Renaissance Learning and Unlocking Your Potential (1)

How to become a better learner

Learning Tips

• We used to think that brain cells are all created once we were born, however this is not entirely true, because it can still grow in some part of our brain like hippocampus.
• Exercising is the best way by far of getting new brain cells than any drug you can buy.
• Learning, Planning & Language is what make us human
• There are critical periods of learning that is most effective, but there is still some part that we can grow after reached adulthood.
• Practice could make changes, it just take much longer after the critical period

Introduction to Renaissance Learning

• Learning is not a logical progress, you will not be able to learn new thing and not having any setback.
• Sometimes it is inevitable to suddenly think what you learn was wrong, or you have to re-think what you learned.
• This is a normal phenomenon because it means our brain is wrestling with the new knowledge, it takes time to reconstruct the chunks, the good news is, once it is over, it will be strengthen once again in a better form.

Metaphor & Analogy

• Metaphor & Analogy helps us to visualize the concepts, hence to understand them better
• The more visualized, the better.
• Sometimes it is useful to pretend we are the concept that we are trying to understand.
• an example would be, if we are studying the mathematical graphs, we could image that we are inside the graph and looking at the top of the curve, that will go all the way up to infinity. Or we are the citizen living in the kingdom when the history lesson mentioned.
• No analogy is perfect, and we don't need a perfect one, just the one that could get our mind work align with the fact is good enough (last line was IMO)
• Science is fundamentally all metaphors & models, we understand the world by making a better and better analogy.
• Event making up a story could be effective, because it will enhance the way we remember the concepts.
• Keep trying more metaphor and analogy when understanding difficult concepts will eventually benefit your learning.

No Need for Genius Envy

Learning by doing (IMO)

• The complex and hard concepts can't be actually learned by being told.
• The experience and chunk have to be built through hard work.

Genius's bad side

• If genius is the one who got more working memory (instead of 4, maybe they got even more so they won't be confused when learning new and complex concepts), they might be suffered from this advantage as well.
• The fact that genius can hold strong connection makes them unable to let go and shift back and fort from the chunks, makes them harder to become creative and produce creative solution.
• For non-genius people like myself, can still manage the difficult concept through hard work, and apply the creativity that I am good at (should be?) and create good solution.
• The easier to be distracted === The easier to shift === The easier to hold new thoughts
• Must learn and focus with much effort

Imposter Syndrome

• Many people also suffer from Imposter Syndrome, just keep yourself reminded.

Change your Thoughts, Change your Life

• Intelligence is important, but it is not the key to success.
• There are scientist and brilliant people who success with not good intelligence and key is to have perseverance, and perseverance can actually change the brain cells to reach the goal.
• Embrace who you are and walk with your unique path.
• Taking responsibility of your own learning can make your mind stronger (IMO)
• Getting good at not taking the critics personally is also helpful on your way to be successful

Renaissance Learning and Unlocking Your Potential (2)

The Value of Teamwork

• Everyone has blind spot.
• We will not be able to realize whether we are reasoning if our left half brain is shut down.
• When we are over confident about something, we will be especially bad at that.
• Having a study group can ensure we have opinions from others, and that helps the situation.
• People have to be in the same field with you in order to be able to correct you.
• Bad sign of inefficient study group:
• Late of meeting.
• Not delivering what they should be.
• Topics are off tracked.
• People don't value the study group.

A Test Checklist

• Testing is important for learning because it helps us to recall and strengthen our chunk and knowledge.
• A good way to give ourself a test on if we learned it well or on target, is to give ourselves a test check list.
• The principle is to do whatever you can to make sure you are answering all "yes".
• Check list example:
  1. Did you make a serious effort to understand the text?
  2. Did you work with classmates on homework problems or at least check your solutions with others?
  3. Did you attempt to outline every homework problem solution before working with classmates?
  4. Did you participate actively in homework group discussions, contributing ideas and asking questions?
  5. Did you consult with the instructor or teaching assistants when you were having trouble with something?
  6. Did you understand all your homework problem solutions when they were handed in?
  7. Did you ask in class for explanations of homework problem solutions that weren't clear to you?
  8. If you had a study guide, did you carefully go through it before the test and convince yourself you could do everything on it?
  9. Did you attempt to outline lots of problem solutions quickly without spending time on the algebra and calculations?
  10. Did you go for the study guide and problems with classmates and quiz one another?
  11. If there was a review session before the test, did you attended and asked questions about anything you weren't sure about?
  12. Lastly and most importantly, did you get a reasonable night's sleep before the test?
      • Maybe I can make myself a checklist for each concepts I am learning?

Hard Start - Jump to Easy

• Hard start jump to easy is the technique we can fully utilize diffuse mode and focused mode.
• By starting a hard question with focus mode, and then we shift to easy task when we got stuck a minute or two allows us to accumulate experience and chunk by finishing easy tasks.
• Eventually diffuse mode might have handled the problem for us and we will find it easier to complete the hard task, keep the cycle this way.
• The key is to have discipline and allow yourself to be pulled off from time to time.
• This method can also be applied not just learning but also doing an actual examination.

Final helpful hints for tests

Practical tips for having tests

• Try to cover up the selections when doing MC, having a certain answer in your mind before reading the choices will be less distracted.
• When under pressure, try to change your mind towards the test will lead to a positive result.
• e.g. I would like to try it out and see how well I remember the topic

  I am stressed because I don't know anything.

• e.g. This test has got me determined to do my best >>> This test has made me afraid.
• Don't study too hard the day before the exam because it consumes effort and will power, just like you won't run 10k before actual maerathon, you need to save some strengths.
• You could review the test again with the opposite direction that you did the test, it might provide new angle.
• Turn stress to deep breath
• Having a back up plan, making the test is not the only thing that determine your career, will be a great way to reduce your pressure, hence better performance.
• Good worry vs Bad worry
• Good worry: helps provide motivation and focus
• Bad worry: simple wastes energy