Jessica Shanmac HI-OD Learning

Photo by  Chris Liverani  on  Unsplash "Retrieval practice that you perform at different times and in different contexts and that interleaves different learning material has the benefit of linking new associations to the material. This process builds interconnected networks of knowledge that bolster and support mastery of your field. It also multiplies the cues of retrieving and knowledge, increasing the versatility with which you can later apply it" (Brown, Roediger, & McDaniel, 2014, p. 83). Photo by  Icons8 team  on  Unsplash This statement is definitely a powerful awakening for me as a learner, and as someone who frequently leads and teaches others. I remember learning about test taking in college; that the way you study will lead to the way you recall studied information on test day. For example, if you always study with music on in your headphones, but you cannot use them in class, you may do worse on your test. However, if we u...

Photo by  David Travis  on  Unsplash I am an avid notetaker. I always have been. In middle school through graduate school, I thought I was being a diligent student. I did all the reading. I highlighted passages. I wrote down definitions and key points from the texts. I took notes at each lecture. I have notebook upon notebook filled with facts and information that my brain has quickly discarded. But this is not an effective way to learn. Dr. Bjork (2016) mentions that "students go into a court stenographer mode taking notes and that suppresses learning rather than creates learning". I am a court-stenographer-learning-suppressing person! And what's even sadder is that I am in my second-to-last semester of my master's program. I most likely will not attend school after this, yet I just learned how ineffective my predominant learning methods have been. All that wasted paper and hand cramping and what do I have to show for it? High percentages of forgetting. ...

Image source Will Richardson's TEDxNYED talk Connecting to Learn is informative and slightly alarming at the same time. He says our schools are basically test prep academies now, rather than learning institutions. This disturbs me, because my daughter just started kindergarten. I want her to get an education that teaches her how to learn. I want teachers to know how to help her find her passions and talents. I want her to learn and practice how to think critically. And I want her to learn, through modeling and practical application, how to disagree with and debate others without personal attacks, derision, and hatred. Video source Now, I love TED talks, don't get me wrong. I like hearing from experts in fields who are passionate, creative, and well-informed. I understand that TED is about starting conversations and sharing ideas. But it's frustrating when the speaker is telling us about a problem - a big, important problem - yet leaves us with no actionabl...

Random post about memory... I was watching "The Mind Explained" on Netflix, and there is an episode about memory. It was really interesting and I would suggest a watch. If you don't have Netflix, the episode appears to be intact on YouTube (video above). The neuro researchers explained the following findings: Meditation and mindfulness may help enhance and increase memory; Memories can be strengthened by using them in a story, or by telling yourself a story about the memory; Time and place (where you were and when it happened) seem to play a big part in memory; Emotion creates memory, i.e. highly emotional experiences create stronger memories. Just thought it was a fun and informative watch and I thought I would share.

I just wanted to take a quick minute to welcome you to my blog and explain my 'About Me' picture (photo credit: my husband, Nick Shanmac). This is my daughter Evangeline (Evy) and me at the Monterey Bay Aquarium in March. It illustrates, to me, how fun and interactive learning can be. I hope this OLPC journey I'm on helps me in my career, but also helps me guide and advocate for Evy's learning as she moves through her school years. I look forward to the knowledge and practice we will gain through EDOD 651. I appreciate all of your insights that you post. I gain perspective through your thoughts. ~ Jess P.S. A life motto of mine (one of them anyway) is below. It's so important to share learning with others, because by sharing we also enhance our own understanding. "ilearn2" by Annitix1 is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0