Working memory in students

Working Memory by Judy C (Reference Librarian)

Recently I was searching for information on  short term memory  and found the whole topic so fascinating that I wanted to share some of what I learned.

Generally psychologists use the term, working memory, to refer to the ability to both store and manipulate information over short time (few seconds). 

Working memory is made up of 3 components:

• Central executive, located in the frontal region, controls attention and higher level processes.
• Verbal short term memory (phonological loop),  located in the left hemisphere, stores all speech based information.
• Visuo-spatial short term memory, located in the right hemisphere, stores images, pictures and location information.

The central executive communicates with both short term memories and coordinates information, but the 2 short term memories are quite separate.  Therefore a person can have one short term memory that is much stronger than the other.

Each person has different working memory capacity, and children have less working memory than adults.  Generally a person can hold 6 to 7 units of information, and once the working memory is lost, it’s lost permanently.

Strategies to boost working memory:

• Chunking information – grouping units of information to create meaning
• Rehearsal – repeatedly saying it over
• Reduce distraction  – lower  background noise made up of conversation, white noise is not distracting

If you want to read more about the topic, you can contact the Professional Library for the “very readable” book, Working Memory & Learning: A Practical Guide for Teachers by Susan E. Gathercole & Tracy Packiam Alloway.

 Judy Chyung – Reference Librarian

PS:  this can be a serious issue with children because it is an ‘invisible’ disability and therefore it can take some time before it is recognized and diagnosed. My high school son has this: too much information can overwhelm and fatigue him (he’ll give up and put his head down on the desk); and I find that at the  secondary level many of the teachers have a strong subject specialty but they are not so great on implementing accommodations for kids.  Lets face it, most of the strategies listed by Judy benefit all students regardless of their abilities.   Rowan

 

Social acceptance in inclusive classrooms

In the latest issue of Education Canada (v. 49 #4)  there is an article by Judith Weiner titled Fostering Social Acceptance in Inclusive Classrooms. The author states that “the mere presence of students with learning disabilities in general education classrooms is not inclusion.  Inclusion involves meaningful participation by these students, achievement in accordance with their abilities, and social acceptance by teachers and peers.” How perfect are those two sentences! Students with special needs often have no friends; they  can be ignored, or  bullied and not accepted into the classroom and playground.  The author did an observation study of a successful inclusive classroom and this article discusses their findings.

Contact the library for a copy of the article, and any others on this topic. (416) 395-8289.

Rowan

Students with ASD

ASD=Autism spectrum disorders

I have just reviewed one of my favorite journals, Intervention in School and Clinic, in particular the September 2009 issue. One of the articles titled “Supporting students with autism spectrum disorders  in inclusive settings” by Debra Leach and Mary Lou Duffy provides a solid overview to strategies for general education teachers whose classrooms include students with ASD. The authors divide them into three categories: preventative, supportive and corrective.

If you would like to read this article, the Library can send you a print copy or email it to you from our journal databases.

Rowan

Brain Exercises and School Success

The idea that brain is pliable and that the weak parts can be strengthened with cognitive exercises has found its way into schools.  

 TDSB is considering four different neuroplasticity programs to implement. Two programs are already used in TDSB schools:  Cogmed Working Memory Training and Fast ForWord.  The other programs under consideration are Wasdell SMaRts and the Arrowsmith program. 

 Neuroplasticity programs operate on the underlying principle that by strengthening the weak paths in the brain, the student is able to access skills that enable the student to learn better.

 Read on …

Arrowsmith seen as ‘last hope’: Success stories from small program for children with learning disorders. Toronto Star, Sep 15, 2009. www.thestar.com/article/695581

 Giving brains a workout: cognitive exercises being tested in Toronto schools break new ground. Toronto Star, June 26, 2009.  www.thestar.com/printArticle/656090

 Learning alternative: one school’s belief in a fixable brain. Feb 25, 2009. www.parentcentral.ca/parent/education/article/592531

 Raising cognitive capacity.  ProfessionallySpeaking,  Sep 2008. www.oct.ca/publications/professionally_speaking/september_2008/raising_cognitive_capacity.asp

 Report on the Arrowsmith program in the Toronto Catholic District School Board. Jan 25, 2007. http://www.arrowsmithschool.org/images/Report%20on%20the%20AP%20in%20the%20TCDSB%20%20Feb%202%2007.pdf

 Also, you can borrow the following popular book from the Professional Library The Brain that Changes Itself: Stories of Personal Triumph from the Frontiers of Brain Science, by Norman Doidge.  Contact us to borrow it.

 Judy C

 

 

3-part LD series in the Toronto Star

The Toronto Star is printing a 3-part series on LD, in particular of those students with learning disability issues that are not in your face. This is the story of my son. As parents, when we talked to the school and they said “Nah, he is just little behind” or “He is not a priority on anyone’s radar”. 

Working for the system, I understand that there are students whose needs are huge, but to have my son’s needs not addressed does not lead to “student success”.  We paid for the private assessment and presented the school with the evidence and that started the ball rolling very very slowly. 

Has the school helped him?  Well they give him extra time to write tests and exams, and he has a quiet room to go to work without distraction, but does it improve teacher classroom practices, did it provide remedial instruction, probably not. He is a teen and that comes with its own set of attitude issues; I often wonder if we’ve done it too late to be helpful.

The first article was in yesterday’s Star, and is titled Learning Problems Not Always Easy to Identify , and today’s is Map of Mind at Work, both by Andrea Gordon. They are available on line at the Toronto Star Parent Central web page.

Rowan

Teaching about facial expressions

The Professional library has purchased a book by Pat Crissey titled Getting the Message: Learning to Read Facial Expressions. Very often students with autism have a difficult time interpreting facial expressions, impacting negatively on their social interactions. This book is very classroom friendly and contains black and white sketches of faces displaying different emotions with teaching activities. Very cool.  Call us to borrow it at (416) 395-8289.

Teaching and the Brain

I am the parent of a son who has what I call a “glitch in his matrix”, meaning that some things just take a long time to learn. Because he has great social and oral skills (he makes friends easily and can talk up a storm), it has taken us to secondary school to diagnose it, if  you can call it that. It has affected his ability to read (fluency and decoding) and we are not sure that he has ever learned his times tables, or the months of the year, or how to read the time on a face clock.

I have been reading the book The Brain That Changes Itself: Stories of Personal Triumph from the Frontiers of Brain Science by Norman Doidge. The Professional Library has a copy available for loan at 612.82 Doi.  Doidge talks about the brain being plastic and pliable so that where neurons don’t seem to connect,  the brain can create new pathways to overcome the glitch.  Traditionally children with learning disabilities are accommodated (given extra time) or taught to compensate (eg the use of technology), but this as such does not fix the problem.

The book, I think it is Chapter 2, looks specifically at learning disabilities and Doidge discusses the life and work of Barbara Arrowsmith Young and the development of a program and school based on her work.   The September 2008 issue of Professionally Speaking includes an article titled Raising Cognitive Capacityby Leanne Miller in which the program is described.  The program relies on repetitive brain exercises, targeted exercises that are repeated and slowly increase in complexity and difficulty. It is an interesting read. The program is being offered in the TCDSB.

One of our new books is titled Green Light Classrooms: Teaching Techniques that Accelerate Learning by Rich Allen( 371.102 All). It  offers some brain-based strategies to boost learning and teaching. The chapters are titled: Memory, Connections, Movement, Novelty, Tone, Emotions, Socialization, Drama,  and Visuals. They include lessons, debriefs and key points.

TDSB teachers may borrow these books (and article) by calling the Professional Library at (416) 395-8289.

Rowan

Autism and the Ministry of Ed.

The Ontario Ministry of Education has published a couple of documents on Autism,  dated 2007. The Library has print copies for borrowing and you can view them on-line at the Ministry Web page.  Click  here for Effective Educational Practices for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Resource Guide.  This is a brilliant, practical, hands-on guide for teachers working with autistic children. It includes a long section titled Tools and Techniques that includes strategies and resources that may be used  by teachers in classrooms across Ontario (in other words no copyright issues).

The other book is titled Making a Difference for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders in Ontario Schools, 2007, click here.  It is the report from the Ministers’ Autism Spectrum Reference Group, and while it does not include  the practical strategies in the title above, it includes the recommendations regarding province-wide implementations of practices to support students with Autism Spectrum Disorder. It sort of provides the foundation for policies and practices.

Rowan