The Memory Room Technique

How did people in Greek and Roman times have the memory to get down as many details as they did?  We certainly lack this, but it’s nothing physical that accounts for the change.  We don’t value memory or mnemonics.  Heck, even doctors have checklists (item 4d: Make sure the limb you are operating on is on the correct side, item 5n: Verify that this is, in fact, the patient).  We remember little. There is a method to the madness that is mnemonics, though.  Say that five times backwards! The Roman Memory Room offers some ideas:

http://www.thememoryinstitute.com/loci-the-roman-room-and-the-familiar-path.html

http://www.academictips.org/memory/romanrom.html

Even a few minutes on these sites opens up the notion that learning is a technique which differs.I just wouldn’t have you thinking you A) are, or B) aren’t a visual learner–whatever that means.  For this trifecta, the third item (behind Door #3) is a YouTube video by Scientific American contributor Daniel Willingham to the effect that “Learning Styles Don’t Exist.”  I use this in a cautionary way so that someone doesn’t use stereotypes to stunt their learning, since they could easily look at the Memory Room stuff and think “Nah, that’s not for me, as I’m X!”