So I had a match today against my nemesis. We play regularly and it’s always close. Every time I think I’ve figured him out he comes up with something new. Today was no different. I put my new shots and tactics into play and profited really well in the first set. I was on fire but wasn’t really trying. My …
Profit margins
Novak and Rafa Wimbledon final 2011 I love competing. Mainly it’s not about beating someone else. It’s about testing myself. Seeing what I can achieve. So I thought I’d write about it and hopefully find other people who like pushing themselves like I do. So I have many passions. Most I just do. The passion I’m most competitive with is …
Book review: The Talent Code
A fascinating book that sheds new light on how neural connections form I’ve just finished reading ‘The Talent Code ‘ by Daniel Coyle and already I feel it’s one of those books I will refer to again and again. It’s a well researched book describing daniels theory of how talent is best progressed. He uses research from state of the art …
Why only drinks that stimulate thirst are profitable
So I’ve had this niggling question for quite a while now. ‘Why do most drinks available not quench your thirst?’. for along time I’ve been ordering a separate glass of water with any drink at a restaurant. In a club or bar I just accept that each drink is going to make me want another. But why is this the …
Hypertension, sodium and activity. Any relation?
So, something just struck me. No… nothing physically hit me š I just heard something about blood pressure that linked a bunch of information into one. I’m not sure if this is a new insight so I’m logging it here for future reference. The first thing was reading that increased potassium in the diet is associated with a lowering in …
Adapt: Is there evolution in business?
For me the answer is a definitive yes. The more I apply evolutionary principles in thinking about business the more I see it fits and the more I feel I understand business. It’s why I like capitalism. It’s a very harsh approach, which I don’t like, but then is’n’t natural selection. Natural selection is about competing for energy and essential …
Learning on demand (LOD)
Following on from a previous article on 21st century learning I feel we’re moving to an area where learning on demand will be as normal as Video on demand (VOD). I see the emergence of 24-7 tutorials and motuto as early attempts at this. I can’t vouch for the quality and economic viability yet but I do see that the learning market is biased towards young …
A vision for 21st century learning
So I had a vision over Christmas of the kind of learning and teaching I’ve always wanted. As I wrote it down I became more and more convinced that this is possible right now. It also pulls together my passion for understanding human excellence with my experience in taking ideas to deliverables. It’s still very much a work in progress but I’m …
Could hygiene obsession cause allergies?
Just came across this fascinating article at sciencefocus.com opening the debate about how clean is healthy? I’ve always wondered if we need a little dirt to teach our immune system what’s good and what’s bad for us. They go a step further and say that our immune system needs bad stuff otherwise it might start attacking the good stuff within …
Things you can do better asleep than you can awake
following on with the theme that sleep is far more important than many of us realise. Here’s an analysis of things we can do better asleep than when we’re awake. Essentially there seem to be three main areas that we do better asleep: Lets summarise each area: Forming accurate memories Most neuroscientists agree that sleep is when we organize memories …
Can amazing abilities be taught?
I’ve been talking for a while how everything we see other people achieving we could actually achieve ourselves. We just need to learn to bring it out of us. A couple of weeks ago I ate at a restaurant and the waitress showed exactly what I’m talking about. There were four of us and we had a lot to order. …
Could education learn from the Google docs business model?
Building on a blog post ive written discussing the notion that flow of resources is key to life. A colleague helped me understand how the same can be said for business models and can explain how to make money in this new connected age. How services like google docs could make good money and education could scale itself. In this …
Neural Darwinism: is this how we learn?
I’m excited to have just discovered Neural Darwinism through an interview with Gerald Edelman on all in the mind. The idea that our brain constantly adapts to our environment using the same evolutionary principles described by Darwin is what I’ve been coming to believe. It’s clear that we create and remove connections every day during sleep and that our brains are constantly evolving from the …
The only true disability is a crushed spirit
Watching Aimee Mullims ted talk title “The opportunity of adversity” is just fascinating. She makes such a beautiful case for the strengths and values people gain from disability it becomes very clear that the adversity that may entail generally adds far more to us than it takes away.
Gaming can make a better world
Ok, so I’m just watching the best presentation I’ve seen for a while. I just had to share it. The premise that gaming can make a better world is something I share and have actively been looking at how to bring gaming to education via the OU. I think Jane McGonigal just nails it and explains how gaming is a …
Pear poached in mulled wine with brandy sauce
This is a recipe for christmas. I’ve never even tasted mulled wine before so this crimbo I bought some to try it out. Now I’m not a wine person generally but I wanted to see if mulled wine is any different in case I’m missing out. Turns out I’m not really cos it’s quite dry like most wines but then …
Oyster mushrooms in garlic butter with roast vegetables
Ok, so the last couple of articles have been a bit intense. So I’m gonna lighten the mood. I just had a terrific meal and so I have to share. Sorry that I didn’t take a pic but I’d started eating before I remembered. What I really want to share is how darn easy it was. I’ve been working on …
Could sleep affect risk of heart disease?
Deep stuff eh. Again I’m just trying to make the point that balance is everything. Sleep is a big part of life and it needs to be. Western culture doesn’t really value sleep that much. There are so many things to do with your time. Sleep is so often considered a waste of it. So could the amount of sleep …
Can somebody please support self directed learning!!!
I’m a self directed learner. I’m not one for the whole course or module mentality. Mainly because, now that I work, I just don’t have the time or the patience to commit to such a slow process of learning. Particularly when you only get the grade at the end. You have to devote months of your life to the possibility …
Funding education: A novel approach
funding is one of those key things that underpin learning and teaching. InĀ funding education, a novel approach I explain how you could use the latest payment approaches to fund new learning tools. Rather than apply for big grants and go through the related bureaucracy. In this age of empowerment you could just deliver a tool and provide cheap simple options to …