Upgrade Your Teaching: Understanding by Design Meets Neuroscience

How can educators leverage neuroscience research about how the human brain learns? How can we use this information to improve curriculum, instruction, and assessment so our students achieve deep learning and understanding in all subject areas? Upgrade Your Teaching: Understanding by Design Meets Neuroscience answers these questions by merging insights from neuroscience with Understanding by Design (UbD), the framework used by thousands of educators to craft units of instruction and authentic assessments that emphasize understanding rather than recall.
Readers will learn

- How the brain processes incoming information and determines what is (or is not) retained as long-term memory;
- How brain science reveals factors that influence student motivation and willingness to put forth effort;
- How to fully engage all students through relevance and achievable challenge;
- How key components of UbD, including backward design, essential questions, and transfer tasks, are supported by research in neuroscience;
- Why specific kinds of teaching and assessment strategies are effective in helping students gain the knowledge, skills, and deep understanding they need to succeed in school and beyond; and
- How to create a brain-friendly classroom climate that supports lasting learning.
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