Powerful Teaching: Unleash the Science of Learning

First, it is important to note that this is not an "end-all-be-all" book. As an educator new information and up-to-date ideas are always being thrown at you. This book reaffirms information that you as an educator probably already do, but in a different way (or a different name).I recently "saw" one of the authors during a virtual conference this summer. During this conference I really fell in love with the information that was being presented. I usually try to stay away from the "new fads" that come out because they; 1) come and go quickly 2) are not a long running application that you would stay accountable with using. This book is not that! This book is taking information that educators already know and looking at it in a different way. There are also personal stories, research, and many other studies identified within the reading.As an educator, after reading this book, I have come to the realization that there are things that I'm doing that I know are working. This book confirms that same things. There are ideas that I have used, that are mentioned under a different name. There are new strategies that I plan to incorporate within the new school year.Overall, its a great book to start with as a new educator or even a veteran. It's an easy read, informative, and somewhat conversations with personal stories. Don't buy this book thinking it will "solve everything" or "this is exactly what I'm going to do". I definitely will be adding this information to what I already do. As an individual that isn't fond of reading professional development books and more of a hands on/application individual. I approve of this and enjoyed it a lot.

This practical and easy to understand book is a must read for anyone interested in psychology, cognition, or effective pedagogy. Don't let "the science of..." scare you off- it's worth the $ and time.

The authors, one a classroom teacher and the other a cognitive scientist and college professor, present an easy-to-read yet thorough examination of four very powerful tools to help students learn: retrieval practice, interleaving, spacing, and feedback-driven metacognition. They provide summaries of research studies for each tool in a way that is understandable to the average reader, describe numerous ways in which the techniques can be used in a classroom setting, and provide reflections and anecdotes of how they have helped their students become engaged as they take ownership of their learning. They "practice as they preach" by putting in review questions throughout the book that employ all four tools. The reader will discover first-hand how effective these techniques are in developing long-lasting and durable memories.This book is not the first to delve into what cognitive psychology has to offer to education, but this is one of the best books I have read to really offer concrete pedagogical techniques that require little to no advanced planning or additional grading. The authors make a compelling and convincing case that the nominal additional time and energy devoted to using these techniques during instruction results in more material being learned *and* remembered over a longer timeframe.Many teacher training programs lack coverage of these useful techniques. The veteran teacher, who may be jaded by years of unfulfilling inservices and professional development programs, is often skeptical of "new" ways of teaching (though, ironically, the efficacy of these techniques have been known for decades). Such skeptics who are willing to read this book, however, should find something intriguing enough that they may want to try in a future lesson.I recommend this book unequivocally to anyone in teaching profession, from student teacher to seasoned educator, from vice-principal to superintendent, and from teaching assistant to emeritus professor. The approaches and strategies provide the potential for improved test scores and grades and a better attitude towards learning among students in schools that are seriously willing to make a paradigm shift in their instruction.

This book has been one of my go-to resources ever since I read it for the first time in 2019. I love how deep the research is and yet at the same time how simple and practical the tips are. And they work! My students have improved dramatically since I started incorporating the four Power Tools and the helpful little tips into my daily teaching.

Excelente libró, lástima que era de segunda mano, no tiene la cubierta que se ve en la imágen, aunque el interior está perfecto.

I direct the Center for Teaching & Learning at my college, and regularly employ books like Make it Stick (Brown & Roediger, 2014), Small Teaching (Lang, 2016), and How Humans Learn (Eyler, 2018). As is true in many institutions, many of my faculty lack essential pedagogical training, let alone a working understanding of cognitive psychology. This book is a wonderful bridge between those worlds, and I found it to be more precise and tangible than some of these others which cover a broader swath of the topic (not to take anything from the above books, which I love as well).Since the authors chose to unpack essentially 3 pieces (retrieval practice, interleaving, and feedback-driven metacognition), they are able to give them more space to breath and provide a multitude of strategies. As I also teach in our teacher-education program, i was excited to find a book that I could just as readily hand to one of my undergraduate students or a new faculty member - this doesn't happen very often.As for the negative review here, i'm a bit confused. Many empirical studies are cited, and the anecdotal citations are offered as a bonus. No claims are ever made that these anecdotes act as "proof" of some sort, which is what that reviewer claims as the downfall of the book. A bit sloppy to be honest.