9 Tactics for Rapid Learning (That Most People Have Never Heard Of)
Whenever the subject of why some people learn faster comes up, I get a whole host of common answers: Some people are just naturally smart. (Often implying you can’t improve)Everyone is “smart” in their own way. (Nonsense, research indicates different “intelligences” often correlate)IQ is all in the genes. (Except IQ changes with age and IQ tests can be studied for, like any other test)
Noam Chomsky on the Purpose of Education
by Maria Popova On the value of cultivating the capacity to seek the significant. In this talk based on his presentation at the Learning Without Frontiers conference in January, philosopher, linguist, and cognitive scientist Noam Chomsky — easily one of our time’s sharpest thinkers — discusses the purpose of education. Despite the slow pace and the cheesy AfterEffects animated typography, the video is a treasure trove of insight on everything from the role of technology to the pitfalls of policy. On the industrialization of education, echoing Sir Ken Robinson’s admonition about its effects on creativity:
101 Tips on How to Become More Creative
36Share Synopsis Tips to change your usual mental thinking patterns. 1.
As We May Think: A 1945 Essay on Information Overload, "Curation," and Open-Access Science
by Maria Popova “There is a new profession of trail blazers, those who find delight in the task of establishing useful trails through the enormous mass of the common record.” Tim O’Reilly recently admonished that unless we embrace open access over copyright, we’ll never get science policy right.
The Ascent of Money: A PBS Financial History of the World
by Maria Popova Renaissance royalty, Oriental math, and why financial history is the essential backstory behind all history. Among yesterday’s selection of 5 must-read books by this year’s newly announced TED Global speakers was The Ascent of Money: A Financial History of the World by Harvard historian Niall Ferguson.
Johns Hopkins University: New Horizons for Learning
Welcome to New Horizons for Learning - a leading web resource for identifying and communicating successful strategies for educational practice. The Johns Hopkins School of Education does not vet or endorse any information contained on the New Horizons website. Information posted on New Horizons prior to January 1, 2014 can be repurposed as long as the repurposing party provides attribution to the original author of the material being used.
7 Characteristics Of Future Learning
Reading, in terms of scale and diversity, is different than it used to be. Thinking, in terms of context and application, is also different. It makes since that learning is also changing–becoming more entrepreneurial than directly didactic. That is, more learner-centered and controlled than teacher-and-report-card controlled. The presentation below by Steven Wheeler explores some of the shifts occurring in our digital age. Clarifying the differences between knowledge, wisdom, and critical awareness was an excellent way to frame the presentation.
Richard Branson on the Art of Brainstorming
Q: Are there any techniques that could help me brainstorm? -- Kai Prout A: When I took part in attempts to set speed records for hot air ballooning across the oceans in the '80s and '90s, we got into some sticky situations.
Universe Grows Like A Brain
The universe may grow like a giant brain, according to a new computer simulation. The results, published Nov.16 in the journal Nature's Scientific Reports, suggest that some undiscovered, fundamental laws may govern the growth of systems large and small, from the electrical firing between brain cells and growth of social networks to the expansion of galaxies. "Natural growth dynamics are the same for different real networks, like the Internet or the brain or social networks," said study co-author Dmitri Krioukov, a physicist at the University of California San Diego. The new study suggests a single fundamental law of nature may govern these networks, said physicist Kevin Bassler of the University of Houston, who was not involved in the study. [What's That?
Your brain on multitasking
« What's in your wake? | Main | My First ETech Comments » Your brain on multitasking If you're a programmer, you know that context-switching in a multi-threaded system isn't 100% free. There's overhead with tiny bits of time lost on each switch, as a new thread takes control. Well, it's the same way with your brain.
Future of learning: obsolescence of knowledge, return to real teaching
The future of learning is far more than new devices, digital content and online classrooms. It means potentially rewritten relationships between students and information, teachers and instruction, and schools and society. In a short documentary released Tuesday, telecom giant Ericsson pulls together observations from leading voices in education technology and entrepreneurship to give a high-level snapshot of what the future of education could look like and how technology is leading it there. The 20-minute film, called the Future of Learning, which is part of the company’s ongoing Networked Society project, is particularly timely given the momentum behind online education platforms like Khan Academy and Coursera, adaptive learning technology from Knewton and the transition to digital textbooks. It includes commentary from Knewton founder and CEO Jose Ferreira and Coursera cofounder Daphne Koller explaining how their startups are shaping the new world of education.
The Eight Pillars of Innovation
The greatest innovations are the ones we take for granted, like light bulbs, refrigeration and penicillin. But in a world where the miraculous very quickly becomes common-place, how can a company, especially one as big as Google, maintain a spirit of innovation year after year? Nurturing a culture that allows for innovation is the key. As we’ve grown to over 26,000 employees in more than 60 offices, we’ve worked hard to maintain the unique spirit that characterized Google way back when I joined as employee #16. At that time I was Head of Marketing (a group of one), and over the past decade I’ve been lucky enough to work on a wide range of products.
Last Week At Science-Based Medicine
Here is a recap of the stories that appeared last week at Science-Based Medicine, a multi-author skeptical blog that separates the science from the woo in medicine. NIH funds training in behavioral intervention to slow progression of cancer by improving the immune system (James Coyne) The NIH is funding training in psychoneuroimmunological interventions for cancer, questionable treatments based on flawed studies. This highlights the pseudoscience and heavy-handed politics in this field. There is no credible evidence that any psychosocial intervention reduces risk of cancer recurrence or improves survival. Andrew Weil/AAFP Article Rejected by Slate (Harriet Hall) Slate magazine asked Dr.
