What?
Memory is a very difficult thing to understand and how everyone will have the same memory from the same experience is all up to how it was stored into their memory. There is not one specific place in the brain that memory is stored. The brain has the capacity of have multiple storage methods. The different method of storage in different parts of the brain determines the type of memory people store. There is explicit or implicit knowledge which was also discussed in this chapter. Explicit knowledge is a memory that someone can describe and consciously aware of. Implicit knowledge is that a person cannot consciously recall or explain, yet it does not affect the person's thinking or behavior. Philosophers all agree that learning is due to experience. Throughout the chapter it discusses that prior knowledge and beliefs play a major role in the meaning that people construct. If a person puts meaning to something he or she is learning it is remembered better than if he or she takes it at face value. Visual metaphors are also helpful for being able to label, store, and retrieve information. Each time we recall a memory from our minds we reconstruct that memory; although we are unable to reinterpret that memory. The reason why certain memories are not easily recalled is because there is decay and interference which blocks certain memories from being restored.
So what!!!
Chapter six had very good ideas and explanations for why certain memories were hard to recall. The chapter also spoke of how each individual interprets information in a different way. This is very useful for teachers to understand that what they might want students to know is different from what the students are hearing. In order to make sure students are understanding the assignment or the lesson teachers need to repeat themselves several times and make it very clear on what student need to retain from a particular lesson. This is called the primacy and recant which is the first and last thing that is discussed in a class. Prior knowledge of a subject for student is also very important to understand that some students have a prior knowledge of a subject which makes it easy for them to understand a subject. While teaching students there needs to be many different types of teaching involved in order to help store that information into students long-term memory. Teachers could use such methods as rehearsal, meaningful learning, organization, visual imagery, or mnemonics among many others. Knowing this information will help me as a future teacher that not all of my students are storing the exact same thing into their memory. I need to have many different experiences for my students to have the opportunity to learn and recall that information correctly.
Now what???
I still need to understand how to be perfectly clear on what I as a future teacher want my students to know. I need to understand my own memory and how it works as well as others to help me be a well diverse teacher. I need to learn techniques that will help my students be able to have good retrieval skills as well. I still need to understand how elaboration works. I understand that it is a process by which learners expand on new information based off of what they already know, but i still am unsure of how a teacher can clarify exactly what a student knows.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Rethinking My Course Contract
Course Contract
After reading my course contract, which I made for myself I found a few items I have not followed through with. In my contract I had a goal of writing and posting new blogs on that Friday after class. I had high hopes for doing this until I realized I am not giving myself sufficient time in my life to complete the goals I have set for this course. I have two small boys, I work on Fridays, and go to school. So if I had to rewrite my course contract I would not give a specific date for having my blog posted. I have been following my contract pretty well, and I believe I am doing well with the majority of my study plans. I do review throughout the week and attend all of my group activities. I am to class every Thursday and I feel I am well prepared before coming to class. Things I need to work on for this course is trying to post my blog of what happened in class for that week as soon as possible. I need to reread every previouse blog every time I post a blog. I only have been reviewing a few at a time. My goal for being prepared has worked well for me to have a better understanding of the materials which we cover in class each week.
After reading my course contract, which I made for myself I found a few items I have not followed through with. In my contract I had a goal of writing and posting new blogs on that Friday after class. I had high hopes for doing this until I realized I am not giving myself sufficient time in my life to complete the goals I have set for this course. I have two small boys, I work on Fridays, and go to school. So if I had to rewrite my course contract I would not give a specific date for having my blog posted. I have been following my contract pretty well, and I believe I am doing well with the majority of my study plans. I do review throughout the week and attend all of my group activities. I am to class every Thursday and I feel I am well prepared before coming to class. Things I need to work on for this course is trying to post my blog of what happened in class for that week as soon as possible. I need to reread every previouse blog every time I post a blog. I only have been reviewing a few at a time. My goal for being prepared has worked well for me to have a better understanding of the materials which we cover in class each week.
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Chapter 3
What?
In chapter three it explores the ideas of sense of self. The sense of self is what makes a person an individual and how they see themselves. The factors to sense of self is how an individuals previous experiences have played a role in his or her life. They might feel they are unable to do math because they have not done well in the past, so he or she might have a low self efficiency of themselves. Self-efficiency is how an individual interpret or has the ability to handle a project and how they feel about what they did in that project. A person's sense of self is also determined by behaviors of others. How they compare to others in their class or family gives them either a high sense of self or a low sense of self. As an early adolescence an individual is in the process of having an imaginary audience towards themselves. They may feel that everyone is looking at them and paying attention to everything they do. They also have a personal fable about themselves. This is when they feel that nobody has every lived or went through what they have. Their pain is the worst pain ever, nobody has ever been in love like me and my boyfriend of two weeks. Adolescence also have a sense of invincibility. They feel like they are on top of the world and do not recognize the danger they put themselves into.
In chapter three it was also discussed a philosopher by the name of Erik Erickson. Erickson believed in a psychosocial development. He had eight stages which people move through throughout their life's. His eight stages are as follows; Trust vs. Mistrust, Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt, Initiative vs. Guilt, Industry vs. Inferiority, Identity vs. Role Confusion, Intimacy vs. Isolation, Generative vs. Stagnation, Integrity vs. Despair. Through these stags Erickson believed all individuals go through during different stages of his or her life.
So What?
Through this chapter I found value in most of the information. There is defiantly true statement about how adolescence perceive themselves and how they feel other perceive them also. As a future teacher I hope to build individuals sense of self and help them become aware of how to build a better self image about themselves. I also think this chapter gave great information regarding how students assemble as they age, and what factors help with individuals being social entities. The chapter talked about parenting styles and how to recognize maltreatment of a child, how parents rear more rounded self sufficient children if they are using the authoritative parenting style. It is great to know this information for me as a future teacher. If my future students are not receiving this type of parenting and only receiving authoritarian or permissive parenting I as an educator will be able to show this type of teaching in my future classroom. This will give students the opportunity to say things without fear of ridicule, punishment, or judgement upon them. This may show students that not all parents are as strict as theirs are and also if a students parents are very permissive it will allow them to have responsibility for their actions.
Now What?
What I still need to know is how to build a students sense of self and learn how to correct in a not critical manner. I need to know and understand that every individual comes from a different back ground and they may not like me as a teacher. They may believe that the rules are too stringent, but I know I do not want to be an authoritarian teacher. I want to teach with aspects from all philosophies and give students the opportunity to learn socially. I still need to learn how to apply Erickson's eight stages of development into a classroom setting. I also need to learn and read more into moral development. How to encourage students to make good moral decisions about his or her life's as well as how they affect others life's as well. I need to be more optimistic for myself and to teach others how to be optimistic vs. pessimistic. I think that is hard to teach an individual how to be an optimist and always look for good in things, but I look forward to learning more information about the subject in future classes as I progresses in my education.
In chapter three it explores the ideas of sense of self. The sense of self is what makes a person an individual and how they see themselves. The factors to sense of self is how an individuals previous experiences have played a role in his or her life. They might feel they are unable to do math because they have not done well in the past, so he or she might have a low self efficiency of themselves. Self-efficiency is how an individual interpret or has the ability to handle a project and how they feel about what they did in that project. A person's sense of self is also determined by behaviors of others. How they compare to others in their class or family gives them either a high sense of self or a low sense of self. As an early adolescence an individual is in the process of having an imaginary audience towards themselves. They may feel that everyone is looking at them and paying attention to everything they do. They also have a personal fable about themselves. This is when they feel that nobody has every lived or went through what they have. Their pain is the worst pain ever, nobody has ever been in love like me and my boyfriend of two weeks. Adolescence also have a sense of invincibility. They feel like they are on top of the world and do not recognize the danger they put themselves into.
In chapter three it was also discussed a philosopher by the name of Erik Erickson. Erickson believed in a psychosocial development. He had eight stages which people move through throughout their life's. His eight stages are as follows; Trust vs. Mistrust, Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt, Initiative vs. Guilt, Industry vs. Inferiority, Identity vs. Role Confusion, Intimacy vs. Isolation, Generative vs. Stagnation, Integrity vs. Despair. Through these stags Erickson believed all individuals go through during different stages of his or her life.
So What?
Through this chapter I found value in most of the information. There is defiantly true statement about how adolescence perceive themselves and how they feel other perceive them also. As a future teacher I hope to build individuals sense of self and help them become aware of how to build a better self image about themselves. I also think this chapter gave great information regarding how students assemble as they age, and what factors help with individuals being social entities. The chapter talked about parenting styles and how to recognize maltreatment of a child, how parents rear more rounded self sufficient children if they are using the authoritative parenting style. It is great to know this information for me as a future teacher. If my future students are not receiving this type of parenting and only receiving authoritarian or permissive parenting I as an educator will be able to show this type of teaching in my future classroom. This will give students the opportunity to say things without fear of ridicule, punishment, or judgement upon them. This may show students that not all parents are as strict as theirs are and also if a students parents are very permissive it will allow them to have responsibility for their actions.
Now What?
What I still need to know is how to build a students sense of self and learn how to correct in a not critical manner. I need to know and understand that every individual comes from a different back ground and they may not like me as a teacher. They may believe that the rules are too stringent, but I know I do not want to be an authoritarian teacher. I want to teach with aspects from all philosophies and give students the opportunity to learn socially. I still need to learn how to apply Erickson's eight stages of development into a classroom setting. I also need to learn and read more into moral development. How to encourage students to make good moral decisions about his or her life's as well as how they affect others life's as well. I need to be more optimistic for myself and to teach others how to be optimistic vs. pessimistic. I think that is hard to teach an individual how to be an optimist and always look for good in things, but I look forward to learning more information about the subject in future classes as I progresses in my education.
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Kim Peeks
What?
I had the great opportunity last Monday to hear Kim Peeks speak. It was amazing to hear his father tell the story of his life. Kim Peeks father spoke of how Kim was not diagnose with autism until the 1980's. Before his diagnosis doctors new he was not normal as some would say, but doctors advised Kim's father and mother to put Kim in an institution. Putting individuals with mental or physical imparities in an institution was very accepted when Kim was born. They put individuals in such places was some people's way of dealing with individuals whom they considered would not fit into society. Kim's father told a story about making a movement to get individuals out of institutions and into group homes or private residence. He said during that time they took out two thousand individuals out of institutions and placed them into a home environment. As I listened to Kim speak he had such a great message to tell everyone about how to cure the world of violence and intolerance. Kim said we are all different and no one person is the very same, and if we recognize we are all different then it would eradicate intolerance for others making this world a better place to live. I was amazed at Kim's memory he could recall ninety eight percent of what he had read in his life time. Someone asked Kim what did it say in a biography of one of the church's leaders on page two hundred paragraph three, and he paraphrased what the book said in that particular spot. He also was able to tell people their zip code and the major highways that lead into his or her specific town. Kim also had a great sense of humor and seemed to like to make jokes. Kim's father spoke of how the music professor from the University of Utah has been teaching Kim classical music. Kim had eighty five percent of the all classical music memorized and can play that music by memory on the piano. I am very great full to have had the opportunity to have listened to Kim tell his story. Kim had an amazing message to tell the audience and he was an impressive speaker to listen to.
So What!
While I listen to Kim and his father speak on Monday I was not thinking this man had a disability. I was thinking how he has helped changed societies views on people with autism and those who doctors say are mentally disabled. As I watched Kim and his father speak I did not see a man who was disabled I saw a man who had a great ability with his memory. This was a great opportunity to be able to see Kim's father interact with him and how I could as a future teacher be able to handle a student who had autism. His father never was anger with Kim for speaking while he was speaking. I think this would be very difficult to do as a teacher, but if the students knew that student was not intentionally trying to be disturbing I think the student would be fine in a classroom. Kim had the ability to memorize a great deal of information and I think it would be difficult to keep a child or student challenged in the classroom. Although it wasn't until just recently that Kim was introduced to the piano and classical music, which gave him a challenge and variety. Teachers need to be creative and give variety to student to help them engage in the curriculum, such as the professor from the University of Utah did for Kim.
Now What?
As I listened to Kim speak I accepted him for who he was and what he had to offer the world, yet I still need to know how to help students who are not fully developed be able to accept those who are different than them. I still need to know how to help students with disabilities where I can help them learn to their full capacity. I still need to learn more specifically how to help those with autism, down syndrome, or ADD. I need to read books about specific disabilities as students enter my future classroom so I can help them succeed in my classroom.
I had the great opportunity last Monday to hear Kim Peeks speak. It was amazing to hear his father tell the story of his life. Kim Peeks father spoke of how Kim was not diagnose with autism until the 1980's. Before his diagnosis doctors new he was not normal as some would say, but doctors advised Kim's father and mother to put Kim in an institution. Putting individuals with mental or physical imparities in an institution was very accepted when Kim was born. They put individuals in such places was some people's way of dealing with individuals whom they considered would not fit into society. Kim's father told a story about making a movement to get individuals out of institutions and into group homes or private residence. He said during that time they took out two thousand individuals out of institutions and placed them into a home environment. As I listened to Kim speak he had such a great message to tell everyone about how to cure the world of violence and intolerance. Kim said we are all different and no one person is the very same, and if we recognize we are all different then it would eradicate intolerance for others making this world a better place to live. I was amazed at Kim's memory he could recall ninety eight percent of what he had read in his life time. Someone asked Kim what did it say in a biography of one of the church's leaders on page two hundred paragraph three, and he paraphrased what the book said in that particular spot. He also was able to tell people their zip code and the major highways that lead into his or her specific town. Kim also had a great sense of humor and seemed to like to make jokes. Kim's father spoke of how the music professor from the University of Utah has been teaching Kim classical music. Kim had eighty five percent of the all classical music memorized and can play that music by memory on the piano. I am very great full to have had the opportunity to have listened to Kim tell his story. Kim had an amazing message to tell the audience and he was an impressive speaker to listen to.
So What!
While I listen to Kim and his father speak on Monday I was not thinking this man had a disability. I was thinking how he has helped changed societies views on people with autism and those who doctors say are mentally disabled. As I watched Kim and his father speak I did not see a man who was disabled I saw a man who had a great ability with his memory. This was a great opportunity to be able to see Kim's father interact with him and how I could as a future teacher be able to handle a student who had autism. His father never was anger with Kim for speaking while he was speaking. I think this would be very difficult to do as a teacher, but if the students knew that student was not intentionally trying to be disturbing I think the student would be fine in a classroom. Kim had the ability to memorize a great deal of information and I think it would be difficult to keep a child or student challenged in the classroom. Although it wasn't until just recently that Kim was introduced to the piano and classical music, which gave him a challenge and variety. Teachers need to be creative and give variety to student to help them engage in the curriculum, such as the professor from the University of Utah did for Kim.
Now What?
As I listened to Kim speak I accepted him for who he was and what he had to offer the world, yet I still need to know how to help students who are not fully developed be able to accept those who are different than them. I still need to know how to help students with disabilities where I can help them learn to their full capacity. I still need to learn more specifically how to help those with autism, down syndrome, or ADD. I need to read books about specific disabilities as students enter my future classroom so I can help them succeed in my classroom.
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