post: MODULE 11

question/confusion:

The information processing theory states that learning does not always have to include associations between stimuli and responses.  Information processing theories think that the mind learns similar to a computer: we take in info, change the form of the info (encoding), store it, and then access it later when we need it again. The implications for the teacher (me) in the sensory memory stage would be to make sure that I only teach the most important parts, using only the most effective methods that have worked for me before.   Within the working memory stage, I would need to give the students the opportunity for repetition and review.  I need to give them the opportunity to connect what I taught them to what they have already learned.  Within the long-term memory stage, there is not much that the teacher can do, except hope/know that he/she has done her best within the first two stages.  

I will use learning to sing "Mary Had a Little Lamb" as my example.
The input would be the teacher's (my) instruction of the song.  The sensory memory would be used when the students see and hear me teaching them the song, and hear and see themselves singing it back. If the students do not pick up completely on what is being taught (ex: they tune the teacher out or are texting instead), they will not be successful in the sensory memorization of the song.  In order to store it within their working memory so that they can access it later, they need to pay attention to what I am teaching.  (there are few things that command our full attention...we would go crazy if we paid full attention to everything!  but in order to really store the information, the students would need to do so)  An aid in learning most things is pattern recognition...when a student can recognize similar or repeated things within what they are being taught (in this case, the repetition of certain melodies and words, such as "little lamb, little lamb, little lamb"), it is much easier for him or her to fully store the info.  As far as working memory goes, the first step is that the central executive decides the information being taught is important enough to store it.  The central executive also decides how to process the song.  Since the students are being taught a song, they would use the phonological loop, which stores auditory info (perfect!) for a few seconds, and makes the student able to repeat/rehearse the information over and over.  The episodic buffer would then organize all the information that was taught into a neat bundle.  Chunking comes next.  This idea is very easy to understand, because we all consciously do it in our daily lives when trying to study, or really process any information at all!  Songs can be easily broken up into chunks, like the chorus, the verses, the bridge, etc. 
            If the students don't use processes like chunking, then they are more likely to forget the information.  To get ready for long-term storage, we use a process called encoding.  In this process we reformat or rearrange info to get ready to store it for a longer time.  For instance, if students are having trouble remembering what word comes next, it would progress like this: I can't ever remember what animal Mary had...oh!  I know a good way to remember!  Mary starts with an M, and she had a lamb, which starts with an L, so I'll just remember that it's like a reverse alphabet!  The most important part is next: the retrieval.  Without retrieval, what's the point of learning anything!?  The easiest way to successful retrieval is PRACTICE.  There are many ways you can cue the retrieval by using any sensory format.  (ex: if somebody who had just learned the song, and they then met a girl named "Mary," that could maybe trigger the memory of the song they had just learned and remember it.