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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 art education attention bilingual education boundary conditions classroom advice collaboration creativity desirable difficulty development elementary school embodied cognition emotion evolution exercise experts and novices gender high school homework intelligence long-term memory metacognition methodology middle school mind-wandering mindfulness Mindset motivation multitasking neuromyths neuroscience neurotransmitters parents pre-K psychology reading retrieval practice self-control skepticism sleep STEM stress technology working memoryRecent Comments
- landb on Research on Note-Taking: A Teachable Skill
- Beatriz Rodriguez on Research on Note-Taking: A Teachable Skill
- Nini White on Helping Today’s Students Have More Open Minds
- Ellen on Montessori: The New Science behind a Century-Old Methodology (part I)
- Kathleen Valentine on Just Not a Useful Debate: Learning Styles Theory [Updated]
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When Multitasking Helps (And Why Teachers Should Discourage It Anyway)
We all know that multitasking is baaaaad. In fact, we all know that multitasking doesn’t happen. Instead, when we think we’re multitasking, we’re actually switching rapidly back and forth between two tasks. (Or, heaven help us, more than two tasks.)
Brain Research in Translation
Science relies on skepticism, so let’s ask a skeptical question: “Does it really benefit teachers to understand brain research? Isn’t good teaching good teaching?” If you’re reading this blog, you doubtless already see the value that brain research offers teachers.
“We Can No Longer Ignore Evidence about Human Development”
The more teachers learn about neuroscience and psychology, the more we admire Dr. Mary Helen Immordino-Yang. Unlike most researchers, she has spent time as a classroom teacher. And, her extensive research—in both neuroscience and psychology—offers us wise perspectives on our
Why Do Choices Interfere with Your Learning?
At times, choices might help motivate students. However, at other times, choices harm learning. When we distinguish between the two, we help our students. Continue reading
US vs UK: Edutwitter Styles
If you follow education debates on Twitter, you may have noticed stark differences in tone between your US and UK colleagues. Blake Harvard recently posted on these differences — trying to understand and explain them. He ultimately prefers the UK
10,000 People Talk About Sleep and Cognition
Most of the research studies I read include a few tens of people. Sixty or eighty is good; more than 100 is rare. I’ve seen published studies with an even dozen. So when I hear about a study with over
Choosing a Knowledge-Rich Curriculum: Pros and Cons
Should our curriculum focus on knowledge or skills? Jon Brunskill debates this question with himself in this thoughtful post. Brunskill does offer a strong conclusion in this debate. But just as important: the way he frames the discussion. Following Rapoport’s Rules
Surprise: The Adolescent Brain Isn’t Broken
Chapter 2 of Inventing Ourselves: The Secret Life of the Teenage Brain kicks off with a teenager’s diary entry from April of 1969: I went to arts centre (by myself!) in yellow cords and blouse. Ian was there but he
The Limits of Retrieval Practice, Take II…
Just two weeks ago, I posted about a study showing potential boundary conditions for retrieval practice: one of the most robustly supported classroom strategies for enhancing long-term memories. As luck would have it, the authors of that study wrote up their
This Is Your Amygdala on a Cliff…
If you’ve seen the documentary Free Solo, you know about Alex Honnold’s extraordinary attempt to climb a 3000 foot sheer rock face. Without ropes. Without protective gear of any kind. And without, it seems, a typically functioning amygdala. Free Solo briefly
