Learn Difficult Concepts with the ADEPT Method After a decade of writing explanations, I’ve simplified the strategy I use to get new concepts to click. Make explanations ADEPT: Use an Analogy, Diagram, Example, Plain-English description, and then a Technical description. Here’s how to teach yourself a difficult idea, or explain one to others. Analogy: What Else Is It Like? Most new concepts are variations, extensions, or combinations of what we already know. In our decades of life, we’ve encountered thousands of objects and experiences. Here’s an example: Imaginary numbers. Argh. Negative numbers were distrusted until the 1700s: How could you have less than nothing? Instead of just going East/West, we can go North/South too – or even spin around in a circle. Analogies are fuzzy, not 100% accurate, and yet astoundingly useful. Diagram: Engage That Half Of Your Brain We often think diagrams are a crutch if you aren’t macho enough to directly interpret the symbols. So, here’s a visualization: Example: Let Me Experience The Idea Nope. so Prof.
Study: When Human Consumption Slows, Planet Earth Can Heal Despite the oft-repeated claim that the recent decline in U.S. carbon emissions was due to the so-called 'fracking boom,' new research published Tuesday shows that it was the dramatic fall in consumption during the Great Recession that deserves credit for this drop. As nations grapple with the best strategy for decreasing carbon emissions ahead of the upcoming United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) negotiations in Paris, the report, published in the journal Nature Communications, underscores the need for communities to transition away from an economy based on endless growth and towards a more renewable energy system to stem the growing climate crisis. Between 2007 and 2013, the United States—second only to China for the title of world's top polluter—saw carbon emissions fall roughly 11 percent. What the researchers found was that 71 percent of the rise in carbon emissions from 1997 to 2007 was due to "economic growth."
Avoid These Bad Study Habits to Actually Retain Information in School Ignorant Schoolmaster - Studyplace From Studyplace Joseph Jacotot (1770-1840) Jacotot was a French instructor who taught subjects as far-ranging as French, literature, mathematics, ideology and law (p. 1). He had a profound realization one time when he had to teach a group of Flemish students French. Explication The conventional view of the teacher’s (or master’s, as Rancière calls it), is to “explicate”. Emancipation Rancière distinguishes between two human traits: intelligence and will. Ignorance Rancière argues that the “Socratic Method” is a perfected form of stultification, where the role of the Master is to interrogate (demand speech) and verify that intelligence is done with attention (p. 29). The ignorant schoolmaster does not verify what the student has found, only that the student has searched (p. 31). Intelligence Most people become stultified because they believe in their inferiority (p. 39). Will Intelligence has to do with attention while will has to do with the “power to be moved” (p. 54). Language
Do Teenage Entrepreneurs Even Need To Go To College? This post is part of Hire Education, an ongoing series in which ReadWrite examines technological innovation in education and how it's reshaping the approaches of universities and students as they adapt to a transforming economy. The democratization of technology wrought by the mobile Web and a proliferation of app stores has made it easier than ever to succeed as an entrepreneur—and at an earlier age than ever before. Which poses a tough question for some high-school students who've managed to strike it rich with a hit app: Do they really need to go to college at all? That's the conundrum facing Ryan Orbuch—a self-described “techie kid” who built a task management app called Finish with a friend when they wanted a way to organize their studies for high school final exams. Finish sells for 99 cents in Apple's App Store. The cherry on top? So now Orbuch has a company, some early success and entrepreneurial street cred. The Myth—And Reality—Of The Wunderkind Ryan Orbuch The lesson? Smit Patel
Beating the Forgetting Curve with Distributed Practice “If you read the research on how much people forget after training, it’s depressing. Do a search for the ‘Forgetting Curve’. Once we know something like this, we need to change our approach and educate others.”- Connie Malamed (The eLearning Coach)The above quote is from our interview with Connie Malamed. After our inspiring and thought-provoking interview with Connie Malamed, we were left wondering about the interesting human nature that is revealed with the ‘forgetting curve’, and its impact on learning design. We set out on a journey to explore and learn more about this phenomenon.Below are the questions we had in mind when we embarked on our journey: What is the ‘forgetting curve’? One of the most intriguing features of the human mind is that it is volatile in nature (just like the Random Access Memory (RAM) in a computer). These findings have great significance for learning professionals while developing learning interventions. Excerpts from Experts Infographics Presentations Articles
Growing Food For Survival In Small Places Just because you live in an apartment or a small house with minimal yard space doesn’t mean that you can’t grow your own food. For that matter, you may even be able to have a few animals. Chickens or a goat or two may be a possibility right in your own yard. The important things to growing food for survival in small places are organization and creativity. We’ve gathered some tips that may help! Use Non-GMO, Non-Hybrid Seeds GMO, or genetically modified organisms, are genetically fused into some seeds in order to make the plant more disease-resistant. You can order seeds that have been tested and are guaranteed to be non-GMO. Likewise, don’t use hybrid seeds; they aren’t stable. The problem, though, is that only the first generation will definitely have those traits so you can’t use the seeds from them to grow identical plants. Go with heirloom or open-pollinated, certified non-GMO seeds. Save Your Containers You’re going to need containers to plant your seeds and grow your plants in.
Teach For All Jacques Rancière - Professor of Philosophy Jacques Rancière (b. 1940 in Algiers) is Professor Emeritus at the Université de Paris (St. Denis). He first came to prominence under the tutelage of Louis Althusser when he co-authored with his mentor Reading Capital (1968). After the calamitous events of May 1968 however, he broke with Louis Althusser over his teacher's reluctance to allow for spontaneous resistance within the revolution. Jacques Rancière is known for his sometimes remote position in contemporary French thought; operating from the humble motto that the cobbler and the university dean are equally intelligent, Jacques Rancière has freely compared the works of such known luminaries as Plato, Aristotle, Gilles Deleuze and others with relatively unknown thinkers like Joseph Jacototy and Gabriel Gauny. For Jacques Rancière, the idea of equal intelligence shines a light on the status of political equality; ordinary people should have a presumption of intelligence, in the same way we offer a presumption of innocence.
Essay on MOOC platforms and the payoff for professors The confluence of technology and education is undoubtedly significant. As we navigate through intense change in education delivery and access, the road ahead can seem uncertain. In my role at Udemy, an online platform for teaching and learning, I work every day with a diverse group of individuals creating online courses. Online Learning Needs More Educators Whatever the reason, online education has reached a broader population, and I see many businesses and entrepreneurs taking advantage of online teaching for greater reach and additional revenue. Make no mistake, teaching online demands a willingness to try new things. Margaret Soltan, associate professor of English at George Washington University, teaches a MOOC on Udemy that extends her reach to thousands of students from around the world. A Newfound Freedom Online instructors can revel in a newfound ability to defy some of the most fundamental aspects of a typical classroom. Visible and Accessible Expertise Impact Learning Outcomes
The 27 Principles to Teaching Yourself Anything (aka The Self-Guided Education Manifesto + PDF download “I have never let my schooling interfere with my education.” —Mark Twain Note: This post is intentionally long. It’s meant to be our compass for learning the skills that matter in the world and throwing theory out the window. Read it. Save it. At the end of this post I’ve even provided two free PDF downloads to further guide you towards learning what matters (one is a list of over 30 of the best online resources for creating your own passion-filled curriculum). Enter the Unofficial Self-Guided Education Manifesto… Last week’s article on The Birth of Self-Guided Education caught like wildfire. When that happens, I know a topic deserves some respect. Many of last week’s comments blew my mind. Living Legends create their own education. The truth of the matter is every Living Legend (whether they dropped out of high school or got a couple PhD’s) took their education and their learning into their own hands. So without further ado… 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18.