Working Up

by Dwayne Phillips I have learned that I am not capable of being prepared for everything. Hence, I have learned to be prepared for being unprepared. I often speak in front of people, lead discussions, teach classes, and generally attend meetings where people ask me questions. I am often unprepared for what people ask. I […]

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by Dwayne Phillips. I have multiplied my “smartness” in the last couple of decades due to techniques I learned from two peolple. I always wanted to be smart. Then I wanted to be smarter than that. I guess I am still working at being smarter. I recently switched to paying for Starbucks coffee using an […]

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by Dwayne Phillips Have some spare time? How about tutoring people using online course materials posted by universities? Here is a new opportunity for people with knowledge to connect with people seeking knowledge. MIT and others have put many of their courses online. MIT has recently added a set of courses that are tailored for […]

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by Dwayne Phillips An old lesson holds true today: getting the tools and people to the job site is half the job. Twenty-five years ago, I was involved in a fence-building project. Members of the community gathered to start from scratch and erect a 50-meter-long fence. I was one of the first people there and […]

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by Dwayne Phillips It seems to be a good idea to invest a portion of my money and time to personal training or learning experiences. Some reflection on 2010 shows that I spend much more time than money on such. Perhaps in 2011 I will pry more money from my wallet. Last year I realized […]

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by Dwayne Phillips Some people are undependable. Most of the time, I can choose to work with them or not. My choice can tell me much about myself. I know people who fit the title of this post. If they tell me they will be someplace at nine o’clock, I am almost certain they will […]

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by Dwayne Phillips Don’t just encourage someone to do something – teach them how. Modeling the behavior yourself is probably the best method of teaching. Sometimes it takes me a while to remember things I have learned. Someone comes along, does something, and it all hits me: What are they doing?  Don’t they know…? I […]

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by Dwayne Phillips I continue to work with graduate students on their writing. I am working with engineering, computer science, and IT students. They continue to teach me. This week’s learning concerns the variety of nouns and verbs. In novels and other fiction, the writer uses a variety of nouns. It would be boring to […]

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by Dwayne Phillips After several years of drafting, waiting, drafting, revising, waiting, adding, waiting, revising … you know, the usual stuff … I finished (for now) a small book on experiential learning. The book is about a hundred pages long and is titled “Some Notes on Experiential Learning.” It includes: Some theory Tips for the […]

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by Dwayne Phillips Want to learn faster? Go to different places, go at different times, or go without any money. How will you survive? You will learn. Want to learn faster? Go someplace different. The difference of surroundings helps me to notice so much more than when I am in my regular routine visiting all […]

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