Retention

I've spent a lot of time recently learning things. The past year has been one long period of learning - studying for Psychometrics, Amnon, Hibur, and now in the team. Along the way I spent some time learning alone too - doing Euler, Natas, React & Django, Fluent Python and Understanding the Linux Kernel. Some of the things I learnt were in other fields too, like reading the Selfish Gene and Rich Dad Poor Dad, as well as watching videos on Statistics and Economics on CrashCourse.

After all this learning, I realized how weirdly my mind retains information. I don't actually learn and become knowledgeable in the fields, but I suddenly have these connections that I didn't have previously. Things click, but I can't explain them in depth. 

What became clear to me is that actually experiencing things, practicing them, is absolutely key to retention. Just copying code or reading or listening isn't enough to allow you to explain the subject to someone. You need to use the information in interesting ways in order to be able to explain things with it. 

I think this is an important realization in my development of my educational philosophy. You want to develop curiosity, and realize what you are retaining and what you aren't. What do you want to truly understand and know how to teach others, and what do you want merely for the extra connections, the new ideas and perspectives that you can add.

Documentation is also key to increasing retention. Once you document, you need to understand things enough in order to write them down. When you reread, you also get a sense of what you once knew. It connects you back.

Writing an explanation for something is a good way to make you understand things. Explaining to others is also a decent way. Perhaps teachers should have people explain more things to them.