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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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Can Meaningful Gestures Help STEM Students Learn Better?
The right kind of gesture helps students understand physical space better. And students who can think well about space do better in STEM classes. Continue reading
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Does Forest-Bathing Benefit Your Anxious Amygdala?
Living near forests might promote healthy brain development, especially as measured by “amygdala integrity.” Continue reading
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Improving the Syllabus: Surprising Benefits of Jumbling
Jumbling practice problem topics together helps students learn more than organizing practice problems by topic. Continue reading
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When Homework Is (and Isn’t) Genuinely Helpful
The question “does homework help students learn” is too big a question. We need to narrow it down. What age student are we discussing? What kind of homework are they doing? What discipline are they studying? Continue reading
Foolish “Brain Training” Flim-Flam of the Day
Tom Brady’s new “Brain Training” Website looks a lot like earlier attempts to over-hype thinly supported brain research. Don’t fall for it. Continue reading
“Ben Barres gave a great seminar today, but then his...
The remarkable work of a transgender neuroscientist, who inspired colleagues and changed our understanding of the brain. Continue reading
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Benefiting from Retrieval Practice: Get the Timing Just Right
Retrieval practice is an excellent study strategy for students more than 24 hours ahead of a test. However, within that 24 hour window, teachers and students should focus more on connecting ideas rather than recalling them. Continue reading
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An Extra Half-Hour of Sleep? An Extra Hour?
Students whose first class started later than 8:30 got between 27 and 57 (!) more minutes of sleep than students whose classes started earlier. Imagine just how much more learning might happen if a teen regularly got an extra hour of sleep. Continue reading
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Enhance Memory by Saying Important Words Aloud
You’d like to remember a list of words better? Here’s a simple trick: read them out loud to yourself. Continue reading