Memory by

Long-Term Memory

ashleebritton — 2025-04-09 20:01:52 UTC

Long-term memories are saved in the brain to be recalled at a later date. This part of our memory is also referred to as retention. In learning and education, information is not always stored as long-term or retention memories. Learning is based on the environment, and when given the conscious attention and frameworks in a lesson, that is when the information is stored in long-term memories (Sousa, 2022). When creating lessons, educators should keep in mind that not every piece of information will be retained by students. It is important to acknowledge what topics in the lesson are of higher importance and put those at the beginning. This is called primacy-recency. The idea is that retention is more likely to happen with the first piece of information, then second likely to be retained with the last piece of information, and everything in between gets lost in short-term memory (Sousa, 2022). The information that is not the main topic should be placed in the middle of the lesson, this way the working memory can handle it.

Working Memory

ashleebritton — 2025-04-10 17:14:05 UTC

Working memory is used interchangeably with short-term memory, although they are very similar, they are not the same. In general, they are the forms of memory that hold on to information for a brief period and then let it go, no retention of the information is stored. Working and short-term memory are used in the classroom all the time. Taking a test, planning the day, the answers to mental math problems, and meeting new people (Psychology Today, n.d.). Although they are similar, short-term memory is used for small period retention, remembering a name during conversation, and working memory is information being stored shortly to manipulate, like mental math problems (Psychology Today, n.d.). As educators, this information is important to understand about students' memories. Not everything presented to the students will be retained, and it should not be expected to be retained. It is the educator's job to understand the differences between the memories to best support their students education.

Sensory Memory

ashleebritton — 2025-04-10 17:57:55 UTC

Sensory memories are a form of short-term memories, they are created when the sensories are stimulated at that moment. When the senses, such as sight and sound, are stimulated, they are called sensory memories (Psychology Today, n.d.). These are memories that do not stay long but are remembered based on the sense that was used. If a car drives by, the color of it will be in the sensory memories. If there is a smell of a bakery, that will be in the sensory memory for a while, but it will eventually leave. Some ways that sensory memory can be used in the class is eating a mint while taking a test. The consumption of peppermint gum increases alertness and intelligence in stressful situations, peppermint gum has proven to be the most successful with this memory (Ganhi, P., Siddiqui, R., 2019). Using the sensory memories in the classroom can be done and utilized in ways that teachers may not understand. The taste and smell of peppermint is shown to be a great use in calming the brain during stressful situations, such as tests or assessments.

Retention in Learning

ashleebritton — 2025-04-10 19:04:28 UTC

Retention in learning can be more complex than information that is stored. Retention involves the environment information is being learned in, the nervous system, and how information is acquired (Sousa, 2022). The environment that students are learning in needs to be comfortable and welcoming for all ideas; this will also lead to a decrease in stress, which supports learning and memory. Educators can create a lesson plan that includes all the information, but not all the information will be transferred from the working memory to retention. Retention is information that is stored to be pulled back through memory, so if the student does not retain the information, it is likely to be gone (Sousa, 2022). It is important to give the body of information, information that is most needed to be retained by the students' brain (Sousa, 2022). Education can be difficult in this way, especially as an educator. It was in the lesson, it was discussed, but it is not being retained. It is important that educators take the time to find the main material and get the retention that is needed for the student's success.

Trauma to the Brain

ashleebritton — 2025-04-10 19:17:25 UTC

Our brains work to keep us moving, learning, and remembering, but what happens when they become damaged? When the brain experiences trauma, many things can be affected, memory being one of them. There are two forms of brain injury, closed and penetrating brain injuries (Johns Hopkins Medicine, n.d.). Closed injuries are when the skull is not broken through, and penetrating is when something has penetrated the skull and reached the brain (Johns Hopkins Medicine, n.d.). Both injuries can result in amnesia symptoms or memory loss. The affected memories can be temporary, only lasting for some time, but sometimes the trauma can lead to memory issues being permanent. Thinking in the realm of education, these traumas can make learning difficult for students. Some effects of brain injuries are the inability to listen to more than one or two step instructions, inability to understand abstract concepts, shortened attention span, and much more (Johns Hopkins Medicine, n.d.). With this information, educators must continue giving students the accommodations needed, any extra time, a reference card, or any other accommodations needed for the student's success.

Strategies

ashleebritton — 2025-04-15 18:02:13 UTC

There are many strategies for supporting students' memory as an educator. One strategy is creating emotionally tied to the information. Students are more likely to remember the lesson if they have an emotional tie to what is being taught (Sousa, 2022). Having the emotions as a part of the lesson will be helpful for students' memory and the retention of the topic. There are many ways to integrate this into lessons like reenactments, journaling, and simulations (Sousa, 2022). Placing the student in the emotions and life of the lesson will assist them in remembering the topic and information. It is important to share strategies for assisting students with trauma to the brain as well. Some effects of brain injuries are the inability to listen to more than one or two step instructions, inability to understand abstract concepts, shortened attention span, and much more (Johns Hopkins Medicine, n.d.). With this information, educators must continue giving students the accommodations needed. Some strategies to help is extra time on assignments or topics, a reference card for tests, or teaching lessons in smaller increments. These strategies can be used by educators in their classrooms to support their students learning and retention of information.