Confusion is the Sweat of Learning
Details
CONFUSION IS THE SWEAT OF LEARNING: USING METACOGNITION TO OVERCOME COMMON SELF-TAUGHT BARRIERS
Pj is going to talk about the importance of being confused while learning new subjects. Often, we believe that being confused about a topic means we are "losing" a battle in self-improvement. Being confused is seen as a weakness, and many people will refuse to speak up when something doesn't make sense to avoid embarrassment or perceived ostracization. This talk will cover why being confused is one of the most important steps in discovering new ideas and processes, and what to do when the confusion seems insurmountable. Drawing on 11 years as an educator, including instructing students on metacognitive techniques, Pj will bring this expertise to the realm of self-taught developers, a style of learning often done without guardrails or structured traditional settings. Join us for a talk that will ensure that the next time you're confused, it will feel less like banging your head against the wall and more like a quest or adventure.
SPEAKER BIO
Pj Metz is an Education Evangelist at GitLab and a former high school English teacher. After 11 years in the classroom, He started learning to code in May 2020 and began to live stream his sessions learning C# and Node shortly after. His current role is all about bringing DevOps into the classroom by making GitLab available to educators around the world. He also hosts a few workshops for students to get experience with GitLab and concepts they might not encounter in the classroom.
Pj loves 80s music, including modern music that sounds like it was made in the 80s, 90s internet culture, and poetry. He leads poetry reading events for GitLab team members and participates often in the Latinx and Pride Team Member Resource Groups. Currently, you can find him on Twitch each month learning about contributing to GitLab, making Twitter bots for his favorite musicians and events, or learning more about the people behind the tech on the podcast 8-bits, where he is the co-host.
EVENT SCHEDULE
- 7:00: Groovy music until we get started
- 7:10: Opening introductions/announcements
- 7:15-8:15: Presentation
- 8:15-8:30: Q&A
NOTES
- All skill levels are welcome to attend!
- This is a virtual event and will be recorded for posterity.
- Join our Slack and say hello!