-
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."
Tags
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
- Goals, Failure, and Emotions: a Conceptual Framework |Education & Teacher Conferences on “Learning from Mistakes” vs. “Learning from Explanations”
- From Destruction to Rebuilding: Hope in Science’s Down Cycle on When Analogies Go Wrong: The Benefits of Stress?
- 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

Handwriting Improves Learning, Right?
Here’s a good rule for research: if you believe something, look for research that contradicts…

Why Don’t My High-School Students Just Follow My Advice?
I’ve been teaching for several centuries now. You’d think my students would believe me when…

Let’s Get Practical: What Works Best in the Classroom?
At times, this blog explores big-picture hypotheticals — the “what if” questions that can inspire…

How Can We Help Students Study Better? [Repost]
This story might sound familiar: You attend a Learning and the Brain conference (like, say,…

“Rich” or “Bland”: Which Diagrams Helps Students Learn Deeply? [Reposted]
Colorful diagrams might raise students’ interest. What do those diagrams do for their learning? Continue reading

How to Foster New Friendships in School? Seating Plans! (We’ve...
In schools, we want students to learn many topics: math, and history, and reading, and…

To Grade or Not to Grade: Should Retrieval Practice Quizzes...
We’ve seen enough research on retrieval practice to know: it rocks. When students simply review…

Parachutes Don’t Help (Important Asterisk) [Repost]
A surprising research finding to start your week: parachutes don’t reduce injury or death. How…

Making “Learning Objectives” Explicit: A Skeptic Converted? [Reposted]
Teachers have long gotten guidance that we should make our learning objectives explicit to our…

“Once Upon a Time”: Do Stories Help Learning?
When Daniel Willingham wrote Why Don’t Students Like School, he accomplished a mini-miracle: he made abstract…