Why Do Stupid People Think They're Smart? The Dunning Kruger Effect (ani...

It has been about 5 months since my last post. To be quite honest, at some point I was considering to delete this blog. Mainluy due to the fact that I do not make any profit whatsoever out of this. My only reward out of this page is the satisfaction of the few readers I have. Apart from what I learn myself by writing this posts. The topic for today has to do with some people overstimating their intellectual skills. In the following, I will tackle to "The Dunning Kruger Effect" to the best of my ability.

Rumor has it that at some point at 1995, a man decided to rob a bank in Pitsburg, Penssylvania by himself. He was convinced that since he had smeared his face with lemon juice, he would not get recognized by the security cameras. His reasoning was that since this juice was one of the compotents used to make invisible ink, his idea would work. Be that as it may, he was sadly mistaken. Not only did he not succeed in his endeavor, he was also shown the footage of the robbery. Despite the proof, he was quite dazzled to realize his plan had failed. 

This peculiar case inspired Cornel University psychologists David Dunning and Justin Kruger to research this phenomenon in depth. He conducted a study with two groups of undergraduate students in different categories. The categories taken into account were: grammatical writing, logical reasoning, and sense of humor. After all the participants had taken the test, they were asked how well they thought they had scored. The group with the lowest score overstimated their results by a large margin.  As opposed to the other group who had performed better than they anticipated. The first group ended up obtaining a low score. The second on the other hand overperformed. The Dunning Kruger Effect posits that low ability people wronly assume to have better skills at a particular discipline than they actually do.

In summary, I would say that the more we know about a subject, the more we realize how much we still have to learn. It is always highly recommed to have unbiased feedback from peers and teachers. As well keeping track of our progress. 

Sources:

- Better Than Yesterday YouTube Channel.                                                                                        - Dunning-Kruger Effect | Psychology Today

Better Than Yesterday

The Pygmalion Effect

Needless to say it has been over a month since my last post. Thus, I felt the necessity to make new one.

I am beyond sure I have already touched on "The Pygmalion Effect". Given that is such a fascinating topic. Nonetheless, it can be expanded upon and explored further. In the following, I will tackle the aforesaid. As well as providing real life examples and experiences.

The Pygmalion Effect can be defined by the phrase: "Higher expectations lead to higher performance".    In other words, our beliefs about a person can influence our actions towards them. Hence, altering the person's belief in themselves. Which in turn can lead to them either succeeding or failing in their endeavors. Case in point, a father has the preconceived notion that his older son is naturally more intellectually gifted than his younger one. Even though not only have they the exact same IQ results, but are only a year apart in age. Consequently, the father spends most of his money on his favorite son. He enrolls him in several language learning lessons, music lessons, etc. He has the best tutors in town assist him whenever he is struggling with a subject matter at school. His younger son however, only attends his regular lessons at school and performs at an average level. Obviously the older son is going to feel superior than his brother. Be that is it may, it was the father's unfair intervention what altered their performance. As opposed to their natural talents.

The aforementioned concept can tie in with intrinsic motivation. Which is an empowering tool especially in adults. Most of us are still susceptible to what other people in authority perceive or believe about us. If however, despite our best efforts we fail to live up to their expectations, we must press on. For instance, feedback can only be useful in the teaching profession if educators remain as objective as possible. Notwithstanding, that is not always the case. Because of the preconceived idea a teacher might have of a student, he can draw the wrong conclusions. As a result, the need for us to remain calm and speak out only if we must. Our opinion about ourselves should outweigh any other. Oftentimes, it is ourselves who are our best judges. We can not only notice, but improve on mistakes me make quite efficiently. Only constructive criticism must be taken into account.

In summary, we can all agree that other people's perception of ourselves can ultimately influence our behavior. Only if we let that happen however. As soon as we become emotionally mature in all aspects, we can fight those preconceptions. I could name multiple examples of highly successful people who faced countless rejections. Yet, they had the inner strength to keep going and prove their detractors wrong. The Pygmalion effect parallels the myth it was based on. In Greek mythology, Pygmalion was a prince of Cyprus who was seeking the perfect wife. He made an ivory statue of the perfect woman he envisioned. The prince pleaded with Goddess Venus to bring his creation to life. She granted his wish. Pygmalion married the woman of his dreams. It only worked out in the end because she possessed all the qualities he was expecting for.

Sources:

- Sprouts YouTube Channel.

- Personal experience.

- https://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-the-pygmalion-effect.htm

Rev. Al: George Floyd Funeral 'Was Very, Very Emotional' | Morning Joe |...

Has it been slightly over a month since my last post. As I have said several times before however: "Inspiration is not easily encountered on a daily basis". At times, it is indeed harder to find a topic worthy to write about. Notwithstanding, what happened with African-American citizen George Floyd on May 25th cannot go unnoticed. In the following post, I will touch briefly on racism in America and how it has shaped society today.

 

Ever since the crime committed that day, countless protests erupted not only throughout The US, but also in countless other countries around the world. Police brutality against African Americans is not a recent occurrence. Be that as it may, this last tragedy was without a doubt the last straw. To name a few examples of recent killings in the past few years: In 2018, citizen Stephen Clark was shot to death by police officers in Sacramento, CA. Only due to the fact that the aforesaid officers mistook his cell-phone for a gun. In 2016, a citizen named Castile was shot dead in his car by an officer outside of Minneapolis. In to 2015, a citizen named Clark was pinned to the ground and shot to death by yet another officer also in  Minneapolis. Let us not forget how the Black Lives Matter movement came to be. It did so in response to the murder of Trayvon Martin back in 2012 by a civilian. Activists had had enough by then.

 

What has been happening in the past week and half since the incident has been quite inspiring. Yet looters and ill-intentioned people have tried to take advantage of the situation as well.  Notwithstanding, most protestors are speaking out against injustice and pushing for new policies to protect minorities. Nevertheless, it is not enough to pass new laws. They must be enforced. Not to mention that the requirements so as to become a police officer in The US have to be more strict. Taking into account the mental health of the candidates at all times.

Racism has been around in America for hundreds of years. Slavery was outlawed in 1865 by the Thirteen Amendment of the US constitution. As well as The Fourteen Amendment, which mandated that citizenship and equal protection of the law could not be denied based on race. Notwithstanding, the previous two centuries of slavery had left black Americans at a huge disadvantage. Basically in terms of education, health care benefits and whatnot. It took a long time (several riots and historic speeches) after that however for black Americans to be treated "equally" in society. For instance, to be able to apply to the same schools, universities and jobs as white Americans. To be allowed to vote, among others.

 

In summary, changes remain to be made in order to realize the dream of countless Americans who wish equity and safety for every single citizen. Irrespective of the fact that The United States remains arguably the most powerful nation on Earth, improvements have to be made as soon as possible. People have to make wiser decisions when it comes to electing their authorities. The power a political leader exerts cannot be unlimited, etc. These violent incidents have only added to the already compounding state of affairs with Covid-19. Albeit, America has resurfaced several times from similar crises. It will not be easy, but it will do it again.

 

Sources:

- https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2020-06-04/police-killings-black-victims

- Sapiens - A Brief History of Human Kind by Yuval Noah Hurari.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Flipped Classroom Model: Why, How, and Overview

Positive discipline is without a doubt a an exemplary model to follow. Nonetheless, when it comes to teaching and learning, The Flipped Classroom model seems to be as effective. Not following the traditional path has worked wonders before. In the following post, I will touch on Flipped Learning based on personal experience and from the information I could gather.

 

First of all, we all know how traditional lessons are conducted. The teacher presents the content, students remain silent throughout most of class. By the end of it, he leaves homework for learners to work on. When Flipped Leaning is applied however, the opposite happens: The teacher leaves students an assignment or a set of questions. These questions are directly connected to the following lesson. He usually suggests what sources or tools learners can make use of so as to do their research. During the following class, students focus on hands-on activities, help each other through collaborative work, etc. Their tutor is also there to dispel any doubts that may arise during the activities or to clarify some points from the assignment.

 

What is more, another major advantage to this model is the personalization of teaching. Teachers can focus more on individual students who need assistance. The well known MKO (More knowledgeable other) technique is utilized as well. In other words, the students who have a better understanding and skill-set of the content aid their peers. They are paired up for this to happen. At this point, you may wonder what exactly learners do during their very first lesson. Basically, the teacher starts walking them through the process of flipped learning. Taking advantage of technology goes without saying. It comes naturally for students to use online resources to conduct their research an work on tasks. Notwithstanding, it is our job to curate the content to be used in class. As well as teaching how to properly search for content and rely only on reputable sources. The only drawback I can think of for the Flipped Model is the complexity of the homework. The tasks must be manageable for learners. Not to mention that the topic to be learned through this model cannot be too advanced or demanding.

In review, there is no denying how useful Flipped Learning can be in any classroom. Implementing it in your school may be slightly daunting at first. Be that as it may, as was the case with Positive Discipline, the results acquired in the long run will be more than worth it. Having students as active participants of the learning process makes a huge difference in their attitude. Showing them their opinions and contributions matter should always be part of our belief system as educators.

Sources:
- Personal experience.
- Teachings in Education YouTube Channel.

Five Criteria for Positive Discipline With Parenting Expert Dr. Jane Nelsen

Needless to say that this is not the way in which most people pictured themselves spending April 1st before the pandemic. Nevertheless, circumstances outside of our control made it happen. Thus, for now, we must focus on what we can do to make progress. For this particular post, I feel compelled to share with you the concept of "Positive Discipline". A principle that has proven to be useful not only in teaching settings, but also in parenting.

 

When it comes to disciplining students, most teachers resort to the behaviorist approach. In other words, the idea that all behaviors are learned through conditioning. Consequently, for every stimulus, there must be a response. Case in point, if we train our students to stand up every time we come into the classroom, chances are they will fulfil this simple task without any difficulty. This concept has yielded results and been improved upon over the years since its formal inception in 1913 (even before then since Pavlov introduced the idea of conditioning). Be that as it may, behaviorism has only proven to produce short term results. For longer periods of time, a different approach is needed.

 

Given that rewards and punishments only provide temporary solutions, positive discipline can fill that void. The aforesaid principle endorses the idea that educators must be "firm and kind" at the same time. In fact, being more understanding of students' feelings, interests and circumstances has resulted in a stronger rapport between them and the teacher. Without showing weakness that is. Being kind does not necessarily mean being lenient. Fairness would be what most educators aim for when utilizing positive discipline. In fact, teachers who employ this concept, constantly hold teacher-student meetings. Where constant discussions take place regarding matters that will benefit both sides in the long run. The book by the same name "Positive Discipline", proposes a wide variety of techniques and strategies to make learners feel more at easy and willing to actively participate in the classroom. For instance, "The mistaken goals chart". A chart that contains four different behaviors students display when their needs are not met. Such as undue attention (to keep others busy or to get special service), misguided power (to be boss), and so on. It also provides avenues of action teachers can take so as to effectively deal with each particular behavior.

 

In summary, this relatively new method of disciplining students has become an indispensable guide for most educators worldwide. I believe that behaviorism and positive discipline can complement each other so as to promote a healthy learning environment in each classroom or household. Nonetheless, long term results should be what we all aspire to for our learners.

Sources:
- Positive Discipline in the Classroom (Jane Nelsen, Lynn Lott, H. Stephen Glenn).
- https://owlcation.com/social-sciences/Cognitive-Development-in-Children-from-Watson-to-Kohlberg

Charles Lyell and Geologic Time

Needless to say it has been over a month since my last post. Quite an eventful month and a half it has been. Nonetheless, keeping this blog alive is one of the goals I set out to pursue from the beginning.  Regarding my topic for today, I would say it is deeply connected with the theory of evolution. In fact, the scientist I am about to mention inspired Darwin to develop his theory. In the following, I will tackle Charles Lyell's Theory of Uniformitarianism and his contribution to Darwin's Evolutionary Theory.

Charles Lyell was born to a wealthy family in Scotland in 1797. They moved to England two years later. Charles was interested in nature from an early age. His father who was a botanist, would take him to the woods to collect bugs and butterflies. Lyell grew up to become and geologist. Earning his degree from Exeter College in Oxford at age 22. Additionally, he pursued and acquired a Master's degree in law in 1821. Be that as it may, he resumed his initial career path after a few years. By this time, Charles had already published some minor works which would later serve as a foundation for his more prominent ones. Case in point, his dissertation paper: "On a recent formation of Freshwater Limestone in Forfarshire".

 

During the 1800s, it was accepted as fact that everything  in heaven and Earth had been created by the Judeo-Christian god. Thus, the old testament was taken literally. Notwithstanding, Lyell debunked this assertion. He believed that the Earth was much older than only 6000 years old. Consequently, concluding it had taken millions of years to form.  Charles was able to corroborate his hypothesis while in Europe. Conducting research and collecting fossils. His theory of uniformitarianism posits that the Earth has been shaped by forces such as erosion and sedimentation. Which happened progressively throughout long periods of time. As opposed to Noah's ark flood and other isolated biblical events. What is more, Darwin himself applied the principles of uniformitarianism while studying volcanic rocks on The Canary Islands. Further cementing the validity of Lyell's work.

 

Lastly, even though most people regard Darwin as probably the greatest scientific mind of the 19th century, it is crucial to know who influenced his discoveries and conclusions. Had he not befriended Charles Lyell, he would have not read "The Principles of Geology". Hence, he would have probably never been inclined to discover a wide variety of fossils and patterns from different animals. Which ultimately lead to the development of his theory.

Sources:
- Famous Scientists: Charles Lyell.
- Famous Scientists: Charles Darwin.
- UC Berkeley: Understanding Evolution: Uniformitarianism: Charles Lyell.
- Dr. Mary Dowd article.

Lateral Thinking: Generate Brilliant Ideas

Is this my very first post of 2020. Sometimes searching for the right topic to write about turns into a taxing task. Nonetheless, I always seem to stumble upon the right piece of information at the right time. Recently, did I encounter the term "lateral thinking" on a math book. Ever since then, I have been planning  on explaining what it is and how it works. In the following, I will address this topic and provide a few insights into how we can apply it into our lives.

 

I am sure you have heard the expression "to think outside the box". Lateral thinking is most likely the technical term for it. You see, most people think in a linear way (vertical thinking). When presented with a problem or question, most would employ logic and devise one solution. Conversely, lateral thinking encourages you to apply several strategies after looking into the problem. Thus, generating multiple solutions or answers. In other words, lateral thinking is used "to dig a whole in a different way". Whereas vertical thinking is used "to dig the same hole deeper". Both types of thinking should complement each other. Lateral thinking primarily being used with out-of-the-ordinary situations. For instance, mathematicians use this type of thinking so as to ideate different ways to solve a problem.

 

Dr. Edward De Bono coined the term back in 1967. He is a pioneer in brain training.  He has published several books on creative, critical and lateral thinking throughout his career. One of his most prominent works being "The Six Thinking Hats". Schools from over 20 countries have included his thinking tools into their curriculums. Not to mention he has helped countless people all over the world improve their creative skills and thinking abilities. De Bono believes our brain is organized and operates in patterns. Which makes it difficult for new information to be integrated easily. Which it needs to fit within the aforesaid existing patterns. Hence, lateral thinking allows us to restructure those patterns. Opening our minds to new ideas.

 

Lastly, I would say that even though this principle may be quite useful when playing chess or doing math, it can also be applied in our daily life. As stated above, problem solving skills do come into play when making decisions. Those decisions can lead us either to success or failure. The focus of lateral thinking lies on using all the alternatives we have to our advantage in order to produce the best solution.

Sources:
- Blahzinga YouTube Channel
- https://www.edwddebono.com/