Writing to reduce the cognitive load, and pushing back on archaic processes (KISS)

Ever wonder how you develop "brain thoughts"? What kind of brain thought did you get from watching TV last night? What about that gossip? Was there gossip? How do you achieve positive outcomes when everyone and everything around you is talking, or moving? Are you in Burnout? Have Cognitive overload? Keep thinking positive thoughts!

brain thoughts

I'm educated in doing assessments and elements of backward design to increase more positive outcomes. Basically, I study how people learn & create more useful environments to work in. Nothing new, teachers do it every day. So, naturally, I struggle when I see things that produce a judgment or overall score that pushes quality aside. Learning is not an achievement target, at least not in this context.

I think in terms of "what went right", not lingering in the past with quirky standardizations.?What validity would one gain from that? Especially if there is not some form of cognitive recognition that is relevant to memory (details). How does judging the past produce a transferable skill??It doesn't. Learning from the past vs. judging the past is not the same thing.

Learning from the past vs. judging the past is not the same

If something has happened in the past, one would assume that checks and balances were in place, and coaching toward success has occurred as a remedy.?If not, then maybe it's time to kick the can down the road and start your own coaching program.

Studying how people learn is not the same as judging another person.?To judge someone there needs to be some form of self-knowledge. You need to understand the six facets of understanding before you do that. You have to be aware of your own self-assessments and your biases, and how they influence your beliefs and thinking.

The six facets of understanding (learning styles, not criteria)

-application

-empathy

-explanation

-interpretation

-perspective

-self-knowledge

What are your mental habits? your prejudices? Are you still using archaic standardized processes? ?

Let’s take a look at examples of simple training methods.

• ?STUDENT LEAD LEARNING: If a student can explain/present to you in more than three or four different ways how to present something, that is an excellent indication to any instructor that the student has a good understanding of the material, the process, and the means to an end.?They mastered it.
• TEACHER LEAD (Control): When you standardize how that student presents, and try to fit everything that student does and thinks into "one little tiny box", you dummy down that student's learning.?No thinking outside the box. That student failed.
• In student lead learning, the teacher becomes a guide. Remember this, even if you don't remember anything else in this article.

Rubrics and anchors can be used for good, and unfortunately bad as well. ?We need to stop trying to teach students archaic processes that will harm them in real-life settings.?Learning is not an achievement target. Learning should be fun, with many Aha moments that they can retain. They will make mistakes, and it is our job to make sure they stay motivated, engaged, and willing to try again.

one little tiny box

Backward design

Looking or starting at the end first and working your way to the front, is the simplest way to describe backward design. Teachers and engineers do it all the time. It's okay to set benchmarks in this design mode but they don't always produce the curve you might be looking for. Basically, because you would end up with skewed bell curves, the results would be worthless. Assessments and surveys are much more helpful. ?Of course, there is all that math.

Learning occurs at different levels for different people.?No one learns the same way or at the same pace.??Some learners start in the middle, jumping in feet or head first, not knowing anything.?Others need to have every step laid out and properly put on the shelf to scaffold around. ?Then there are people like myself who, well…. let’s just rip it apart and see how it works (backward design). Luckily I'm not always in that mode.

The backward design has a lot to do with mental retention, but not everyone will want to start at the end. How many of you read the last page of a book first? Just wondering. It's okay, everyone eventually does get to the end somehow. We are all unique and learn differently, and that is fine.

BrainThoughts, a few more

Retention

I'm very much in favor of holistic training, especially when younger learners are being introduced to new tasks, skills, or concepts.?Even older learners need to experience holistic training.?The caveat is - It makes the process of learning more enjoyable and retention is generally greater. Retention is what we are after, right?

Along with retention, having good assessments in place can help people learn (as in Piaget's work) through observations, self-assessments, and surveys.?There are a number of good articles from sources like Successbiznow; Harvard Review; INC; and Forbes, to name a few,?regarding the matter of retention and honest assessments. The professional journals (modern ones) are well-documented and researched as well.? More open dialogue is needed in all conversations. Plus there are so many creative learning techniques available to help coach and foster positive outcomes.

The one thing you want to stay away from is Burnout and/or Cognitive overload. Good people burn out too. Make changes in the moment, and not the past. You don't need to go through the process of backward design unless you are designing something specific, or maybe you are a teacher, engineer, or a like-minded professional.

Make changes in the moment and not the past.

The goal for today is to breathe, enjoy life, and help as many as we can. I have a few consistency theories I try to remember when training others

1. students take ownership

2. the instructor is just a guide

3. open the dialog

4. $5 words can often save you $5000

5. keep things simple. Accept and use words that are understandable as much as possible.?Others know what they mean.?

6. one can have expertise over another and not be the boss.

7. many hire people smarter than themselves - to make them look good. It’s a strategic goal plan!

8. the task is not to rule over people but to broaden your team

8. counter negativity with something positive every chance you get.

9. John Whitmore came up with this neat SIMPLE solution

• S olutions not problems
• I n-between - the action is in the interaction
• M ake use of what's there
• P ossibilities - past present and future
• L anguage - simply said
• E very case is different

KISS still works too!

10. less is more

If your goal is to be happy and make others happy too – you will!