Chapter 6

I would like for my students to learn the importance of mnemonics, and how these can help remember material presented in the classroom more effectively. If students can learn any of these three methods: verbal meditation, the keyword method, or superimposed meaningful structure, they may use the phrases or analogies they have come up with to retrieve information from the mind at a later date. These are effective because learners find their own meaning in material by relating it to their mind or some other sort of knowledge base they already have. Another important skill I would like me students to have in learning is the ability to connect their emotions to the material they are learning. When students experience hot cognition, they are more likely to relate to the situation or knowledge they are reading or learning about. When one becomes emotionally invested in something, it is often much harder to forget. To do this not only is it important to invest in material that will be emotionally attached to this class, but it will be important for me as a teacher to express my own emotions about certain topics. This way, students will see the excitement that can come from learning or that it is okay to react in certain ways to topics.
Memory processes are an extremely important aspect of instructional decisions in the classroom because they may determine what students will learn or gain from a lesson. In order for a teacher to effectively teach a in way that students will gain knowledge, it is important to take memory process into account. Since memory is ultimately the way students will recall knowledge, as a teacher we want to make things memorable. It's possibly to be "memorable" in a number of way for various students. Making connections to students' own lives in a context they can better understand will automatically allow students to grasp the material better, which will help in recalling facts or stories later. This also goes along with creating a lesson that involves the students' own personal lives. Whether it be a project or group collaborative assignment, it would be more memorable to the student if it is made personal and they are allowed to put their own stamp on it. When we make lessons that are more personal or presented in a variety of context, we are more likely to present information in distinct ways which mixes up activities and plans and keeps the students involved and eager. These activities don't just blend in, but will stand out in the mind and associate students with the material they have learned. When we as teachers can focus on ways to make these lessons memorable and the techniques used for these memory processes, we are likely to see an increase in knowledge gained and retained.