How to Change Your Mind
21st June 2018
Cheery Friday Greetings to our Learning How to Learners!
Book of the Week
This week’s read was How to Change Your Mind: What the New Science of Psychedelics Teaches Us About Consciousness, Dying, Addiction, Depression, and Transcendence, by Michael Pollan. We’ve had this book suggested to us by a number of Learning How to Learners, so we wanted to see why all the interest. First off, Pollan is a great science writer—he’s able to pull the reader into the world of psychedelics and what science is discovering about them, whether or not psychedelics are “your thing.” Pollan makes a great case for why the recent movement to begin studying psychedelics again is beneficial—even as he also gives an even-handed description of the “wow factor” and the dangers of these unusual drugs. A thought-provoking and interesting read.
How Blockbuster MOOCs Could Shape the Future of Teaching
Here’s a fascinating article from Jeff Young at EdSurge on monster MOOCs and their impact on academia. Barb argues in the article that the many so-called “second-tier” universities are top-tier when it comes to great teachers.
The article has some pointers to great MOOCs, noting (we’ve supplied links to lead you to the courses): “One of the newest blockbuster MOOCs is The Science of Well-Being, offered by a Yale University professor. The University of California at Berkeley has drawn record numbers of students with a similar course on The Science of Happiness. And the University of Queensland made the top 10 on edX with a course on The Science of Everyday Thinking. All of them offer advice for how to find fulfillment or think more clearly (and all promise to apply science to an everyday concern).”
Book Giveaway
Most successful people consider learning to be one of the most crucial skills to have as an entrepreneur. After interviewing more than 200 business founders and investors, CEO Library has put together a list of books about learning how to learn, based on the founder and investor recommendations. It’s a collection of the best books that teach you how to learn more efficiently. The giveaway ends on June 28 at 1:00 pm EDT (Eastern Time) and the prizes are: One mega-prize – all the books in the Learning How to Learn collection (see all the books here). That’s 10 great books for the big winner! And one book of your choice for 6 other winners. Go here to enter the giveaway. (We can’t help but note that very own A Mind for Numbers is high on the list!)
An Adaptive Math Program
We’ve been hearing good things about an adaptive math program called Knowre that “identifies and fills student learning gaps to help them reach their full potential.” It builds strongly on gamified learning, and seems ideal for both schools and homeschooling. You might check Knowre out, and if you have any comments or already know anything about the program, please post on this discussion forum.
Exercise in the World of MOOCs
The redoubtable Pat Bowden of Online Learning Success has a nice posting on some of the different MOOCs related to exercise, as well as related thoughts on how to get exercise. And she has a nice mention of Terry’s discussion of the extraordinary value of exercise in Learning How to Learn!
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
- Get the course recommended text, A Mind for Numbers!
- NEW! Learning How to Learn: How to Succeed in School Without Spending All Your Time Studying; A Guide for Kids and Teens. Great ideas for parents, too!
