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USING THE SCIENCE OF LEARNING FOR ‘PANDEMIC TEACHING’

Many students are struggling to stay focused, engaged, and motivated in today’s constantly changing, distracting, disconnected, and distance-learning environments due to the pandemic. Fortunately, research findings from the brain and cognitive sciences may provide insights to improve teaching and learning in online, blended, and in-person classrooms.

This virtual conference will bring the Science of Learning to educators and clinicians to help with the challenges of teaching online and in schools. You will explore the science behind how students learn and effective instruction; ways to boost motivation and support student autonomy; methods to keep students focused despite distraction; ideas for playful, active, and interactive learning experiences in any setting; strategies for reading and math; and ways to embed feedback and assessments in the classroom and online.

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LEARNING OBJECTIVES

You will gain knowledge about:

  • Effective teaching strategies online and in classrooms
  • Keeping learners engaged and motivated during a pandemic
  • The science behind attention and ways to improve concentration
  • Understanding apathy and ways teachers can support autonomy
  • Applying the Science of Learning to remote/in-classroom environments
  • Promoting play, collaboration, and active learning online and in schools
  • Ways to improve math and reading in person and in distance learning
  • How play and active learning improve self-regulation and executive skills
  • Strategies to increase student focus in an age of digital distractions
  • Developing early literacy through active learning experiences
  • Strategies for inclusive feedback and formative assessment



This Unique Conference Will Provide You With:

  • 1 day of LIVE keynote presentations and breakout sessions from renowned psychologists and cognitive scientists
  • LIVE interaction with learning experts and social networking features to connect with colleagues
  • The latest research on using the Science of Learning in remote and in-school settings
  • More than 20 hours of conference recordings for a limited time after the conference
  • Up to 7 hours of LIVE Professional Development
  • Access to slides and resources from presenters



WHO SHOULD ATTEND

Educators, Parents
Curriculum, Staff Developers
Speech-Language Pathologists
PreK-12 Teachers, Administrators
Learning Specialists, Special Educators
Psychologists, School Psychologists, Counselors
Early Childhood Educators, Professionals
Literacy, Reading, Math, Technology Teachers
Superintendents, Principals, School Heads
Remote and Distance Learning Educators
Testing and Assessment Professionals
Teacher Educators, Master Teachers
College, University Professors

Featured Speakers

Conference Chair/Moderator

David B. Daniel, PhD

Conference Chair: Professor of Psychology, James Madison University; Former Executive Director and Founding Board Member, International Mind, Brain, and Education Society; Former Managing Editor, Mind, Brain, and Education Journal; Winner of the 2013 L&B/IMBES “Transforming Education Through Neuroscience” Award; Recognized in the “Top 1% of Educational Researchers Influencing Public Debate” in the US; Co-Author, “Toward an Ecological Science of Teaching” (2021, Canadian Psychology), “Educational Neuroscience: Are We There Yet?” (2019, Wiley Handbook on Education) and “Promising Principles: Translating the Science of Learning to Educational Practice” (2012, Applied Research in Memory and Cognition)

How Learning Happens in the Classroom and Online    More Info

Paul A. Kirschner, PhD

Professor Emeritus, Open University of the Netherlands; Honorary Doctor at the University of Oulu, Finland; Guest Professor at Thomas More University of Applied Sciences at Antwerp, Belgium; Ex-President and Fellow, International Society for the Learning Sciences; Fellow of the American Educational Research Association; Fellow of the Netherlands Institute of Advanced Studies in the Social Sciences and Humanities; Co-Author, How Teaching Happens: Seminal Works in Teaching and Teacher Effectiveness and What They Mean in Practice (2022), How Learning Happens; Seminal Works in Educational Psychology and What They Mean in Practice (2020), Evidence-Informed Learning Design: Creating Training to Improve Performance (2020), More Urban Myths About Learning and Education: Challenging Eduquacks, Extraordinary Claims, and Alternative Facts (2019), Ten Steps to Complex Learning (2017, 3rd Edition), and Urban Myths About Learning and Education (2015)

The Science of Attention and Executive Function: Joyful Ways to Improve Thinking, Reasoning, and Self-Control    More Info

Adele D. Diamond, PhD, FRSC

Tier I Canada Research Chair; Professor of Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry, University of British Columbia; Co-Author, “Review of the Evidence on, and Fundamental Questions About, Efforts to Improve Executive Functions, Including Working Memory” (2020, Cognitive and Working Memory Training) and “Randomized Control Trial of Tools of the Mind: Marked Benefits to Kindergarten Children and Their Teachers” (2019, Plos One)

Helping Kids Teach Themselves    More Info

Daniel T. Willingham, PhD

Professor, Department of Psychology, University of Virginia; Member, National Board for Education Sciences; Writer, “Ask the Cognitive Scientist” Column, American Educator; Author, Outsmart Your Brain: Why Learning Is Hard and How You Can Make It Easy (2023), Why Don’t Students Like School? (2021, 2nd Edition), “A Mental Model of the Learner: Teaching the Basic Science of Educational Psychology to Future Teachers” (2017, Mind, Brain, & Education), The Reading Mind: A Cognitive Approach to Understanding How the Mind Reads (2017), and Raising Kids Who Read: What Parents and Teachers Can Do (2015)

The Neuroscience of Learning: Play, Movement, and Active Learning    More Info

Kenneth Wesson, PhD

Educational Consultant specializing in neuroscience and cognitive psychology; Former College Faculty and Administrator; Advisory Board Member, Korean Institute of Brain Science, Kids at Science, and the International Association of STEM Leaders; Member, Scientists Without Borders; Author, "Revolutionizing How We Teach Reading: Reverse Direction Decoding" (2020, Brain World) and "Education for the Real World" (2019, Brain World)

The Distance Learning Playbook: Improving Engagement and Assessment in Any Setting (K-12)    More Info

Douglas B. Fisher, PhD

Chair, Department of Educational Leadership, San Diego State University; Classroom Teacher, Health Sciences High and Middle College; Co-Author, The Artificial Intelligence Playbook (2024), Welcome to Teaching (2024), Belonging in School (2024), The Vocabulary Playbook: Learning Words That Matter (2023), Confronting the Crisis of Engagement: Creating Focus and Resilience for Students, Staff, and Communities (2022), The Social-Emotional Learning Playbook (2022), The Restorative Practices Playbook: Tools for Transforming Discipline in Schools (2022), and Removing Labels: 40 Techniques to Disrupt Negative Expectations About Students and Schools (2021)

1) THE SCIENCE OF LEARNING: EFFECTIVE TEACHING ONLINE & IN SCHOOL

How Learning Happens in the Classroom and Online    More Info

Paul A. Kirschner, PhD

Professor Emeritus, Open University of the Netherlands; Honorary Doctor at the University of Oulu, Finland; Guest Professor at Thomas More University of Applied Sciences at Antwerp, Belgium; Ex-President and Fellow, International Society for the Learning Sciences; Fellow of the American Educational Research Association; Fellow of the Netherlands Institute of Advanced Studies in the Social Sciences and Humanities; Co-Author, How Teaching Happens: Seminal Works in Teaching and Teacher Effectiveness and What They Mean in Practice (2022), How Learning Happens; Seminal Works in Educational Psychology and What They Mean in Practice (2020), Evidence-Informed Learning Design: Creating Training to Improve Performance (2020), More Urban Myths About Learning and Education: Challenging Eduquacks, Extraordinary Claims, and Alternative Facts (2019), Ten Steps to Complex Learning (2017, 3rd Edition), and Urban Myths About Learning and Education (2015)

Uncommon Sense Teaching: Keeping Students Focused, Motivated, and Engaged in the Classroom and Online    More Info

Barbara A. Oakley, PhD, PE

Ramon y Cajal Distinguished Scholar of Global Digital Learning, McMaster University; Professor, Industrial and Systems Engineering Department, Oakland University; Co-Author, Learn Like a Pro (2021), Uncommon Sense Teaching: Practical Insights in Brain Science to Help Students Learn (2021), and Learning How to Learn (2018); Author, Mindshift: Break Through Obstacles to Learning and Discover Your Hidden Potential (2017) and A Mind for Numbers: How to Excel at Math and Science (2014)

The Cognitive Challenges of Effective Teaching    More Info

Stephen L. Chew, PhD

Cognitive Psychologist; Professor of Psychology, Howard College of Arts and Sciences, Samford University; Chair, National Institute on the Teaching of Psychology; Carnegie Scholar; Named “U.S. Professor of the Year” by The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and the Council for Advancement and Support of Education; Co-Author, “The Cognitive Challenges of Effective Teaching” (2020, The Journal of Economic Education), “Practice What We Teach: Improving Teaching and Learning in Psychology” (2018, Teaching of Psychology), and “The Cognitive Principles of Effective Teaching” (2015, APA)

Teaching in a Pandemic: How Research, Education and Neuroscience Can Show Us the Way    More Info

Carol Ann Tomlinson, EdD

William Clay Parrish Jr. Professor; Chair of Educational Leadership, Foundations, and Policy; Co-Director, Institute on Academic Diversity, Curry School of Education and Human Development, University of Virginia; Author, How to Differentiate Instruction in Academically Diverse Classrooms (2017, 3rd Edition); Co-Author, “The Science of Teaching” (2020, Educational Leadership), Differentiation and the Brain: How Neuroscience Supports the Learner-Friendly Classroom (2018, 2nd Edition), and Assessment and Student Success in a Differentiated Classroom (2013)

The Neuroscience of Learning: Play, Movement, and Active Learning    More Info

Kenneth Wesson, PhD

Educational Consultant specializing in neuroscience and cognitive psychology; Former College Faculty and Administrator; Advisory Board Member, Korean Institute of Brain Science, Kids at Science, and the International Association of STEM Leaders; Member, Scientists Without Borders; Author, "Revolutionizing How We Teach Reading: Reverse Direction Decoding" (2020, Brain World) and "Education for the Real World" (2019, Brain World)

You’re Better Now: Bringing Your Lessons from Online Teaching Back into the Classroom    More Info

David B. Daniel, PhD

Conference Chair: Professor of Psychology, James Madison University; Former Executive Director and Founding Board Member, International Mind, Brain, and Education Society; Former Managing Editor, Mind, Brain, and Education Journal; Winner of the 2013 L&B/IMBES “Transforming Education Through Neuroscience” Award; Recognized in the “Top 1% of Educational Researchers Influencing Public Debate” in the US; Co-Author, “Toward an Ecological Science of Teaching” (2021, Canadian Psychology), “Educational Neuroscience: Are We There Yet?” (2019, Wiley Handbook on Education) and “Promising Principles: Translating the Science of Learning to Educational Practice” (2012, Applied Research in Memory and Cognition)

2) FOCUSED BRAINS: PAYING ATTENTION DESPITE DIGITAL DISTRACTIONS

The Science of Attention and Executive Function: Joyful Ways to Improve Thinking, Reasoning, and Self-Control    More Info

Adele D. Diamond, PhD, FRSC

Tier I Canada Research Chair; Professor of Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry, University of British Columbia; Co-Author, “Review of the Evidence on, and Fundamental Questions About, Efforts to Improve Executive Functions, Including Working Memory” (2020, Cognitive and Working Memory Training) and “Randomized Control Trial of Tools of the Mind: Marked Benefits to Kindergarten Children and Their Teachers” (2019, Plos One)

Concentration: Helping Students Stay Focused in Times of Distraction    More Info

Stefan van der Stigchel, PhD

Professor of Cognitive Psychology, Department of Experimental Psychology; Principal Investigator, Attention Lab, Utrecht University; Member of the Young Academy, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Science; Author, Concentration: Staying Focused in Times of Distraction (2020) and How Attention Works: Finding Your Way in a World Full of Distraction (2019)

Teaching Distracted Minds    More Info

James M. Lang, PhD

Professor of English; Director, D’Amour Center for Teaching Excellence, Assumption College; Monthly Columnist for The Chronicle of Higher Education; Editor, West Virginia University Press; President, The Lang Family Foundation; Author, Distracted: Why Students Can't Focus and What You Can Do About It (2020) and Small Teaching: Everyday Lessons From the Science of Learning (2016); Co-Author, Small Teaching K-8: Igniting the Teaching Spark With the Science of Learning (2022) and Small Teaching Online: Applying Learning Science in Online Classes (2019)

Why Attention Matters: How Active Learning Strategies and Synchronized Brain Activity Support Attention and Learning    More Info

Ido Davidesco, PhD

Assistant Professor of Learning Sciences; Principal Investigator, Brain Healthy Project, NEAG School of Education, University of Connecticut; Brain Researcher who studies how students learn in real classrooms using portable Electroencephalography (EEG) and eye tracking technologies; Co-Author, "Neuroscience Research in the Classroom: Portable Brain Technologies in Education Research" (2021, Educational Researcher); "Making BrainWaves: Portable Brain Technology in Biology Education" (2021, bioRxiv), "Morning Brain: Real-World Neural Evidence that High School Class Times Matter" (2020, Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience), and "Measuring Brain Waves in the Classroom" (2020, Frontiers for Young Minds)

Why Attention Matters: How Active Learning Strategies and Synchronized Brain Activity Support Attention and Learning    More Info

Arielle Keller, PhD Candidate

Doctoral student, Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute, Stanford University; Fellow, U.S. Department of Defense's National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate Fellowship Program; Co-Author, "Attention Matters: How Orchestrating Attention Relates to Classroom Learning" (2020, CBE-Life Sciences Education) and "Unpacking 'Concentration Difficulties': Early Life Stress Mediates the Association Between Anxiety and Impairments of Selective and Divided Attention With Specific Neural Circuit and Neurophysiological Correlates" (2020, Neuropsychopharmacology)

3) MOTIVATED BRAINS: ENGAGING STUDENT MOTIVATION & AUTONOMY

The Science of Reading: Developing Early Literacy Through Active Learning Experiences    More Info

Kenneth Wesson, PhD

Educational Consultant specializing in neuroscience and cognitive psychology; Former College Faculty and Administrator; Advisory Board Member, Korean Institute of Brain Science, Kids at Science, and the International Association of STEM Leaders; Member, Scientists Without Borders; Author, "Revolutionizing How We Teach Reading: Reverse Direction Decoding" (2020, Brain World) and "Education for the Real World" (2019, Brain World)

A New Path to Education Reform: Playful Learning Reduces COVID Slide and Promote Learning in School and Beyond    More Info

Kathy Hirsh-Pasek, PhD

Stanley and Debra Lefkowitz Faculty Fellow; Department of Psychology, Temple University; Senior Fellow, Brookings Institution; Fellow, Cognitive Science Society, the American Psychological Association, the American Psychological Society, and American Educational Research Association; Co-Director, Child's Play, Learning, and Development Laboratory; Co-Author, Making Schools Work: Bringing the Science of Learning to Joyful Classroom Practice (2022), “Active Learning: “Hands-on” Meets “Minds-on” (2021, Science), “Play Could Help Reduce ‘COVID-19’ Slump in Learning” (2020, Child & Family Blog), “Cognitive Behavioral Science Behind the Value of Play: Leveraging Everyday Experiences to Promote Play, Learning, and Positive Interactions” (2020, Journal of Infant, Child, and Adolescent Psychotherapy), Becoming Brilliant (2016), Play = Learning (2009), and A Mandate for Playful Learning in Preschool (2008)

A New Path to Education Reform: Playful Learning Reduces COVID Slide and Promote Learning in School and Beyond    More Info

Roberta Michnick Golinkoff, PhD

Unidel H. Rodney Sharp Chair and Professor, School of Education; Joint Appointments in the Departments of Psychological and Brain Sciences, and Linguistics and Cognitive Science, University of Delaware; Co-Director, Child's Play, Learning, and Development Laboratory; Co-Author, Making Schools Work: Bringing the Science of Learning to Joyful Classroom Practice (2022), "Active Learning: 'Hands-on' Meets 'Minds-on'" (2021, Science), “Brain Science and Guided Play” (2019, Serious Fun: How Guided Play Extends Learning), Becoming Brilliant (2016), Play = Learning (2009), and A Mandate for Playful Learning in Preschool (2008)

The Science of Active Learning (Online and in School)    More Info

Stephen M. Kosslyn, PhD

Cognitive Scientist; President of Active Learning Sciences; President and Chief Academic Officer of Foundry College; Founding Dean, Minerva Schools at the Keck Graduate Institute, Claremont Colleges; Former Director, Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University; Author, Active Learning Online: Five Principles that Make Online Courses Come Alive (2020), Building the Intentional University (2017), Top Brain, Bottom Brain (2013), and Wet Mind: The New Cognitive Neuroscience (2010)

Empowering Minds: Promoting Risk-Taking, Collaboration, Active Learning, and the Revolutionary Changes Our Schools Need    More Info

Derek L. McCoy, MEd

Principal/Lead Learner, Havelock Middle School, Craven County Schools; Named the 2014 “National Digital Principal” by the National Association of Secondary School Principals; Recognized as a “Top 25 NC Educators to Follow” and “30 Edu-Tweeters To Follow”; Co-Author, The Revolution: It’s Time to Empower Change in Our Schools (2019); Contributing Author, 10 Perspectives on Learning in Education (2020)

4) ACTIVE MINDS: PROMOTING PLAYFUL, ACTIVE, & COLLABORATIVE LEARNING

Helping Kids Teach Themselves    More Info

Daniel T. Willingham, PhD

Professor, Department of Psychology, University of Virginia; Member, National Board for Education Sciences; Writer, “Ask the Cognitive Scientist” Column, American Educator; Author, Outsmart Your Brain: Why Learning Is Hard and How You Can Make It Easy (2023), Why Don’t Students Like School? (2021, 2nd Edition), “A Mental Model of the Learner: Teaching the Basic Science of Educational Psychology to Future Teachers” (2017, Mind, Brain, & Education), The Reading Mind: A Cognitive Approach to Understanding How the Mind Reads (2017), and Raising Kids Who Read: What Parents and Teachers Can Do (2015)

The Science of Autonomy: Supporting Student Motivation and Wellbeing by Focusing on Autonomy    More Info

Erika A. Patall, PhD

Associate Professor of Education and Psychology; Supervisor, Motivation and Education Research Group, Rossier School of Education, University of Southern California; Associate Editor, Journal of Personality; Co-Author, “Facilitation Student Outcomes by Supporting Autonomy: Implications for Practice and Policy” (2019, Policy Insights from the Behavioral and Brain Sciences) and “Agency and High School Science Students’ Motivation, Engagement, and Classroom Support Experiences” (2019, Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology)

Quit Point During Coronavirus: Insights into Apathy, Engagement, and Motivation in the Classroom and Virtual Environment    More Info

Adam Chamberlin, MEd

Co-Founder, Pomme LLC; Social Studies Teacher, Franklin Heights High School; Co-Author, Quit Point: Understanding Apathy, Engagement, and Motivation in the Classroom (2018)

Quit Point During Coronavirus: Insights into Apathy, Engagement, and Motivation in the Classroom and Virtual Environment    More Info

Svetoslav Matejic, MEd

Co-Founder, Pomme LLC; History Teacher, Franklin Heights High School; Co-Authors, Quit Point: Understanding Apathy, Engagement, and Motivation in the Classroom (2018)

Maximize Learning: Engaging ALL Learners at a Distance    More Info

John T. Almarode, PhD

Professor of Education, James Madison University; Co-Editor, Teacher Educator Journal; Co-Author, The Mathematics Playbook (2024), The Teacher Clarity Playbook, Grades K-12 (2024), The Early Childhood Education Playbook (2022), How Tutoring Works: Six Steps to Grow Motivation and Accelerate Student Learning (2021), How Learning Works (2021), Clarity for Learning (2018), From Snorkelers to Scuba Divers: Making the Elementary Science Classroom a Place of Engagement and Deep Learning (2017), Visible Learning for Science (2017), and Captivate, Activate, and Invigorate the Student Brain in Science and Math, Grades 6–12 (2013)

5) ASSESSING & TEACHING MINDS ONLINE: USING TECHNOLOGY, FEEDBACK, & FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT

Applying the Science of Learning to Online Instruction    More Info

Richard E. Mayer, PhD

Distinguished Professor of Psychology, University of California, Santa Barbara; Author, Multimedia Learning (2020, 3rd Edition), “Thirty Years of Research on Online Learning” (2019, Applied Cognitive Psychology), and Applying the Science of Learning (2011); Co-Author, Handbook of Game-Based Learning (2020), Handbook of Research on Learning and Instruction (2017, 2nd Edition), and e-Learning and the Science of Instruction (2016, 4th Edition)

The Distance Learning Playbook: Improving Engagement and Assessment in Any Setting (K-12)    More Info

Douglas B. Fisher, PhD

Chair, Department of Educational Leadership, San Diego State University; Classroom Teacher, Health Sciences High and Middle College; Co-Author, The Artificial Intelligence Playbook (2024), Welcome to Teaching (2024), Belonging in School (2024), The Vocabulary Playbook: Learning Words That Matter (2023), Confronting the Crisis of Engagement: Creating Focus and Resilience for Students, Staff, and Communities (2022), The Social-Emotional Learning Playbook (2022), The Restorative Practices Playbook: Tools for Transforming Discipline in Schools (2022), and Removing Labels: 40 Techniques to Disrupt Negative Expectations About Students and Schools (2021)

Embedding Formative Assessments in Schools: Using Strategies That Drive Student Motivation, Self-Regulation, and Learning    More Info

Dylan A. R. Wiliam, PhD

Professor Emeritus of Educational Assessment, Institute of Education, University of London; Former Dean and Head of the School of Education, King’s College London; One of the World’s Leading Authorities on Formative Assessments; Author, Creating the Schools Our Children Need (2018), Embedded Formative Assessment: Strategies for Classroom Assessment That Drives Student Engagement and Learning (2017, 2nd Edition), Leadership to Teacher Learning (2016), and “The Secret of Effective Feedback” (2016, Educational Leadership)

The Future of Technology and Assessment in Schools    More Info

Daisy Christodoulou, MA

Director of Education at No More Marking, an online engine which aims to help teachers with comparative-judgment assessment of school work; Former Head of Assessment at Ark Schools, a group of academy schools in the UK; Named in 2017 as one of “The 20 Most Influential Figures in British Education"; Author, Teachers vs Tech: The Case for an Ed Tech Revolution (2020), Making Good Progress: The Future of Assessment for Learning (2017), Seven Myths About Education (2014), and “Minding the Knowledge Gap: The Importance of Content in Student Learning” (2014, American Educator)

Empowered at a Distance: Building Student Ownership and Self-Direction into Remote and Hybrid Classrooms    More Info

John T. Spencer, EdD

Assistant Professor of Education, George Fox University; Technology Specialist; Former 6-8th Grade Teacher; Co-Founder/ Tech Developer, “Write About”; Author, The A.I. Roadmap (2023) and Vintage Innovation: Leveraging Retro Tools and Classic Ideas to Design Deeper Learning Experiences (2019); Co-Author, New Teacher Mindset (2024), Empower: What Happens When Students Own Their Learning (2017), and LAUNCH: Using Design Thinking to Boost Creativity and Bring Out the Maker in Every Student (2016)

Teaching Math at a Distance    More Info

Theresa E. Wills, PhD

Assistant Professor of Mathematics Education, College of Education and Human Development, George Mason University; who has taught synchronous online classes since 2010; Author, Teaching Math at a Distance, Grades K-12: A Practical Guide to Rich Remote Instruction (2020)

Co-Sponsors Include:

Mind, Brain, and Education Program, Harvard Graduate School of Education

Integrated Learning Initiative, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Laboratory for Learning Engineering & Neural Systems (brainLENS), University of Connecticut and University of California, San Franscisco

The Greater Good Science Center, University of California, Berkeley

The Neuro-Educational Initiative, Johns Hopkins University Graduate School of Education

LEARNING & the BRAIN® Foundation