April 2, 2022

EDFD 213-PsychoPhilo Foundation of Education

GINA HIMAYA S. MARTINEZ
MARICEL PALOMATA - Professor

1. How do you sustain the attention of your students?

One of the most difficult tasks for me as a teacher is capturing and sustaining my students' attention
throughout the 1 hour class. This ability is required for effective teaching, but it takes time and
experience to master. However, through the years I have learned and applied several attention-
getting techniques which are helpful in my classrooms.

First, I always put attention signals into practice. Explain to them how they should respond to each
one clearly and give them enough opportunities to try them out. For example, before they will do the
activity/task, I will ask them “Are you ready to rock?” and their response is “Ready to roll!” And also
during the discussion if I observe that they are beginning to be noisy I will ask them, “Are you
listening?” and their response should be “Yes we are!”. Or ask “Do you hear me?” and then they will
clap their hands twice. The goal of these signals is to catch their attention but at the same time
increase their energy levels. I also allow them to have a 30 seconds to let loose when I bring them to
attention as long they continue to do their task or activity.

Second is I limit the time I spend talking. I allow them to regularly share what they think. The time
that I have to speak spontaneously is during the abstraction process. Mostly 15 to 20 minutes
depending on the lesson topic. But during this time, I mostly apply the attention signals mentioned
above.

Lastly, I plan various activities in the classroom. It could be a pair or group activities. I also use
differentiated instruction on a number of occasions. I usually have this DI in the application part of
the lesson procedure. Usually group activities and they will be grouped according to the learners
learning styles.

It is very challenging for a teacher to keep students’ attention from the beginning of the class to the
last minute. However, using those techniques and approaches I mentioned above, I somehow manage
to sustain their attention.

2. How do you ensure that information is secured and retrieved by your students? Cite specific
ways you applied in your class.

Cognitive psychologists utilize the information Processing Model as a framework to explain and
describe mental processes. The model compares the cognitive process to that of a computer. The
human mind, like a computer, takes in information, organizes it, and stores it for later retrieval. The
Information Processing Model consists of three key functions: sensory memory, working memory, and
long-term memory. How does a teacher make certain that the information received by the learners
is secured and can be retrieved later on?

Long-term memory can be the safest place to ensure that the information is secured and retrieved by
students. Long-term memory is where information is stored permanently. Information must have
been sufficiently processed in working memory before it can be stored in long-term memory. In other
words, working memory is the means to access long-term memory. How does information in working
memory get sufficiently processed? There are several ways to make sure that the information is
stored and retrievable?

1. Keep the students’ attention for an extended period of time.

I've previously listed a few techniques to keep students' interest and attention throughout the
duration of the class.
2. Provide ways to sufficiently processed working memory.
▪ Encourage students to organize their thoughts. Consider having students chart, map, or
create an outline of the topic - any activity that requires them to organize the
information - as a technique of both getting students thinking about the material and
helping them organize it.
3. Organize information for better storage and retrieval.
▪ Give a summary of the lesson. For example, you might want to post an outline of the
day's lesson.
▪ Concepts should be mapped out as you go. This does not have to be done in the form of a
formal map; simply organize information visually for students using circles, lines, and
boxes (or tables) to help them understand the relationships between concepts.
▪ Emphasize the connections between new information and what students already know.
This strategy assists students in understanding how new concepts fit into the organization
of concepts they are already familiar with.

sources: https://www.thoughtco.com/tips-and-tricks-get-students-attention-2081544
https://www.etsu.edu/teaching/resources/more_resources/info_process_theory.php