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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 book review boundary conditions classroom advice conference speakers constructivism/direct instruction creativity desirable difficulty development dual coding education elementary school embodied cognition emotion evolution executive function exercise experts and novices gender high school homework intelligence long-term memory math methodology middle school 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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ABOUT THE BLOG
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Teenagers, Hormones, and Other Stubborn Myths
There’s a short video about adolescence making the rounds on social media. The video offers…
The Best Length of Time for a Class
I met yesterday with several thoughtful teachers who had resonant questions about education research. How…
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Is It Time to Re-Re-Think Mindset Research?
Despite lots of mindset doubts, we have good reasons — and recent research — that show how mindset interventions can help students learn. Continue reading
Can Quick Exercise Breaks Energize Young Students?
According to recent research, quick exercise breaks don’t distract younger students and do improve their mood. Continue reading
![hands-on learning](https://www.learningandthebrain.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/AdobeStock_30682176_Credit-768x1156.jpg)
Does Hands-On Learning Benefit Science Students?
In a recent study, hands-on learning and other inquiry strategies did not help 4th graders master science concepts. The reason? Working memory limitations. Continue reading
Research on Note-Taking: A Teachable Skill
Over at the Cult of Pedagogy, Jennifer Gonzalez has a FANTASTIC post summarizing lots of…
![paper vs. screens](https://www.learningandthebrain.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/AdobeStock_178505714_Credit-768x512.jpg)
The Best Way to Read? Paper vs. Screens
The “paper vs. screens” debate has a clear winner: in most circumstances, students understand better and learn more when they read from paper. Continue reading
![stress and memeory](https://www.learningandthebrain.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/AdobeStock_189876690_Credit-768x512.jpg)
Video: Stress and Memory
The folks over at TedEd have posted an excellent video exploring the relationship between stress…
![self-control paradox](https://www.learningandthebrain.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/AdobeStock_129901292_Credit-768x512.jpg)
The Self-Control Paradox: Resistance is (Often) Futile
The “self-control paradox” leads to a surprise. We shouldn’t help students resist temptation. Instead, we want them to avoid temptation in the first place. Continue reading
![replication crisis](https://www.learningandthebrain.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/AdobeStock_178546842_Credit-768x512.jpg)
Do We Actually Know What We Think We Know?
Teachers trust research when several studies reach the same result. Sadly, the current “replication crisis” means that we don’t always know what we know. Continue reading