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Teaching Tips January 1, 2010 |
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A child's brain works much like a computer. It takes in information or data, files it, and manipulates it in some way to perform a task. This processing, however,
is not the same as learning. Here's why.
The brain is like a computer in another way: it contains different types of memory. Short-Term Memory (STM) keeps information for a matter of seconds only, just long enough to decide whether or not to pay attention to it. Short-term memory has to do primarily with attention, which we will examine in the months to come. The next stage of memory is called Active Working Memory (AWM). It is similar to the active memory on your desktop; the information is available only while you are working on it. That is why you have to save your work to the hard drive in order to use it again. Likewise, the brain's AWM holds information for two to five hours. This enables your students to remember what was taught in the lesson long enough to do the exercises and assignments. But unless this information is “saved” to Long-Term Memory (LTM), it will not be remembered. Have you ever gone over something where your students were able to complete the lesson successfully, but then acted as if they had never heard of it the next day? When it came time to review the skill, they couldn't remember how to do it? This is because the information was never transferred from AWM to LTM, so that it could be used again at a later time. Technically speaking, learning only takes place when the information is saved in Long-Term Memory. So how do you save it? By interacting with the material in a significant way so that it makes an “impression” in LTM. Whether or not your children realize it, this is why they are required to answer comprehension questions at the end of their reading, write out definitions to learn terminology, complete tedious chapter reviews, or narrate back what they have just heard or read. And why they need to write a poem themselves after studying poetry or role-play after learning how to act in a certain situation. All of these techniques are ways to “force” the brain to interact with the material. The key word in the paragraph above is significant. These techniques only work if they are compatible with the child's learning style. When the techniques match the way the child naturally learns, they heighten the brains alertness and the material is transferred to LTM. If the techniques do not match the child's learning style, they become busywork. Busywork rarely accomplishes the necessary transfer of information, which is why your child can do the assignment but not remember the information. Here are a few examples. Narration (for younger children) and discussions (with older children) work well with auditory learners. Graphic organizers, visual displays, or modeling work well for visual learners. Print-oriented learners need to take notes, write an outline, or highlight passages in a book. Hands-on learners respond to hands-on demonstrations (tactile learners), role-playing and/or drama (kinesthetic learners), and interactive games (tactile-kinesthetic learners). One method that is often overlooked, yet can accommodate different learning styles is a Reflection Record. Reflection is a vital aspect of learning that is rarely incorporated into lesson plans and curriculum programs. Reflection is the process of looking back on the material – taking time to think about it, examining it in light of what is already known, and discerning how to apply it to one's life. (After all, what is the point of spending time on something if it is not worth using in some way; learning should add something to us or change us in some way.) Reflection is the Stop-Look-Listen method described in this month's devotional. A Reflection Record is whatever method is used to record one's thoughts. It doesn't have to be a journal, although that is what most of us think of. It can be a piece of art, a musical melody, an idea sketched out on a blueprint or design, or an idea notebook filled with phrases, pictures, or examples. What distinguishes reflection from day-dreaming is that it is intentional. It's not casual. It has direction and is purposeful. Our fast-paced culture places little value on reflection. Few of us spend time thinking about the things that may deeply influence or affect us. Perhaps that is why we are so easily tossed to and fro from doctrine to doctrine or political ideologies. Reflection, like any other learning skill, must be modeled and taught deliberately to our children. As homeschoolers, we sometimes feel that if we don't pack every minute with some tangible lesson, we are short-changing our children. But not scheduling time for reflection is doing just that. Incidentally, the brain actually goes through a process of reflection during the sleep cycle, wherein it reviews the stimuli it has received throughout the day and processes it accordingly. Which is another reason why getting a full night's sleep is so important. Keeping a Reflection Record is a useful technique for teaching your children the importance of reflection. It's also a wonderful keepsake that shows all of you how far you have traveled in your homeschooling journey.
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