes and Jingles– Dr. Seuss and Mother Goose– Rap and rhyme– What happened in 1492?– I before E…– A,B,C song– Months of the year

Brain Class Mantra• There is no without .

• Students make meaning by connecting to existing .

• Neurons that together, together.

Practice makes permanent!

learning memory

knowledge

fire wire

Reflect on what we have discussed today and…

Write about HOW you will use what you’ve learned.

Ticket Out the Door

Ideas that “struck” you

Questions you still have

Thoughts, connections or suggestions