(SF) Human Learning: How We Learn & Why it Matters

PRESENTATION: Learning how people (not machines!) learn is not something we're often taught in school and not always understood by those who taught us. Understanding the learning process is not only important for our own self-learning, but vital for communicating information to others so it will be understood.

We'll start with laying down a solid foundation by looking at how we take in information, how it moves from working memory to short-term memory and, if we're lucky, gets stored in long-term memory. Like salmon returning to where they were born, getting the information into long-term memory is an upstream struggle, so we'll see some ways to make that process easier by having images and words work together instead of fighting each other.

We'll then find out why forgetting is a good thing; mixing things up instead of cramming makes for better long-term memory; and attack some of the myths of learning. We'll see why there's a fine line between making our brains work hard on what we're trying to learn vs. what just makes things hard, and how it's similar to isolating muscles when strength training.

At each step, we'll see how to apply the research to the different ways we communicate in our work: technical documentation, training manuals, video courses, and presentation slides.

Networking & Announcements: 6:30-7:00
Presentation: 7:00-8:00
Discussion & Networking: 8:00-8:30

PRESENTER: Ted M. Young has been involved in commercial software development since 1980, writing both the code and the user manuals. Ted co-founded a Java training/consulting company in the late 1990's delivering the first Java training courses in the world. In 2000-2001, Ted led a consulting team doing eXtreme Programming for a county government as part of a distributed team. In 2007, after stints at eBay and Google, Ted joined Guidewire Software as a Tech Lead, and later development manager, helping them become more Agile & Lean by making the work visible.

After working on an internal next-generation cloud project at Apple in 2017, Ted is back to training with his new venture, Spiral Learning, where he designs, creates, and delivers training for coders that is based on the Science of Learning.

FOOD & DRINK: Braintree is generously providing dinner and beverages, including veg. and GF options.

VENUE DETAILS:

• PLEASE PROVIDE YOUR REAL FIRST & LAST NAMES in your profile or by replying to the organizer. Braintree security has asked us for the attendee list, so please help us provide that.

• Building Access - Building access is controlled on the first floor, by building security. Please bring ID. The Braintree building and floor are handicapped-accessible by way of elevators and no extraneous stair-steps, however the first-floor doors are not power-assist.

• Public Transit - Plentiful! Braintree is adjacent to a (handicapped-accessible) Muni platform, and Caltrain is two blocks away. And there's a Ford GoBike stand nearby.

• Bike Parking - On-street.

• Car Parking - Limited on-street (metered) and in private garages around the neighborhood, both at pretty pricey rates during baseball season. (There is no Giants game the night of this meetup.)

CODE OF CONDUCT: We're an inclusive, caring group. Please take a moment to read the Write the Docs Code of Conduct, http://www.writethedocs.org/code-of-conduct/.