Week 2 | Building the bAsics
Every Friday in the computer lab, we will begin the class with a blog post. You can start this before the class starts if you would like.
Directions:
- Read the paragraph.
- Answer the questions in the Comments section.
- Reload your page and respond to at least 3 students' responses.
- There are no wrong answers. I am looking for thoughtful answers and critical thinking.
Can you remember lists of English vocabulary quickly and easily? If the answer to this question is 'no,' help may be near. A new study says anyone can upgrade their memory if they train their brain. Scientists say that we can train our brain to be a "memory athlete," like athletes train to be champions. Scientist Martin Dresler said just six weeks of brain training can give people an incredible ability to remember things. Dr. Dresler suggested people could train their brain to enter the World Memory Championships that are held in March every year.
Dr. Dresler compared MRI scans of the brains of 23 of the world's memory champions with the brains of "normal" people. He wanted to see if the champions had different brains. He was surprised to find no differences. This made him think we can all become memory athletes if we train. Dresler studied people who did 40 days of daily 30-minute training using a memory technique called mnemonics. They more than doubled their memory capacity. Mnemonics is a very old method that helps people remember things, especially in lists. It could help you with your next vocabulary test.
- Do you have a good memory?
- What do you do to remember things? How do you train your brain?
- Why are some people better at remembering things?
- Do you agree with Dr. Dresler? Do you think it's possible for ANYONE to become a memory athlete champion?
What do you think is the most important to remember? Rank these items in order.
- telephone numbers
- people's names
- appointments
- words to songs
- English vocabulary
- birthdays
- e-mail password
- what to buy at the store