ch.4 the working memory

1. This weeks readings focused on how the working memory (aka short term memory) works, focusing specifically on employing the phonological loop, the visuospatial sketchpad, the central executive, and the episodic buffer. The chapter also clarifies previous thoughts, predictions, and studies performed regarding the amount, quantity and time, as well as the content of information that are best utilized in the working memory.

2. Based on previous readings, the clarification of proactive interference helped to explain why cross modal tasks work and don't work in regard to processing different types of information. This chapter also gave me a better understanding of why we remember certain pieces of information (based on quantity and quality) and why others are forgotten or slip into inattentional blindness.

3. I understand the role of the central executive and the functional components, but I am still not certain of how it physically works in our minds. I am assuming that all individuals are different, and that central executives are stronger for some people than others. Is the central executive the reason why people are classified as having attention disorders? Also, can the central executive be strengthened through application and practice?

4. Working memory, including its rules, strategies, and approaches, is an essential factor that teachers have to consider when planning daily lessons. We have to plan lessons in a way that students can process information appropriately without overload; we need to focus on how much students can take in accurately for recall. Also, we need to challenge students to use their phonological loop, their viseosketchpads, and their central executives, to train them for independent academic use.

5. Prior to reading, I was familiar with the 7+ or - 2 theory. However, I did not fully understand this concept because with phone numbers, you either remember two chunks or three when employing the working memory. Therefore, chunking system made more sense to my personal application of working memory. However, as I kept reading, the explanation of why certain information is retained more often (using proactive interference and semantic similarity) affects our working memory. Applying the information to my own experiences helped to me focus on specific examples of each scenario and how our working memory is ever changing.

6. This information helps us to best understand our capabilities of processing and recalling information to maximize our working memory. Knowing what kind of information and its quantity can be recalled in certain situations enables us to design and carry out academic and daily tasks accordingly.

7. I plan on using this information as much as possible! From remembering telephone numbers, to asking students to picture things using their visuosketchpads, to explaining why a student has difficulty reading long words based on their phonological loop. Once we are able to understand why a certain situation is or is not working, we can help students to correct and maintain the most effective strategies for using their working memory.

8. There are definitely other ways to using the working memory more accurately- the simplest is to manually record the information we are trying to remember. However, although this process is more time consuming and more expensive, it has a higher success rate. There are a lot of things you can do make your working memory better- ie, eating breakfast, taking prescribed attention medicine, exercising, decreasing anxiety, etc. The one thing that could not be replaced is the ability to read using the working memory- if you don't have a proper working phonological loop, I think reading would be impossible.