In this podcast episode, Anna Lorena talks about her new book "The Learning Game." Anna discusses her journey in education, her experience studying education at NYU, and her observations about the lack of genuine learning in traditional schools. She shares how she discovered online education through David Perell's writing course and joined a startup called Synthesis. Anna also talks about the shortcomings of traditional education systems, the impact of COVID-19 on students, and the importance of empowering children to think for themselves. She offers advice for aspiring writers and emphasizes the value of writing and its connection to success, and much more!
Timestamps
[00:00:46] Anna shares her journey into teaching, starting with her internship in her dad's educational company.
[00:02:05] Anna discusses her experience as a student teacher and her realization about the lack of genuine learning in schools.
[00:03:53] Anna talks about leaving the classroom and exploring alternative learning experiences, including her involvement with Synthesis and writing a book.
[00:11:11] Discussion on the grouping of kids by age and the limitations it imposes on learning and interaction.
[00:14:04] Exploration of the drawbacks of teaching subjects in isolation and the lack of personalization in the curriculum.
[00:15:08] Analysis of how traditional education focuses on following instructions rather than fostering deep thinking and creativity.
[00:16:11] Anna discusses the problem of traditional schooling not providing authentic challenges and genuine learning experiences for students.
[00:18:22] Anna explains how COVID-19 exposed the shortcomings of traditional education and discusses the harmful effects of online learning on students.
[00:21:10] Anna talks about how COVID-19 brought awareness to alternative education options, such as micro schools, and increased interest in school choice.
[00:24:14] Discussion on the detrimental effects of the fear of failure in traditional schooling and how video games provide practice in a positive way.
[00:25:51] Exploration of the importance of autonomy, competence, and relatedness in education and how video games fulfill these needs that traditional schooling often lacks.
[00:28:54] Conversation on the importance of encouraging children to think for themselves and question authority, starting from a young age, and strategies for parents to foster independent thinking.
[00:31:54] Anna discusses ways to empower children to think for themselves and solve problems without relying on instructions or following the crowd.
[00:32:54] Anna explains how Elon Musk hired the best teacher, Josh Dawn, to create a school from scratch, focusing on problem-solving, mixed-age groups, and developing soft skills.
[00:35:37] Anna shares her experience joining Synthesis School, witnessing the engagement, empowerment, and hunger for learning in students, and the launch of the digital tutor, revolutionizing education by teaching core subjects in an interactive and effective way.
[00:38:59] Anna discusses her observations about the lack of genuine learning in traditional education and the importance of understanding the basics of math.
[00:39:55] Anna talks about the benefits of one-on-one tutoring and how it can help students learn faster and have more time for other activities.
[00:43:16] Anna shares her experience of writing a book while juggling multiple responsibilities and offers advice on how to make progress by dedicating a little time each day.
[00:45:58] Anna discusses her experience studying education at NYU and her observations about the lack of genuine learning in schools.
[00:46:48] Rohit and Anna discuss the habit of writing, generating ideas, and the importance of stepping away from the computer.
[00:49:21] Anna talks about the importance of giving kids space to fail, taking risks, and allowing them to face challenges without always intervening.
[00:54:12] Anna discusses the importance of giving kids opportunities to write, focusing on their ideas rather than grammar and mechanics.
[00:55:07] Anna explains how writing serves as a starting point for various activities like social media posts, podcasts, videos, etc.
Ana’s Links
Twitter - https://twitter.com/anafabrega11
Instagram - intagram.com/msfab_learninglab
Newsletter - https://newsletter.afabrega.com/
Amazon - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Learning-Game-Teachers-Inspirational-Story/dp/0349113882
My Links
Podcast: https://lifeselfmastery.com/itunes
YouTube: lifeselfmastery
Twitter: rohitmal
The Learning Game by Ana Lorena Fábrega