Melissa Reyes (Heredia)

Interviews: How does Long Term Learning Happen

Interview two different people of two different ages (i.e., child, adult) and find out
what they know about when they learned something that is still in their long term
memory. Some basic interview questions are listed below. Add others you might
find relevant as you go through the interview. Please provide confidentiality for
interviewees and there should be nothing personal in your questions.

Take extensive notes to share in class and submit in folder.

NO NAMES OR IDENTITY DISCLOSURE.

Interview One: Age___8___ Gender___Female__

Your response notes should be comprehensive. No one line responses

because this is intended to be an in depth interview which brings out
complexities in the learning process that would have implications for
teaching and learning and which guide you to understand more about
learning.

1. What is something that you have learned in the past that you still know
and understand today? Describe the place and your age when you
learned this information.

I remember learning multiplication in the classroom. It was this year. I am

eight years old, and in third grade.

2. Describe the learning process and explain why you think you learned
(remember) that information? For example, if the learning took place in
school what did the teacher do to help you learn?

The teacher explained multiplication to us so that we can understand it

more. It was division and we had to reduce and simplify. One of my
classmates told my teacher that she didnt understand it. So, she broke it
down for us. The teacher wrote the problem on the board. So, say it was
2/6. She asked if we could simplify or reduce it. Then, my class said yes
you can. Since 2 goes into 6 3 times. Then, she asked whats 2 divided by
2, my class said 1. Then, she said whats 2/6, and we said 3. So, then she
took the 1 and put it on another part of the board. She put the 1 and the
dash, and then she put the 3. Then, she asked us if we could simplify it
again. We said no, because 1 cant go into 3, because you cant use 1 in
division.
3. What particular study strategies did you use to learn this matter? Please
describe any strategies or experiences that might have helped you in this
learning process. Do you find these strategies helpful in any other
learning situations?

I took notes, and I paid close attention. I took notes on a post it notes and
mentally. I put the post-its in homework folder, so that I can use them
again for my homework. Since, we already checked math homework, I
throw them away. Yes, I find this strategy helpful with my SBAC test.

4. How did you know you were learning? Please provide evidence that told
you that you were learning.

I knew I understood it, because when I got home and did my homework, I
knew what I was doing because I didnt really have to look at my notes.

5. Would you consider learning this information hard or easy? Interesting?

Explain or describe your learning experience.

I say it would easy, since she made me understand it a little bit more.
When the teacher explained it to us and wrote it on the board, it made
sense to me.

6. What currently motivates you to work hard to learn something new?

She gives us extra recess for our accomplishments and she compliments
you. She said good job. I see that you improved. This makes me feel
good.

7. Please explain how you remember new information today. Did your prior
learning help you learn better today?

Prior learning will help me because of my schema. I remember

information from my homework, and I remember from when my teacher
teaches things to us.

8. Do you believe you are naturally smart or are you smart because you
work hard? Provide examples/evidence for your answer.

I think that I am smart because I work hard. We are reading Charlottes

Web, and for all of my Charlottes Web cards my teacher has told me that
I have done a great job. We read a chapter, and then we have to write a
summary and draw a picture of what we read.

9. What do you do to learn that is beyond or not required in school or work?

 I think I will ask them to teach me something new. Also, when they teach
me, I can take mental or physical notes and I can put it in my head.

10. What would you like to tell educators about helping others learn?

I would like to tell educators that we learn from them teaching us and
thats how we get our knowledge.

Interview Two: Age__28_____ Gender____Male____

11. What is something that you have learned in the past that you still know
and understand today? Describe the place and your age when you
learned this information.

I was 22 years old, studying the high school basketball rule book at my
parents house. Today, ten years later, as I officiate the games I use my
knowledge to apply the rules when necessary throughout the game.

12. Describe the learning process and explain why you think you learned
(remember) that information? For example, if the learning took place in
school what did the teacher do to help you learn?

I read the book to understand the rules, but I also went out to practice
officiating youth games to better understand how/when to apply certain
rules. As a learner, I learn by being active rather than reading directly
from a book.

13. What particular study strategies did you use to learn this matter?
Please describe any strategies or experiences that might have helped you
in this learning process. Do you find these strategies helpful in any other
learning situations?

The strategy I used was reading to learn, and answering comprehension

questions. To memorize the rules, I used repeated reading to memorize
certain violations. Yes, I find these strategies helpful in everything I
experience, because I realized that is the type of learner I am.

14. How did you know you were learning? Please provide evidence that
told you that you were learning.
 While I was officiating the games, I was able to blow my whistle with
confidence when I saw a violation or a foul committed by a team. Also,
when coaches would ask about a certain call, I was able to provide an
answer directly from the rule book. For example, I would say: As stated in
the rule book, coach, your player used illegal use of their hand, therefore,
he committed a foul.

15. Would you consider learning this information hard or easy? Interesting?
Explain or describe your learning experience.

Learning the information is easy, because it takes reading comprehension

and studying. However, going out there and trying to apply the
information while the game is being played at a fast pace is difficult. The
learning experience was beneficial and exciting, because I enjoy the game
of basketball so it kept my interest level at a high level as I researched
more.

16. What currently motivates you to work hard to learn something new?

My interest level in the subject is very important to me when I am

learning something new.

17. Please explain how you remember new information today. Did your
prior learning help you learn better today?

Today, prior learning helps me today to remember new information. I still

use prior learning habits today to process new information. That is the
type of learner I am.

18. Do you believe you are naturally smart or are you smart because you
work hard? Provide examples/evidence for your answer.

I would have to say that I am smart because I work hard. For example, I
can only retain the information that I learn or study to learn. When I was
in elementary school, I was placed in speech class and I struggled to
pronounce words. That made me work twice as hard, because I was
embarrassed to speak up in class. Over the years, I have built confidence
so I can communicate with coaches and players on a professional level,
and I dont have to worry about my pronunciation of words.

19. What do you do to learn that is beyond or not required in school or

work?

An example of this would be learning to game of golf. I am new to the

sport, so I am currently trying to learn the rules of the game, and perfect
 my swing. The learning strategies that I would use in golf would be to be
active with my learning, as well as observing on television, rather than
reading a book.

20. What would you like to tell educators about helping others learn?

We are all unique learners. One might have to adapt to each individual. I
believe that we all have the ability to learn, if we focus and apply
ourselves.

Reflection:
Reflect on your interview experience and summarize any new
insights concerning how learning happens. Apply theory and
brain research and make connections where appropriate to
theory. The notion is to apply learning from research to real life
learning and analyze findings.

Reflection Ideas:

Analyze by comparing and contrasting learning in the past and today? Did
you see anything insightful that you might not have thought about prior to
this interview?

The 28-year-old learns much differently than the eight-year-old, and I

believe this is partially because of the different strategies of learning and
teaching. The 28-year-old is used to learning in a different way than the
eight-year-old. The 28-year-old is used to memorization, or rote memory.
He shared that he reads to learn, and is forced to read until the material is
memorized. He shared that is what he is used to and accustomed to;
therefore, this type of learning is how he learns.
On the other hand, the 8-year-old learns in a completely different way.
She has assimilated to a different teaching and learning strategies where
children learn from modeling. She shared that her teacher walks the class
step-by-step and works with the group through each example. This is very
different from the 28-year-old and reading to learn/memorize.

What links can be made to your current research in this class concerning
how learning happens?

Per the course, learning happens in different ways and strategies. His type
of learning includes lots of rehearsal and practice. The material, stored in
short term memory, then gets moved into long term memory as the
learning happens more and more. The brain adapts to the learning as the
information becomes memorization. The eight-year-old also learns with
rehearsal and practice, but in a unique way. Her process of learning
includes much of her short-term memory. She chunks the information and
makes a note about it when she feels that it is necessary.

Analyze and explain the role of growth/fixed mindset play in this persons
learning?

Please include:
Links to theory
Both the 28-year-old and the 8-year-olds learning strategies can be
linked to the information processing theory. Both learning strategies
are different in the way that they articulate the information. For
example, the 28-year-old is used to acquiring information through
rote memory. This was a major difference that I found in the two.
Another major part was how the 8-year-old described how she
knows she has learned. It was interesting to see how she said when
she does homework and she doesnt look at her notes, she knows
she has learned it. This is a good predictor that the child relies on
her short-term memory to help her learn the concepts.

Links to motivation

This was also interesting to see what types of motivation is used in

the two interviewees learning styles. The 8-year-old learns by both
intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, yet she says that shes motivated
with extrinsic motivation as well. She mentioned that it feels good
when her teacher tells her that shes done a great job and that she
sees improvement. This type of motivation is what children search
for, and it makes an astounding difference.
On the other hand, the 28-year old learns by intrinsic motivation. He
shared that when the interest level is high, it makes him feel good
about his learning. It appears that the type of learner he is depends
on the material and how well he can relate and adapt to it.

Examples of similar experiences you may have had that add to

greater understanding of learning.

I remember in elementary school when we were learning our

multiplication facts. It was a lot different back during the 1990s. We
were timed every day after first recess and had to memorize our
multiplication facts. Every day would consist of a timed test and
flashcards.
 Now that I work with children, and have come to understand the
Common Core Standards, I see the difference in memorizing the
multiplication facts and understanding why the fact equals that
amount. Large digit problems have become much easier for
students in school these days, because it is modeled for them, and
the teacher also allows them time to understand why the problem
arrives at that specific answer.

Other insights that add to your insight concerning brain function

and mindful learning.

As discussed in class and during this interview, it is important to

remember how to praise students. Like the 8-year-old said, it feels
good when the teacher tells her she has done a great job and she
sees improvement. I think the growth mindset thinking is the key
here. We want to help our learners grow by helping them to
recognize when they are improving and helping them understand
how they can grow as well. This will make all the difference for
healthy brain function and mindful learning.