Cheery Friday Greetings from Learning How to Learn! Nov 3, 2016

Cheery Friday greetings to our Learning How to Learners!

Learning Styles Hurt Learning

Our very own Terry Sejnowski hosts Professor Beth Rogowsky as she gives an outstanding analysis of how “Learning Styles Hurt Learning.” Beth’s own research on this is here: “Matching learning style to instructional method: Effects on comprehension.” The important book on learning that Beth alludes to in the discussion is Make it Stick: The Science of Successful Learning, by Brown, Roediger, and McDaniel. Another terrific discussion of the challenges with learning styles can be found in Dan Willingham’s excellent book Why Don’t Students Like School?

Happy viewing and reading!

Nelson Dellis’ MIND SHOW

Many of you know that we’re fans of four time US Memory Champion Nelson Dellis. Barb was recently on Nelson’s podcast “MIND SHOW,’ sharing stories about Antarctica, how the MOOC Learning How to Learn came to be, and insider hints about Barb’s new book Mindshift: Break Through Obstacles to Learning and Discover Your Hidden Potential, which is one of Penguin’s lead titles for Spring, 2017 (pre-order now!)

If you would like to join Nelson in his efforts to support research on memory, please take the Extreme Memory Challenge.

Your Brain and Law School

Barb’s old friend from the outstanding UPenn Neuroscience Boot Camp, Professor Marybeth Herald from the Thomas Jefferson School of Law in San Diego, has written a five-star-rated book on how to be successful in law school: Your Brain and Law School. As one reviewer notes: “I believe that [law] students who read this book will have a significant advantage over those students who don’t. Law professors should read this book, too. It will teach them a few things about how they should be teaching their students.” Professor Herald also writes a blog on similar topics called Your Brain, Law School, and Law Practice at Ms. JD.

The Spanish Platform of Learning How to Learn—Aprendiendo a aprender

Don’t forget to tell your Spanish-speaking friends, colleagues and relatives, that there is an Spanish version of the course: Aprendiendo a aprender. Even the quizzes and web pages are in Spanish. Here’s an article by El Mundo reporter Berta González de Vega, “De odiar las matemáticas a doctora ingeniera: la profe más popular de Coursera” that describes the background of the course better than any article we’ve ever seen in English.

And of course, A Mind for Numbers, the recommended course supplemental text, is also available in Spanish: Abre Tu Mente A Los Numeros.

A Pomodoro Type Timer called “Forest”

Learning How to Learner Brad Bruenell has written a great forum post about a Pomodoro type timer called “Forest.” Brad writes: “This app is especially helpful for people like me who get distracted by their smartphone when trying to focus. The app works by “planting a tree” when you start a timer and rewarding you with a fully grown tree at the end of the timer. However, you will kill the tree if you leave the app while the timer is active, forcing you to leave your phone alone. The app keeps track of all the trees you grow and it’s gratifying seeing all the trees you grow over time. Hope this helps some of you like its helped me!” Check out Brad’s post–and a link to the app, here.

That’s all for this week. Have a happy week in Learning How to Learn!

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

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