Do I Have Your Attention? Understanding Memory Constraints and Maximizing Learning

""Memory is often discussed by scientists in a way that turns a fascinating subject into dry prose. However, Harvard brings these ideas to life, continually returning to the question: Do I have your attention? He explores different forms of memory, the power of sensing, attending, and rehearsing, and identifies various chokepoints, such as the pitfalls of multitasking. He also reveals how students often fail to choose the most effective study methods. The most exciting part comes with his discussion on maximizing learning, where he details numerous effective techniques, providing practical advice and examples, all rooted in his teaching experiences. A powerful, beautifully written overview of what really matters to develop student learning."" - John Hattie, Emeritus Laureate Professor, and author of the Visible Learning series ""Human cognition is complex. Applying our knowledge of human cognition to instructional procedures is more complex. Explaining it in an intelligible fashion is herculean. Blake Harvard has brilliantly accomplished this explanatory task. I recommend this book to all engaged in the teaching profession."" - John Sweller, Emeritus Professor of Educational Psychology, and Father of Cognitive Load Theory ""Brimming with classroom-ready techniques grounded in cognitive research, every educator will find multiple ideas in this marvelous little volume that will improve their practice and deepen their insights into their students."" - Daniel T. Willingham, Professor of Psychology, and author of Why Don’t Students Like School? ""I am pretty picky when it comes to teacher books purporting to represent cognitive science. In this book, Blake Harvard leaps above the pack of books on this topic and comes out as among the best books I've encountered. I've long desired a book-length treatment of Dr. Stephen Chew's ""pitfalls and chokepoints"" diagram, and that's just what Blake has provided here. As a teacher and a thinker, I can't recommend the book, or Blake's blog, enough."" - Dave Stuart Jr., author of The Will to Learn: How to Cultivate Student Motivation without Losing Our Own ""Over the last few years, a revolution has been taking place in classrooms, where the science behind learning, motivation, focus and memory has crept into the classroom, displacing the mysticism and superstition that previously dominated. But this hasn’t happened by accident- it takes the hard work of thoughtful, practical people who understand the need to translate theory into practice, and research into reality. One of the best voices who practise this bilingualism is Blake Harvard, one of a new wave of authors who have made evidence-informed education something that hard-working teachers and leaders can understand, and crucially, implement. This book is a superb addition to the modern canon of research-informed education, and I wish every teacher was familiar with its pages."" - Tom Bennett, founder of researchED