Fun ways to learn important things. Don't laugh, that's how I learned the Preamble, in 8th grade.
The Preamble of the Constitution
How A Bill Becomes A Law
The Shot Heard Around the World- Revolutionary War
Conjunction Junction
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Get Anyone to Understand Anything (How to Teach)
2 Points to Explaining Anything Complex to someone:
(1) Before going into detail, give an overview. This helps people understand the context (what you're talking about and where you're going with the material) of your topic.
[Giving details without making sure the audience knows the concept is the equivalent to putting together a puzzle without first showing them what the picture looks like]
(2) Let the audience know that you expect them to grasp the material quickly and easily.
[Our expectations and that of other people play a key role in how we grasp information.]
(3!) Offering positive encouragement along the way. [I heard before that the most effective teachers, coaches, and leaders have an encouragement to critique ratio of 3 to 1; others have reported the ratio as high as 5 to 1.]
This information was taken from the Book Get Anyone to do Anything, by New York Times Best Selling Author Dr. David Lieberman. This is easily one of my top 5 favorite books of all time. It covers how to handle so many different situations. I would recommend it to anyone.
(1) Before going into detail, give an overview. This helps people understand the context (what you're talking about and where you're going with the material) of your topic.
[Giving details without making sure the audience knows the concept is the equivalent to putting together a puzzle without first showing them what the picture looks like]
(2) Let the audience know that you expect them to grasp the material quickly and easily.
[Our expectations and that of other people play a key role in how we grasp information.]
(3!) Offering positive encouragement along the way. [I heard before that the most effective teachers, coaches, and leaders have an encouragement to critique ratio of 3 to 1; others have reported the ratio as high as 5 to 1.]
This information was taken from the Book Get Anyone to do Anything, by New York Times Best Selling Author Dr. David Lieberman. This is easily one of my top 5 favorite books of all time. It covers how to handle so many different situations. I would recommend it to anyone.
Where To Sit In The Classroom
Where you sit in a classroom has a lot to do with your ability to pay attention. This becomes even more crucial as class size increases, which is very likely in college.
Visualize a capital T. That is where you are most likely to pay attention. In the front row, or front few rows. And if not, sit in the middle rows. You are more likely to pay attention while sitting in the middle of a room.
Also, visualize a capital U, which fits nicely around a capital T. People sitting in the "U" are more likely to be have their attention drift.
T = Attentive
U = Inattentive
Go into a large college lecture hall and scan the room looking at individuals in the T and U. You will see the people who are messing around in class and talking to friends usually sit in the U.
Forget about where your friends are sitting in class. You can walk with them to class and walk back from class with them. But while your in the classroom, you need to be there for yourself.
Remember, your classmates and your friends will eventually be competing with you for a job one day. Do what you need to do to learn your best.
If you are in a class with assigned seating, it may not be a bad idea to talk to your teacher in private one day and request to have you seat changed into a part of the T.
Visualize a capital T. That is where you are most likely to pay attention. In the front row, or front few rows. And if not, sit in the middle rows. You are more likely to pay attention while sitting in the middle of a room.
Also, visualize a capital U, which fits nicely around a capital T. People sitting in the "U" are more likely to be have their attention drift.
T = Attentive
U = Inattentive
Go into a large college lecture hall and scan the room looking at individuals in the T and U. You will see the people who are messing around in class and talking to friends usually sit in the U.
Forget about where your friends are sitting in class. You can walk with them to class and walk back from class with them. But while your in the classroom, you need to be there for yourself.
Remember, your classmates and your friends will eventually be competing with you for a job one day. Do what you need to do to learn your best.
If you are in a class with assigned seating, it may not be a bad idea to talk to your teacher in private one day and request to have you seat changed into a part of the T.
A Tip on Studying: Empty the Tank on the Right Things
Later in my academic career I realized I was studying inefficiently. After talking to many friends about this topic, I found that I was not alone in making this common mistake.
I would review the different chapters or notes as I studied, paying equal amounts of attention to all the material. This is a major mistake.
If you do not know all the material the same, then you should not study each piece of material for the same length of time. I would always find myself reading through the topic I knew that I already knew (almost as a sense of security, to remind myself that I do know some of the material).
However, comfort does not always equate with results. What's worse, I would take up so much mental energy reviewing the thing I already knew, when it came time to the material I did not already know, I had already depleted most of my focusing energy (and rationalizing to myself, this probably won't be on the test). Any student will tell you that anytime they take this attitude during studying, they usually find that more often than not, that material IS on the test.
Why do we huddle around a security blanket like this?
Why not instead briefly scan the stuff we know, and then empty the tank (energy and focus) on the stuff we do not know already? Think about that the next time you hit the books.
This relates to quality vs. quantity of studying. I truly believe a half hour of intense studying (total concentration) will help you learn more than 4 hours of half-hearted studying (TV on, listening to music, being around other people, chatting with friends on AIM, every so often refreshing your facebook page, etc)
I would review the different chapters or notes as I studied, paying equal amounts of attention to all the material. This is a major mistake.
If you do not know all the material the same, then you should not study each piece of material for the same length of time. I would always find myself reading through the topic I knew that I already knew (almost as a sense of security, to remind myself that I do know some of the material).
However, comfort does not always equate with results. What's worse, I would take up so much mental energy reviewing the thing I already knew, when it came time to the material I did not already know, I had already depleted most of my focusing energy (and rationalizing to myself, this probably won't be on the test). Any student will tell you that anytime they take this attitude during studying, they usually find that more often than not, that material IS on the test.
Why do we huddle around a security blanket like this?
Why not instead briefly scan the stuff we know, and then empty the tank (energy and focus) on the stuff we do not know already? Think about that the next time you hit the books.
This relates to quality vs. quantity of studying. I truly believe a half hour of intense studying (total concentration) will help you learn more than 4 hours of half-hearted studying (TV on, listening to music, being around other people, chatting with friends on AIM, every so often refreshing your facebook page, etc)
The 14 Laws of Learning
Developed by Neil Strauss (Style) - New York Times Best Selling Author & World Class Pick-up Artist
(1) Acquire & apply knowledge in small chunks.
(2) There's no such thing as failure, only feedback.
(3) Always hold yourself accountable for your outcomes.*
(4) Learn actively, not passively.
(5) Don't mentally rehearse negative outcomes.
(6) Understand how your mind works: (a) Unconscious Incompetence- you do something wrong & don't know what it is (b) Conscious Incompetence- you do something wrong & you know what it is (c) Conscious Competence- you do something right with focused attention (d) Unconscious Competence- you do things right automatically.
(7) No pain, no gain.
(8) Don't look for approval from anyone, including family or friends.
(9) Be willing to test new ideas and approaches, even if they don't seem logical.
(10) Once something works, figure out how and why it works.
(11) If you don't know what to do, don't stop, ask someone for help.
(12) Surround yourself with people who know the material more than you do.
(13) Make sure that your ratio of effort to results is increasing.
(14) Finish what you start.
This list is slightly improvised by me to better relate to everyone. This list can be found in Neil Strauss' book The Stylelife Challenge- Master the Game in 30 Days. This is an absolutely incredible book not only about Venusian Arts, but overall self-improvement.
(1) Acquire & apply knowledge in small chunks.
(2) There's no such thing as failure, only feedback.
(3) Always hold yourself accountable for your outcomes.*
(4) Learn actively, not passively.
(5) Don't mentally rehearse negative outcomes.
(6) Understand how your mind works: (a) Unconscious Incompetence- you do something wrong & don't know what it is (b) Conscious Incompetence- you do something wrong & you know what it is (c) Conscious Competence- you do something right with focused attention (d) Unconscious Competence- you do things right automatically.
(7) No pain, no gain.
(8) Don't look for approval from anyone, including family or friends.
(9) Be willing to test new ideas and approaches, even if they don't seem logical.
(10) Once something works, figure out how and why it works.
(11) If you don't know what to do, don't stop, ask someone for help.
(12) Surround yourself with people who know the material more than you do.
(13) Make sure that your ratio of effort to results is increasing.
(14) Finish what you start.
This list is slightly improvised by me to better relate to everyone. This list can be found in Neil Strauss' book The Stylelife Challenge- Master the Game in 30 Days. This is an absolutely incredible book not only about Venusian Arts, but overall self-improvement.
The Real Learning Predictor
This article was featured in The Daily Pennsylvania (school newspaper of the University of Pennsylvania)
Answers the question why Americans are falling behind foreign students and boys are falling behind girls-
Self-Discipline May Be The Key
Answers the question why Americans are falling behind foreign students and boys are falling behind girls-
Self-Discipline May Be The Key
Learn the Basics Grammar of a Foreign Language by translating 6 sentences!
I was watching Tim Ferriss on http://www.ted.com/ (an excellent website to get lots of great information) and he gives a great tip on learning a foreign language.
He approaches language learning with a "Material over Method Approach." Which illustrates that sometimes it's what you do, not how you do it.
To begin learning grammar for any foreign language, first translate these 6 sentences:
1. The apple is red.
2. It is John's apple.
3. I give John the apple.
4. We want to give him the apple.
5. He gives it to John.
6. She gives it to him.
Note- Do not use the websites below to translate these sentences. Ask your language teacher or professor.
He approaches language learning with a "Material over Method Approach." Which illustrates that sometimes it's what you do, not how you do it.
To begin learning grammar for any foreign language, first translate these 6 sentences:
1. The apple is red.
2. It is John's apple.
3. I give John the apple.
4. We want to give him the apple.
5. He gives it to John.
6. She gives it to him.
Note- Do not use the websites below to translate these sentences. Ask your language teacher or professor.
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