Chapter 12

1. Chapter 12 on Deductive Reasoning and Decision Making relates follows along with the book. In the last chapter, we learned all about problem solving and creativity. This chapter kind of continues on from Chapter 11 and goes into reasoning and decision making.

2. There isn't anything that I am really unclear on. I thought that learning the heuristics was very interesting. Some of them I had to read over a few times to understand, but for the most part I understood them! Now could I actually go back and rename all of them and explain each one.. Probably not, but I could do my best.

3. I think that decision making and reasoning applies to our everyday lifestyle. Sometimes we do not realize it, but we are always making decisions. Whether it's deciding what to wear to work or what to do with a child who doesn't have his/her homework. After reading this chapter, I learned about all of the heuristics and the processes we go through when we are making decisions! It is important to see how our students reason and decide things.

Chapter 11

1. We started the course with just the general areas of cognition. We have studied working memory, long term memory, and memory strategies. Problem solving and creativity is another part of our daily lives. We as teachers solve problems everyday along with our students. For example, we may not know what to do when a student comes in without homework for the 4th day in a row. We may not know it, but we are always solving problems!
2. After reading chapter 11, there is nothing that I am unclear on. However, I did struggle with the Slavery and Duffy article. After reading it a few times, I do have a better understanding of it.
3. I actually enjoyed reading about problem solving because this is something that happens daily. As a math teacher, I am constantly trying to get my students to think outside the box to solve problems. It was very interesting to learn the problem-solving strategies. I never knew which strategy I related to most until I read the chapter. It's interesting to know that we do stuff everyday, now we are just putting names to what we do!

Chapter 8 - General Knowledge

1. This chapter informs us about semantic memory and schemas. Semantic memory refers to our organized knowledge about the world. There are four categories of theories that explain this: the feature comparison model, prototype approach, exemplar approach, and network models. The first three approaches have very similar features, while one I like to call is an outcast. The feature comparison model states that concepts are stored in memory according to a list of features. The prototype approach is where you decide whether an item belongs to a category or not. The exemplar approach says that you first learn specific examples then you classify. Lastly, the network models purpose is a net-like organization of concepts of memory. The last part of the chapter discusses schemas and scripts. A schema is general knowledge about a specific event or situation. Schemas have an important influence on five components of memory: selection, boundary extension, abstraction, interpretation, and integration.
2. I think this chapter fits in because it is more of a generalization of what we have been talking about. We were introduced to schemas and semantic memory in Chapter 5. Now it just goes into more depth about the two.
3. There is not a thing that I am unclear on. I have learned a lot this chapter because it was my turn to be the discussion leader. I have read a lot of great examples and it has helped me have a better understanding of the concept.
4. When applying this to my classroom, I refer to the four approaches to semantic memory. I believe that I go by the prototype mostly in my classroom. I feel that I categorize things before I present them. For example, when teaching a chapter in the book, I always find something else to go with it. When I taught geometry, somehow the chapter didn't include volume, so I made sure I taught that with geometry. The prototype approach states that we store specific information about these individual examples of a category. By categorizing things in the classroom, I think it is beneficial to our students because they are going to be able to recall things better! In conclusion, I think I have used all of the four approaches: feature comparison model, prototype, exemplar, and network model in my classroom. However, I feel that I use the prototype the most.
5. I think that they author does a well job of explaining the prototype approach and I do believe it.
7. This is the first time that I have heard of these approaches. I feel that I use them in everyday life, I just never knew it.
8. I do not have an answer to this question. Sorry!