WeeK 6 - Meaningful Learning and Schema Theory -- No prior knowledge present

Here we are again...and I think I actually got everything done. I rechecked Muddle about 5 times, clicked on every link and I think I got it figured out...

Meaningful learning and schema learning theory have various requirements. Meaningful learning requires 1. Learner’s condition 2. Learning Environment as a foundation for good learning. Schema learning theory includes the what and the how. What is the item, procedure, etc. and How do I identify it and its key features. For example, what is a dog? How do I recognize a dog if I have never seen it before. But for this to work, you have to build upon prior knowledge.

We talked about learning experiences related to meaningful learning for the week. It was interesting and engaging to hear what people had to say. Some people had personal learning experiences, others had personal teaching experiences. Each learning experience was rooted in EXPERIENCE. The best way to learn is through meaningful experience.

Bartlett experimented with effects of prior knowledge...this lead us to an experiment. Dr. Foreman took 7 volunteers...I was not one of them...I decided to observe (if you believe that I have a bridge to show you). Dr. Foreman told a story to the first person to come back in and had that person tell the story to the next person, and so on. It was amazing to hear what people remember from the story. People lost info from the story in the most interesting ways:
From
#1-#2: Names and specific details were lost (dynasty, symbol meanings, character names), change from mirror to glass
#2-#3: More details, (loss of # of roosters, rafters) maintained the meaning of the dream concept
#3-#4: loss of more details especially of the dream, additions of “folktale”
#4-#5: Added the “farmer”, changed the order of the meaning of the dream
#5-#6: Not much loss
#6-#7: Not much loss
#7- Dr. Foreman: Only detail from the dream was the broken glass, he visit a Buddhist Monk, all become clear when you become king, and the Buddhist Monk becomes and advisor.

The only constants throughout the storytelling was the concept of the dream, the fact it was a Korean Tale, and the person who had the dream became king...the rest was misinterpreted or lost.

--- This really makes you think about human history. Quite a bit of human history was maintained through storytelling and folklore...if stories were told over centuries how much was lost? How reliable is our non-written history? But then one realizes that the meaning survives...that is the beauty of human memory, we keep what is important and hold on tight.

Another learning quiz...I am glad she isn’t grading these because I don’t retain details from a book very well at all!

• OK yeah...this one was harder. Period. Discovering the answers in the book took a bit of time.
  

Gestalt theory — visual interpretation theory, “the whole is more than the sum of its parts” ,
The following create cohesion and meaning

• proximity
• similarity
• continuity
• closure
  

Memory theory:

• Organize – put things into categories
• Loci Method – visualizing locations of items
• Initial letter – take the first letter and make a word out it
• Rhyming – Use rhyming with phrases
• Imagery – form a mental picture of the word in action
• Pegword – for when order matters, object association rhyming with the number in the order
  

And of course, we couldn’t have an ITEC 800 class without talking about Muddle...we are responsible for all assignments on the old site linked on to Moodle, but only post the ones that ask for posts.

Mental note: Look at the lesson plan and get ready to present it to the class after our 2 week break.

Highlight of the week: Memory is SO interpretive. It is amazing what we remember, how we remember, and why we remember. Is it that we choose what to remember on a subconscious level? Why do I remember traumatic events more than peaceful ones? Why can’t I keep items from the text in my head for more than a day...it sure isn’t staying in short-term memory? I think we are in charge of our own memory, it just takes discipline and effort to get it to really work for you.

Thoughts?

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Matt Harris
Director of Technology
Ronald C. Wornick Jewish Day School