Tag Archives: classroom advice

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But Does It Work In The Classroom? (A Hint: YES!)

A large study in five different Florida schools gives us lots of confidence that “interleaving” — mixing up different kinds of practice problems together — helps students learn. This technique takes a little extra time, but it’s highly effective and it’s free. Continue reading



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[A Specific] Movement Helped [Specific] Students Learn [A Specific] Thing

Research shows that movement can help kindergarteners understand the number line — an essential concept for math learning in general. We should not assume therefore that movement always benefits learning. Continue reading



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Not All of Us Work Effectively in a “Memory Palace”

Students with lower visuospatial aptitude don’t benefit much from “memory palaces.” This research finding leads to important classroom strategies…and to bigger questions as well. Continue reading



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The Best Teaching Book to Read This Summer: Powerful Teaching

Powerful Teaching, by Agarwal and Bain, combines research and practical classroom strategies. The result: an ideal book for teachers who want to improve our practice. Continue reading



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Visual & Verbal: Welcome to “Dual Coding”

By “dual coding” — that is, by presenting information both verbally and visually — we can reduce our students working memory load. And: we can help them learn. Continue reading



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Meet Blake Harvard, “Effortful Educator”

An interview with Blake Harvard: high-school psychology teacher, and Effortful Educator. Continue reading



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Is Failure Productive? (Hint: We Should Ask a Better Question)

Two research groups studied (more or less) the same technique with two different student populations — and got very different answer. These contradictory findings give teachers important lessons about using psychology and education research most wisely. Continue reading



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The Simplest Motivation Strategy that You’re (Probably) Not Using

Two simple techniques to overcome mundane daily obstacles make it much likelier that our students — and we — will get work done. Continue reading



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The Better Choice: Open- or Closed-Book Quizzes

As predicted by research into “retrieval practice,” closed-book quizzes do in fact help students learn better than open-book quizzes do. Once again, the right kind of difficulties can be desirable in school. Continue reading



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Studying Wrong Answers Helps Learn the Right Ones

With teaching as with baking, sometimes you should follow steps in a very particular order….



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