Session: Memory and Recall Concept: How our brain works Skills: Knowledge Organization

Preamble: Take a look at the list of words on the next slide In 30 seconds try and remember as many words as you can Write down all the words you remember Try and think about how your brain is putting these words in your head

Balloon Marshmallows Fluff Ivory Button Cotton Planets Basketball Globe Vanilla Ice Cream Teeth Paper Snow Moon Sun Heads Linen

Now, that you’ve taken a look at these words: How did you organize the words in your head? Take 1-1/1/2 min to think about this Turn to person next to you and share how you remembered words

Round 2: Now, take a look at the words again and see if you can remember more words

ROUND Balloon Button Basketball Globe Moon Planet Heads Sun WHITE Ivory Linen Cotton Teeth Fluff Vanilla Ice Cream Marshmallows Paper Snow

Were you able to get more numbers the 2nd time? What changed that helped you to remember more? One more brain exercise!! What about string of letters???? 30 seconds Try and Remember GO!!!! VDMACMYITFBTV What about if I do?... YMCA-DMV-FBI-TV What changed the 2nd time around?

Memory Pathways Knowledge is organized! You have to figure out what is the best way to organize information so you can retrieve (get it back) when you need it! TWO ways memory is stored in our heads Explicit Implicit

Semantic Episodic Explicit Memory Semantic ABC  wordsreading, spokenlanguage in general Moments in your life that you remember because of the experience ( i.e. birthday parties)

Explicit memory contd… Can you guess which of the two types of memory (semantic or episodic) allows you to remember more?... Semantic memory only allows you to remember less than 25% What do you notice about your education and semantic memory? Episodic memory gives you more “bang for the buck” Story time: The time in my life when I was engaged to be married…

Procedural Conditioned Implicit Memory How you learned how to ride a bike Repetition of same skills over and over again Baby learns not to touch the hot stove because she is conditioned by pain it causes remembers not to touch hot stove

Reflexive Emotional Implicit Memory You react by instinct because you’ve remembered how to do it that you just do it- like a reflex! You remember things based on your emotions Smells, touch, songs, etc cause brain to remember things because of the emotions that were present

So what does ALL this mean for you? The science tells us that we best learn things and commit to long term memory by using a combination of ALL to best remember! The point of all this work is to make sure you KNOW as much as you can so you can be successful in life!!! You need ACCESS to information stored in your brain on a regular basis!!!!

I quote Steve Carell from 40 Year Old Virgin…”Is it true if you don’t use it, you lose it?” YES IT IS TRUE!!! If you don’t use it, you LOSE IT!!!!!!

So what now?...Freewrite Now, you reflect on what all this means to you in context of the upcoming work this year… What are the next steps you will take to prepare for the large quantities of information coming your way? Be specific. “I’m going to study more!” is not a next step. Do you have a better idea after today as to how your brain remembers the most?