Harvard Health Publishing. (2022). Memory. The President and Fellows of Harvard College. Reviewed by Marshall, M. MD. https://www.health.harvard.edu/topics/memory

Sousa, D., A. (2022). How the Brain Learns. In Bibliu.com (Sixth). Corwin. https://bibliu.com/app/?bibliuMagicToken=IOP3JhEiQabWaAAVMvLqAnZWghtREiST#/view/books/9781071855348/epub/OEBPS/cover.html

Sussex Publishers. (n.d.). Types of memory. Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/memory/types-of-memory

Memory is how we retain and recall information that was once given to us. It is experiences that we have been through that go to our memory that we remember. The information we receive our brain will either retain this information or deem it not necessary or less important. Memory can also be encountered by all senses, which includes emotions and feelings. These experiences can be a wide variety of experiences and memory will retell how one felt, what they saw, and other senses (Harvard Health Publishing, 2022).

Long-term memory: Memory that can be unlimited based on experiences. This is information that is perpetual but can be changed with new experiences.

Short-term memory: Memory that is temporary and information that can be used rather quickly. The amount of storage is limited and is usually disposed of once it is used. Another term for this is working memory.

Sensory memory: Memory that is brief and brought forth by the senses. Typically happens right away and forgotten in a short period of time.

Memory plays a vital role in education and allows for students to better understand what is being taught. Teachers need to have clear and explicit teachings that gives students the opportunity to learn in a positive environment (Sussex Publishers, n.d.). Teachers need to be prepared to use each of these styles of memory into their teachings to help students to retain the information or skills being taught. Several parts of the brain are used for memory and to engage with the information being given.

Retention is the way the brain safeguards the long-term memory to be able to access information that is needed later.

Transfer is the opportunity to learn and then can locate and retrieve that information when needed in future situations or experiences.

Both retention and transfer are important to learning because of scaffolding skills. When a teacher builds lesson plans they typically build upon skills and what students already know or have learned. When students retain a skill, they can transfer to the next skill or use other skills to help with one another. Retention can be enhanced with communication, organizational skills, and collaboration. While transferring requires problem solving and creating or making decisions (Sousa, 2022).

Trauma can have a vital impact on our brain and the experiences one has. When one experiences trauma it can cause stress, senses may become overwhelmed and may cause overall health problems. With these situations can cause the brain to lose its memory for a short period of time. In the moment it can cause one to lose sense of what they learned, or the skills processed.

Trauma can also cause long-term affects to memory. Memory from these experiences may be a blur and one may not recall what took place (Sousa, 2022). Some may have had experiences where new memories or skills to learn are difficult to understand or challenging to listen to, because it may bring back those memories.

Strategy 1: Mindfulness

Mindfulness allows for learners to think about themselves and drown out all the noise around them. This is a time to focus and reset. Students are able to be aware of how they are doing, whether that is through their senses, emotions, and feelings. Mindfulness can include journaling, meditation, and yoga. Using this strategy gives the ability to improve one's overall well-being, helps to stimulate the brain, and offer a refresh to the day (Harvard Health Publishing, 2022).

Strategy 2: Sensory Experiences

Sensory experiences off the ability to use one's senses to learn and build upon skills already taught. This strategy can help to motivate and engage students because it gets them engaged while learning. Teachers need to offer the skills to all sensory styles which include auditory, visual, and kinesthetic learners. This will allow learners to retain the information and grow with the skills in future (Sousa, 2022).