learning

by Winston Ash on Founder Journal

Natural curiosity

 

The plan forms itself. No effort from me. I realize the potential.

Move fast by moving slow. I’ve heard the saying. Let’s act on it.

The many subjects to study. The outcome: simple. Learn more. Apply the knowledge. I like problems. Solving them. Then on to harder problems. Each problem a stepping stone to the next.

Great! Natural curiosity. Use this to my advantage. I get bored with the usual. Instead look for harder problems to solve.

I’m old, but does that have meaning? 31 means I’m older than most and younger than some. No. It has no bearing. Begin at once.

Put ego aside. Start from the easiest problem that I can’t solve. Learn and learn.

Stack knowledge, compress and use it.

Let curiosity be my guide. Knowledge does not come without the effort.

Were the books right? Reap and sow.

 
by Winston Ash on Founder Journal

How Things Work

Love math and science. They are basic. Both describe the world. And the more we understand, the more beauty.
 
Representation of the natural world. They describe magic. Yet, who believes.
 
The deeper you go the more you see. Down the rabbit hole. Does seeing equal understanding?
 
Or more questions?
 
Are answers needed or are questions enough?
 
Funny thing. We spend our whole lives with questions.
 
And each time we answer one, our world expands.
 
Infinity and beyond. Words define our world.
 
The point of thinking. To lead our action.
 
So, where do your thoughts lead you?
 
Me: Deeper.
 
by Winston Ash on Coding

Learning New Ideas

The process simplified.

Define. Meaning. Recall. Repetition.

Two steps.

  1. Skim and pull out important concepts.
  2. Add meaning and depth to those concepts.

To understand abstract concepts, use concrete examples. Nothing beats the real world.

If needed, read actual text.

This process allows fast and deep learning.

Final Step.

Frequent mini-tests. Use flashcards to test your knowledge.

 
by Winston Ash on Coding

React Part II: @Codecademy

What a difference knowledge makes.

 
A little and you’re dangerous, add more for skills.
 
The first section is practical theory. Second section needs to be more interactive. What I’m missing are use cases or mini projects. Applying my new skills.
 
Putting my learning to the test will force me to see how much I learned. And that’s the goal. Making a useful product. Not learning, for learning’s sake.
 
So, the question remains.
 

What do I build with my new skills?

 
Appreciate some feedback. Must be measurable and not too long. Let’s say less than 40 hours of work.
 
by Winston Ash on Coding

Computer Education

So, 2017 is the year I take my learning to the next level.

I am fascinated by computers, the web, code, and the application of engineering, coding, and business to old problems. My goal: solve aold problems with new tech.

Think about it. Here are the parameters. The problem has to be labor intensive and equipment intensive.

Top problems I like:

  1. Recycling – How to get the most material out of the residue stream and into recycable material.
  2. Landscaping – How to reduce the need for labor intensive work by cost effectively allowing autonomus machines to do the work
  3. Transportation – Reducing the cost per mile through smart planning
  4. Repairs – Scheduling repairs instead of incurring the cost of unplanned downtime.

So, these problem are diverse, but all have a similar theme; elimination of waste. My goal is to do the right thing in the best way possible. And the only way to know that is to have internal tracking to show progress.

Great problems whose solution leads to better life on the planet. Yes, these are small problems. Yet, there solution is elegant and creates opportunity out of boring industries.

Let’s upturn the established order and do it better.

So, let’s start with Computer Education.

I need to be able to express my ideas and get traction in the world. So, marketing becomes my number one priority. To keep costs low. I want to learn as much about computers, coding, and websites as possible.

Computer Education:

  • Codecademy – Javascript, Learn Ruby on Rails, Deploy a Website – Basically everything on here is valuable to learn
  • Hootsuite Academy
  • Google Analytics Academy
  • Free Code Camp

This is the start. I’ll keep documenting my advances.

My portfolio of work is available for your viewing pleasure @ CodePen: http://codepen.io/webzkidd19/