Learning Forward
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How understanding the brain improves educator learning
By Margaret Lee
Categories: Learning designs, ResearchFebruary 2025
Over the last 30 years, advances in cognitive science have allowed us to know more than ever before about how the brain encodes new information, connects it to what is already known, and makes it “stick” through durable storage in long-term memory. As of yet, much of this information hasn’t made its way into the daily life of schools and educators. But proponents of the applied science of learning seek to change that. The applied science of learning refers to the cognitive science principles that can be reasonably and successfully enacted in educational practice and used to improve teaching and student outcomes. Professional learning is one of many areas where the applied science of learning can have a meaningful effect. When educators engage in professional
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Margaret (Meg) Lee, a public school educator for more than 25 years, is a forerunner in implementing evidence-informed practice in schools and districts. She directs professional learning and induction in a Maryland district, is a core teacher for learning science and advisor for professional learning at Academica University of Applied Sciences in Amsterdam, is the author of Mindsets for Parents: Strategies to Encourage Growth Mindsets in Kids (2nd ed.), and consults with districts focused on elevating practice through learning science.
Categories: Learning designs, Research
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