Archive

Developing expertise #1 Create the right environment

Jun 29, 2016 | Category: training

In this post I discussed why teachers' experience might not translate directly into expertise. This is the first of a series exploring some of the different ways we could increase the likelihood that...

#multiple choice questions

Developing intuition: when can you trust your gut?

Jun 26, 2016 | Category: training

At the talk I gave on intuition at Wellington College's Education Festival on Thursday, I ended up not using the slides I'd prepared and wandering a bit off topic. Here follows what I'd planned to say...

#practice #Robin Hogarth #Gary Klein #expertise #K Anders Ericsson

Telling better stories

Jun 21, 2016 | Category: Featured

None of us know what made us what we are, and when we have to say something, we make up a good story. Steven Pinker, My Genome, My Self Stories are one of the most important ways we have of tryi...

#Barry Mashall #Daniel Boorstin #stories

The Dangerous Rise of Therapeutic Education

Jun 17, 2016 | Category: Featured

Joyous distrust is a sign of health. Everything absolute belongs to pathology. Nietzsche Maybe those bored by debating the purpose of education feel the way they do because everyone keeps saying the...

#Dennis Hayes #Kathryn Ecclestone #therapeutic education

A conversation about the best way to teach a new concept

Jun 16, 2016 | Category: learning

A few mornings ago, Rufus William got in touch with an interesting request: @LearningSpy fancy doing a quick maths activity? You just need something to write with some paper — Rufus (@RufusWilliam) J...

#congruence #discovery #instruction

Can phonics help us spell better?

Jun 12, 2016 | Category: literacy

Children's author and high-profile opponent of phonics instruction, Michael Rosen recently wrote this blog casting doubt on the idea that learning phonics could help people spell. He was writing in re...

#phonics #Michael Rosen #Debbie Hepplewhite

Seven tools for thinking #7: Beware of 'deepities'

Jun 11, 2016 | Category: Featured

This is the last of my posts on Daniel Dennett's tools for thinking outlined in Intuition Pumps. You can read the others here.Everyone wants to find meaning in their actions and the events which surro...

#Daniel Dennett #7 tools for thinking #Deepak Chopra #The Barnum effect

Seven tools for thinking #6 Don’t waste time on rubbish

Jun 09, 2016 | Category: Featured

Argue with idiots, and you become an idiot.Paul Graham Science fiction writer and critic, Ted Sturgeon coined what's become known as Sturgeon's Law: "Ninety percent of everything is crap." This is som...

#Daniel Dennett #Sturgeon's Law

Seven tools for thinking #5 Occam's razor

Jun 08, 2016 | Category: Featured

All things being equal, the simplest solution is usually the best one. William of Ockham You've probably heard the old adage that if you hear the pounding of hooves echoing through the Wiltshire cou...

#Daniel Dennett #Albert Einstein #Occam's razor

Seven tools for thinking #4: Answering rhetorical questions

Jun 07, 2016 | Category: Featured

Always the beautiful answer who asks a more beautiful question. E. E. Cummings Everyone likes a rhetorical question, don't they? Do they? Think about it. Try answering it. Do you think everyone real...

#Daniel Dennett