I can see it, but I do not necessarily know where it is at

1. This week's reading was filled with studies upon studies regarding mental imagery. Mental imagery and cognitive maps. How do we see things? From what vantage point do we store this stimuli? What helps promote or hinder this imagery from happening. My blog this week is focusing on cognitive mapping because this is something that really catches my attention.This continues along the lines of delving deeper into the mental process. In the past we learned about how the brain processes stimuli as a whole. Rotation, distance, shape, and lastly interference were the major focus in the opening part of the chapter. The second half dealing with cognitive mapping.

2.Like JJ stated, I believe it is just another chapter in the sage. We are moving to different functions of the brain, but what I am seeing is that their inner functions are alike. This is the second chapter where we have talked about storing stimuli and the interference that can occur. This chapter also talks about how you can store an image and have some change to it, and it may not be recalled the same. This was talked about in the standpoint of misinterpreted memory in the last chapter. So things just continue to build upon previously read chapters.

3. I am still confused on the theory of the rotational figures. If you have a mental image in your head, then if you rotate it it should still be the same figure! Yet, the studies say most will not recall the same image that they originally saved. Just hard for me to swallow that concept.

4. The Landmark effect. In one of my offenses I run everyone player knows that there is a set spot these need to be. What I have learned is that the players struggled where to cut and at what angle when they were not on there landmarks. I can see where if you have a solid point of reference you have a better chance of moving from or to it in a more efficient manner than having a non-landmark.

5.Imagery interference---My girls played plenty of games this season that came down to the final shot. I have always told them to visualize their actions (winning shots) and things of those nature. In two out of those three games, I had a player throw the ball right to the other team. When inquiring why this was her response was ---Coach I was trying to mentally visualize me making the pass for the win and I didn't even see the defender standing there. I believe that was a perfect example of imagery interference.

6.Cognitive mapping is important because it gives our minds a point of reference. We have looked at points of reference in both memory and now in mental imagery. It is important to know this especially when teaching younger ages because that is how most base their experiences. Another good thing to know is understanding the rotation of images may not reproduce the same image that was saved. So if you have this base understanding you can predict certain results and learning styles from your students.

7.Again the cognitive mapping I use an awful lot in setting my basketball plays. Spacing is a necessity on a basketball floor. I have learned, as many of you have I assume that children have problems with concepts, but they are pretty good at places and things. Reference points are something everyone can use. We do Dance,Dance, Revolution without the pads, we just use stepper boxes and kids have to use cognitive mapping(smaller scale) to make the movements. I find it very effective.

8. Since I have really focused on the cognitive mapping- One technique I really liked was how the teacher was teaching her students places on the map and using their body as a reference point. In PE and most sports in general it is this very concept that the rules are played by. I know a basketball court and I know the rim doesn't move, so without knowing the distance to the basket, mentally it is mapped in my mind so I don't overshoot or run out of bounds. So for young children especially I think playing sports is a way to help improve this cognitive function.