Final Discussions

11/17/2013

Our team decided to use Google HangOuts to give our final reflections on this project. Check out the link below to see some of our discussions while you consider your own final thoughts on our project.

Now that you've checked out our Google HangOut reflections, you can take a look at the questions below and respond to them as you choose. We have embedded the flowchart once again to help you recall aspects of the Information Processing Model that we've presented this week.

Take your time to share your thoughts on any or all of these questions below. To respond, click "Add Comment" and fill in the appropriate information.

1) Do you think that your reflections and responses in your coursework have any effect on the development of your long term memory structures?

2) Give an example of a continuous learning feedback loop that you have experienced in your education.

3) Do you have any other Information Processing strategies that you would suggest to assist in triggering Long Term Memory storage?

4) Do you believe that Information Processing strategies lend themselves to automaticity in learners and not sustainable learning? Please explain your ideas.

28 Comments

Laurie Petrucci

11/18/2013 05:57:20 am

I really enjoyed listening to your wrap-up. Great idea to use Google Hangouts to personalize your presentation.

Laurie Carswell (Petrucci)

11/18/2013 06:02:51 am

Sorry - I should have written Laurie Carswell (Petrucci).

Victoria Olson link

11/19/2013 08:58:43 am

Thanks for replying, Laurie! Glad you enjoyed it.

Anne Beaumaster

11/18/2013 08:23:32 pm

In response to question #1, I feel that reflections and responses in my coursework do have an effect on the development of long term memory. Reflection helps individuals better understand experiences and helps further process information, This enables it to be stored in long term memory. I feel this can happen easier in a supportive environment with a good facilitator.

Victoria Olson link

11/19/2013 09:36:14 am

Hey Anne,

Thanks for taking the time to respond. I think that between responding to questions and conversing with our peers about them, we come to conclusions on topics and that's when meaningful LTM structures are created.

Kirsten Ng

11/19/2013 03:09:01 am

I enjoyed your presentation and the Google Hangouts lends a personal touch. I chose the Definitions category and had fun with the Substitute Words stream. I used this strategy and also the word association strategy when I was learning Japanese. Japanese has root words in Chinese, so that makes it easier for me, I guess. Yes, I think reflections and responses in my coursework allows for deeper engagement with the material and fosters long-term retention (at least, I hope so!)

Victoria Olson link

11/19/2013 09:37:44 am

Hey Kirsten,

Thanks for responding. If it hasn't lent itself to your LTM in the long run, at least it has for now!

Glad you have found some of the strategies useful that we presented in IP. It's always interesting to hear how other people apply them in their lives.

Kerri

11/19/2013 05:09:21 am

I also agree! I was more motivated in these activities because you said that we would be tested after. The same goes for learning outside of this presentation -- if i'm told I have to reflect or will be quizzed, I'm much more diligent in retaining the information.

I would agree that IP lends itself to automaticity. In the same breath, having an instant recall of base facts is good, because that will give you more time to deal will more detailed information (that you probably learned in different ways!)

D'Alice Marsh

11/19/2013 11:27:30 am

Hi Kerri,

Thanks for taking the time to comment. I won't lie, I tend to pay more attention to learning when I know I'll be tested after. But, I also pay more attention to things that I'm interested in, that capture my attention, when I'm not going to be tested.

Jeremy, my fiance, can't stand this. He always gives me facts about the history and the places we're visiting. For me, it's in one ear and out the next. He likes historical facts, I do not. So I tend not to process the information as critically.

I also like your take on automaticity.

Adeel Farooq

11/19/2013 08:42:19 am

I totally agree Anne. Without our discussion posts, I feel that I wouldn't commit as much information to long term memory. However, as we move so fast from one topic to another, I do tend to forget much of what we learnt about the previous theory, until I go back and quickly review what it was all about.

Rebecca

11/19/2013 02:33:09 pm

Hi Adeel,

Thanks for visiting our site and commenting!

I do agree with you that it can be difficult to remember all the points for each theory in the time we have to look at it. That's what is great about this weeks presentations - a lot of review which is helping to commit each theory to our long term memory : )

Anne Beaumaster

11/20/2013 02:12:10 am

Hi Adeel,
Certain topics that have involved a lot of discussion, I tend to remember, but like you, I do have to sometimes go back and review. This week"s presenatations were great for that!!!!

D'Alice Marsh

11/20/2013 02:35:58 pm

With each new reading I try to make a connection/link to the previous. I find that a long of the information we are consuming is related in one manner or another.

Chad Tobin

11/20/2013 06:12:56 am

When thinking about the first discussion question I would have to say that the reflections I made in the course about my own teaching examples connected to the material will have an effect on long-term memory structures. Experiences are so powerful and live within us and when we can make those connections the structures in our brain change.

Rebecca

11/20/2013 06:41:24 am

Thanks for visiting our site and commenting on here and on the blackboard discussion! I agree with you that experiences we have gone through shape our knowledge and involve changes in our brain structure so we can access our long-term memory more easily.

Hopefully these additional responses that we are all constructing this week, will add to our experience bank as well!

D'Alice Marsh

11/20/2013 02:45:25 pm

Chad I'm with you. The readings become more real to me when I take what I'm reading and find examples in my every day school life. From the way I manage my classes, to the way our staff run our alternate program. The more connections you make, the more enriched learning experience, the more the information is stored in our LTM.

Jenna

11/20/2013 11:46:56 am

Great discussion questions. I love the panel discussion. It's great to see your faces and hear your voices!

Jenna

11/20/2013 11:50:47 am

Sorry, I hit enter before I was done. I just wanted to say that I really like the comment about how powerful face-to-face interactions are (or even video-to-video). I wonder for future if there is some way to incorporate this into the course. ideally, early on to help build a sense of community.

Rebecca

11/20/2013 01:26:58 pm

Jenna, I would agree that F2F or video-to-video is an important component, especially after reading last weeks discussions about online learning and people's experiences with building a social community. Probably even more important with our class (if I remember correctly from the beginning of the term as it includes 1/3-1/2 first time MET students).

Victoria Olson link

11/20/2013 02:18:58 pm

Hey Jenna,

Thanks for responding. Google HangOuts have been so powerful for me as I build my Personal Learning Network and connect with educators all over the world. This is undoubtedly a tool that can and should be harnessed as it is free and easy to use. I feel that the community would be so enriched with weekly discussions such as this!

D'Alice Marsh

11/20/2013 02:42:58 pm

Hi Jenna,

With the three of us being in the mainland it was great to be able to meet up to start the project off. In my mind we were able to brainstorm ideas for the project easier than if it had been through email. This was the original intent for me, save time. Little did I know after spending an hour or so just chatting over coffee and getting to know each other, we hadn't even started discussing the project. And I think this lead to our sense of community you see in our google hangout.

After using GHO for the first time, I'm sure we would have made great connections to each other too. But I feel we were able to make a deeper connection face-to-face.

As for the course, there's been chat about breaking down into smaller groups for a few weekly discussions. This would be a great time to use GHO. At least for those that the time zones work for.

The more face-to-face, video-to-video, interaction there is, the more of a community feeling.

Jenna

11/21/2013 02:15:14 am

I love these ideas. Somebody suggested doing so at the beginning of the course (I put a question out about this in the course shell as well), but I like the idea of having a GHO as part of weekly discussion...hmmm, the wheels are turning here.

Diane

11/21/2013 12:33:54 pm

Great to hear your voices and see your faces! Thanks for that!
Fabulous presentation of IP, ladies! Diane

D'Alice Marsh

11/22/2013 08:13:08 am

Thanks for visiting our site, our minute corner of the world wide web. We're all glad you enjoyed our presentation. Hope our Google Hangout has inspired others to use it in the future.

Sarah Parker

11/23/2013 12:57:39 am

Thank-you for sharing Google Hangout. It has inspired me to use it in the future.

D'Alice

11/23/2013 11:19:16 am

Glad we were able to inspire you with our Google Hangout. It's a great way to get to know each other, and to work together when meeting face-to-face is not possible.

Thanks for taking the time to visit our site.

Christina

11/23/2013 10:22:29 am

Great presentation! I really enjoyed the activities and seeing/listening to your thoughts through the Google Hangout. Thanks!

D'Alice

11/23/2013 11:20:25 am

Thanks for stopping by Christina. We're glad you enjoyed the activities and seeing our Google Hangout.

Final Discussions

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