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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 executive function exercise experts and novices gender high school homework intelligence long-term memory math metacognition methodology middle school mind-wandering mindfulness Mindset motivation neuromyths neuroscience parents pre-K psychology reading retrieval practice self-control skepticism sleep STEM stress technology working memoryRecent Comments
- Amy Takabori on Executive Function Isn’t What You Think It Is (Maybe)
- Andy on Smart but Stuck: Emotions in Teens and Adults with ADHD by Thomas E. Brown, PhD
- Andrew Watson on The Science Of Homework: Why Timing is Everything
- MILLIE on The Science Of Homework: Why Timing is Everything
- Kate Toland on Deliberate Practice Doesn’t Align with Schooling (Well: Not Precisely)
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“Before You Change Your Teaching, Change Your Thinking”
When I attended my first Learning and the Brain conference, more than a decade ago, I had a simple plan: Step 1: Listen to the researcher’s advice. Step 2: Do what the researcher told me to do. Step 3: Watch
“Successive Relearning”: 1 + 1 = +10%
We know that “retrieval practice” helps students learn. We know that “spacing” does too. What happens when we combine those techniques? Continue reading
The Benefits of “Testing” Depend on the DEFINITION of “Testing.” And the TIMING. And…
Should we test our students or not? Researchers can answer that question only by defining “test” very precisely. Happily, we’ve got research on one kind of PRE-test that just might help students learn and understand. Continue reading
Can We Improve Our Students’ Executive Function? Will That Help Them Read Better?
New research suggests that the right kind of Executive Function training just might help struggling readers. Continue reading
The Best Length of Time for a Class [Repost]
Quite consistently, this post has been among the most searched for and most popular on the blog. Teachers and administrators REALLY want to know: What is the optimal amount of time for our students to meet? What’s the very best
Laptop Notes or Handwritten Notes? Even the New York Times Has It Wrong [Reposted]
Which helps students learn more: handwritten notes, or laptop notes? The best-known research on the subject might surprise you… Continue reading
Growing Mindsets in Argentina? [Repost]
A study with 12th graders in Argentina highlights an important message about Growth Mindset: doing one thing once is unlikely to have much of an effect. Continue reading
Obsessed with Working Memory [Reposted]
I’m on vacation for the month of August, and so we’ll be reposting some of our most-viewed articles. We’re starting with our series on working memory: one of the most essential concepts from the field of cognitive science. When I attended
Deliberate Practice Doesn’t Align with Schooling (Well: Not Precisely)
Anders Ericsson’s model of “deliberate practice” offers wise guidance in creating expertise. But, it might not apply to the work that teachers do in schools every day… Continue reading
Retrieval Practice is GREAT. Can We Make It Better?
Retrieval practice and common sense add up to a winning combination. Which means: they help students remember more. Continue reading
