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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Andrew Watson
Andrew began his classroom life as a high-school English teacher in 1988, and has been working in or near schools ever since. In 2008, Andrew began exploring the practical application of psychology and neuroscience in his classroom. In 2011, he earned his M. Ed. from the “Mind, Brain, Education” program at Harvard University. As President of “Translate the Brain,” Andrew now works with teachers, students, administrators, and parents to make learning easier and teaching more effective. He has presented at schools and workshops across the country; he also serves as an adviser to several organizations, including “The People’s Science.” Andrew is the author of "Learning Begins: The Science of Working Memory and Attention for the Classroom Teacher."
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ADHD adolescence attention autism book review boundary conditions classroom advice conference speakers constructivism/direct instruction creativity desirable difficulty development dual coding elementary school embodied cognition emotion evolution exercise experts and novices gender high school homework intelligence long-term memory math methodology middle school mind-wandering mindfulness Mindset motivation neuromyths neuroscience online learning parents psychology reading retrieval practice self-control skepticism sleep STEM stress technology working memoryRecent Comments
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- Dual Coding: Boosting Learning Through Words and Images – White Dragon of East County on Visual & Verbal: Welcome to “Dual Coding”
- "All People Learn the Same Way": Exploring a Debate |Education & Teacher Conferences on The Goldilocks Map by Andrew Watson
- URL on Difference Maker: Enacting Systems Theory in Biology Teaching, by Christian...
ABOUT THE BLOG
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Warning: Misguided Neuroscience Ahead
I recently ran across a version* of this chart: As you can see, this chart…
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The Limitations of Retrieval Practice (Yes, You Read That Right)
Last week, I wrote that “upsides always have downsides.” That is: anything that teachers do…
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Upsides Always Have Downsides: “Side Effects” in Education Research
Here at Learning and the Brain, we believe that research can improve education. Specifically, research…
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Getting the Details Just Right: Retrieval Practice
Can we ever research a topic too much? Can we reach a point where, well,…
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Walking Promotes Creativity? A Skeptic Weighs In…
When teachers try to use psychology research in the classroom, we benefit from a balance…
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The Most Important 5 Minutes in Class: The Primacy/Recency Effect
As we put our lesson plans together, we teachers want to know: are some minutes…
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Working Memory in Everyday Life
Imagine this scenario: you’re standing in the CVS toothpaste aisle, trying to decide. You think…
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Earworms and Sleep: What Will They Research Next?
Just last week, I spoke with middle- and upper-school students about learning. We all know…
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“No Cameras Allowed:” Does Taking Pictures During Lectures Benefit Learning?
Should students use cameras to take pictures of boardwork? My high school students know my…
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It’s Funny (but It’s Not): Our Instincts about Learning are...
Every now and then, research is just plain funny. Here’s the story: If you’ve spent…