EDAT 6115 Journal Entry #3
Description
This week’s readings in EDAT 6115 were over chapter six. This chapter covers the Cognitive Theories of Learning and how they affect today’s students. Chapter six also covers memory strategies.
Analysis
The first topic in this chapter is the Information-Processing model. There are three different parts of the memory such as: the sensory register, short-term or working memory, and long-term memory. The sensory register detects stimuli but many of them do not advance further than that. The ones that our brain recognizes or is important to us, moves on to the working memory. This is where the brain analyzes it to understand what it is and its purpose (Slavin, 2012, pgs. 124-126). Long-term memory is very important in a student’s learning. This is because when you learn something, it is stored in the long-term memory for life. If a student only learns something well enough for it to be stored in the short-term, then they will have to be retaught. The long-term memory is made up of three different types: episodic memory, procedural memory, and semantic memory (Slavin, 2012, pgs. 127-132).
The second main topic of chapter six is what scientists have learned from studying the brain. The human brain is attached to the nervous system. Neurons, dendrites, and synapses are the three main components of the brain. The neurons are longs cells that have dendrites at one end that spread out into branches. The synapses are the spaces between these branches (Slavin, 2012, pg. 133). Each part of the brain (thalamus, hypothalamus, hippocampus, amygdala, cerebral cortex, and cerebellum) has a function essential to a child’s brain development. As a child’s brain develops, they are able to think more abstractly and solve problems (Slavin, 2012, pg. 134).
Brian development is very important to understand when it comes to classroom teaching. An effective teacher has to understand the ways that students develop in order to give them appropriate lessons for their skill level. Slavin (2012) points out three main points when it comes to classroom teaching. First, different topics of learning (ELA, Math, Science, Social Studies, Music, Art, etc.) all have differing levels of difficulty for the human brain. Things such as ELA are easier because our minds are wired to learn language. However, more abstract topics may not be as easy because human minds are not innately equipped for that topic. Secondly, a student can only learn what their brain development allows. For example, a first-grade student would not be expected to learn Calculus, but an 11th-grade student would. Lastly, different parts of the brain affect different types of learning (Slavin, 2012, pgs. 137-138).
Chapter six of Slavin (2012) also discusses how students can be taught to remember facts in a lesson. A memory device called mnemonics is often used to teach students of any level (Slavin, pgs. 143-144). For example, when a math student is learning the order of operations, the teacher may use the expression “PEMDAS” which stands for “Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally.” When students are able to remember this, they can always figure out that the order of operations is Parenthesis, Exponents, Multiplication, Division, Addition, Subtraction.
Reflection
Brain development is essential to be an effective teacher in any type of classroom. When a teacher knows the level of cognitive development of the students, he or she is able to plan developmentally appropriate lessons. For example, in my classroom, I would plan a lesson on steady beat for my kindergarten students. In this lesson, we would have call and response practice, movement practice, an application game, and possibly some simple instruments. However, this is not an appropriate difficulty level for fifth graders. In a fifth-grade lesson, I may reinforce beat, but it is not the main focus. For example, I may have xylophones in front of them, and have them play the song on the board through reading notes. They have to keep a steady beat, but also incorporate note reading and appropriate instrument technique. In order for me to know that those lessons cannot be interchanged, I have to know the cognitive development of those grade levels.
Reference
Slavin, R. E. (2012). Educational psychology: Theory and practice (11th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Education.
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