Chapter 8

1. This chapter discussed 4 models or approaches to classify semantic memory: the feature comparison model-organizes items by their features, the prototype approach-organizes items by placing them up to the prototype to see if it fits or doesn't fit the category, the exemplar approach-categorizes information by allowing our background knowledge of items and their features to set the example for a category and to see if items fit into the category, and network models-interconnections allow concepts to connect and how and what is retrieved based on those connections. Along with semantic memory, schemas and scripts were discussed with how inferences can effect memory along with inferences made on gender types and the implicit memory tests developed in order to find the true validity of how we as a society have truly gender sterotyped.
2. This entire chapter reminded me of how we encode material into our long term memory, specifically I thought of the network models approach as the hierarchy technique mnemonics because it seems as if they are all "interconnected" to a specific hierarchy or stimulus at the top of the scheme (ex. apple from chapter 8 and the animal hierarchy from chapter6). It also reminded me of the features we learned about in earlier chapters and how items have features that make them what they are and "make an apple an apple." The 4 approaches all appear to use those features in order to categorize items into our memory.
3. I am still not clear on how to "fix-up" my students with conflicting schemas. The book seems to give warning signs and examples of the fact that it does happen, but I need to know how do I fix those with schemas that are what we as classroom teachers would consider not right because they are conflicting with their comprehension and basic understanding. I know that we are all guilty of this but it is really messing up my kids' comprehension. What can I do to better scaffold this misunderstanding and help them to be aware that what they know might not be right! They are already low level learners..how will they even be able to assess what's right and not right?
4. Schemas are important in reading especially when reading a book the student has ample schema about for it helps a student have a better understanding of what he/she is reading and one can make connections more easily when schema is present. I am also more aware that incorrect schema can be lethal to my students' understanding during reading and interference can also occur and interrupt their understanding or recalling after time has passed.
5. I see a possible discussion point from chapter 6 when discussing that students will remember more after a period of time (such as Jill's experiment where we had our kids look at the picture cards for 1 minute, recall them, and then 15 minutes later recall them again) and from this chapter when it discusses how a delay in recalling can occur over time. I realize this experiment was completed over a period of days and the stories were extremely similar and in the recall so the students did poorer but in the encoding recall as for learning, time is an advantage. I find these 2 to be contradicting because a lot can happen interference wise to one's memory during learning over time and cause information to become distorted or pieces lost just as the similar stories told interfered with the schema. My thoughts support my findings with the picture experiment with my students for they did worse after 15 minutes of recall because they were interferred by reading a book, talking with other students about the book, playing a game, and then getting ready to leave for the day. It was a disadvantage that I believe is more valid than the book supports.
6. It allows us to see that maybe we do store information in similar fashions (according to their features) but yet we place them there in different ways (encode them by prototype or exemplar approach) so maybe recall for some students when reading a book might pull out different information depending on which approach they used. Kids have different experiences and different perspectives so I believe they place those items in their memory differently so they must retrieve it differently. I also found the section on gender sterotyping to be eye opening for me as a researcher to be more aware that this exists and I must be careful not only as to the content I write to not be as biased but to also know that those I might study do have a bias and that could skew results to research studies.
7. I'm beginning to use it now as I think about my students when I am reading with them and how their schemas might be incorrect as compared to what they are reading might not match up and allow for comprehension errors. I would like to know more about how I can attend to more fix-ups with schemas but as for now I can begin to also see that when my students are making connections or asking I wonder questions during reading, they are each categorizing the information they are receiving from the text differently.
8. The section on inferences and gender sterotypes has come a long way as compared to how they used brain scans to assess thought processes and how it is now computer generated answers which is more quick and simple. But, I also question the integration and delayed recall for I would believe there has to be a better way of testing this method. Why not figure out ways of solving this problem rather than proving that it exists? That might be the better, more relevant method.