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> The same principle applies when learning how to code. Once you understand how it works, it’s extreamly challenging to imagine not understanding it. There's a

> The same principle applies when learning how to code. Once you understand how it works, it’s extreamly challenging to imagine not understanding it. There's a formal word for this, the Curse of Knowledge. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curse_of_knowledge https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curse_of_knowledge

MeinBlutIstBlau 5y ago
My teacher in both my Architectures and AI courses had this bad. Still to this day have no idea how any ML works in python or what the purpose of keras is or how it does any processing. Or why certain 1's and 0's churned out of a breadboard. All I can tell you is that I learned nothing and just paid to get them done.
- pedrosorio 5y ago
  > just paid to get them done Paid whom to get what done?
SilasX 5y ago
Weird, I seem to mostly not have that problem, and vividly remember the confusions and mysteries. I’m constantly jumping in to improve others’ explanations that assume too much. I’ve started calling myself “the translator”. Maybe I should take some teaching role?
- yawnr 5y ago
  I’m kind of the same way and have always really enjoyed tutoring.
- rablackburn 5y ago
  All the best teachers I've worked with have this skill. I use the "translator" analogy as well. Though I've found it's not so much "remembering" the confusion and mysteries from your own past, but paying very close attention to the student(s) so you notice as soon as there's some divergence in their mental model from what you're trying to relate. Stop, slow down, address the assumptions you didn't even realise you were making, and it's amazing how much complexity and knowledge you can seemingly transfer into someone else's brain. Of course they'll forget 2/3 of it over night, but it's easier next time, and once they've "gotten" it (and the corresponding endorphins) once they've got way more motivation to keep going.
  - SilasX 5y ago
    > paying very close attention to the student(s) so you notice as soon as there's some divergence in their mental model from what you're trying to relate. Yes! I call it “finding the NePoCU”, Nearest Point of Common Understanding. Edit: or rather, the technique I use to identify where I can start explaining from.
    - rablackburn 5y ago
      hah, love that. "NePoCU" I've realised immigrants, expats, bilinguals, and just anyone who has lived experience at the interfaces of different cultures are particularly good at this. When you're both speaking your non-native language in a murky context you 'negotiate' back and forth, using simpler and simpler language (and hand gestures!) until you both agree you're at the NePoCU, and then you slowly build back up and have a great conversation. It's how things like pidgin trading languages emerge. And of course it's a fun time because you both feel a little ridiculous struggling so dramatically to explain such simple words. Have those conversations in a bar, or over cups of tea, and you'll make some great friends and get invited to 'real' local events :)
zekenie 5y ago
Oooh, thanks. I added a footnote to it and gave you a shoutout

MeinBlutIstBlau 5y ago

My teacher in both my Architectures and AI courses had this bad. Still to this day have no idea how any ML works in python or what the purpose of keras is or how it does any processing. Or why certain 1's and 0's churned out of a breadboard. All I can tell you is that I learned nothing and just paid to get them done.

pedrosorio 5y ago
> just paid to get them done Paid whom to get what done?

SilasX 5y ago

Weird, I seem to mostly not have that problem, and vividly remember the confusions and mysteries. I’m constantly jumping in to improve others’ explanations that assume too much. I’ve started calling myself “the translator”. Maybe I should take some teaching role?

yawnr 5y ago
I’m kind of the same way and have always really enjoyed tutoring.
rablackburn 5y ago
All the best teachers I've worked with have this skill. I use the "translator" analogy as well. Though I've found it's not so much "remembering" the confusion and mysteries from your own past, but paying very close attention to the student(s) so you notice as soon as there's some divergence in their mental model from what you're trying to relate. Stop, slow down, address the assumptions you didn't even realise you were making, and it's amazing how much complexity and knowledge you can seemingly transfer into someone else's brain. Of course they'll forget 2/3 of it over night, but it's easier next time, and once they've "gotten" it (and the corresponding endorphins) once they've got way more motivation to keep going.
- SilasX 5y ago
  > paying very close attention to the student(s) so you notice as soon as there's some divergence in their mental model from what you're trying to relate. Yes! I call it “finding the NePoCU”, Nearest Point of Common Understanding. Edit: or rather, the technique I use to identify where I can start explaining from.
  - rablackburn 5y ago
    hah, love that. "NePoCU" I've realised immigrants, expats, bilinguals, and just anyone who has lived experience at the interfaces of different cultures are particularly good at this. When you're both speaking your non-native language in a murky context you 'negotiate' back and forth, using simpler and simpler language (and hand gestures!) until you both agree you're at the NePoCU, and then you slowly build back up and have a great conversation. It's how things like pidgin trading languages emerge. And of course it's a fun time because you both feel a little ridiculous struggling so dramatically to explain such simple words. Have those conversations in a bar, or over cups of tea, and you'll make some great friends and get invited to 'real' local events :)

zekenie 5y ago

Oooh, thanks. I added a footnote to it and gave you a shoutout