Upgrade Yourself

The Myth of Passive Learning

“…the term “passive learning” is an oxymoron. There is no such thing. If students are learning, then they are NOT passive, and learning does not always include moving or talking…”

Engagement and learning is an exercise of focused cognition. Without mentally attending to material/information, there can be no learning. The idea of passive learning vs. active learning as an outward expression of engagement is very misleading. A student can look ‘active’ with their learning because they are having a discussion with others or using a manipulative, but without assessment of the student’s cognition, we (students and teachers) should not assume learning has occurred. Conversely, a student can appear ‘passive’ in their learning because they are quietly reading; not in a collaborative group or creatively working with material. In both instances, the student(s) may or may not be learning. … Read More

How to Delete Yourself From the Internet

You may think your internet usage is completely private, but any time you access a website, sign up for an account, purchase a product, post a message, or browse search engine results, you’re sharing something about yourself. If you find this troubling, you may want to learn more about how you can delete your internet footprints. … Read More

How To Retain 90% Of Everything You Learn

Imagine if you had a bucket of water. And every time you attempted to fill the bucket, 90% of the water would leak out instantly. Every time, all you’d retain was a measly 10%. How many times would you keep filling the bucket?

The answer is simple: just once.

The first time you noticed the leak, you’d take action

You’d either fix the bucket or you’d get another bucket, wouldn’t you?

Yet that’s not at all the way we learn.

Almost all of us waste 90% of our time, resources and learning time, because we don’t understand a simple concept called the Learning Pyramid. The Learning Pyramid was developed way back in the 1960s by the NTL Institute in Bethel, Maine. And if you look at the pyramid you’ll see something really weird. ( SD doesnot endorse this viewpoint) … Read More

Healthy eating

These 15 science-backed approaches to healthy eating have nothing to do with calories. … Read More

11 horrible body language habits that are hard to quit but you’ll be glad you did

Body language is a major part of how we communicate. It’s important to cultivate positive body language habits and avoid other behaviors that diminish how you appear to others. … Read More

Mindfulness in the Classroom: What’s All the Buzz About?

“Mindfulness” is a buzzword popping up everywhere from the New York Times, prestigious science and education journals, to grade school and university curriculum. Headlines offer intriguing statements like, “Mindfulness meditation may have positive effects on stress, anxiety, and reshape the brain!” If you’re curious about the bold claims of mindfulness but are not quite sure what mindfulness is, you’ve come to the right place…

The journey of mindfulness in Western science and education may be just beginning, but its roots are deep and its practices simple. As research starts to stabilize in a crisper understanding and evaluation of mindfulness, implementation in the classroom will become clearer. For now, let’s mindfully navigate the bumps together and trust in its unfolding. … Read More

Why Steve Jobs always wore the same thing

“Decision fatigue” — being mentally worn out by making menial choices — is a real phenomenon. Some famous figures have chosen to wear similar clothes each day to reduce the decisions they have to make in the morning, enabling them to get on with the real work. … Check It

What is Creative Genius?

Creative genius is not just about IQ, it’s how the brain is wired

When I was a senior in high school, we had to solve—what was for me—incredibly difficult differential equations for our math homework. The solution to one problem could take a full page or two, and several hours to complete. The next day in class, the teacher would call on one of us who would have to stand up and read the solution to a problem from his notebook.

One nerdy-looking kid, let’s call him U, never did any homework. But when called upon, he would stand up and read the correct solution off a blank page! The kid was a math whiz … Read More

Tech For High School