Feynman Learning Technique: | |
1) Take a piece of paper and write the concept’s name at the top. | |
2) Explain the concept using simple language (show examples to demonstrate you know how the concept works) | |
3) Identify problem areas in your explanation or examples and then go back to the sources to review the material / concept | |
4) Pinpoint any complicated terms and challenge yourself to simplify them. | |
Several days ago, I posted a quote and made a comment about excellence in teaching. (Why We Have So Few Personal Favorites ) Basically, my proposition was that it is extremely difficult to evaluate the competence and productivity of a teacher because of the number of variables and an inability to control them to a point sufficient to determine what are the tools we could provide the “most effective” teachers to make them better (or any teachers for that matter). | |
I never gave much thought about teaching until I joined the Army and they insisted I learn, participate in and practice “Performance Oriented Training” (POTs training) when I attended the NCO Academy in Frankfurt, Germany. Essentially, POTs stipulates that until the student can perform the task, the training has not been effective. There were three elements: 1) the instructor demonstrates the task to be performed / explaining the objective of the task, the reason for the task, and each step necessary to complete the task; 2) the instructor then walks / talks the student through each step as they (the student) follows along with each step; and, 3) the instructor asks the student to perform the task independently. If the student fails in performance (step 3), the instructor must return to element 2. Re-cycle through elements 2 and 3 until 3 can be accomplished independently. At that point, the student can perform the task and the training has been effective. (Of course long term retention of the knowledge / skill is a different matter.) | |
This training methodology served me very well during my working life / career as I was frequently called upon to instruct on topics in the military, and then as a civilian: from credit card fraud prevention, to correspondent banking, to numerous Information Technology topics (basic trouble-shooting, using spreadsheets, using word processing applications, server and network administration, setting up databases, conducting data analysis and creating web pages to display the analysis / data). | |
Rather late in my career, I “discovered” (i.e. read about) Dr Richard P. Feynman (PhD) and his personal learning methodology. Post-employment (i.e. in retirement), I’ve now watched bits and pieces of Professor Feynman’s lectures (on YouTube) and I believe his methodology is a civilian / academic equivalent of personal POTs training. That is: how we should expect to teach ourselves and verify our own knowledge / competency in a subject. I shudder to think of the number of lectures / classes / training sessions I’ve attended where the instructor either did not have this level of personal expertise or expect the student to demonstrate understanding at the end of the session. Which, (again) is why we remember our few “great” teachers over our lifetimes. | |
Disclaimer: The list of four steps above are available in several books and on the web and the exact wording is neither mine nor exclusive to any specific source so I have not bothered to cite any “original” source. I apologize in advance if anyone reading this feels I have used their exact language describing Dr. Feynman’s technique. | |
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On This Day In: | |
2020 | Does Anyone Else Look Forward To The Last Lawn Mowing ‘Til Spring? |
Only For You | |
2019 | 10,000 Tries |
2018 | Keep America Great – Vote This Tuesday |
2017 | Old Style Ear Candy |
2016 | Next Tuesday |
2015 | Wanna Trade? |
2014 | Brothers And Friends |
2013 | So Suddenly |
2012 | At The Center |
2011 | Live Long And Thinner |
Got Health? | |
2010 | SF Giants – 2010 World Series Champions!!! |
52 – 54 – 56 – 58 | |
2009 | Diet Update |
Pictures from Chicago Trip… | |
Archive for the ‘Work’ Category
Learning And Teaching
Posted in Career, Disclaimer, Education, Philosophy, Quotes, Science and Learning, Work, tagged Disclaimer, Dr. Richard P. Feynman, Education, Frankfurt, Germany, Great Teachers, Learning, NCO Academy, Performance Oriented Training, Philosophy, POTs Training Technique, Quotes, Teaching, Work on November 1, 2021| Leave a Comment »
I Never Could Keep A Secret
Posted in Philosophy, Quotes, Work, tagged Mark Twain, Philosophy, Quotes, Secrets, Success, Vacation, Vocation on April 14, 2021| Leave a Comment »
The secret of success is making your vocation your vacation. | |
— Mark Twain | |
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On This Day In: | |
2020 | Facing The Truth |
2019 | How Much Is Your Education Worth? |
Is America Ready: Mayor Pete – 2020!! | |
2018 | Disruptive Definition |
2017 | A History Of Small Insights |
2016 | Be Uncommon |
2015 | Ooops! |
2014 | What Price Freedom? |
2013 | Remembering Val |
2012 | Good-bye, Val |
Survival Value | |
2011 | Traitors In Our Midst |
Life Ain’t Easy | |
No Crumbs
Posted in Economics, Quotes, Work, tagged Alana Semuels, Economics, Gig Economy, Gig-Workers, Living Wage, Quotes, Time Magazine, Work on November 23, 2020| Leave a Comment »
Aside from a moral obligation to treat workers well and pay them a living wage, there’s nothing to prevent more companies from jettisoning full-time employees and shifting to lower-paid gig workers. | |
They’d just be following what has been happening for decades in other fields. Just as manufacturing shifted overseas for cheaper labor and as gig economy apps drove down wages for taxi and delivery drivers, the pandemic has hastened the gig-ification of white-collar jobs. The gig economy might have been a crowded space before COVID-19, but the booming economy masked its workers’ struggles because many of them could find other jobs to supplement their income. Now, that extra work has dried up, and their desperation is more evident than ever. When gig work is the only pie that’s available to millions of people, sharing it means that some don’t even get crumbs. | |
— Alana Semuels | |
In her article: “As the gig economy grows, its workers’ paychecks shrink“ | |
In: Time Magazine, dtd: 1-8 June 2020 | |
This article also appears online with a different title: “‘It’s a Race to the Bottom.’ The Coronavirus is Cutting Into Gig Worker Incomes as the Newly Jobless Flood Apps“ | |
The specific link is: https://time.com/5836868/gig-economy-coronavirus/ | |
You may have to go through a paywall to view the online article. | |
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On This Day In: | |
2019 | Or In This Case – What’s Wrong |
2018 | Just Passing Through |
2017 | True Torture |
Happy Thanksgiving – 2017 !! | |
2016 | Overtaken |
2015 | Alone Praying |
2014 | A Full Man |
2013 | Off Defending The Universe |
Taking Precautions | |
2012 | Never, Never, Never |
2011 | Testing 1, 2, 3 |
Works For Me
Posted in Humor, Quotes, Work, tagged Baseball, Humor, Quotes, Work, Yogi Berra on May 2, 2020| Leave a Comment »
If I didn’t make it in baseball, I won’t have made it workin’. I didn’t like to work. | |
— Yogi Berra | |
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On This Day In: | |
2019 | Better To Do |
News: Drunken Party Girl Saves Seoul | |
2018 | Keep Moving |
2017 | Fighting Good |
2016 | Size Matters |
2015 | Maybe The Best Thing |
2014 | Ready To Be Fried? |
2013 | A Real Lover |
2012 | Winning Wars |
2011 | A Different Lesson |
I Hope So
Posted in Career, Philosophy, Quotes, Work, tagged Beauty, Career, Memory, Philosophy, Quotes, Retrospect, Sigmund Freud, Struggle, The Future, Work on May 14, 2019| Leave a Comment »
One day, in retrospect, the years of struggle will strike you as the most beautiful. | |
— Sigmund Freud | |
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On This Day In: | |
2018 | Painted Into |
2017 | Prayers, Miracles And Lottery Tickets |
Roman View | |
2016 | Dignity And Grace |
2015 | Is It Warm Enough For You |
2014 | What The Right STILL Wants |
2013 | Embrace Serendipity |
2012 | Your Order, Please |
2011 | Well Enough Anyway |
Insha’Allaha Bukra
Posted in Humor, Philosophy, Quotes, Work, tagged Don Herold, Humor, Philosophy, Procrastination, Quotes, Work on May 1, 2019| Leave a Comment »
Work is the greatest thing in the world, so we should always save some of it for tomorrow. | |
— Don Herold | |
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On This Day In: | |
2018 | Lost Time |
2017 | Are You Talking To Me? |
2016 | Here, Desire Is Purified |
2015 | Hopefully Just Visiting |
2014 | Fond Memory? |
2013 | Distress, Hope, Trust |
2012 | Creating Interlocking Fragility |
2011 | Four Stories And A Gospel |
What Have You Burned Lately? | |
I’m Actively Irresponsible
Posted in Other Blogs, Quotes, Science and Learning, Work, tagged Actively Irresponsible, Cal Newport, Dr. Richard P. Feynman, Email, physics, Quotes, The Chronicle of Higher Education, Work, www.chronicle.com on February 25, 2019| 10 Comments »
To do real good physics work, you do need absolute solid lengths of time … it needs a lot of concentration … if you have a job administrating anything, you don’t have the time. So I have invented another myth for myself: that I’m irresponsible. I’m actively irresponsible. I tell everyone I don’t do anything. If anyone asks me to be on a committee … ‘no’ I tell them: I’m irresponsible. | |
— Richard Feynman | |
Quoted by: Cal Newport | |
In his on-line article: “Is Email Making Professors Stupid“ | |
Appearing on the site: The Chronicle of Higher Education, located at: www.chronicle.com | |
[LOL!!! It worked for me, too! — KMAB] | |
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On This Day In: | |
2018 | I Will Love You… Forever |
2017 | Pebbles In Your Shoe? |
2016 | Resolute Will |
2015 | Absorbed And Civilized |
2014 | Relax And Lead |
2013 | Location, Location, Location |
2012 | Are You Really Good? |
2011 | Relatively Objective, Anyway |
Does Terrible But Not Important Count?
Posted in Health, Quotes, Work, tagged Beliefs, Bertrand Russell, Nervous Breakdown, Quotes, Symptoms, Work on February 6, 2019| 2 Comments »
One of the symptoms of an approaching nervous breakdown is the belief that one’s work is terribly important. | |
— Bertrand Russell | |
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On This Day In: | |
2018 | Have You Stretched Today? |
The Original | |
2017 | Being Nice |
2016 | Zero To Some = Most |
2015 | Born More Obligated |
2014 | Rage And Fury |
2013 | Successful Children |
2012 | For God So Loved The World |
2011 | Go Cheeseheads!! |
Structured Mentality | |
Too Significant
Posted in Philosophy, Quotes, Work, tagged Dignity, Excellence, Importance, Labor, Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr, Philosophy, Quotes, Work on October 31, 2018| 1 Comment »
Whatever you do will be insignificant, but it is very important that you do it. | |
― Mahatma Gandhi | |
No work is insignificant. All labor that uplifts humanity has dignity and importance and should be undertaken with painstaking excellence. | |
― Martin Luther King Jr. | |
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On This Day In: | |
2017 | Shadows |
2016 | Still Blurry |
2015 | For Awhile Anyway |
2014 | By Contrast |
2013 | A Very Long Time… |
2012 | Raise And Support |
2011 | Naturally |
2010 | A Quick Sunday Morning Read |
Giants Win Game 4 In Shutout 4 to 0!!! | |
Brown’s Rules
Posted in Career, Health, Philosophy, Quotes, Work, tagged Authenticity, Boundaries, Dr. Brené Brown, Emotions, Failure, Good Advice, Gratitude, Perfectionism, Philosophy, Quotes, Regrets, Resilience, Show Up, Vulnerability on August 19, 2018| Leave a Comment »
1. Show up! | |
2. Cultivate authenticity | |
3. Set boundaries | |
4. Actively practice gratitude | |
5. Embrace vulnerability | |
6. Let go of perfectionism | |
7. Explore your emotions | |
8. Build shame resilience | |
9. Risk failure | |
10. Don’t have any regrets | |
-= BONUS =- | |
* Let yourself be seen | |
— Dr. Brené Brown | |
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On This Day In: | |
2017 | Still Trying To Make It |
2016 | One Lucky Man |
2015 | Food Change ==> Health Change |
2014 | 10 Commandments Of Logical Arguments (Fallacies) |
2013 | Sociology Of The Future |
2012 | 1010 |
There In The Sunshine | |
2011 | Not Enough Time |
But What Are You DOING About November?
Posted in Leadership, Politics, Quotes, Work, tagged #DefeatTrumpism, Business Leadership, Good Intentions, Hard Work, Peter Drucker, Politics, Quotes on July 17, 2018| Leave a Comment »
Plans are only good intentions unless they immediately degenerate into hard work. | |
— Peter Drucker | |
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On This Day In: | |
2017 | Some Good |
2016 | Edges |
Sums | |
2015 | I Hope Not |
2014 | Study The Means Of Expressing Yourself |
2013 | That Stubborn Thing |
2012 | Like Mike |
2011 | Flawless Or Candid |
2010 | Browning… |
Not Necessarily In This Order
Posted in Philosophy, Quotes, Reading, Science and Learning, Work, tagged Langston Hughes, Learning, Philosophy, Quotes, Read, Work on February 8, 2018| Leave a Comment »
I like to work, read, learn, and understand life. | |
― Langston Hughes | |
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On This Day In: | |
2017 | An Accumulation Of Acts |
2016 | Here’s Lookin’ At You Kid |
2015 | How To Be Omnipotent |
2014 | The Promise Of Future Love |
2013 | Christian, n. |
2012 | Praise |
Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood | |
2011 | A Few More Lyrics From The Past |
5 For The Price Of 1 | |
When I Grow Up I Want To…
Posted in Career, Faith Family and Friends, Family and Friends, Family History, Included Video, Philosophy, Quotes, Videos, Work, tagged Career, Cleaning Windows -- music video, Comments, Included Video, Jobs, Ladders, Philosophy, Quotes, Supervision, Taxes, Van Morrison, YouTube on October 12, 2020| 3 Comments »
Cleaning Windows
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