3 ms·

regarding "discipline/conscientiousness/work ethic": It will probably always be a big factor (it always has been). Probably bigger than usual for the next few y

by netcan 13y ago

regarding "discipline/conscientiousness/work ethic": It will probably always be a big factor (it always has been). Probably bigger than usual for the next few years as we figure out this online self learning stuff. We just have to remember that these things are very very new. Imagine taking a bunch of smart people and turning them into middle school teachers. None of them has ever taught before. They have access to nothing. No textbooks or curriculum. No experienced teachers to help. They probably won't do a great job, not at first. It'll take time to learn what works. We have time to figure this stuff out. I like that we are in a rush as individual players. Khan Academy can't let coursera blow them away. That's great. But as a culture, we have time. Maybe generations to figure out how to teach people using these new tools. I believe solutions will eventually be better for almost everyone. We'll probably need to tailor the tools for people with a naturally low self discipline, but I think that is possible.

VLM 13y ago
"Imagine taking a bunch of smart people and turning them into middle school teachers." An interesting analogy might be .mil drill instructors and other .mil instructors. They have a very high opinion of the value of self discipline, even for future REMFs like I was. I did a lot of OJT when I was in .mil many years ago, on both sides, and decades later all I can really analyze it to at this moment is "its complicated" not just easy or difficult. What little I can get out of it, is the average motivated dude can pretty successfully teach the average motivated dude pretty well. There is also the business model issue where you profitably churn out three times as many kindergarten teachers as the market can adsorb. Very optimistically you'd end up with a perfect top third being hired, and the rest being my baby sitter or waitress (true story). This survivorship bias naturally leads to peculiar ideas like only the top fraction of people have what it takes to be able to teach; not so, it means the market and culture produce waaaay too many teachers...
gwern 13y ago
> But as a culture, we have time. Maybe generations to figure out how to teach people using these new tools. I'm concerned that we don't have as much time as one might think. The employment changes seem to be happening already. Maybe as a culture we have time, but in the long run, you and I are dead.

by netcan 13y ago

VLM 13y ago

"Imagine taking a bunch of smart people and turning them into middle school teachers." An interesting analogy might be .mil drill instructors and other .mil instructors. They have a very high opinion of the value of self discipline, even for future REMFs like I was. I did a lot of OJT when I was in .mil many years ago, on both sides, and decades later all I can really analyze it to at this moment is "its complicated" not just easy or difficult. What little I can get out of it, is the average motivated dude can pretty successfully teach the average motivated dude pretty well. There is also the business model issue where you profitably churn out three times as many kindergarten teachers as the market can adsorb. Very optimistically you'd end up with a perfect top third being hired, and the rest being my baby sitter or waitress (true story). This survivorship bias naturally leads to peculiar ideas like only the top fraction of people have what it takes to be able to teach; not so, it means the market and culture produce waaaay too many teachers...

gwern 13y ago

> But as a culture, we have time. Maybe generations to figure out how to teach people using these new tools. I'm concerned that we don't have as much time as one might think. The employment changes seem to be happening already. Maybe as a culture we have time, but in the long run, you and I are dead.