Former teacher and experienced teacher educator, Sarah Cottingham, discusses Ausubel's Meaningful Learning theory and how it impacts the learning process. The conversation covers the development of rich bodies of knowledge, the importance of connecting new knowledge to prior concepts, facilitating transfer in education, assimilation in learning, progressive differentiation in teaching, anchoring knowledge, engaging students through personal connections, understanding advanced organizers and knowledge organizers, checking for meaning in education, cognitive drive and meaningful learning strategies, and the significance of creating meaningful learning experiences.

Sarah Cottingham discusses effective teacher professional development and retrieval practice. Topics include the superiority of retrieval practice for long-term retention, implementing it in schools, subject-specific coaching, teaching internal logic, the evolution of retrieval practice, and the importance of a 'learning-first' approach in education.

Sarah Cottingham joins the podcast to discuss how David Ausubel's work impacts teaching, learning, and curriculum design. They explore meaningful learning, cognitive psychology in math teaching, and enhancing understanding through cognitive assessment and retrieval practice. The discussion emphasizes prioritizing comprehension over memorization and engaging with structured teaching strategies.