Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with learning

Recomendations for class podcasts

loryjade — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 21:48:42 -0800

Looking for recommendations of learning podcasts similar to "Physics for future presidents" I just finished listening to the podcasts of the class "Physics for Future Presidents" taught by Richard Muller at UC Berkley and it left me thirsty for more knowledge. For those not familiar with it, the class explains many physics concepts in a way that non-physics students can understand, including many of their day to day applications. I graduated with a biology degree more than 10 years ago and would like to broaden my knowledge of various fields for personal enrichment. The podcast format works great for me because I can listen to them while at work in the lab. Does anyone know of any other podcasts that would give you an overview/refresher of a field like chemistry, psychology, ecology, etc? I would like to be able to have intelligent conversations about other things besides genetics and photography.

Best ideas for computer training at a non-profit?

playmobil — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 08:41:54 -0800

I'm looking for ideas on how best to implement computer training for a 70-person non-profit. In charge of finding best practices for computer training at the local government non-profit where I work as the sole help desk/trainer. I am part of a three-person IT staff (boss, programmer, me) which is heavily Microsoft-software-based on PCs. Most, if not all, of the users have at least a basic competency in the software they need to use to get their jobs done. The apps are pretty basic: 2007 versions of the Office suite, Microsoft Dynamics.

I've explored having something like lynda.com available to all the staff but I was wondering how computer training is provided where you work? Does anyone have any experience with having awesome training experiences at your job?

We could provide limited offsite classroom training but I'm not sure how effective that would be long term. We don't have a large budget for outside classes anyway.

I am aware of the most obvious methods, i.e. internal classes, bring in an expert, cheat sheets, but I am mostly looking for examples of methods or processes I might not have considered.

Tips on understanding concepts on a deeper level?

amillionbillion — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 08:45:47 -0800

How can I better approach learning intro physics? I'm a post-bac premed and college-level (non-calculus) physics is kicking my ass. I know that physics isn't about mechanically plugging numbers into formulas, but how do I achieve a deeper conceptual understanding? I read the textbook thoroughly, chug through the homework, and I'll think I get the topic, but if faced with a problem that's twisted a bit differently (e.g. killer exam questions), I'm at a loss. I have no idea how to apply what I know to unfamiliar problems, which means I didn't really get it at all. I rarely have that "a-ha" moment of clarity. My professor is horrible, and tutors seem to focus on problem-solving instead of teaching me how to *think* about physics. (And this is only mechanics/kinematics right now; I predict if the trend continues, I'll be totally screwed in electromagnetism.)

The final is 2 weeks away and 45% of the final grade, so I still have one last chance...

I know what I'm looking for sounds a bit vague, but I'd appreciate any advice on how to learn something that's abstract, and thinking about concepts from different angles, as well as how to stay motivated and even psyched about learning. I'm kind of down on physics right now, and filled with this sense of dread/fervent wish I were Isaac Newton, which doesn't help.

Sources for good cheap learning literature?

jwells — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 06:19:40 -0800

What sources exist for good cheap learning literature? I'm thinking of things like AMSOIL's oil case studies and the Chelsea Milling/Jiffy Mix recipe book. Preferably non-digital, and any language is okay. I'm basically looking for the stuff that bypasses "marketing material" and ends up being a good resource. I remember being able to write away for stuff like this in the back of comic books as a kid but don't see much like that anymore, though I'm not reading comic books anymore either.

How much French could I learn in a year?

curious_yellow — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 04:07:47 -0800

I'm in London and pondering taking some part time French courses. I'd probably be receiving about 3-6 hours of teaching a week, with some obvious extra study at home. Specifically I'm pondering studying with the Institut Francais. I have almost no knowledge of French beyond Bonjour. How far could I expect to get in a year or two?

For background, I've not been doing too well with some other study I've been doing, and am pondering switching to this a) for variety b) because I think contact time helps, and my previous course was pretty much all work-from-home.

Tools to learn Spanish

Nickel — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 18:42:14 -0800

What tools can I use to help my family (adults and children) learn to speak Spanish? I am interested in CDs, software, music, TV shows,kid-friendly immersion programs, and anything else. This recent question has inspired me to try to learn Spanish with my family. It is something I have been meaning to do myself to further my career, and I would like my kids to be proficient in another language as well. It will also be a fun and intellectual activity that the family can do together. We will most likely never approach native-level fluency, but I would like the adults to be proficient and the kids to be proficient or better.

In my house, we have:
1 adult with proficient Italian
1 adult with high school courses in Spanish, could get by in basic conversation
1 adult (grandmother) who used to be fluent in French
1 toddler
1 baby whose daycare providers speak Spanish to him

We have several family friends who are native Spanish speakers as well, so I know we will be able to expose the kids to native Spanish.

What tools would you recomend? I'm thinking language learning CDs for the adults, childrens tv shows for everyone, simple spanish music, software, movies, etc.

Tell me your memorable, exciting learning experiences!

Cygnet — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:10:31 -0800

What are the most fun, memorable, interesting, exciting, and long-lasting learning experiences you have had? I'm talking about academic-type learning here, not "life learning", though I realize that sometimes the two are intertwined. I'm interested in things you did that made a subject, era in history, scientific principle, work of literature, or whatever come alive. The opposite of dry, textbook learning and cramming for tests. Engaging, open-ended, low-pressure, and, most of all, deeply memorable - the kind of learning that really gives you a lasting fondness for the subject.

Examples of the kind of thing I mean:
1. When I was 13 I toured the Castle of Edinburgh, and they had a fantastic audio tour that made me fall in love with the dark and mysterious history of the castle - and the whole region.
2. In high school, I took a European History class that put on a Greek Olympics (complete with Greek drama and hand-made masks, home-made Greek food, sporting events, traditional offerings to the Gods), a Welsh Eisteddfod (poetry, daffodils, Welsh music), and a Sienese Palio (with teams, bribing of the judges, sonnets for each mascot, traditional food, Italian art and architecture), and a Victorian Tea (with Oscar Wilde skits, appropriate outfits and food, Gilbert and Sullivan, and appropriate social and political discussions for the era). Totally memorable.
3. As a kid, I had the magnificent Classical Kids tapes, which introduced music history and the greatest works in story-form, with amazingly good quality acting and musicianship.
4. Carl Sagan's "Cosmos" videos, and Lawrence Blair's "Ring of Fire" videos - informative, beautiful, and memorable.

What other things, places, and experiences would you suggest? I'm interested in pretty much anything, but bonus points for things that are possible for me, a not-so-wealthy female graduate student (in the sciences) in Boston, to do without heroic measures. Even more bonus points if friends could participate in said learning.

Great Fiction, Online? Does It Exist?

2oh1 — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 22:45:54 -0800

Where can I find great works of fiction online or in some sort of text form that I can read on my Mac? I want to become a better writer, and I realize this means I need to read more... but... I'm legally blind. My vision is just good enough that regular books are a pain to read (I definitely can, but exceptionally slowly). Oddly enough, large print is even more difficult for me to read. This is because bigger isn't better. For me, closer is better. I realize this might be hard for someone who doesn't have my vision to understand...

...luckily, I can read just fine on a computer. In fact, I'm constantly reading online. I'm practically addicted to it! The problem is, I'm reading everything except what I really should be reading in order to improve my writing.

I want to read great works of fiction. Hell, even just-plain-good works of fiction will do. What's available online? Is there anything I can find in text-form?

What should I be reading and where can I find it?

I'm not sure if this is helpful or not, but as a point of reference, this is an example of my writing. What I really want to do is learn to write fiction. Ah, but I've probably read fewer than 15 books in my entire life because I am suuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuch a slow reader (with books, anyway. I do much better on a computer screen). Hence this question.

Oh, Hive mind, help me trade my bad habit of reading the news for a good habit of reading fiction [that I can learn from].

Yeah once I ordered coffee in Chile in French, but it sounded right at the time.

Anonymous — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 15:03:56 -0800

I'm very seriously considering the foreign service, but I've never been any good at languages. Will I likely be able to learn a language, with the intense training the Foreign Service provides, without a natural apptitude for languages? I've been doing my research on the Foreign Service and it has become abundantly clear that I will need to learn several languages over the course of my career were I to join. At least one of those would be a "hard" language (not closely related to english). I have little apptitude for languages. I took French for 3 years in high school and got basically straights Bs and then promptly forgot it all. I only got Bs because my high school was easy and I crammed right before every quiz which allowed me to get by. I've lived in Europe and SE Asia and did not pick up either language of my host country. However, I could get by in English (I wasn't put in a situations where I had to learn the language) and I had no training in either language. I took one semester of Spanish in college and found it very difficult. Took the class pass/fail and I passed. Promptly forgot all of it again.

Now on to things I am actually good at! I'll give some background on my education/current career because hopefully (?!) some of those skills are transferable to learning a language? At least that is what I am hoping.

I'm an attorney. I did pretty decent, but not amazing in law school. Passed the NY and CA bar on the first try. Generally speaking I do well (better than I should given my knowledge on any particular subject) on standardized tests. In college, I was an art history major and had to memorize lots of names/places/dates, which I also promptly forgot (I remember the art and all about the art, but names of things are very hard for me to remember along with names of people actually). Also, at one point I was an applied math major and chemistry major. I did well in classes for both, until I switched my major for other reasons. I think that I have good analytical skills.

Can people like me learn a language after intense training and study? Or am I likely to "flunk out" of the foreign service after crying myself to sleep on top of my flash cards for 88 weeks straight?

I am very interested, but do not have my heart set, so to speak, on the foreign service. I think I want to join, but if I joined I would want to be able to work my way up the ranks (as it's up or out). Stories/experience/advice about the foreign service in general also very much appreciated. I also have no idea if it matters but I am a female in my late 20s.

Help my teenage sister unlock the wonder of Photoshop

acorn1515 — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 13:19:18 -0800

I'm getting a copy of Photoshop CS3 for my younger sister, who's always shown a lot of interest in graphic design. She's turning 16, what beginner's resources can I point her to? I read the answers to this question, posted several years back, but I'm hoping there may be some more up-to-date sites or books out there. Something targeted to a high school audience, with "funner" real-life examples is the dream.

I'll definitely be pointing her to the "You Suck at Photoshop" web series, even though that might not necessarily be the preferred tone for my baby sister. Photoshopping herself into pictures with Red Sox players is a bit more up her alley...

Which musical instrument is the most difficult to master?

ragtimepiano — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 09:50:07 -0800

Learning music instruments---order of difficulty? This is just a "fun" question. I expect I'll get a wide range of answers here; people's preferences vary. I'm a musician who plays numerous instruments---piano, brass, woodwinds, flute, a little percussion now and then. I feel most fulfilled playing brass---and find it the most difficult, also, involving the whole body, requiring conditioning (diaphragm and embouchure especially) and constant maintenance---almost like being an athlete:-).
I have no knowledge about playing strings, and I know many people regard the violin as the most difficult and rewarding.
I'd like all you musicians and music scholars of the hive mind to weigh in on your own experiences. Many thanks!

What is this Heroic learning technique?

zardoz — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 15:46:57 -0800

I'm looking for the name of a cognitive/learning technique in which a person is given two or more questions--on unrelated subjects--and is to give the answer to both questions at the same time. For example, question one could be, say, what is the square root of 3,450? and then the teacher begins telling a story on a completely unrelated subject. The student must listen to the story intently, and when it is finished, the teacher asks the student specific questions about the story and at the same time answers the math question.

The point being that the student must juggle multiple trains of thought at the same time. Any idea if this technique has a name and what are some resources I can find to learn this by myself?

(I think I read that this is a technique used by Jesuit scholars, though I'm sure it's ancient in origin. Now that I think of it, I remember this from a part in Orson Scott Card's novel Wyrms.)

"F" stands for Freeway not Farm

MasonDixon — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 14:26:36 -0800

Is there a set of Urban Alphabet Flashcards? Alternatively, I'd like to create my own for my kid. Time to begin teaching the little one letters and things, and I guess I'd like the flashcards to provide me some entertainment value too. Many are dry and they often have a pastoral bent, which seems unhelpful given the urban landscape we live in. Know of any creative/funny/atypical sets?

If I can't find something, I plan on making them myself. Your helpful suggestions for what "A," etc. should stand for appreciated.

Improving my skills with a DSLR camera.

Political Funny Man — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 20:50:18 -0800

I recently purchased a Nikon D5000 DSLR, and while I'd like to think that I have a bit of a photographer's eye, I really haven't used anything beyond a point-and-shoot for the last few years. Any advice or resources that people have (beyond reading the manual) to improve my skills would be awesome. In a high school photography class (5 years ago) I learned how to develop film, frame a shot, the mechanics of it, that sort of thing. Since then I've barely used anything beyond a simple point-and-shoot. While I know a bit about what I'm doing, I really could use a refresher on F-stops and the like. Next semester I'll try and take a class, but until then...

- Any photography-related websites/books/magazines/etc that inspire you.
- Somewhere I can read or watch videos about the basics, like aperture, histograms, framing a great shot, that sort of thing.
- Other places that have more advanced stuff once I'm bored with the basics, and want to try something new.
- A forum or similar where I can get tips on how to improve my photos (e.g. "Hey this is what I photographed, what can I do better?")
- What are your favorite things to photograph, why?
- Your advice...?
- Something else I'm missing.

While I'd prefer not to spend any more money than I already have on the camera to learn how to use it, I'm open to all suggestions.

I've seen this post, and it's great. It's 4 years old though, so maybe MetaFilter has some new stuff?

Thanks!!

I've told you a million times!

surenoproblem — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 05:57:48 -0800

What are your benchmarks for estimating/comprehending quantities? I'm terrible with magnitudes; if someone tells me that they weigh 85kg, or that they come from a city of 2 million people, this doesn't create a mental picture for me at all; they might as well be speaking another language. After a lifetime of being resigned to this, I've decided I'm going to familiarise myself with a list of benchmark quantities: my height, the height of my tallest friend, population of my city, etc. Help me compile a list of quantities I should be familiar with, and tips for learning to come to grips with quantities! For example, these are some of the quantities I'm going to familiarise myself with:

Population of Australia: 21 million
Population of USA: 304 million
Population of China: 1.33 billion (1,330 million)

My height
Height of tallest friend
Height of short friend

My weight
Weight of buffest dude at my gym

Population of my city
Population of all cities I've lived in

GDP of Australia
GDP of major nations

Distance from my house to the corner shop
Distance from my house to work
Distance to other cities

Any quantities that you find useful, or tips for better visualisation, would be appreciated. Thanks!

Where did my Little Java Link Go ?

duckus — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 08:36:21 -0800

I found a great Java programming site awhile back. I was given a programming task and could get immediate feedback on whether or not it was correct. Tasks were things like, test if two integers are equal and 'reverse a string'. It was targeted toward learning .. but I seem to recall the tasks had advancing levels of complexity. This is not Java BlackBelt. I can't believe I didn't bookmark it. Anyone know what I'm talking about?

Ayudame, MeFi, por favor!

devilish — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 09:39:16 -0800

Relocating to South America: haven't touched Spanish in 20 years, how do I freshen my lingual skills up? Just got a job offer, finally, but it requires moving to Bogota, Columbia for a year. I took 11 years of Spanish between grade/high school/college but it's been 20 years since I've
spoken it. It's not a job requirement, but it would help with
the team and getting acclimated.

So, what's the best and quickest way? I primarily need help
with the complex verb conjugation (past participle, etc.), a quick
refresher on vocab and getting my speed back. I think Rosetta Stone might be too simple (I know gato from perro) but I don't know what they do on advanced levels.

Gracias!
-D

Recommend some French-language books (or sites) for a intermediate French-learner.

Kurichina — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 15:01:22 -0800

Recommend some French-language books (or sites) for a intermediate French-learner, to (hopefully enjoy) reading with the aid of a dictionary and bescherelle. I'm looking for some French-language books to read but am at an odd spot in my comprehension. I don't want to read a textbook or books for kids, but my comprehension isn't high enough to read any truly complicated texts. I recently tested at a Government of Canada B/C Level (i.e. I'm comfortable with multiple tenses/forms but they do not come automatically), and was told by my tester that while my grammar was fairly solid, my weak vocabularly was primarily to blame for being in the B rather than C range. I think reading would be a somewhat entertaining way to get going on improving my vocabularly while I'm waiting for a class/ The sort of literature I'm looking for:

- novels (could include young adult or contemporary as long as it's a. good - do not want to be reading some schlockly teen romance, thanks - and b. not hugely complicated - I'm willing to use my dictionary, but hopefully wouldn't be constantly swithcing back and forth between dictionary and book)

- non-fiction (politics/history/art/entertainment etc, again as long as it's not hugely complicated)

- short stories

- magazines with somewhat 'meaty' and/or interesting content (like a Walrus or Geist sort of publication)

Essentially, I'm looking for the right balance between meaty enough to be interesting, but dumb enough for me to read in my second language. Know of anything that fits the bill? I've seen this question but I'm looking for specifically for something that would suit my language level.

Improve your writing by imitating the greats.

ekpyrotic — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 17:10:41 -0800

Improve your writing by imitating the greats. I am a middling writer. I have won college writing awards. I once published two pieces in a national newspaper.

I am eager to learn. At night I often find myself scanning http://delicious.com/search?p=writing. The result is frequently the same, either (i) the articles are old, or (ii) the content is old news, Use the active voice, Delete unnecessary words, or other Shrunkian globules of wisdom.

I have read that there comes a time when you should turn to the masters: Hemingway, Nabokov, Chekov, Kafka. Read them; distill their lessons; imitate them.

How do I do that? Are there specific exercises?

I have a baby education society, now it needs a name.

soma lkzx — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 10:52:48 -0800

Help me name my wicked-cool collaborative learning group! This question has more backstory on the project, but the basics are: a bunch of people get together to work through a book or topic together, about which none of them are experts. We'll be holding a few classes at a time.

Facts: We're in Brooklyn, probably doing it around the Gowanus, classes will run the gamut from crafty to pure bookish intellectualism

Notes: A lot of words related to collaboration make us sound like an anarchist collective. We're trying to avoid that! We'd also prefer to sound fun over being a horribly formal institution, but we don't want it to be embarrassed to say it out loud. It also isn't a requirement that the name be entirely descriptive.

Things we like: If every class also was about prom, we'd just call it The Dilettante Ball. Brooklyn Guild unfortunately already exists. Brooklyn Creative League has a fun name, too.

and sure, these classes will probably be full of hipsters, so it's okay to court them a little bit as long as you don't alienate Everyone Else

Hydrogen and Oxygen bond to make water... but why?

Vorteks — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 09:39:54 -0800

Please help me really grok chemistry. TMBG's recent song "meet the elements" has got me thinking more about chemistry recently. I never really studied it when I was younger, but I've developed more of an interest now.

I understand certain basic concepts - atoms are made of protons, neutrons, and electrons, atoms combine to make molecules, etc, but I don't really "get" it. When you combine, say, vinegar and baking soda, what's really happening at the atomic level? Why do different combination of 3 basic particles behave so differently? Why do some molecules have more potential energy than others? These things escape me.

If there's anything that's helped you really understand this topic, please recommend it! Books, games, documentaries, websites, youtube movies, anything is fair game. I'm not afraid of college-level math, but I find the "dry" writing style often found in textbooks, scientific papers, and encyclopedias very hard to pay attention to. Something with an amusing writing style, or with a large visual component (videos, diagrams, charts, whatever), or with very down-to-earth language would be most effective, I feel.

Thanks in advance Mefites!

Help me find some good contemporary Spanish music to learn by?

wingless_angel — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 02:20:28 -0800

Modern Spanish-language music to help a complete newbie? ... but I have some specific preferences based on what I like in French! I have embarked on a goal to learn Spanish for work. I do field work in different regions around the world, and a priority region is Latin America. After attending a meeting of this group at a recent conference that was conducted entirely in Spanish (with translation in parts only for me) I've decided I want and need to learn Spanish to communicate better. I don't expect to become fluent, but I do want to be able to listen to to conference papers, discussions and participate in conversations.

As I have a lot of irregular travel for work, I can't attend scheduled classes, so I am learning from Rosetta Stone, Michel Thomas, reading papers in my field in the language etc. I have some background in Italian and a little French.

Complication is that my preference is for learning a Latin American accent (Mexican?) rather than one from Spain (I am currently in the UK so a lot of the materials I am finding are geared towards Castilian Spanish).

I have checked previous AskMe's, and what I am looking for is music recommendations. In learning French, I listen to a lot of Michel Polnareff, Keren Ann, Benjamin Biolay, Jacques Dutronc. I'd love some similar recommendations for Spanish language music, poppy stuff where the words are relatively clear (or I can read along with a lyric sheet).

I remember learning Italian at university way back when and in lab we listened to terrible music, awful cliched stuff and I want to avoid that. I want good contemporary music!

Music and any other general media/learning recommendations greatly appreciated!

What are some really great music tutorial websites?

rongorongo — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 07:16:29 -0800

What are some really great "learn by example" music tutorial websites? Somebody gave me a ukulele and I have been having a great time with tutorial sites like Aldrine Guerrero's "Ukulele Underground", Jim Rosokoff's "Doctor Ukulele", and the songs of "Ukulele Mike" (Michael Lynch). They are free, informative and entertaining enough (I think) to appeal even to people who are not studying to play. So what are the great sites out there for people studying other instruments? I'm thinking, in particular, of ones where somebody includes audio or video of them playing or singing.

Help me build a nerd-ish virtual dollhouse

ollyollyoxenfree — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 04:31:20 -0800

Is there software that mimics a 'memory palace'? Lately, I've been using the open source flashcard software Anki (previously mentioned on this site). I've also been experimenting with memory maps. I've been using both as the foundation of Bloom's Taxonomy (using other techniques and tools for other areas). Both have helped with my study, but I've found that I'm more likely to remember things when visualizing my own memory palace. It seems I have a knack for remembering layouts of places. I can still draw the layouts from relatives and friend's houses from as early as five years old, so I think that a virtual simulator of a memory palace might be quite powerful for learning (more so than visualizing it in my head).

So, is there any software out there like this?

I've googled around, and found this guy's blog discussing Second Life as a memory palace. I was thinking along similar lines. Something like The Sims or Second Life, but for memory training would be great (alternatively, can you use these games for that purpose? I haven't played them, so not sure about their architecture for such a purpose). Thanks.

Your favorite interesting, specific question in philosophy

k. — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 16:54:11 -0800

Philosophy Filter: What are some fresh and interesting questions or topics in philosophy? I don't know if there are many philosophy nerds on MetaFilter (at least relative to other kinds of nerds), but I thought I'd give this a shot. I'm looking for topics that you wouldn't necessarily learn about in the usual undergraduate philosophy courses. I'd prefer these to be pretty specific, like these examples:

1. The "philosophy of information", which covers both the application of methods and ideas from computer science to philosophy and philosophical issues about what information is (especially in the work of Luciano Floridi)

2. Attacks on virtue ethics based on psychologists' claims that human character traits are much less stable than we think (summarized in e.g. the recent popular book Experiments in Ethics by K. Anthony Appiah)

More like these please! Really, any issue in philosophy that you find interesting would help. Bonus points for relevance to any timely issues outside of philosophy (in politics/society, science, etc).