WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.060 Welcome back to The Deep Dive. So based on listener 00:00:03.060 --> 00:00:04.780 input, we're looking at an interesting piece 00:00:04.780 --> 00:00:06.879 today. It's Gary Ackerman's capacity for learning 00:00:06.879 --> 00:00:09.800 article from hackscience .education. Yeah, it's 00:00:09.800 --> 00:00:12.980 a good one. Our aim here is, well, to really 00:00:12.980 --> 00:00:16.679 unpack Ackerman's main argument. How can you 00:00:16.679 --> 00:00:19.719 listening actually thrive when the world of work 00:00:19.719 --> 00:00:22.179 feels like it's constantly shifting? Absolutely. 00:00:22.300 --> 00:00:24.320 It's about building a framework, really, for 00:00:24.320 --> 00:00:27.300 lifelong learning that works in practice. So 00:00:27.300 --> 00:00:29.179 Ackerman starts by acknowledging something we 00:00:29.179 --> 00:00:32.259 all feel. This uncertainty about future jobs, 00:00:32.640 --> 00:00:34.920 maybe jobs that don't even exist yet. Exactly. 00:00:35.619 --> 00:00:37.460 And while people debate how much things will 00:00:37.460 --> 00:00:40.899 change, Ackerman focuses on the individual experience. 00:00:41.399 --> 00:00:43.700 For us personally, that feeling of uncertainty 00:00:43.700 --> 00:00:46.500 is definitely real. Right. And his core idea, 00:00:46.740 --> 00:00:50.060 rather than predicting, is building this capacity 00:00:50.060 --> 00:00:53.429 for learning. He uses this analogy, like biological 00:00:53.429 --> 00:00:56.189 adaptation. Uh -huh. It's this idea that we can 00:00:56.189 --> 00:00:58.689 develop an inherent ability to respond effectively 00:00:58.689 --> 00:01:01.149 to change, whether it's economic, political, 00:01:01.590 --> 00:01:03.369 whatever shifts are happening around us. So how 00:01:03.369 --> 00:01:05.430 do we build that capacity? What are the ingredients, 00:01:05.590 --> 00:01:07.650 according to him? Well, he breaks it down into 00:01:07.650 --> 00:01:10.750 three main things. First up, academic skills. 00:01:10.989 --> 00:01:13.890 OK, like the basics, reading, writing, math. 00:01:14.290 --> 00:01:16.909 Yes, but he argues they're getting more complex. 00:01:17.180 --> 00:01:19.420 especially with technology. It's not just reading. 00:01:19.620 --> 00:01:22.019 It's evaluating information accuracy online. 00:01:22.579 --> 00:01:24.519 You know, anyone can post anything. That's a 00:01:24.519 --> 00:01:28.650 huge one. Knowing what to trust and... Choosing 00:01:28.650 --> 00:01:31.170 the right tech tools, I suppose. Precisely. It's 00:01:31.170 --> 00:01:33.530 about being digitally savvy, an active user, 00:01:33.849 --> 00:01:36.590 not just passive. OK, makes sense. What's the 00:01:36.590 --> 00:01:39.670 second ingredient? Natural situations. This is 00:01:39.670 --> 00:01:42.090 about learning in contexts that actually mirror 00:01:42.090 --> 00:01:45.510 real -world complexity. Ah, so moving beyond 00:01:45.510 --> 00:01:48.750 simplified problems, like textbook exercises 00:01:48.750 --> 00:01:51.489 that don't really map to reality. Exactly that. 00:01:51.549 --> 00:01:54.390 The key is that learners create something, an 00:01:54.390 --> 00:01:56.650 output that professionals in that field would 00:01:56.650 --> 00:01:59.409 actually value. Authentic creation, not just, 00:01:59.409 --> 00:02:01.290 you know, answering chapter questions. I like 00:02:01.290 --> 00:02:03.450 that. It's learning by doing something meaningful, 00:02:03.629 --> 00:02:05.510 something tangible. Yeah, it makes the learning 00:02:05.510 --> 00:02:08.370 stick feels more relevant. OK, academic skills, 00:02:08.650 --> 00:02:11.689 natural situations, and the third. The third 00:02:11.689 --> 00:02:14.909 is metacognition. Metacognition. OK, break that 00:02:14.909 --> 00:02:17.949 down for us. It's essentially learning what you 00:02:17.949 --> 00:02:21.300 know. or maybe knowing how you learn. It's about 00:02:21.300 --> 00:02:23.400 understanding your own learning processes. So 00:02:23.400 --> 00:02:26.479 being aware of how you learn best. Uh -huh. And 00:02:26.479 --> 00:02:29.120 being able to apply knowledge from one area to 00:02:29.120 --> 00:02:32.539 another. Also, crucially, identifying what you 00:02:32.539 --> 00:02:35.159 don't know, your knowledge gaps. And then figuring 00:02:35.159 --> 00:02:37.139 out how to fill those gaps. That's right. Taking 00:02:37.139 --> 00:02:39.460 charge of your own learning path. Exactly. It's 00:02:39.460 --> 00:02:41.639 the engine for self -directed learning, really. 00:02:41.979 --> 00:02:44.340 Understanding yourself as a learner. Ackerman 00:02:44.340 --> 00:02:47.360 points out that schools... physical or online, 00:02:47.539 --> 00:02:50.020 are often the main places we develop this. Right. 00:02:50.120 --> 00:02:53.219 So pulling it all together, what's the big takeaway 00:02:53.219 --> 00:02:55.740 for someone listening who wants to navigate their 00:02:55.740 --> 00:02:58.259 future? Well, the core message is that actively 00:02:58.259 --> 00:03:00.360 working on these three things, those evolving 00:03:00.360 --> 00:03:02.879 academic skills, engaging in real world style 00:03:02.879 --> 00:03:05.939 learning, and developing that metacognitive awareness, 00:03:05.939 --> 00:03:08.080 that's how you build resilience. It's about building 00:03:08.080 --> 00:03:10.639 that robust capacity for learning he talks about. 00:03:10.740 --> 00:03:13.620 Yeah. It equips you to handle uncertainty, whatever 00:03:13.620 --> 00:03:16.150 the future job market looks like. That feels 00:03:16.150 --> 00:03:18.770 very actionable actually, not just theoretical. 00:03:19.669 --> 00:03:23.210 So a final thought for everyone listening. Considering 00:03:23.210 --> 00:03:26.590 these three areas, the academic skills, the real 00:03:26.590 --> 00:03:29.090 world learning, the metacognition, maybe ask 00:03:29.090 --> 00:03:31.710 yourself, what's one specific area you could 00:03:31.710 --> 00:03:33.590 focus on strengthening right now for your own 00:03:33.590 --> 00:03:36.030 goals? That's a great question to reflect on. 00:03:36.229 --> 00:03:38.500 Definitely something to mull over. And hey, if 00:03:38.500 --> 00:03:40.919 you want to dig deeper into Ackerman's ideas, 00:03:41.199 --> 00:03:43.520 he's got a few books out there. Technology in 00:03:43.520 --> 00:03:46.699 Schools from 2022, Efficacious Technology Management 00:03:46.699 --> 00:03:49.460 from 2018, and Technology -Rich Teaching from 00:03:49.460 --> 00:03:52.500 2015 could be good places to start. Good resources 00:03:52.500 --> 00:03:54.740 for sure. Great stuff. Thanks for this deep dive.