What You Know Determines What You May Learn

Marlieke van Kesteren notes that what you know determines what you may learn . Joshua Foer has earlier mentioned that education in foundational concepts is required for advanced learning in the book Moonwalking With Einstein, and it is one of the reasons for a liberal arts education.

-DD

Lifelong Learning

Michael Simmons suggests that you need to keep learning to keep thriving.

-DD

Online Education Beyond High School

Michael Strickland shares how Idaho strives to get high school graduates in online or blended courses to improve the number of students entering higher degree programs.

Strickland cites Connie Malamed (of the eLearning Coach website) reminding us that “one of the most important areas we can develop as professionals is competence in accessing and sharing knowledge.”

-DD

The Value of Known Ignorance

Thor Olavsrud muses on the value of known ignorance , citing baseball analyst Bill James:

Speaking at the NetSuite NYSE Disruption Summit at the New York Stock Exchange on Friday, James and Beane both expressed that in business, as in baseball, the key to making the most of the data you're collecting is to let go of preconceptions and start thinking of areas of ignorance as mines of opportunity.

"Ignorance is inexhaustible and a vast resource to all of us," says James, now senior advisor on Baseball Operations for the Boston Red Sox, a far cry from his early days writing about baseball stats while working as a night-shift security guard at Stokely-Van Camp's pork and beans cannery. "Whenever you find something that you do not know, that you could know, that's gold. That's an opportunity to turn lead into gold."

"It's taking bucketfuls out of an ocean," he adds. "Every field is shot through with things that people are convinced are true but just aren't true. Areas of growth are based on discovering those things you know that just aren't true."

The trick is to look into that sea of the unknown and understand what is quantifiable and what isn't.

-DD

Imposter Syndrome In The Academy

Kate Bahn considers the frequency of imposter syndrome on women academics.

-DD

Brain Research Initiative Proposed

President Obama plans a major research initiative on brain science. This could provide new insights into the transfer of knowledge.

-DD