Pre-Cons
Hotel & Travel

TEACHING STUDENTS TO KNOW AND TO THINK FOR A COMPLEX WORLD

Students today face a world full of problems, falsehoods, and future careers that require critical thinking and expertise.

A Future of Jobs 2020 Report released by the World Economic Forum found that the need for critical thinking, analysis, and complex problem-solving are among the top sought after skills among employers over the next five years. Yet, many students lack these basic skills. A 2019 MindEdge Survey found that 74% of millennials and 69% of college students failed to pass a quiz on critical thinking skills.

A 2018 study by the MIT Sloan School found that falsehoods are 70% more likely to be retweeted on Twitter than truth. Yet studies show many children lack the basic skills needed to distinguish fact from fiction. A 2019 report  from the Stanford Higher Education Group found the majority of the 9-12th graders in the study lacked basic digital evaluation skills and two-thirds couldn’t tell the difference between real news stories and ads, while a 2019 study by Reboot Foundation revealed that over a third of middle schoolers say they “rarely” or “never” learn how to judge the reliability of media sources. However, learning science research shows these skills can be trained.

This conference will explore the science behind, and strategies for, building knowledge, critical thinking, and expertise. Discover how to hone students' reasoning skills; teach critical and complex thinking; improve reading and media literacy; develop metacognition, executive, math, and problem-solving skills; and gain knowledge about the important role of emotions, embodied cognition, and hand gestures for improving learning, memory, and thinking.

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter (@learningandtheb / #latb62) for conference updates and news.

This conference will be presented as a hybrid conference.  You can either attend in person in New York or participate virtually.  Click here for more details.

Click here for COVID-19 policies at the venue and for COVID-19 cancellation policies.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

The building blocks of knowledge in the brain
Strategies to teach students visible and critical thinking
Developing rationality and training reasoning abilities in class
Working memory, learning to learn, and knowledge acquisition
Promoting practice and expertise and developing expert learners
How emotions and embodied cognition improve thinking in the brain
Improving learning for all students with unlearning and UDL strategies
Teaching metacognition, executive function, and reflection skills
Learning media literacy and how to recognize facts vs. fiction
The knowledge gap, thinking, and reading comprehension

WHO SHOULD ATTEND

Educators, Parents
Curriculum, Staff Developers
Speech-Language Pathologists
PreK-12 Teachers, Administrators
Learning Specialists, Special Educators
Psychologists, School Psychologists, Counselors
Early Childhood Educators, Professionals
Reading, Math, Science, Technology Teachers
Superintendents, Principals, School Heads
Adolescent Educators, Clinicians, Counselors
Administrators, Deans, Curriculum Directors
Guidance, Career, College Counselors
College, University Professors

Featured Speakers

Rationality: What It Is, Why It Seems Scarce, and Why It Matters
Rationality: What It Is, Why It Seems Scarce, and Why It Matters
Steven A. Pinker, PhD
Cognitive Psychologist; Johnstone Family Professor, Department of Psychology, Harvard University; Author, When Everyone Knows That Everyone Knows . . .: Common Knowledge and the Mysteries of Money, Power, and Everyday Life (2025), Rationality: What It Is, Why It Seems Scarce, Why It Matters (2021), Enlightenment Now (2018), and The Stuff of Thought (2007)
The Story Paradox: How Stories Affect Our Brains, Bind Us Together, or Circumvent Rational Thought
The Story Paradox: How Stories Affect Our Brains, Bind Us Together, or Circumvent Rational Thought
Jonathan A. Gottschall, PhD
The Knowledge Gap: Why the Standard Approach to Reading Comprehension Conflicts With Cognitive Science
The Knowledge Gap: Why the Standard Approach to Reading Comprehension Conflicts With Cognitive Science
Natalie L. Wexler, JD
Education Writer; Senior Contributor, Forbes.com; Author, Beyond the Science of Reading: Connecting Literacy Instruction to the Science of Learning (2025), "Why So Many Kids Struggle to Learn: Teachers Continue to be Trained in Ways That Ignore the Findings of Cognitive Science" (2021, The American Scholar), “Building Knowledge: What an Elementary Curriculum Should Do” (2020, American Educator), The Knowledge Gap: The Hidden Cause of America's Broken Education System—And How to Fix It (2019); Co-Author, The Writing Revolution: A Guide to Advancing Thinking Through Writing in All Subjects and Grades (2017)
Transforming Education: Critical Thinking in a Media Age
Transforming Education: Critical Thinking in a Media Age
Daniel J. Levitin, PhD
Making Thinking Visible: A Look at Practice and Effect
Making Thinking Visible: A Look at Practice and Effect
Ronald E. Ritchhart, EdD
The Unlearning Cycle: Changing Teacher Mindsets to Create Expert Learners
The Unlearning Cycle: Changing Teacher Mindsets to Create Expert Learners
Katie R. Novak, EdD
Why Students Need to Outsmart Their Brains to Succeed at School
Why Students Need to Outsmart Their Brains to Succeed at School
Daniel T. Willingham, PhD
Professor, Department of Psychology, University of Virginia; Writer, “Ask the Cognitive Scientist” Column, American Educator; Author, Outsmart Your Brain: Why Learning Is Hard and How You Can Make It Easy (2023), Why Don’t Students Like School? (2021, 2nd Edition), "Harnessing Curiosity: Curate What You Can't Control" (2021, GettingSmart), and "Make Students More Curious" (2014, Knowledge Quest)
The Neurobiology of Learning to Learn: What We Think, We Become
The Neurobiology of Learning to Learn: What We Think, We Become
André A. Fenton, PhD

Director, Center for Neural Science; Professor of Neural Science, New York University; Founder, Director, Chairman of the Board, Bio-Signal Group Corp.; Co-Host of “NOVA Wonders” on PBS; Co-Author, “KIBRA Anchoring the Action of PKMζ Maintains the Persistence of Memory” (2024, Science Advances), “Aversive Experience Drives Offline Ensemble Reactivation to Link Memories Across Days” (2023, bioRxiv), “Children's Social Representations of Utopian Societies” (2022, Children & Society), “Cognitive Control Persistently Enhances Hippocampal Information Processing" (2021, Nature), and “Navigating Clues to Success in Academia” (2021, Neuron)

Solving the Frankenstein Problem: Why All Learning and Thinking Is Social, Emotional, Cultural, and Cognitive in the Brain
Solving the Frankenstein Problem: Why All Learning and Thinking Is Social, Emotional, Cultural, and Cognitive in the Brain
Mary Helen Immordino-Yang, EdD
Fahmy and Donna Attallah Professor of Humanistic Psychology; Professor of Education, Psychology, and Neuroscience, who pioneered novel approaches to the study of child and adolescent social-emotional and brain development; Founding Director, USC Center for Affective Neuroscience, Development, Learning, and Education (CANDLE), University of Southern California; Author, Emotions, Learning & the Brain (2015); Co-Author, “Diverse Adolescent Transcendent Thinking Predicts Young Adult Psychosocial Outcomes Via Brain Network Development” (2024, Scientific Reports), “The Brain Basis for Social-Emotional Learning Also Supports Academic Learning” (2021, UNESCO), and “The Brain Basis for Integrated Social, Emotional, and Academic Development” (2018, Aspen Institute)
Reflecting on Research: Being Curious, Skeptical, and Critical About Brain-Based Teaching Advice
Reflecting on Research: Being Curious, Skeptical, and Critical About Brain-Based Teaching Advice
Andrew C. Watson, MEd

Classroom Teacher; Founder/President of Translate the Brain, a professional development consultancy; Author, The Goldilocks Map: A Classroom Teacher’s Quest to Evaluate ‘Brain-Based’ Teaching Advice (2021), Learning Grows: The Science of Motivation for the Classroom Teacher (2019), and Learning Begins: A Teacher's Guide to the Learning Brain (2017); Blogger, Learning & the Brain Blog

THE SCIENCE OF BUILDING KNOWLEDGE: DEVELOPING EXPERT LEARNERS

The Neurobiology of Learning to Learn: What We Think, We Become
The Neurobiology of Learning to Learn: What We Think, We Become
André A. Fenton, PhD

Director, Center for Neural Science; Professor of Neural Science, New York University; Founder, Director, Chairman of the Board, Bio-Signal Group Corp.; Co-Host of “NOVA Wonders” on PBS; Co-Author, “KIBRA Anchoring the Action of PKMζ Maintains the Persistence of Memory” (2024, Science Advances), “Aversive Experience Drives Offline Ensemble Reactivation to Link Memories Across Days” (2023, bioRxiv), “Children's Social Representations of Utopian Societies” (2022, Children & Society), “Cognitive Control Persistently Enhances Hippocampal Information Processing" (2021, Nature), and “Navigating Clues to Success in Academia” (2021, Neuron)

The Unlearning Cycle: Changing Teacher Mindsets to Create Expert Learners
The Unlearning Cycle: Changing Teacher Mindsets to Create Expert Learners
Katie R. Novak, EdD
Why Students Need to Outsmart Their Brains to Succeed at School
Why Students Need to Outsmart Their Brains to Succeed at School
Daniel T. Willingham, PhD
Professor, Department of Psychology, University of Virginia; Writer, “Ask the Cognitive Scientist” Column, American Educator; Author, Outsmart Your Brain: Why Learning Is Hard and How You Can Make It Easy (2023), Why Don’t Students Like School? (2021, 2nd Edition), "Harnessing Curiosity: Curate What You Can't Control" (2021, GettingSmart), and "Make Students More Curious" (2014, Knowledge Quest)
Better Learning: The Myths and Major Principles of the Science of Learning
Better Learning: The Myths and Major Principles of the Science of Learning
Ulrich J. Boser, BA
The Building Blocks of Knowledge: a Neuroscience Guide to Enhance Learning
The Building Blocks of Knowledge: a Neuroscience Guide to Enhance Learning
Lila Davachi, PhD
Questioning for Learning: The Science of Curiosity and the Acquisition of Knowledge
Questioning for Learning: The Science of Curiosity and the Acquisition of Knowledge
Lindsay Portnoy, PhD

Cognitive Scientist; Associate Teaching Professor in the Curriculum, Teaching, Learning, and Leadership, Doctor of Education Program, Northeastern University; Former Teacher; Co-Founder of Immersive Science Learning Company, Killer Snails; Author, “An Opportunity for an Improved Post-Pandemic Education” (2021, Age of Awareness), Game On? Brain On! The Surprising Relationship Between Play and Gray (Matter) (2020) and Designed to Learn: Using Design Thinking to Bring Purpose and Passion to the Classroom (2019)

Building Knowledge Through Stories, Puzzles, and Open Inquiry in the History and Social Studies Classroom
Building Knowledge Through Stories, Puzzles, and Open Inquiry in the History and Social Studies Classroom
Jonathan Bassett, EdD
Building Knowledge Through Stories, Puzzles, and Open Inquiry in the History and Social Studies Classroom
Building Knowledge Through Stories, Puzzles, and Open Inquiry in the History and Social Studies Classroom
Gary Shiffman, PhD
Dive Into UDL: Immersive Practices to Develop Expert Learners
Dive Into UDL: Immersive Practices to Develop Expert Learners
Kendra Grant, MET, OCT, CDTP
Dive Into UDL: Immersive Practices to Develop Expert Learners
Dive Into UDL: Immersive Practices to Develop Expert Learners
Luis F. P??rez, PhD

THE SCIENCE OF THINKING: TEACHING REASONING & CRITICAL THINKING

Rationality: What It Is, Why It Seems Scarce, and Why It Matters
Rationality: What It Is, Why It Seems Scarce, and Why It Matters
Steven A. Pinker, PhD
Cognitive Psychologist; Johnstone Family Professor, Department of Psychology, Harvard University; Author, When Everyone Knows That Everyone Knows . . .: Common Knowledge and the Mysteries of Money, Power, and Everyday Life (2025), Rationality: What It Is, Why It Seems Scarce, Why It Matters (2021), Enlightenment Now (2018), and The Stuff of Thought (2007)
Making Thinking Visible: A Look at Practice and Effect
Making Thinking Visible: A Look at Practice and Effect
Ronald E. Ritchhart, EdD
How Does Reasoning Ability Support Schooling -- and Vice Versa?
How Does Reasoning Ability Support Schooling -- and Vice Versa?
Silvia A. Bunge, PhD
How Multiple Choice Questions Can Improve Critical Thinking
How Multiple Choice Questions Can Improve Critical Thinking
Benjamin A. Motz, PhD
Why the Most Important Question a Teacher Can Ask is Often the One Left Unsaid
Why the Most Important Question a Teacher Can Ask is Often the One Left Unsaid
Jim Heal, EdLD

Professor of Evidence-Informed Education Leadership, Academica University of Applied Sciences, Amsterdam; Lecturer and Former Director of Practice at Research Schools International, Harvard Graduate School of Education; Former Director of Impact Academy, Deans for Impact; Leading Advocate for bridging the worlds of research and practice in education; Co-Author, Mental Models: How Understanding the Mind Can Transform the Way You Work and Learn (Forthcoming) and How Teaching Happens: Seminal Works in Teaching and Teacher Effectiveness and What They Mean in Practice (2022)

Untapped Levers: Using Educator-Centered Research and Development (R&D) to Build Executive Function Skills During Math Learning
Untapped Levers: Using Educator-Centered Research and Development (R&D) to Build Executive Function Skills During Math Learning
Melina R. Uncapher, PhD
There Is No Learning Without Thinking
There Is No Learning Without Thinking
Derek A. Cabrera, PhD
There Is No Learning Without Thinking
There Is No Learning Without Thinking
Laura Cabrera, PhD

EMBODIED THOUGHT: HOW EMOTIONS & GESTURES HELP THINKING

Solving the Frankenstein Problem: Why All Learning and Thinking Is Social, Emotional, Cultural, and Cognitive in the Brain
Solving the Frankenstein Problem: Why All Learning and Thinking Is Social, Emotional, Cultural, and Cognitive in the Brain
Mary Helen Immordino-Yang, EdD
Fahmy and Donna Attallah Professor of Humanistic Psychology; Professor of Education, Psychology, and Neuroscience, who pioneered novel approaches to the study of child and adolescent social-emotional and brain development; Founding Director, USC Center for Affective Neuroscience, Development, Learning, and Education (CANDLE), University of Southern California; Author, Emotions, Learning & the Brain (2015); Co-Author, “Diverse Adolescent Transcendent Thinking Predicts Young Adult Psychosocial Outcomes Via Brain Network Development” (2024, Scientific Reports), “The Brain Basis for Social-Emotional Learning Also Supports Academic Learning” (2021, UNESCO), and “The Brain Basis for Integrated Social, Emotional, and Academic Development” (2018, Aspen Institute)
Embodied Minds and Memory: How The Arts, Movement, and Dance Help Students Retain Science Knowledge and Content
Embodied Minds and Memory: How The Arts, Movement, and Dance Help Students Retain Science Knowledge and Content
Mariale M. Hardiman, EdD
Co-Founder and Director, Neuro-Education Initiative; Professor, School of Education, Johns Hopkins University; Author, Brain-Targeted Teaching: A Framework for Joyful Teaching and Leading (2025) and Connecting Brain Research With Effective Teaching: The Brain-Targeted Teaching Model (2003), “The Arts, Creativity, and Learning: From Research to Practice” (2019, Mobile Brain-Body Imaging and the Neuroscience of Art, Innovation and Creativity), and “The Effects of Arts-Integrated Instruction on Memory for Science Content” (2019, Trends in Neuroscience and Education)
The Wisdom of the Body: Creating a Movement in Education With Embodied Cognition to Alter Ways Students Think, Learn, and Behave
The Wisdom of the Body: Creating a Movement in Education With Embodied Cognition to Alter Ways Students Think, Learn, and Behave
Erik Shonstrom, MFA

Assistant Professor, Champlain College; Author, The Wisdom of the Body: What Embodied Cognition Can Teach Us About Learning, Human Development, and Ourselves (2020), The Indoor Epidemic (2017), Wild Curiosity: How to Unleash Creativity and Encourage Lifelong Wondering (2015), and “How Can Teachers Foster Curiosity?” (2014, Education Week)

Embodied Understanding: How Our Hands Help Us Learn, Think, and Communicate
Embodied Understanding: How Our Hands Help Us Learn, Think, and Communicate
Susan Wagner Cook, PhD
Healthy Teachers, Happy Classrooms: Connecting Stress, Mind, and Body to Better Teaching and Learning
Healthy Teachers, Happy Classrooms: Connecting Stress, Mind, and Body to Better Teaching and Learning
Marcia L. Tate, EdD

Chief Executive Officer, Developing Minds, Inc.; Former Executive Director of Professional Development, DeKalb County School System; Author, Formative Assessment in a Brain-Compatible Classroom: How Do We Really Know They're Learning? (2024, Updated Edition), Healthy Teachers, Happy Classrooms (2022), Preparing Children for Success in School and Life (2022, 2nd Edition), and 100 Brain-Friendly Lessons for Unforgettable Teaching and Learning - K-8 (2019); Editor, Engaging the Brain: 20 Unforgettable Strategies for Growing Dendrites and Accelerating Learning (2024)

The Extended Mind: The Power of Thinking Outside the Brain
The Extended Mind: The Power of Thinking Outside the Brain
Annie Murphy Paul, MS

Journalist; Writer; Fellow, Learning Sciences Exchange, New America, and The Jacobs Foundation; Served as Senior Advisor at the Poorvu Center for Teaching and Learning, Yale University; Awarded the Mental Health Journalism’s “Rosalynn Carter Fellowship”; Author, The Extended Mind: The Power of Thinking Outside the Brain (2021), "42 Ways to Boost Learning By Applying Our Bodies, Surroundings, and Relationships" (2021, MindShift), Origins (2011), and The Cult of Personality Testing (2005)

KNOWING WORDS, STORIES, & FACTS: TEACHING READING & MEDIA LITERACY

The Story Paradox: How Stories Affect Our Brains, Bind Us Together, or Circumvent Rational Thought
The Story Paradox: How Stories Affect Our Brains, Bind Us Together, or Circumvent Rational Thought
Jonathan A. Gottschall, PhD
The Knowledge Gap: Why the Standard Approach to Reading Comprehension Conflicts With Cognitive Science
The Knowledge Gap: Why the Standard Approach to Reading Comprehension Conflicts With Cognitive Science
Natalie L. Wexler, JD
Education Writer; Senior Contributor, Forbes.com; Author, Beyond the Science of Reading: Connecting Literacy Instruction to the Science of Learning (2025), "Why So Many Kids Struggle to Learn: Teachers Continue to be Trained in Ways That Ignore the Findings of Cognitive Science" (2021, The American Scholar), “Building Knowledge: What an Elementary Curriculum Should Do” (2020, American Educator), The Knowledge Gap: The Hidden Cause of America's Broken Education System—And How to Fix It (2019); Co-Author, The Writing Revolution: A Guide to Advancing Thinking Through Writing in All Subjects and Grades (2017)
Transforming Education: Critical Thinking in a Media Age
Transforming Education: Critical Thinking in a Media Age
Daniel J. Levitin, PhD
From Cortex to Classroom: Refining Professional Knowledge to Build Capacity in Reading Instruction
From Cortex to Classroom: Refining Professional Knowledge to Build Capacity in Reading Instruction
Carolyn H. Strom, PhD

Clinical Professor of Early Childhood Literacy, School of Culture, Education, and Human Development, New York University; Recipient of NYU Steinhardt's 2023 "Teaching Excellence" Award; Named one of “67 Influential Educators Who Are Changing the Way We Learn” by Noodle Education; Reading Researcher whose work has been published in The Reading Teacher, The Reading League Journal, and the Handbook of Learning Disabilities; Co-Author, “Seizing the Sounds: Considering Phonological Awareness in the Context of Vocabulary Instruction” (2016, Interventions in Learning Disabilities)

The Science of Reading: A Whirlwind Tour
The Science of Reading: A Whirlwind Tour
Daniel T. Willingham, PhD
Professor, Department of Psychology, University of Virginia; Writer, “Ask the Cognitive Scientist” Column, American Educator; Author, Outsmart Your Brain: Why Learning Is Hard and How You Can Make It Easy (2023), Why Don’t Students Like School? (2021, 2nd Edition), "Harnessing Curiosity: Curate What You Can't Control" (2021, GettingSmart), and "Make Students More Curious" (2014, Knowledge Quest)
Teaching Students to Decode the World: Media Literacy and Critical Thinking Across the Curriculum
Teaching Students to Decode the World: Media Literacy and Critical Thinking Across the Curriculum
Cynthia L. Scheibe, PhD
Teaching Students to Decode the World: Media Literacy and Critical Thinking Across the Curriculum
Teaching Students to Decode the World: Media Literacy and Critical Thinking Across the Curriculum
Chris Sperry, MEd

REFLECTIVE MINDS: USING EXECUTIVE & METACOGNITION SKILLS

Reflecting on Research: Being Curious, Skeptical, and Critical About Brain-Based Teaching Advice
Reflecting on Research: Being Curious, Skeptical, and Critical About Brain-Based Teaching Advice
Andrew C. Watson, MEd

Classroom Teacher; Founder/President of Translate the Brain, a professional development consultancy; Author, The Goldilocks Map: A Classroom Teacher’s Quest to Evaluate ‘Brain-Based’ Teaching Advice (2021), Learning Grows: The Science of Motivation for the Classroom Teacher (2019), and Learning Begins: A Teacher's Guide to the Learning Brain (2017); Blogger, Learning & the Brain Blog

Metacognition, Reflection, and Curiosity
Metacognition, Reflection, and Curiosity
Janet Metcalfe, PhD
Executive Function and Dysfunction: Understanding and Developing the Brain's Command and Control System
Executive Function and Dysfunction: Understanding and Developing the Brain's Command and Control System
William R. Stixrud, PhD

Clinical Neuropsychologist, Founder, The Stixrud Group; Faculty Member, Children’s National Medical Center; Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Pediatrics, George Washington University,  whose work has been featured in media outlets such as NPR, CNN, MSNBC, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Times of London, The Wall Street Journal, U.S. News and World Report, Time Magazine, Scientific American, Business Week, Barron's, New York Magazine, and Vogue; Co-Author, What Do You Say?: How to Talk With Kids to Build Motivation, Stress Tolerance, and a Happy Home (2021), The Self-Driven Child (2019), and The Thriving Child: The Science Behind Reducing Stress and Nurturing Independence (2018)

The Metacognitive Students: Teaching Emotionally Thriving Thinkers in Every Content Area
The Metacognitive Students: Teaching Emotionally Thriving Thinkers in Every Content Area
Richard K. Cohen, MA
Metacognition: The Neglected Skill Set for Empowering Students
Metacognition: The Neglected Skill Set for Empowering Students
Robin J. Fogarty, PhD
Metacognition: The Neglected Skill Set for Empowering Students
Metacognition: The Neglected Skill Set for Empowering Students
Brian M. Pete, MA
Think Smart: Mindsets, Metacognition, and Intelligence
Think Smart: Mindsets, Metacognition, and Intelligence
Kathleen M. Kryza, MA

Master Teacher; CIO, Infinite Horizons; Co-Author, Transformative Teaching: Changing Today's Classrooms Culturally, Academically, and Emotionally (2015), Developing Growth Mindsets in the Inspiring Classroom (2011), Inspiring Elementary Learners (2008), Inspiring Middle and Secondary Learners (2007), and Differentiation for Real Classrooms (2009)

Think Smart: Mindsets, Metacognition, and Intelligence
Think Smart: Mindsets, Metacognition, and Intelligence
Jack A. Naglieri, PhD

Newsletter & Event Emails

Left Line
Logo
Right Line

© 2010-2025 Educator Resources, Inc. Teacher Conferences. All Rights Reserved.