I work in a university teaching people about computers (mainly) and policy. The stuff dreams are made of. Every semester there is always one student that irks me more than most and the kind that just wants the answers. Their version of life is to simply have the “facts” and that is that. Well I can tell you that if you really want to learn about life there is a world outside the facts you need to consider.
Having the answer… isn’t the same as the answer itself.
My way of learning is not to just get the answers… it’s to work out how I can get to the answer. Say, for instance, you are into affiliate marketing. The information you need is not how do I get sales BUT how do I actually become a competent affiliate marketer. What’s the difference? The process of selling and learning how to market things will teach you how to get sales. If I tell you this is how I get sales there will be important information missing. Stuff like, what is your budget, demographic, what is the marketing environment and so on. If I just told you what to do without giving you the chance to learn… you would not remember a bloody thing.
You must learn the way and then innovate it as you go along… not collect facts
Nothing gets under my skins faster than students who couldn’t be bothered to learn the skills I teach. I mean it’s really easy to show you the answer but the way there is lost on someone like that. That’s not teaching it’s programming robots. I am not into AI so I am dealing with humans. To rephrase a popular saying, “I can give you the fish or I can teach you how to catch them yourself.” If you are smart you will go through some pain to get there and build something with it. If not, you will be amongst the growing ant population that populate the cubes of the EVIL corporate beast. But I digress…
If this is you… don’t be an ass. Decide to begin learning the way by trying. I know your parents probably bailed you out up to this point or you are as lazy as I used to be. Don’t be like that! Once you know something you have power and you can use this power to dominate the world destroy the UN go back in time better yourself. If you don’t then you will be a GRADE A moron in my books.
* Note: the previous blog post may not resemble coherent thought.
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March 21st, 2008 at 12:49 am
When I was in philosophy 101 years ago, I had an instructor that claimed he was trying to teach us how to think for ourselves. Yet, in any discussion, his main goal seemed to be to get us to think exactly like him.
The process was something like this.
He would ask a question.
If someone said something he agreed with, he would say yes and move on.
If someone said something that he didn’t agree with, he would harp on every little detail of the statement until the person was too embarrassed or too concerned about his grade and finally concede.
Teaching students to think for themselves can be a hard thing. When someone is in a position of authority, either perceived or real, the protege takes on the responsibility of pleasing that mentor. For some students, it is very difficult to understand that the mentor really wants them to learn to think on their own.
March 21st, 2008 at 8:33 am
Morning,
I had HEAPS of teachers like this. I always accept what students come up with. People have this concept of lecturers and professors that they are learned people with highly developed intellects. I can say after four years of working with people as you have described that I think the precise opposite is the case.
It is very hard to forge open and easy communication in class and to be frank I am at the point where I about to give up. I have been a student for a long time so I know how they feel.
I agree with your comments about authority as well. This has been my experience! Thanks for your insightful comments Corey!
March 21st, 2008 at 10:29 pm
Great post Luke - I too, feel frustrated when trying to explain topics like blogging, social marketing, permission marketing, etc. People just want to hear how I do it and don’t understand that it is the unique perspective that we each bring to the web that makes it the great vehicle for information that it is.