Memory is an interesting topic to think about. How do we help our staff/students remember the important things?
Joshua Foer in his book Moonwalking with Einstein, shares his experience in competing in a memory contest. He initially was skeptical thinking that the people he was watching in these contests were some kind of savants. Then he was challenged by a contestant to learn from him and compete. Joshua came to realize that memory was based on habits and techniques rather than brain capacity or gift alone.
In my own teaching about Loss, I use the acronym SAD-A (pronounced sad- eh?) since we are Canadians. S stands for Shock, A for Anger, D for Depression and then A for Acceptance. As I walk my staff/students through this we delve into the deeper emotional place that everyone has gone to in some form or other even if it is a simple as losing your place in line at the grocery store. Students/staff often comment on how much easier it has been to remember this process and then use it in their studies or work.
In a moment of insight Joshua comments, “If the point of reading were simply to retain knowledge, it would probably be the single least efficient activity I engage in” (Foer, 2011, p. 19). My own experience was one of practicing these little habits and ‘tricks’ in high school and college. Association rather than just repetition determines success and I often used little memory tricks like acronyms. I was successful in recall but soon learned that it did not necessarily mean that I had learned or understood the concept being presented.
Engaging learners at a level that includes relating it to their day to day lives will provide a deeper understanding of the concept than just memorization will. Using acronyms can enhance our learning when we are in need of cues to prompt our memory for something we recognize as important, but truly understanding a concept in how it relates to our lives is far more important than just knowing facts.
Fun brain exercise 10 (Memory,24 Math Game,Rebus Puzzle) – Bing video
Understanding Concepts (childdevelopment.com.au)
Foer, Joshua. (2011). Moonwalking with Einstein. Thorndike Press.