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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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- Judith V.T. Wilson on An Unexpected Strategy to Manage Student Stress
- Diana J. Taylor on A Hidden Strength of “Concreteness Fading”
- Andrew Watson on A Hidden Strength of “Concreteness Fading”
- James Moore on A Hidden Strength of “Concreteness Fading”
- Dorothy. Pierce on A Hidden Strength of “Concreteness Fading”
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Blog Roll
Retrieval Grids: The Good, the Bad, and the Potential Solutions
“Retrieval grids” promote retrieval practice — that’s good! But they might lead to working-memory overload — that’s really bad. Happily, we might be able to solve this problem… Continue reading
Should Students Exercise DURING Learning? A Twitter Debate Rages…
Does exercise DURING learning help students? Twitter knows the answer to the question quite confidently. Research on the topic, however, invites us to be both cautious and optimistic. Continue reading
Home News: Rememebring Bruce McEwen
I first heard Dr. Bruce McEwen talk about the neurobiology of stress in 2010. He had won an award (one of a great many) at MIT, and was lecturing on intricate hormonal interactions within the hippocampus. Even before he began
An Unexpected Strategy to Manage Student Stress
We might be inclined to reassure our anxious students, and advise them to “remain calm.” This research, however, suggests a surprising alternative. Continue reading
Starting the Year Just Right: Healthy Skepticism
Adults prefer natural settings to urban ones. We can easily imagine an evolutionary explanation for that preference. But: do children share it? Continue reading
Home News
Congratulations to one-time Learning and the Brain blogger, Dr. Kate Mills. The Association for Psychological Science has named her a “Rising Star” for her “innovative work [that] has already advanced the field, and signals great potential for [her] continued contributions.” Dr.
How Best to Achieve our New Year’s Resolutions
Psychology research can help us accomplish our New Year’s resolutions, even if we’re offered tempting cake. Continue reading
“Educating Anxious Brains”: Digging Deeper
I wrote two weeks ago about our first 2020 education conference: Educating Anxious Brains, in San Francisco — February 14-16. As you saw in that post, educators have lots to concern us: trauma & stress, and their effects on minds and
Battles Worth Fighting: “What the Academy Taught Us”
A recent book on changing school systems offers valuable advice to teachers interested in psychology and neuroscience research. Continue reading
How to Find Happiness
At this time of year, we can easily get distracted by things. If I have the right stuff — not the John Glenn kind of “right stuff,” but the right objects — then I’ll feel better about my life and
