Friday, July 6, 2018

Memory and Cognition Reflection




Slavin’s summary of cognitive theories of learning (pp.154-155), is not a summary as much as it is an outline for a teacher to consider the educational psychology of how the brain processes information. It is useful to have a knowledge of theories about what causes people to remember (or forget) and how we as human beings learn. This paper explores several memory strategies and provides a little fun via YouTube at the end.

I am mindful of the ongoing study of memory in the advertising industry, so ably and humorously portrayed by Sidney Greenstreet as the owner of Beautee Soap in the film adaptation of Frederic Wakefield’s The Hucksters (1947). He insists, as he pounds his fist on the conference room table that his brand leads in the marketplace because “we out-advertise” the competition. Furthermore, he claims, to be effective you must repeat the brand name and “irritate! Irritate! Irritate!” --- beating the consumer into submission to purchase Beautee Soap. Sullivan (Hey Whipple, Squeeze, 2016) recalls classic TV commercials for Charmin toilet tissue as memorable but irritating portrayal of a grocer who cannot resist squeezing the product because it is so soft. In advertising, the client banks on the belief that memory has the power to generate sales.

In school, over and over again, we are introduced to mnemonic devices we hope will assist learners in retaining information. Virtually every content area has something educators hope will be locked in the vault of the minds they hope to educate. In English (i before e, except after c or when sounding like A as in neighbor and weigh); In Mathematics (P.E.M.D.A.S. is a way to remember the order of operations – Parentheses or brackets first, then Exponents, then Multiplication, then Division, then Addition and Subtraction (left to right); In Geometry (memorize a2+b2 = c2 to understand Pythagorean Theory that says the Hypotenuse is equal to the sum of the square roots of the other two sides of a right triangle); In Geography the names of the Great Lakes (H.O.M.E.S Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie and Superior); In Science (My Very Educated Mother Just Served Us Nachos is a way to recall planets Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Uranus, Neptune (Pluto lost its status as a planet); a would-be nun in The Sound of Music gave us a song to recall the basic 8 musical notes (Do-Re-Me-Fa-So-La-Ti-Do); In Art (Color Theory is on a wheel starting with primary colors of Red, Yellow and Blue).   
      
Slavin (p.149) introduced me to a study technique PQ4R (Preview, Question, Read, Reflect on the material, Recite and Review) which must be a cousin to a technique I learned in seventh grade SQ3R (Study, Question, Read, wRite, Review). I found a SQ4R explained from Oregon Library Information Services. I am quite sure that any version of such a technique, if woven into the instructional methodology of a classroom can be very effective.    

Five YouTube Links that I hope you will review follow. They are all short (2:36, 1:18, 1:49 and 6:02 and 3:03 respectively). I recommend viewing them in this order and after you have read this paper. (You can simply paste the link into your browser – they are all on YouTube). The last YouTube link is for your listening pleasure: “You must remember this…”
YouTube LINKS
The Hucksters Clark Gable Meets Sidney Greenstreet 2:36 (1947) on YouTube - link https://youtu.be/xHCJ5KZ4tdA
Please Don’t Squeeze the Charmin TV commercial 1:18 (1960) on YouTube – link
Order of Operations 1:49 on Your Teacher.com sample on YouTube - link
Oregon School Library Information System 6:08 SR4R technique for reading – link
Casablanca (1942) – 3:03 As Time Goes By Original Song by Sam (Dooly Wilson)

REFERENCES
Sullivan, L. Hey whipple, squeeze this 5th Edition (©Wiley 2016)
Wakefielf, F. The Hucksters (novel 1947) and movie staring Clark Gable
Slavin, R, Educational psychology theory and practice 12th Edition (© 2012 Pearon)

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