Applying Cognitive Psychology to the Classroom
In the not too distant past, on Edutwitter, there was a discussion of ResearchEd. Of course, like all things education, there were supporters and detractors. One particular thread centered on the topic of researchers versus curators in the world of education. In my best estimation, researchers were defined as those actually conducting the studies...pretty straight... Continue Reading →
Today, on twitter, I found myself reading through a somewhat comical conversation among a few edu-twitterers/teachers/researchers concerning the compiling of education research: Tom Sherrington (@teacherhead) made a comment that these compilations must help because most teachers would not be able to search for this information via researcher’s names. I agreed and commented that most teachers... Continue Reading →
In one of your latest articles, “4 Things We Don’t Know About AP Tests”, you discuss some of the unknowns of AP classes; citing there has been little independent research on the subject due mainly to the difficulty in conducting the research successfully. You then follow with 4 important questions the experts still don’t know... Continue Reading →
*The following letter was written to one of my AP Government classes a few years ago. A few edits have been made to remove any comments specific to the class. Feel free to pass this along to anyone you see fit. Hey guys/gals, You are awesome and I want you to know that. You are... Continue Reading →
I promise, I was out of my desk to pick up someone’s pencil that fell off their desk. There I was, walking the fine line of detention in Mrs. Andrews’ 12th grade Government/Economics class. You see, Mrs. Andrews was very strict, but very fair. She had one rule everyone had to follow or suffer the... Continue Reading →
Let me put all the cards out on the table: I am a big believer in using researched/proven learning strategies to improve retention of classroom material. I have applied strategies in my high school Advanced Placement Psychology classes and seen notable improvements in three areas: Test scores Study habits Student’s understanding of their learning Improvement... Continue Reading →
We’re covering developmental psychology in class...you know, from womb to tomb. When introducing the unit, I pose the following questions to the class: What is the best age? When is life at its best? When does one live the “time of their life”? A few students choose years during toddlerhood due to the fact that... Continue Reading →
I’m not going to lower the standard. You will be expected to finish everything your classmates complete; with the same deadlines and with the same grading scale. When they’re graded for collaborative work, you’ll be expected to work within your group and complete that material, too. The culminating project at the end of the semester?... Continue Reading →
Teacher A: Tell me about your class. Me: Well, I use mainly direct instruction and really focus on learning strategies to help students retain information. I immediately feel judged. As teaching methods go, I increasingly find myself in the minority. I’m “old-school”. My desks are in rows. For the most part, I lecture. There’s almost... Continue Reading →
Let me begin by saying that dual coding, or at least my initial understanding of this learning strategy, is completely foreign to me. I am the antithesis of creative. While others were playing with action figures and creating distant galaxies to be conquered in their mind, I was outside playing some sport. Add to this... Continue Reading →
One of the largest gaps in my students’ learning that I encounter regularly is a lack of study/learning skills. I am extremely fortunate to teach at a school that has high expectations for all and produces some amazing kids. About 90% of each graduating class attends a 2 or 4 year college/university every year with... Continue Reading →
As I begin a new semester, part of the unwritten curriculum that I attempt to instill in my students is learning strategies. So often, my Advanced Placement students graduate, attend college, and are quickly met with their inability to properly study. I believe they are great a memorization, and therefore coast through high school.... Continue Reading →
*The following article first appeared as a guest post on The Learning Scientists blog on January 3, 2017. As schools begin another term, some teachers will have new classes with new students; a fresh start and a blank canvas to create a masterpiece...or not. The first few days of class are key to establishing rapport with students and... Continue Reading →
One of the most important aspects of teaching is the relationships formed with the students. The saying “students don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care” certainly rings true. Even now, as I think back to the teachers who most impacted my life, I don’t think about a great lesson... Continue Reading →
Let me begin by apologizing. If you are a teacher of any other discipline, I’m sorry. By saying that psychology class is the best environment for learning, that isn’t saying that other disciplines’ environment isn’t great. Surely, a lot of courses contain many of the reasons listed below, but it is just my belief that... Continue Reading →
Much consideration has been given to the effects of blogging in education. Usually; though, the research considers blogging from the standpoint of the learner: How does blogging enhance a student’s learning environment? Does online interaction between students and/or teachers improve the student’s understanding and educational experience? While most of this research returns positive results, surprisingly... Continue Reading →
We all fight biases. Some are learned through interactions with peers and family; others are more intuitive and somewhat unknowingly cloud our judgement. At a minimum, biases have the ability to negatively affect our perception of others’ disposition and lead to false beliefs and judgement. Biases also shape the classroom. Expectations of teachers and... Continue Reading →
By Blake Harvard Blake Harvard is a high school AP Psychology teacher at James Clemens High School in Madison, AL. He earned his B. S. and M. Ed. from the University of Montevallo. Blake has a particular passion for cognitive psychology and its application in his classroom. You can find him on Twitter @coachharvard. *The following was... Continue Reading →
