Monday, November 18, 2019

LEARNING: Watching or Doing?


How do you learn?
In school there is this person who comes into the front of the room and spouts off information without presenting their degree of expertise in what he or she is saying. Is there a diploma on the wall disclaiming this person should be listened to, other than you have to sit there for an hour until the bell rings.
Books are assigned for reading as background for what is being taught in the classroom. Depending on your previous understanding of grammar, the text may be relevant or just confusing gibberish.
The test will show if you comprehended the lesson, like the instructions from IKEA.
Knowledge, like libraries, can be assembled but rarely used or understood.
The real test of understanding is the transfer of past experiences for you to try yourself. It is easy to watch a YouTube about a do-it-yourself, but until you try it, you’ll never know if you can accomplish the task.
Your grandmother’s recipe for the Thanksgiving turkey seems easy enough to follow, but never taste the same. Your father’s tools used to build the bookcase never seem to be level.
The written instructions and student driver testing doesn’t matter until you hit the highway. Porn can show you techniques but not in personal contact.
Each individual must “try it out” to see if the lessons were valuable. Maybe not everyone will become a carpenter or a chief or a chemist or a doctor or a pilot or a teacher or a cowboy.
With all the training techniques and Google searches, there is always something to learn. What would it take to make dim sum? How hard would it be to learn the guitar? Could I paint a picture?
Our species are curious and challenge ourselves to explore and try new things. Sometimes they work out successfully and sometimes not, but we tried.
It is not what you think you know; it is how you use it.

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