An outline of Memorization, some memorization techniques, and a use case in the classroom using simple machines.

1. Memorization
“The entire art of
remembering stuff better
in everyday life is
figuring out ways to
transform…information in
some way so that it
becomes meaningful in
the light of all of the
other things that you have
in your mind”
- Joshua Foer @ TED: Long
Beach California, March 2012

2. memorization: verb, to
commit to memory; to
learn by heart
Six key-concepts:
• Awareness
• Association
• Link System
• Ridiculous
Association
• Substitute-Word
System
• Key Word
Memorization
Key
Word
Substitute-Word
System
Ridiculous
Association
AssociationAwareness
Link
System
5 Senses
Attention

3. awareness: noun, the
state or condition of
being aware; having
knowledge;
consciousness
- awareness involves
being in-tune with
the five senses
- using the five
senses, a person can
attend to the
information that is
around him/her
Awareness

4. association: noun, the
connection or relation
of ideas, feelings,
sensations, etc.;
correlation of elements
of perception,
reasoning, or the like
- association is
taking information
you just attended to
and fitting it into a
meaningful piece of
your current schema
?
Association

5. - describes perpetual
association of one
idea to the next, to
the next, etc.
- useful technique for
remembering
sequences
- classic technique
used by memory
champions as
explained by Joshua
Foer @ TED, March
2012
Link System

6. - associations become
even more powerful
as they increase in
ridiculousness
- illogical
substitutions, out-
of-proportion
illustrations,
exaggerations,
plays-on-word, etc.
Ridiculous
Association

7. Possible Syntax of Model’s Use
1) Attending to the material
• introduce material and have students produce relevant
feedback to prove engagement
2) Developing connections
• assimilate material using key word, link word, substitute
word techniques
3) Expanding sensory images
• use ridiculous association to promote deeper
memorization
4) Practicing recall
• practice recalling material until it is completely learned

8. Model’s Use in My Classroom
1) Attending to the material
• Students were introduced to six simple machines
- lever
- pulley
- wheel and axle
- inclined plane
- wedge
- screw
• Example use cases were given for each machine

9. Model’s Use in My Classroom
2) Developing connections
• Students practiced identifying them in everyday life
- Class took a short field trip around the classroom
and surrounding areas to identify simple machines
being used, giving them context if they had none
- Some students came up with their own associations to
quickly fit their own schema (examples on following
slides)

10. Model’s Use in My Classroom
3) Expanding Sensory Images
• Students created memory devices
- Students were asked to create some of their own
illustrations or memory devices to remember the
simple machines
- Students received the instruction, “The more ridiculous
it is, the better!”
- examples on following slides

11. This student chose to
rhyme the word “screw”
This student had an accompanying
story encountering the simple machines
while playing Grand Theft Auto

12. This student developed his
own substitute-word,
“pulley mammoth”
This student created an entire narrative
on the use of this device, “The
Knowledge Screw In”

13. This student went
with a simple
acrostic poem
The most creative…a first
class lever where Mario acts
as the effort and Bowser…
the resistance!

14. Model’s Use in My Classroom
3) Practicing Recall
• Students were given a short quiz
- Students were given a quiz with illustrations of simple
machines being used
- Each illustration had to be labeled with the type of
simple machine being used and (for the levers only)
labeled with the forces and fulcrum
- All students did very well. I was very pleased with
how well they could identify all the necessary info

15. Values and Claims Reflection
I gave students association systems; but, I also let them
develop their own
This was an easy, fast, and efficient way of accommodating
the information to each students given set of knowledge
(letting them make their own accommodations)
They are associating it with their OWN knowledge, instead
of learning some OTHER narrative or linking system to
associate it with, as the example in the text illustrated

16. References
• https://xkcd.com/936/
• http://www.ted.com/talks/joshua_foer_feats_of_memory_anyone_can_do
• definitions from dictionary.com
• http://www.freedompreppers.com/situational-awareness.jpg
• http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Neus1.jpg
• http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ear.jpg
• flickr user lobo235 https://www.flickr.com/photos/lobo235/75085378/
• http://www.floridachildinjurylawyer.com/files/2014/10/Education-Day-Care-Building-Block-F.jpg
• http://txbestsj.com/en/UploadFiles/201012309535167.jpg
• flickr user robandstephanielevy https://www.flickr.com/photos/robandstephanielevy/4616960925/
• http://blog.rottenecards.com/what-not-to-do-with-a-baby/
• http://cdn.themetapicture.com/media/funny-James-Bond-ionic-chemistry.jpg
• http://2damnfunny.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Chemistry-Jokes-Comic.png