| "During a learning episode, we remember best that | | | | Keys to more successful retention:o Attaching sense |
| which comes first, second best that which comes last, | | | | and meaning to a learning experience will improve |
| and least that which comes just past the middle!" | | | | retention success.o Giving the learner time to |
| Sousa, D. (2006), How the Brain Learns, Corwin Press. | | | | "rehearse" new information . Rehearsal is geared |
| Simply stated, learning takes place when we are | | | | towards having the learner process the information in |
| offered information that our brain deems important in | | | | numerous ways.. Repeating the process in it's entirety |
| the moment to take on. Learning can take place | | | | supplies meaning to the experience and enables the |
| anywhere, for any reason, at any time when the brain | | | | brain to make sense of it also. |
| is receptive to outside stimulation. Retention is a | | | | What retention is NOT: |
| different issue altogether yet is connected to | | | | Retention is NOT learning. Learning can occur yet the |
| successful learning episodes to varying degrees as the | | | | information learned in the moment may not be retained. |
| brain sees fit. | | | | For example you may remember a phone number until |
| Learning occurs when:o The learner interacts with the | | | | you no longer need it. This could be 5 minutes or 5 |
| environment and acquires skills and information.o We | | | | days. However you are in the position of learning it |
| find ourselves requiring information to help make sense | | | | initially. |
| of a situation we are faced with.o Meaning is needed | | | | Becoming aware of learning as an integral part of |
| in order to make sense of new surroundings | | | | being human can bring us all closer to the realization |
| experiences or emotions. | | | | that there are a myriad of answers to the question of |
| It becomes clear that learning is not restricted to a | | | | "how " to educate ourselves. Moving away from |
| single environment labeled "school". It also is very | | | | "conditioning" people to "school based" learning could |
| apparent that the "school" cannot possibly emulate | | | | be a huge step forward. To be open to "learning all the |
| every circumstance that a person may come across | | | | time" will provide more people learning opportunities |
| in other environments. We perhaps need to consider | | | | best suited to their particular style of learning. It has the |
| the ramifications of conditioning our children to grow up | | | | potential to impact retention in an enormous way. |
| believing that "learning" predominantly happens in | | | | Technology in the home has the potential to bridge the |
| schools. | | | | gap and change the way we condition ourselves in |
| Retention: What is it? | | | | regards to where and when we learn. Should we |
| Retention is the process where the long term memory | | | | choose to embrace the radical change technology can |
| stores information that can be later retrieved | | | | bring to education we may begin to see the full |
| accurately for a specific purpose. The process of | | | | potential of the human brain |
| retention is not an exact science and a little | | | | The fabulous part is we all free to choose! |
| unpredictable in it's occurrence. | | | | |