Peter Green hears the band members before they became a band. He met with them, jammed together, then released Fleetwood Mac.
Rumours is one of their best albums. Most think it is 3rd album - actually 16th. There is a long history between 1967 and 1973 with members coming and going before they become the band we think of as Fleetwood Mac.
Lesson 1
We tend to telescope the time for learning between inception and success. Pscyhologists have suggested that to become mastery requires 10 000 hours of practice (4 hours / day x 10 years). Mozart was a late bloomer - his better compositions took 14 years of composing (age 9 to 23) The Beattles played together live 1200 times before coming to America.
As people, we have an attitude toward learning that sees the product not the effort to get there. The effort is telescoped.
The TIMSS test tests math and completes a 120 question survey. A research correlated the number of question answered on the survey to the marks on the math test - it was a direct correlation. If you can sit still and focus to complete a task, you will do well with Math.
Attitude and Effort are more important than Ability.
KIP model - working with disadvantaged children - provide instruction from 8 to 5:00 instead of 9 to 3 and 3 less weeks of summer vacation - can eliminate the disadvantage -
There is no substitute for time and effort
Lesson 2
Most believe success is built on success - Capitalization strategy
Instead - Success is built on previous failures. This is a compensation strategy - Compensate for your weaknesses. NFL draft - First 50 for QB - their next year stats slightly under perform their 50 to 140 draft picks. The first 50 have height, strength, looks, 'talent;' however the next 100 know they have to compensate for their disadvantages by being hungrier and more committed to excel.
A Compensatory strategy is more effective to improve. Four of the best QB had the worst scores on IQ tests. Being smart is valuable to learn the plays and other details of football; however, if you are not as smart, you will have to work harder to compensate. Dyslexic entrepreneurs are at the top of the list because they had to work harder at school but learned instead - leadership, teamwork, aural communication, and delegation. They succeeded because they compensated.
(interesting consideration)
Large class sizes force students to compensate. Learning to learn with minimal support allows for compensations to develop. We need to have respect for difficulty. It is crucial to learn to overcome difficulties.
How can we create 'constructive disadvantages' in learning environments.
Lesson 3
Learning Paths are not necessarily Linear
Fleetwood Mac changed styles many times over the 16 albums.
Paul Cezanne started with not good work, but 30 to 40 years of work and exploration developed famous styles. He learned brush strokes from Pizarro for years with feedback
Huck Finn was written over 9 years. Most completed early but needed 9 years of trying endings to create a literary masterpiece.
Feedback is at the core of learning. The struggle to learn is where the learning lies. The record industry would not wait for 16 albums today. It is expected to be instant success.
Conclusion
Put it together
Learning takes time and effort
Learning takes making mistakes and compensating
Learning takes struggling and exploring along the way
3 comments:
I was looking around for a summary of Gladwell's talk and appreciated this post. Thanks!
(interesting consideration)
Large class sizes force students to compensate. Learning to learn with minimal support allows for compensations to develop. We need to have respect for difficulty. It is crucial to learn to overcome difficulties.
ARG. I'm sorry, but large class sizes isn't a constructive disadvantage - it's just a disadvantage.
"What doesn't kill you only makes you stronger" ... or leaves you crippled and maimed. (Or poorly educated, unable to escape poverty, lacking social resources to succeed, etc.)
There are lots of good points in there but the "difficulties" thing sounds like a good idea veering dangerously towards a cliff.
Thanks Josh, I know what you are thinking. It does seem counter intuitive. Malcolm quoted the research that smaller class sizes don't show measurable or significant increases in learning. I don't know whether I agree with the research either.
He wasn't advocating for larger class sizes. I think that the exploration point does require smaller sizes if we assume the teacher is the source of feedback during exploration.
As a teacher, I want a smaller class size. The exception to the research was for young children.
Malcolm is doing what he does best - make us think.
Kevin
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