Cheery Friday Greetings from Learning How to Learn! Feb 12, 2016

Cheery Friday greetings to our Learning How to Learners!

London Taxi Drivers and Learning

Barb’s recent trip to London for the Learning Technologies Conference was terrific! (Here’s an intriguing Google Hangout discussion about little known, but vital aspects of learning with Barb and educational psychologist Tesia Marshik, hosted Sukhvinder Pabial.) The trip was also especially interesting because Barb had the chance to speak with plenty of London taxicab drivers, who are among the most highly trained and professional group of drivers in the world. One taxi cab driver spoke of how he had been a poor student when he was younger. But after he spent three years studying locations in London (chunking!) to take the taxicab driver test–a formidably difficult feat–he understands much more about the learning process. He now plans to return to school, which was something he never thought he could do before. Learning well changes our brains, and makes it possible to learn more things–things we never thought we could learn. That thoughtful, persistent London taxicab driver is an inspiration for all of us.

Learning How to Learn in Princeton, New Jersey!

Barb will be kicking off the IEEE Integrated STEM Education Conference in Princeton, New Jersey on March 5th (here is the complete program description). Anyone can attend this conference, and it’s really inexpensive–only $35 for K-12 teachers if you register by February 29th. There are also student travel assistance awards, especially for those from the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states in the USA. Barb would love to meet you!

MOOC Overview

Here’s a fascinating overview article “MOOCs Grow Up” by Blaine Flamig in Computer Power User that provides perspective on where MOOCs are coming from and where they’re going. Learning How to Learn is featured towards the end of the article.

MOOC of the Week

Senior Mentor Cristian Artoni has an intriguing MOOC suggestion: Critical Perspective On Management by Professor Rolf Strom-Olsen. This is an On Demand course that can be followed at your own pace. All the topics are related to a critical thinking approach to management–for example, how was it possible for Romans to build a flourishing grain trade market without rapid information access such as we can get now through the telephone and internet?

Shadow Education

Most of you know our friend Manabu Watanabe in Japan, who previously introduced us to Flash Anzan. Manabu is back with several intriguing postings about what he calls the “shadow education” system–a growing force internationally. If you love education, a tendency is to focus on the bright side–but it is only by also taking into account the shadows Manabu alludes to which will allow us to become better. (You can follow Manabu on Twitter.)

In-Video Quizzes on Mobile Apps

Great news! In-video quizzes are now available to learners using Coursera’s mobile apps, not just for those using desktop computers. Thanks to Coursera’s hard-working team for this (and many other) achievements!

Great Memorization and Learning Strategies from Master Learners!

Nelson Dellis, four time US memory champion, just filmed a fantastic interview with Alex Mullen, an American memory competitor and medical school student at the University of Mississippi. Alex recently won the World Memory Championships in China last December (although Nelson beat him last year, and is still the USA Memory Champion. 🙂 ) In this interview, Nelson and Alex talk about competition and memorization strategies, and Alex’s studying strategies and tips for students. And while you’re watching, don’t forget to take part in Dart Neuroscience’s extreme memory challenge! Dart Neuroscience is doing their part for humanity, to help improve our understanding of memory. By taking this test, you can play a role in helping scientists do research.

Best Book, Bar None, On Memory

Our very favorite book on memory and memory techniques is Moonwalking with Einstein, by Joshua Foer. If you want to spend an enjoyable time curled up with a book, there’s nothing better than reading about Josh’s unlikely story of going from memory championship reporter to becoming a memory champion himself. And you’ll learn plenty of helpful information for you while you’re at it!

Have a happy week in Learning How to Learn!

Barb, Terry, and the entire Learning How to Learn team

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