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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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ABOUT THE BLOG
Preschool for Parents: Surprising Long-Term Benefits
Head Start programs prepare young children — especially those from lower socio-economic cohorts — for success in school. Can these programs help more if extended by the parents? Continue reading
You Are a Learning Style of One
Many educational fads ask teachers to sort our students into false learning categories: by learning style, for example, or by gender. Instead, we should focus on cognitive processes — like memory and attention — that apply to all our students. As learners we can’t be categorized, but we’re more alike than different. Continue reading
Do Expert Teachers See More Meaningful Classrooms?
Why do chess experts win more chess matches than novices? This question has a perfectly…
How To Be A Critical Psychology Consumer
Teachers who want to shape our practice with research find ourselves taking on extra responsibilities….
Don’t Just Do This Thing; Think This Way
Do hard-to-read fonts improve learning? The answer is: that’s the wrong question. Instead, we should ask: how can we set the right level of difficulty as students learn material? And: are hard-to-read fonts a useful tool in getting to that level. Only the classroom teacher can answer those questions. Continue reading
Conflicting Advice: Mind-Wandering Is Bad, or Just Fine
Some researchers say that mind wandering is “just fine.” Others say that it interferes with comprehension. Which is true? When looking at conflicting findings, focus on the research that best resembles your classroom. In this case, you should probably worry about mind wandering — except under specific circumstances. Continue reading
Just Not a Useful Debate: Learning Styles Theory [Updated]
At one of the first Learning and the Brain conferences I attended, a speaker briefly…
Capture Intergalactic Criminals; Feel the Mental Burn
I’ve posted a good bit recently about the dangers of working memory overload. (For instance:…
Putting Research to Work in the Classroom: Success?
Some study habits have been shown to work in psychology labs. Do they work in college classrooms? A recent study shows that “retrieval practice” clearly helps students learn. The findings on “the spacing effect” are harder to interpret… Continue reading
A Hidden Adolescent Struggle: Identifying Complex Emotions
Recent research offers a helpful insight into adolescent emotion processing. Children and adults are relatively good at distinguishing among their emotions. They can say “I’m feeling angry, but not sad.” Adolescents, however, have a harder time sorting out their feelings. For them, negative emotions all churn together. Continue reading
