1. This chapter focuses on: the 3 types of attention ( divided, selective, and saccadic eye movement); theories and explanations on attention; and our consciousness. This chapter also focuses on the restrictions caused by medical impairments towards each of the key topics.
2. Expanding on the previous chapter about the physical (both visual and auditory) perception of how we perceive objects, this chapter goes in depth on the mental aspects of the process. While we may understand that we can take in multiple sources, this chapter explains that how regarding the way we process each piece of information and why we may recall certain things easier than others.
3. I had a question regarding unilateral neglect due to brain lesions. In figure 3.3 where the man was able to draw the right portion of the clock but not the left, why did he finish the circle outline? When I was reading it, I compared it to only seeing out of one eye, but when you close one eye, you can still see all the components before you, just in a short range of peripheral vision than with both eyes. Would it be more like if you closed one eye and put a notebook in front of your face, along your nose, to block half of your vision?
4. The component that I thought would be most relevant to teaching was the information on cross-modal and divided attention tasks. After reading this, and performing the examples using the colors, I was more aware of the importance off focusing on one thing at a time. In our world where we are fighting against time we hand papers out while giving instructions, allowing the students to record their names, which takes away from them listening to us, inevitable, loosing more through the divided attention aspect than you would have lost focusing on one thing at a time!
5. I believe everything the author says, especially after doing all the examples! I sometimes read the paragraph before flipping the page to do the example. Sometimes it is hard to believe the results until you do it yourself! In regard to that, I have difficulty understanding/ believing that people with brain lesions only see half of a picture or that they may miss half of the food on their plate. I guess it is one of those things you have to experience to really understand (which I don't really want to do!)
6. This chapter helped to explain why I can do certain things simultaneously (ie- type and watch tv) but not others (ie- read and watch tv). In one scenario you may be able to take in information either through divided attention or selective, but in another scenario it is easier to take in one source (hearing it) and say the answer (by visually writing it).
7. This information is applicable to EVERY situation- in the classroom how I might ask students to do two tasks of listening and writing or in my life when I am talking on the phone and driving. My mother ALWAYS knows when I am on the computer while I am talking to her on the phone... it drives her nuts :) Apparently I don't have the divided attention I thought I had!
8. Are there other ways to accomplish processing this information better.... maybe in the next hundred years when humans become computerized they will have multiple source- automatic recall systems... but for now, I think that practice is our only way to improve our abilities to divide attentions.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Chapter 2 weekly reflection
This week's reading provided a lot of information about how we process everyday concepts through visual and auditory recognition. It's eye opening to read about the factors that contribute to the mental process of seeing and hearing, a process that occurs naturally with development, is something that many take for granted, including me.
With this being the first chapter to analyze, I'd have to say that so far the information is all logical and appropriate for the class. Based on what I have learned through previous research about cognition, learning about how the mental process of how we connect to the objects and noises we hear makes sense so far!
A question that I still had regarding this chapter was why some people are better at unscrambling words than other people. Are they more cognitively developed in a certain part of the brain? Is it something that people can improve on?
The chapter is very easily applied to everyday life, for example, how I pick out a shirt from the drawer without pulling all of them out, but rather just using a portion of the shirt to recognize its whole. Through processing we are able to move at quicker speeds and recognize objects by their color and shape in comparison to others. If ever spice was in the exact same container, same color, same shaped bottle, it would take me twice as long to cook because I wouldn't be able to rely on my shortened processing information.
I liked that the author included the example about the person not recognizing changes when an obstacle obstructs their view. Providing the examples and case studies makes it really believable.
This information is helpful in explaining why students have difficulty reading, why memories lapse with old age, and the overall importance of thinking about a situation from another's point of view- one who can not visually or auditorally process information as most people can. I think that I could apply this information in a classroom by using it to explain to children the importance of watching a person when they are speaking.
I don't think there are other ways of accomplishing this task any faster or cheaper. Video taping provides a second resource, but it is more expensive and much slower than visual and auditory process recognition.
This week's reading provided a lot of information about how we process everyday concepts through visual and auditory recognition. It's eye opening to read about the factors that contribute to the mental process of seeing and hearing, a process that occurs naturally with development, is something that many take for granted, including me.
With this being the first chapter to analyze, I'd have to say that so far the information is all logical and appropriate for the class. Based on what I have learned through previous research about cognition, learning about how the mental process of how we connect to the objects and noises we hear makes sense so far!
A question that I still had regarding this chapter was why some people are better at unscrambling words than other people. Are they more cognitively developed in a certain part of the brain? Is it something that people can improve on?
The chapter is very easily applied to everyday life, for example, how I pick out a shirt from the drawer without pulling all of them out, but rather just using a portion of the shirt to recognize its whole. Through processing we are able to move at quicker speeds and recognize objects by their color and shape in comparison to others. If ever spice was in the exact same container, same color, same shaped bottle, it would take me twice as long to cook because I wouldn't be able to rely on my shortened processing information.
I liked that the author included the example about the person not recognizing changes when an obstacle obstructs their view. Providing the examples and case studies makes it really believable.
This information is helpful in explaining why students have difficulty reading, why memories lapse with old age, and the overall importance of thinking about a situation from another's point of view- one who can not visually or auditorally process information as most people can. I think that I could apply this information in a classroom by using it to explain to children the importance of watching a person when they are speaking.
I don't think there are other ways of accomplishing this task any faster or cheaper. Video taping provides a second resource, but it is more expensive and much slower than visual and auditory process recognition.
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