Outlier’s Post

I promise that this entry wasn't sponsored by 3M (manufacturer of the Post-it), although if they approached me... (I digress.) Were you initially excited by the advent of note-taking apps - with endless storage - only to find that they've become unwieldy? Do you find that you type copious notes during a lecture or meeting only to find that you've retained almost nothing afterwards? Do you want to simplify your note-taking practices? I often work through these scenarios with students, so in this blog post I propose four big picture strategies to consider imposing a limit on notes and how working in constrained space - ironically enough - offers benefits for ideation, recall, and managing overwhelm.

#ReflectReviewReposition - it’s ok if things aren’t perfect at the first attempt, or ever( much as I’d like then to be). This thought came to me this morning as we navigated the first Monday morning of the new school year - it didn’t go to plan and it certainly wasn’t perfect… But - we can learn from it, we can tweak processes and hopefully (maybe, just maybe) tomorrow will be a slight improvement. This is also often the case at work… As one example - when crafting a response to an office action I’ve learnt over the years what processes work best for me (often have the right documents to hand, review to a level needed for understanding and then get some amendments (if needed) down and skeleton arguments - once that’s done then revise and reconsider etc.) I’ve also developed templates and checklists over the years - and those are regularly reviewed and tweaked. These help streamline the processes and make sure I consider important points every time! Another example - when looking at new workflow processes (like when the Unitary Patent was coming in) - I know I need pieces of paper and just to get all my thoughts out, then to brainstorm with others.. at that point then I can review, revise etc… but the imperfect brain emptying (usually over a few days) is key to getting started. Anyone else trying to look at the (difficult, at least for us) transition back to school as an opportunity for learning and growth?

Want to spend less time on your phone? Use this 1 simple rule: "When at home, always keep your phone plugged in" Following this rule forces you to actually go to your phone when you need it. But, you're not putting it on airplane mode, shutting it off or deleting all of your apps. All it takes is charging your phone, and only unplugging it when you go outside. This little change encourages you to: - Use your computer instead - Not instinctively use your phone when bored - Think more by yourself It's so simple that you could try it this week without any preparation. If you like the results, you might want to implement additional methods to reduce screen time. The ones I recommend are: 1. Cleaning up your homescreen 2. Deleting social media apps (not accounts) 3. Turning on greyscale P.S. Want to get your university studying done in 2 hours/day? Join 60+ students and subscribe to my newsletter. Each week I break down lessons I'm learning in: • Productivity • Studying Techniques • Technology For students who want to learn more and study less: mansstromer.se

Burning the boats doesn’t work. I’ve tried it. Last year, I bet several hundred thousand dollars from an investor on a business idea that was unproven. The months that ensued were some of the darkest and hardest I’ve ever experienced. I thought that if I raised the stakes enough, I would have no choice but to make something happen. Although we did in fact make something happen, the cost was extremely high and the toll that it took on own mental state was higher. I wouldn’t trade this experience for anything, but only because of the incredible lesson it taught me: The “Burn the Boats” mentality comes from a fear that we don’t have the discipline to do something great unless we’re forced to. Read that again. The greatest things I’ve accomplished in life were accomplished because I WANTED to. When I HAD a choice not to, but I chose to do it anyway that always yielded the greatest result. And I was super happy while doing it. Too often we treat students like unmotivated, rebels that must be forced into learning. We gamify learning modules. We give them “technology breaks” We disguise our lessons as “group activities”. Instead, I’ve found that my energy as a teacher is better spent inspiring kids to enjoy the hard work of learning. If you get someone excited about what waits for them in the unknown, it won’t matter if they have a boat in the harbor. They’ll be too busy searching for the prize to even care. “To inspire is to fill someone with the urge to do something, especially to do something creative.” -Google Dictionary #teacher #inspire #edtech

Writing lab records right now... and wondering why? As I’m writing this, I’m also working on my lab record, and honestly, it feels like a massive time drain. 🙄 Spending hours hand-writing pages that barely seem to have any real-world use... makes me think this time could be spent on something more practical, like coding or building projects. In the tech industry, hands-on learning beats paperwork any day. Imagine if we focused more on experimenting, collaborating, and solving real problems instead of filling up pages! Do you think lab records are still relevant, or just a college ritual? #collegelife #techskills #timewellspent #labrecords #highereducation #techeducation #futureoflearning #innovation #practicalskills #efficiency #productivity

🤔💬 DYK we remember things better when we create our own version of the material. 🔄 The 'Generation Effect' shows that actively manipulating new information helps form relationships between concepts, making them easier to recall when needed. Source: Anne-Laure Le Cunff, Ness Labs #teachers #students #learning #teaching #GenerationEffect

Tip o' the propeller beanie to Tim Leake for his succinct method of learning a new digital tool. I've used this method, and although my patience may wear thin, it's worked for years. You should also follow Tim's feed. "Set a timer for 15 minutes, pick a tool you want to learn, and start messing around. Figure out what it does. Poke it. Prod it. Get stuck. Google how to get unstuck. (Someone somewhere has probably already made a youtube video or blog post explaining how to solve whatever is sticking you.) Try to make something. Then try to make another thing. In 15 minutes, you'll feel less intimidated, more inspired, and amazed at how quickly you figured out quite a bit of how something new works." https://lnkd.in/ggCYBFge

Interesting article.

I stopped wasting hours reading stuff I'll forget tomorrow. Instead, I started to R.E.A.D Just Read! Most of us read, absorb a little, and then forget. I used to do the same. One day, I found this framework randomly  while I was reading. That changed the whole game. R - READ with purpose → Pick what matters & resonates with you → Stay focused dont skim → Take notes as you go E - EXTRACT the gold → Write down the core ideas → Use your own words to note → This improves understanding and retention. A - APPLY it now → Try one new idea today → Test ideas in real life. → Use new strategies daily. → Make it real D - DEBRIEF honestly → What worked? → What didn't? → What's next? Results? → Better memory → Faster learning Don't just read. READ with purpose.