Guided Response: Review several of your classmates’ posts and identify some key point(s) you agree with. Respond to at least two of your classmates and provide recommendations to extend their thinking. Challenge your classmates by asking a question that may cause them to reevaluate or rethink their understanding of child development, brain functions, and the process of learning.

Joshua Berndt

 For this week’s second and final discussion of the week, we are asked to discuss the process of working memory including the areas of the brain associated with short-term memory and encoding. Lastly we are to explain two techniques I can use in my professional practice that would help improve and strengthen short-term memory.

     Working memory represents a more complex system and involves our conscious active processing of incoming sensory information (Willis, J., & Mitchell, G. 2014).  When sensory input reaches the hippocampus, it is available for consolidation into short-term memory.  The hippocampus retains information for less than one minute; the encoding process constructs a short-term memory if related prior to memory (Willis, J., & Mitchell, G. (014).  
     Two techniques that I can use in my professional practice to help me improve my short-term memory is a game or training we call in the Army as “KIM” (keep in memory), and eating healthy.  The one I would like to talk about is KIM which is a game we play in the Army, the way it goes is there are specific items under a blanket covered up as Soldiers walk around, once the blanket is taken off the items, Soldiers try to keep as many of the items in their mind (short-term memory), this happens for about 30 seconds, once the time is up the Soldiers are than ran through some physical activities to try and get them away from what they just tried to memorize.  After about 20 minutes of physical activities the Soldiers are than asked to write don the items, and see how many they can remember.  This exercise keeps our mind right, and is used to learn for an example if we are on a mission and are under fire, we may still have to remember things we have seen that could lead to collecting intel.

Josh

Reference

Willis, J., & Mitchell, G. (2014). The neuroscience of learning: Principles and applications for educators. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education.

            Paige Hobbs

Working memory is the part of short-term memory that is concerned with immediate conscious perceptual and linguistic processing.  In working memory its system is involved in several cognitive abilities such as reasoning, learning, and comprehension. (Braddeley,2003). There are four components to the Baddeley and Hitch model of working memory those include central executive, a phonological loop, a visuospatial sketchpad, and an episodic buffer.

The central executive is what directs our attention to incoming sensory input. The phonological loop allows us to use repetition to remember a variety of different things. The visuospatial sketchpad allows our brain to visualize and input information given and lastly the episodic buffer helps bind the information given and store it into long term memory. The three components phonological loop, visuospatial sketchpad and episodic buffer work together fluidly meaning the ability to change and reason quickly. All four components must work together in order to create memory.

As an educator I would use dancing and music to strengthen short term memory. Working with children who have disabilities, task need to be enjoyable and fun. Dancing to music to learn their ABCs or singing a math song over and over to help them with multiplication would strengthen their short term memory and even help their long term memory.

References

Willis. J., & Mitchell, G. (2004). Neuroscience of Learning: Principles and Applications for Educators. Bridgepoint Education.