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Category Archives: L&B Blog

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Your Brain Headlines of the Week

Every week generates lots of interesting research in brain-world. These headlines most grabbed my attention:



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too much skepticism

Problems in Science Communication, Part I: Too Much Skepticism

When teachers question guidance offered by outside research experts, we might be faulted for “too much skepticism.” Yet expertise is more useful and meaningful when provided by insiders. Effective science communication depends on researchers who know schools and classrooms through day-to-day experience. Continue reading



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Don’t Miss This Handy Compilation of Research Summaries

Over at Teacherhead, Tom Sherrington has gathered more than a dozen summaries of teaching research….



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preschool for parents

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



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false learning categories

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



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expert teacher vision

Do Expert Teachers See More Meaningful Classrooms?

Why do chess experts win more chess matches than novices? This question has a perfectly…



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How To Be A Critical Psychology Consumer

Teachers who want to shape our practice with research find ourselves taking on extra responsibilities….



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using research well

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



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mind wandering advice

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



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learning styles

Just Not a Useful Debate: Learning Styles Theory [Updated]

At one of the first Learning and the Brain conferences I attended, a speaker briefly…



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