Memory Bank

Learning is one thing, retention is another. It’s helpful to give students resources and activities that help them flex their memory muscles – not just for the exams they’re likely to sit, but also to support them making links across topics and subjects. Remember you can scan and copy from digital under the CLA licence – it’s not just about photocopying.

Reference section

I’ll admit I was bad at this when I was teaching – but it helped when I remembered! I’d use images a lot in lessons – portraits, cityscapes, propaganda posters and newspaper photographs. I’d carefully selected these pictures, taught them year in year out - of course I knew them and their detail well. But what about the students – could they be expected to remember the skyline of Stuart London or Elizabeth’s Armada portrait after 2 minutes on the IWB? Before or after the lesson, it helped to save the images on the intranet to be a point of reference and a springboard for independent research for the keener student. 

Duelling memories

If you need an important concept to sink in, give a copy of what the students have just read to partner 1 in a pair. Partner 2 needs to say everything they can remember while partner 1 highlights correct recollections on the copy. They can then swap, this time highlighting in a different colour to see who won this memory battle.

About the author

Julie Murray is Education Licences Manager at CLA, which means she trains and educates licensees in schools, further and higher education institutions about CLA licences and how they fit into the wider world of copyright. Prior to working at CLA, Julie was Head of History and Politics at an 11-18 comprehensive in London.

What are your ideas for using memory in the classroom? Let us know in the comments below ⬇