1. WELCOME ONCE YOU SIT DOWN, TAKE A MOMENT TO FILL OUT A QUICK SURVEY

2. Quick Survey For each set of statements, circle the letter before the statement that is more typical of you.  Example: 1. Thinking about events... A. Faces and people’s appearance are easy for me to recall B. Names, dates, and times are easy for me to recall

3. Episodic or Semantic? Activating ESL Learner’s Memory Potential TESL-WW AGM, SPRING 2015 Presented by Denise Redmond & Raveet Jacob

4. What teachers/students say about memory T: We just studied this last week. ST: I wish I could just draw everything I know about chemistry. T: Do they remember that concept from last term at all? ST: I study hard every night, but I can’t remember very much.

5. Why a Presentation on Memory?  To address needs of ESL students from a variety of cultural, educational, and experiential backgrounds – how they acquire language relates to memory use  To understand how the memory access process varies by individual  To increase memory access variety for language acquisition  To explore listening/speaking skills to activate/strengthen memory

6.  Demonstrate different systems of long term memory  Find personal preference for Semantic or Episodic memory  Sort participants by memory style for teaching/learning tasks (workshop activities) USING THE NEXT SLIDE, RECORD YOUR RESULTS. Label each statement set S or E in the numbered boxes. Why do the short survey?

7. Survey Results Numbered statement pairs A.B. 1. EpisodicSemantic 2. SE 3. SE 4. ES 5. SE 6. SE 7. SE 8. SE 9. ES 10. SE 11. ES  Do you think Episodic or Semantic memory use is more prevalent?  Results for Workshop 1: Episodic preferred = 11 Semantic preferred = 5  Results for Workshop 2: Episodic preferred = 7 Semantic preferred = 9

8. Episodic versus Semantic  Two primary systems are used in long term memory (defined by Psychologist Endel Tulving c. 1972)  The distinction: “Whether the rememberer is aware of the learning episode…” (Kelley, Neath & Suprenant, 2013, p. 600) Example: When you think of Canada Day, you remember... - where you were and what you did on a specific Canada Day? - the date, general characteristics of the day, and its importance?

9. From Episodic to Semantic  Repeated experiences typically become generic representations  This process of reducing connections is known as pruning  Pruning is necessary for speeding up memory retrieval by reducing the number of connections.

10. Steven Pinker on Use of Memory “We humans place two very different demands on our memory system at the same time.” “We have to remember individual episodes of who did what to whom, when, where, and why … that requires stamping each episode with a time, date and serial number.” “But we also must extract generic knowledge about people, work, and how the world works.” (Pinker, S., 1997, p. 124)

11. Features of the 2 Memory Systems Raveet favoured inductive learning but developed a preference for deductive teaching when she studied undergraduate math. Memory system preference is both innate and acquired; it can be altered through experience. EPISODIC Big picture oriented – gets the gist Associative – interrelation of parts Chunks words – may miss syllables Distinguishes – pattern separation Improvises – may skip rules Often very visual – or hands on Inquisitive & concrete – often present in STEM fields SEMANTIC Detail oriented – values precision Categorizes – deductive reasoning Phonetically capable – spelling Generalizes – pattern completion Process oriented – follows the rules Evaluative & abstract – in highly semantic fields, ie. communications Enjoys using abstract language

12. Memory preferences as Personas Leonard Nimoy as Spock “…this unit is different; it is well-ordered” (an alien commenting on Spock) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ldezDyDDhRg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ldezDyDDhRg Lauryn Hill Everything is Everything https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3_dOWYHS7I https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3_dOWYHS7I

13. How memory shapes input NO HST NO HST NO SHT NO SHT Denise’s son misread a sign in a store and started laughing. His reference point for interpretation was experience with peers versus taxation on goods. How the input is interpreted (with memory) determines what the learner sees and how new information is stored.

14. What name do you actually see? PoutinePirouline Auditory verification and contextual use of a word will help reinforce correct memory retention.

15. Extremes of Episodic v.s. Semantic  Preferences and strengths for one memory system depend on the task  One system predominates in two extreme cases of brain organization. Big picture oriented Detailed visual recall Word chunking (omitting letters) Lateral associations Expressive language use difficult, but handles metaphors well Slower processing speeds Procedural recall – processes Phonetic accuracy varies Categorical, patterned thinking Literal use of precise terminology, but finds subtle meaning difficult Rote memorization of facts Rapid recall of factual info (Williams & Casanova, 2010.)

16. Challenges Learning with Episodic memory Movement towards semantic abstraction in …  higher education  conceptual-technological fields  in English language generally For instance, in the March 2015 quarterly update to the Oxford English Dictionary, 500 new words were added and include terms such as XL and white stuff. (Oxford English Dictionary, 2015)  One advantage: Employers in progressive fields prefer employees who are creative, tangential thinkers (e.g. software, engineering, technology & research)

17. Williams & Casanova: Organization of Memory Semantic Memories Stacked, closely linked, cortical connections Episodic Memories Scattered data, reassembled like jumbled puzzle pieces Williams & Casanova, 2010

18. Challenges for Learning with Episodic memory  Recollection of events can change over time. For instance: NBC newscaster Brian Williams recalled being in a helicopter over Iraq that was struck by rocket fire when, in fact, he was in a helicopter following the struck aircraft. Psychologist Christopher Chabris on the Current (CBC Radio, Feb. 11, 2015) noted that episodes can easily be unintentionally reformulated.  Memory degradation occurs more often in Episodic versus Semantic memory systems – e.g. onset of memory loss with aging (Eide & Eide, 2012).  However, the Episodic system works best when the learner creates the context – not through memories/contexts of others.  Learning a random context can be a distraction (Eide & Eide, 2012).

19. The systems work best together  Semantic memory is activated during memory retrieval  Recall with episodic cuing helps learners assimilate past with present experience – more episodic cues aid retrieval  Recalling of episodes allows updating (pruning and elaboration)  New information is built with past information Based on Research Report by Lehman, Smith and Karpicke, 2014. cue cue cue

20. Challenges for Today’s ESL Instructors  Providing learning contexts that address both Semantic and Episodic memory activation  Encouraging learners to stretch their limits in applying less favoured approaches to remembering  Creating materials that are multimodal, authentic and engaging for topic salience  Reflecting with learners on what memory aids were applied in learning and why they failed or succeeded

21. Designing an Activity for both Semantic and Episodic learners In your groups, brainstorm an activity you could use to teach your given teaching point to a class of semantic and episodic learners. You will have 15 minutes to discuss and record notes. Consider: (1) How does your activity address the needs of both a semantic and/or episodic learner?  See handout on Semantic/Episodic (2) What instructions would you give your learners to guide them through the activity?

22. Possible activities for semantic/episodic learners: (1) Presentation Skills: Teaching students the introduction portion of a presentation  Ss recount previous presentations/speeches they have given previously  Ss brainstorm good English-speaking speakers OR show a few short clips of different presenters (Obama, TED Talk presenters, etc.)  Ss find out about a speaker’s background/career _________________________________________________________________ Ss observe and categorize positive speaking features:  Teacher highlights organizational features of a speech/presentation  give structure/procedure  Ss choose a familiar topic and practice preparing and delivering introductions in pairs. DeliveryOrganization

23. What questions do you have? Denise and Raveet thank you for participating in the memory workshop! Please leave us your e-mail if you’d like a copy of the presentation sent to you.

24. References: Eide, B., & Eide, F. (2012). The Dyslexic Advantage. New York, NY: The Penguin Group. Kelley, M., Neath, I., & Suprenant, A. (2013). Three more sematic serial position functions and a SIMPLE explanation. Memory Cognition, 41, 600-610. doi: 10.3758/s13421-012-0286-1 Lehman, M., Smith, M., & Karpicke, J. (2014). Toward an Episodic Context Account of Retrieval-Based Learning: Dissociating Retrieval Practice and Elaboration. Journal of Experimental Psychology, Learning, Memory and Cognition, 40(6), 1787-1794. doi: 10.1037/xlm0000012 Oxford English Dictionary. (2015) Retrieved April 7, 2015 from http://public.oed.com/the-oed-today/recent-updates-to-the-oed/march-2015-update/ Pinker, S. (1997). How the Mind Works. New York, NY: W. W. Norton & Company. The Current. (Feb. 11, 2015) (program host) Tremonte, A. M. Memories are malleable': Looking for truth behind false memory, CBC Radio. Williams, N. E. & Casanova, M.(2010), Autism and dyslexia: A spectrum of cognitive styles as defined by minicolumnar morphometry. Medical Hypotheses, 74 (2010): 59-62. IMAGES SOURCED FROM: https://www.corning-cc.edu/sites/default/files/styles/headline/public/header-academic-calendar-ss-59653657-788x360.jpg?itok=NhhyIGGb http://www.nature.com/nchembio/journal/v6/n12/images/nchembio.477-F1.jpg http://www.rondeauprovincialpark.ca/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/red-maple-leaf2.jpg http://www.publicdomainpictures.net/pictures/40000/nahled/burning-candle.jpg https://samfordss.eq.edu.au/SiteCollectionImages/special%20interest%20groups%20connected%20to%20school/Dyslexia/dyslexia-wheel.jpg http://www.saskmandi.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/autism.jpg https://www.google.com/search?site=&tbm=isch&source=hp&biw=1138&bih=536&q=photo+of+a+maple+tree&oq=photo+of+a+maple+tree&gs_ http://imgs.steps.dragoart.com/how-to-draw-a-tree-for-kids-step-4_1_000000045881_5.jpg http://alt-usage-english.org/sdc2002/3_stacks.jpg http://static1.artfire.com/uploads/product/5/665/18665/6418665/6418665/large/pennsylvania_puzzle_-_children_s_educational_toy_9344db58.jpg