Moonwalking+With+Einstein+Teaching+Resources

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 * __ Primary Sources __**

 When I found this I honestly didn’t believe it. This is a very detailed teacher’s guide for the book by Evelyn Beck that is found right on Josh’s website. This guide contains a wonderful summary of the book, information about the author and the guide, before reading prompts, and the best part, multiple guided reading and discussion questions for every chapter! Evelyn does a fantastic job thinking of questions that relate to different content areas (social studies, language arts, and science). If you thought that was the end of this awesome resource, you’d be wrong. This guide also has writing prompts for social studies and science!
 * [|**Teacher's Guide**] **

 What is not to love about this source? It is hands down the best I have found. It not only gives one a great summary of all the main points of the book, but gives you ways for you and your students to explore more and think about them. If a teacher was planning on using this book in their classroom, this would be an absolutely invaluable resource.


 * Biedron, Adriana, and Anna Szczepaniak. "Working Memory And Short-Term Memory Abilities In Accomplished Multilinguals." Modern Language Journal 96.2 (2012): 290-306. ERIC. Web. 2 Dec. 2013. **

This source reports on a study done on accomplished multilinguals and 1st year English philology students. The purpose of this study was to identify and analyze the characteristics of the memory of accomplished multilinguals, and see to what extent working memory capacity can serve as a predictor of foreign language learning success. The studies showed that working memory and short-term memory abilities in the multilinguals was higher than in the mainstream philology students. The conclusion that can be made from this experiment is that this study supports the theory that memory is a significant factor in determining the outcome of learning a foreign language.

This primary source of a study done on memory is useful because it shows how having a stronger memory can help students to succeed in learning a foreign language, and in a foreign language classroom. Drawing conclusions from Foer’s book and this article, if someone wants to learn a new language and is struggling with it, they should consider working on improving their memory. After they have worked on their memory they will find more success in learning and knowing another foreign language. I would also say that working on your own personal memory would help you succeed in other subjects, not just foreign languages.


 * __ Secondary Sources __**

 In this article Dr. Richard Mohs gives an overview of how the human memory works. Dr. Mohs goes into much detail on many of the topics Josh touched on in his sections on the brain and memory in the book. He explains memory in three parts: how it is encoded in our brains, the formation of short term and long term memories, and how we go about retrieving these memories from our minds.
 * [|**How Human Memory Works**] **

 This source is useful, as it is full of great information on how human memory works. This would be a good article to have students read after the section on memory in the book. From this the students can further their knowledge as well as address any curiosities the students may have.


 * [|**Creating a mind map**] **

 This is a teachers guide on how to create and use mind maps like the one mentioned in the book. This guide is a very simple social studies lesson. In it, they list some complex facts about the causes of the American Revolution that students will be tasked with reading and then creating their own mind map. It also provides a very good mind map at the bottom to give you an idea of what one looks like.  I feel this is a good resource because it is simple yet very effective. This is a very good technique to get students to visually see the connections between events and facts on a certain topic. The mind map example is also very good, as it shows all the characteristics of what an effective one is as stated in the book. It uses colors, shapes, and lots of imagery to help students visual it in their heads and make connections.


 * Letteri, Charles A. "Teaching Students How To Learn." Theory Into Practice 24.2 (1985): 112-22. ERIC. Web. 2 Dec. 2013. **

This article draws conclusions on how students should be taught, based on research on how long-term memory is stored and retrieved. It recommends that for more effective learning, teachers should consider using constructive learning approaches. Emphasis on knowledge, understanding and skills complements how the brain stores and retrieves information. Emotional and positive teaching results in memorable experiences for students. This makes it easier for students to recall what has been taught in the classroom. Emotional and positive teaching also keeps students focused, which gives them more opportunities for understanding too. By structuring lessons in a way that mirrors how the brain is designed to learn, teachers can maximize the amount of learning that is being done in their classroom.

Foer’s book talks a lot about memory and how it works. This article talks about utilizing what we know about the brain and memory to improve how we teach our students. Recent studies have supported that the brain does work in certain ways. Now that we know this, some strategies that we used to think were affective in the classroom don’t work as well as others. Changing how we teach as we continue to learn more about how our brain works encourages maximal learning to occur in classrooms.


 * __ Video and Website Resources to Supplement the Text and Themes __**


 * [|**Joshua Foer: Feats of Memory Anyone can do**] **

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> In this TED talk, Josh Foer gives a basic walkthrough of his book, “Moonwalking with Einstein.” In it, he delves into a lot of the themes in his book of memory and the history of memory. He gives an entertaining speech and even introduces the concept of the memory palace by having the audience participate. He goes on to talk about his journey and the people associated with it. He also mentions that in only one year of training he was able to win the American Memory Championship.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> This video is very useful, as it is the author himself talking about many of the central themes of his book. The would be a good video to watch before reading to get an idea of what the book is about. The only downside is that it does spoil the ending of the book.


 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">[|Clive Wearing- The man with no short term memory] **

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> In this short video, we are introduced to Clive Wearing, a man with literally no short term memory. Clive forgets things that he is told practically right after he is told them. I assume that this man is EP from the book, as he had the same Heperes simplex virus as EP that destroyed part of his brain. This video is just a short interview with him and his wife demonstrating his very short memory. It is incredible that he is still able to play the piano very well and completely recognizes his wife.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> I find this a useful source because it lets one put a face to the name we read about. It is one thing to read about this man, but to be actually able to see it is quite interesting. I feel this helped me better understand the points talked about in the book when it comes to the parts of the brain and its association to memory.


 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">[|**http://blog.mnemotechnics.org/about**] **

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> This is a blog by Josh Cohen. Like the author of the book, he too became fascinated with memory techniques and began researching and learning new techniques. This website contains its own wiki and forum where people can contribute ideas and information on everything about the art of memory. This site also contains training exercises to help build your memory, and random number generators to practice your memory. This website is a really great resource, as it contains many helpful things. A wiki full of useful information, helpful lessons on memory techniques, videos, blogs from other memory aficionados, as well as a forum that is full of ways you can apply these techniques to daily life and school. All of the techniques mentioned in the book are on this website.


 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">[] **

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> This is the author’s actual website where he advertises his book as well as other projects he is working on. Here you can access many sources related to the book like reviews FAQS, and interviews and articles. Josh also posts news and events about public events he is attending.There are videos of different talks and interviews Josh has done about his book and other things.Finally, Josh also uses the website as a type of blog where he post different personal stories or things he find interesting and talks about the,=m.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> This website is fantastic because it is straight from the author himself! It contains lots of information that pertains strictly to the book as well as a really useful teacher’s guide for the book. I feel this website is helpful to learn more about the author as one gets to read more about him and other things that interest him. Lastly, this site contains pretty much all of his interviews and videos so you don’t need to go searching around youtube or the internet for them.


 * Neuroscience & the Classroom: Making Connections**

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The videos on this site focus on the neuroscience of what we know about learning. New developments in the field of Neuroscience are providing new understanding of how the brain works. These new understandings can help educators to change and modify current practices that are used in the classroom. The videos show how teachers and researchers are interpreting new understanding on how the brain works to boost learning done by students. Several tools and guides are provided for teachers to use for professional development as educators, based off of newly found information. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> This video is a resource for teachers to go to so they can modify their strategies used in the educational field. It also provides examples and details how and why these strategies provide students more opportunity to learn. An example made in the subject of math by Abigail Baird is that connecting math to the real world helps students to be more engaged and emotionally involved. These videos provide modern insight to what we know about memory and learning.


 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">CNN: Memory Champ Offers Tips to Power Brain **

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> This video is a CNN interview with the author of Walking With Einstein Joshua Foer. In this interview Joshua explains the main ideas of his book. He agrees that the main emphasis of his book is elaborate encoding, which is taking something you want to remember and saying it is like something else that you remember well. He says that the notions behind memory are not as complicated as many people believe they are. To remember something well you have to engage your mind so that you are putting “associational hooks” into whatever it is you have to remember. He also says that we are relying on technology as an axillary mind and this will have unknown effects in the foreseeable future.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">This is a useful video after reading Moonwalking With Einstein because it summarizes the main ideas Joshua Foer was getting across in his book. The questions asked by the CNN interviewer provide insight behind his book that are left unanswered. Joshua Foer also talks about effects of memory loss happening today because of technology. They also allow an opportunity to see Joshua Foer in person after being told his personal and remarkable story.


 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Neuroscience For Kids maintained by Eric H. Chudler, Ph. D. **

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Neuroscience for kids is a sight that “has been created for all students and teachers who would like to learn about the nervous system”. The elaborate sight includes easy to access information. The table of contents includes the following titles. “The World of Neuroscience”, “Brain Basics”, “Higher Functions”, “Spinal Cord”, “Peripheral Nervous System”, “The Neuron”, “Sensory Systems”, “Methods and Techniques” “Drug Effects”, and “Neurological and Mental Disorders”.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> This is a great site for students and teachers that are interested in the brain. The easy format of this website allows students easy access to factual information. It can be used as a source for research papers on memory and the brain or for students or teachers who are interested in this topic after reading Walking With Einstein. It goes into the science of memory and how the brain operates to remember information.


 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">High school, numbers and the brain blog post **

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> This is a blog that talks about how people learn math facts, and a study done that looked at what areas of the brain are activated when solving simple math problems. Researchers looked at the different areas activated among students and compared this information to how well their students did on the test. A point made by this blogger that I think is a great statement is that “the ability to learn mathematics and the speed at which people learn is highly variable.” The results of this study were “Two brain areas were found to be more activated in subjects with higher PSAT scores: the left supramarginal gyrus and the anterior cingulate gyrus. Another area, the intraparietal sulcus, was found to be activated more in subjects with lower PSAT scores.” The researchers argued that the students who scored well on the tests were able to utilize brain areas that related to storing mathematical information.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">After reading this book and the findings of the study discussed, teachers and students can see the relationship between being able to utilize your brains capacity and success in math. The blog talks about how students originally learn simple addition and multiplication through memorization. Being able to recall and use this information allows for better success in the math classroom. It also shows the importance of developing good math skills and habits early in the educational process.