Writing to Learn is the notion that when you are trying to learn something new, writing about it will help you learn it faster and better. Even writing about how you don’t know anything about the subject can help you start understanding things sooner. This method was invented by writers, of course, which can make you mistrust it. I can vouch for it, though. It has served me … [Read more...] about Learning by Writing?
2 + 2 and Math
2 + 2 is an idea. Math is the kind of thinking that leads to ideas like 2 + 2. 2 + 2 is an idea about addition. If you get to 2 + 2 in your thinking, you might also get to ideas like counting, long division, prime numbers, and Sudoku puzzles. These ideas all come from the branch of mathematics known as Number Theory. Mathematics has many branches and people are always … [Read more...] about 2 + 2 and Math
Turing Test
Alan Turing was a British mathematician and logician. In the first half of the 20th century, he articulated a conceptual framework surrounding so-called “mechanical thinking devices”. His ideas were entirely theoretical because no such devices existed. Even so, many of his ideas remain at the foundation of theories of computation and the field of computer science. One … [Read more...] about Turing Test
Critical At Any Age
Humans love to learn. Think of the ripple of delight that runs through you in the aha! moment of making a new connection, or the slow build of excitement you feel as you come closer and closer to solving a puzzle. Throughout my career as an educator I have worked alongside students, teachers, scientists, artists, and engineers. Critical At Any Age is my effort to share what … [Read more...] about Critical At Any Age