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The way to learn

This is a final proyect about the course Learning how to learn. I wil try to show you, a normal
person that always ask yourself about how some people are best student than me or how can I make
my study time work better than now., with simple (but effective) techniques.
I will cover only three of several topics:
1. Focused and diffuse modes of thinking
2. Sleep
3. Procrastination

Diego Salvetti

1 This proyect doesn't include citations because I'm writting my own thought about the three topics.
Image source: http://static.tumblr.com/1f4d7873a6ff8a8c0d571adf0d4e867f/ejyensv/ubIn1b1rl/tumblr_static_fl_logo_white.jpg

Focused and diffuse modes of thinking


Many of us don't know about how to study, or how to concentrate for some task. Today this is a
difficult work because all the distractions in our environment (these are cellular phones, TV,
Internet, etc).
Also our students don know how to avoid these distractions while studing.
To start with an important piece of information, we have to know about our brain and the way it
works. Basically, there are two different modes to work with our brain. Neuroscientists have been
making profound advances in understanding the two different types of networks that the brain
switches betweenhighly attentive states and more relaxed default mode networks. Well call the
thinking processes related to these networks the focused mode and diffuse mode, respectively
these modes are highly important for learning. It seems you frequently switch back and forth
between these two modes in your day-to-day activities. Youre in either one mode or the othernot
consciously in both at the same time. The diffuse mode does seem to be able to work quietly in the
background on something you are not actively focusing on. Sometimes you may also flicker for a
rapid moment to diffuse mode thinking.2

Focussed mode of thinking

Focused-mode thinking is essential for studying math and science. It involves a direct
approach to solving problems using rational, sequential, analytical approaches. The focused mode is
associated with the concentrating abilities of the brains prefrontal cortex, located right behind your
forehead.[iv] Turn your attention to something and bamthe focused mode is on, like the tight,
penetrating beam of a flashlight.

Diffuse mode of thnking

Diffuse-mode thinking is also essential for learning math and science. It is what allows us
to suddenly gain a new insight on a problem weve been struggling with, and is associated with big
picture perspectives. Diffuse-mode thinking is what happens when you relax your attention and
just let your mind wander. This relaxation can allow different areas of the brain to hook up and
return valuable insights. Unlike the focused mode, the diffuse mode is not affiliated with any one
area of the brainyou can think of it as being diffused throughout the brain.
The process of learning and thnking is not only switch between thes two modes, it's more than that.
To have these clear we share the approach of Barbara Oakley where she relates this to a Pinball
Machine.
To understand focused and diffuse mental processes, were going
to play some pinball. (Metaphors are powerful tools for learning in
math and science.) In the old game of pinball, you pull back on a
spring-loaded plunger and it whacks a ball, which ends up
bouncing randomly around the circular rubber bumpers.

A Mind for Numbers, by Barbara Oakley. Listen to SciFri on Friday, September 5, 2014 to hear Oakley talk more
about numbers, learning, and the brain.

Take a look at the following illustration. When you focus your attention on a problem, your mind
pulls back the mental plunger and releases a thought. Boomthat thought takes off, bumping
around like the pinball in the head on the left. This is the focused mode of thinking.

In the game pinball, a ball, which represents a thought, shoots up from the springloaded plunger
to bounce randomly against rows of rubber bumpers. These two pinball machines represent focused
(left) and diffuse (right) ways of thinking. The focused approach relates to intense concentration on
a specific problem or concept. But while in focused mode, sometimes you inadvertently find
yourself focusing intently and trying to solve a problem using erroneous thoughts that are in a
different place in the brain from the solution thoughts you need to actually need to solve the
problem. As an example of this, note the upper thought that your pinball first bounces around in
on the left-hand image. It is very far away and completely unconnected from the lower pattern of
thought in the same brain. You can see how part of the upper thought seems to have an underlying
broad path. This is because youve thought something similar to that thought before. The lower
thought is a new thoughtit doesnt have that underlying broad pattern. The diffuse approach on
the right often involves a big-picture perspective. This thinking mode is useful when you are
learning something new. As you can see, the diffuse mode doesnt allow you to focus tightly and
intently to solve a specific problembut it can allow you to get closer to where that solution lies
because youre able to travel much farther before running into another bumper.3

http://www.sciencefriday.com/blogs/09/04/2014/how-pinball-helps-explain-ways-we-think-and-learn.html?
series=33

Sleep
Is an important part of the process of learning or thinking. As some videos shows, a brain without
sleep is full of toxines (generated during the day) and we can say, it is a poisoned brain.
When you sleep, your brain cells shrink and create passages for the toxics to wash themselves out.
During sleep, the brains tidies and organises the information, ideas and concepts. It erases the less
important parts of memory and strengthens the more important parts. The brains go over and over
the neural patterns to strengthen them. This is the diffused mode.45

So, this is why is so important have good hours of good sleep before an exam (I remember a
Universty's professor that told us about this, how important is to rest the day before your final exam.
He never told us about the difuse mode of the brain, or the toxics waste the we could have in our
head. Sleeping can wash out the brain of these toxic waste. When we sleep, the brain cells shrink
allowing to release metabolic toxins poison.
Relax, go for a walk and enjoy the day so at night you can sleep and clear your brain..set it ready for
new knowledge!

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http://projectfidgetyfingers.blogspot.com.ar/2015/01/coursera-learn-how-to-learn-sleep.html
Image: http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-n_w8mW_nC-s/VKtdfMAD8II/AAAAAAAASVA/vAL5qkJlNVw/s1600/Screen
%2Bshot%2B2015-01-06%2Bat%2BAM%2B11.57.45.png

Procrastination
When we postpone , delay or avoid doing some task that have priority in our life, we're
procrastinating.
Any distraction today could show us a path to procrastination. Is very common to find distraction
with a cellphone, our PC or some TV show. It's more pleasure any of these distractions than study a
boring subject like Math (?). These pleasure is only temporary, and our task always will be for the
last minute before a deadline.
One of the best technique that I've learned in this course was the Pomodoro technique. This is
usefull for practice and repetition, so we can fight against procrastination.
Pomodoro technique: we need to set a timer for 25 minutes and work on a task for that time
without any distractions (put your cellphone in other room, poweroff your Pc, etc). When time goes
off, you need to take a beak (ussualy 5 minutes) where you can relax or do whatever you want (this
is your reward time). You need to repeat this technique for a study session. When you finish it,
reward yourself with something that make you happy.6

Image: http://pomodorotechnique.com/wp-content/themes/pomodoro/img/logos/logo.png

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