College student smiling while taking notes on while studying

Putting It All Together: Connecting “Motivation” with “Teaching Style”

Researchers tend to focus on particular topics in education. Some folks study attention, while others look…



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Young teacher wearing sweater and glasses sitting on desk at kindergarten clueless and confused expression with arms and hands raised.

Overwhelmed Teachers: The Working-Memory Story (Part II) [Updated with Link]

Last week, I offered an unusual take on working memory in the classroom. Typically, I…



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Stressed teacher sitting in front of a white board with comlex mathematical equations on it

Overwhelmed Teachers: The Working-Memory Story

If I could pick one topic from cognitive science for ALL TEACHERS to study, that…



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Thief peering around the corner of a wall at painting he might steal from a museum

Reframing Motivation: Urgent vs. Interesting

You are walking through a museum after closing time, peering into room after room. You…



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Young children sit on the floor eagerly listening to a teacher, off camera

Help Me Understand: Narrative Is Better than Exposition

I’m straight-up asking for some guidance here. Here’s the story… “Psychologically Privileged” For many years…



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Arrows pointed to the center of a target

Feedback Before Grades? Research and Practice…

The plan sounds so simple: Students practice a new skill. Teachers give them feedback. Using…



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mathematics professor solving complex equations on a blackboard

Which Is Better: “Desirable Difficulty” or “Productive Struggle”?

The obvious answer to my question is: “what a silly question.” After all, the two…



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The cover of Walkthru: a bright yellow and white cover, with a drawing of two teachers thinking and talking together

“Comprehensive and Manageable”: Walkthrus Has It All

Teachers who want to rely on cognitive science to improve our teaching have SO MANY…



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A brighly colored beac ball floating in a vibrantly blue pool

How to Change Students’ Minds? Create Surprise…

Sometimes teaching is challenging. And sometimes, it’s REALLY challenging. For instance: Because I’m an English…



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Book Cover for Teaching & Learning Illuminated

Classroom Cognition Explained, or, Dual Coding Just Right

The Good News: research into cognitive science can be SPECTACULARLY USEFUL to teachers. (That’s why…



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