Tests and short-term memory

It is said that we humans can hold only three items in short term memory at any one time. So, there is a continual shuffling of material between short and long term memory, all happening at incredible speeds, which is why our thoughts can seem so chaotic at times.

Yet, if we think of this in the light of helping students to study more effectively, we certainly would not overwhelm them with mock test papers to do, but instead would give them three concepts to study, test those extensively, then do three more, test those etc. and repeat the formula the next day with the exact same set of concepts, but different tests.

In this way, we would utilise short-term memory most effectively, promote the retention of information as the short term memory repeatedly shuttles the information to long term and back again, and prepare our students for tests far better than we do if we simply have them write mock tests, give them the answers and then proceed to test them for real.

Building, weather and kids

The school is adding a gym, and so we've had about four months of ground-levelling, digging, cement pouring, scaffolding etc. until we are now at the stage where the skeleton of the building is receiving the flesh, so to speak.

Bricklayers are building up the walls in between the concrete pillars, roofers are laying panels on the steel girders and the sound of hammers echoes through the building.

It's getting to the nice part of autumn in terms of weather - lovely cool breezes during the day, and just cold enough at night to need a cover but not uncomfortable if you kick it off. If only I could find a job that allowed me to travel around the globe, staying in this zone all the way! I like autumn more than spring, because the green is still around, the fruits are there ripe and ready and it seems more leisurely than spring.

The kids are being typically Korean about it - Koreans like living in hothouses. They are horrified that I'm walking around in short sleeves still, and that I don't seem to mind the coolness!