Improve Your Memory

By: Madison Brosky

Watch this Video to test how your memory is before learning about these future techniques!

To help yourself or others remember something more easily, researchers have suggested a few simple things matter in memory matters:

•       Depth - how deeply you process something helps you integrate it into and recall it from memory.
•       Meaning - how much meaning you can draw from an experience helps recall
•       Elaboration - Connecting other information or thoughts to the experience makes it more likely to be remembered.
•       Distinctiveness - A memory that is different or unique in some way from other memories is also easier to recall.

 If I was to use this in the classroom, the depth is how deeply you process information and turn it into a memory, meaning in other words how much meaning can you draw from this experience, and elaboration, connecting other thoughts and feeling to the experience. 

Memory is a crazy thing because the brain does not work as a road map everything depends on chance and personal influences. I think it is important to figure out strategies that will help each student recall memories in their past, or even so they can have a better understanding of the material being presented to them. 

I was told that Talking/Thinking, helps one elaborate and add depth to their memory. If as a teacher I push to make these thoughts stand out in the kid's mind it will help them with their future education, they will be able to recall information that was given in the past that will almost always work like a chain reaction of memories.

The most important way of teaching is rehearsing, saying something over and over teachers say will help it stick in your brain. I never really understood that saying until we worked with this module in my TE 150 class. It actually means that it will stick and be easier to remember as one rehearses more and more. So not only will learning how to store things in our brain for memories be beneficial as teachers it will really be beneficial for our students.