Elon Musk learning method

Summary

In this video script, the speaker argues against the necessity of college for learning, suggesting that education should be engaging and interactive like a video game. They emphasize the importance of teaching problem-solving skills and tailoring education to individual aptitudes and interests. The speaker shares their experience creating a school without grades, where children progress at their own pace and learn through hands-on activities. They also discuss the value of perseverance and the role of education in proving one's ability to work hard.

Takeaways

• 📚 Learning is accessible for free online, challenging the necessity of traditional college education for acquiring knowledge.
• 🏫 The value of college lies in demonstrating one's ability to work hard and complete tasks, rather than solely for learning.
• 👨‍🎓 College can serve as a social environment, allowing individuals to interact with peers before entering the workforce.
• 💼 For exceptional individuals, evidence of ability is more important than a college degree, with examples like Bill Gates and Steve Jobs dropping out of college.
• 🎮 Education should be engaging and interactive, akin to a video game, to increase its appeal and effectiveness.
• 🚀 Progress in education should not be tied to grade levels but should allow individuals to advance at their own pace in subjects they are interested in.
• 🛠️ Teaching should focus on problem-solving skills rather than just teaching tools, making learning more relevant and practical.
• 🌟 The speaker founded a school called Ad Astra, which emphasizes individualized learning without traditional grade levels.
• 🤔 Traditional teaching methods are compared to vaudeville, suggesting they are outdated and lack engagement.
• 🎓 The necessity of a college degree is questioned, especially for those aiming to start their own companies, where perseverance and ability might be more valued.

Q & A

What is the main value of college according to the speaker?

The main value of college is to demonstrate one's ability to work hard, including enduring annoying homework assignments and persevering through challenges.

Why does the speaker believe that college is not primarily for learning?

The speaker believes that learning can be done for free through various resources, and that college serves more as a place to prove one's ability to complete tasks and chores.

What does the speaker suggest about the necessity of having evidence of exceptional ability?

The speaker implies that having evidence of exceptional ability is important, but attending college is not necessarily considered such evidence. Instead, dropping out to do something exceptional is often seen as more indicative of exceptional ability.

How does the speaker compare education to video games?

The speaker suggests that education should be as engaging as a video game, which naturally motivates people to participate without needing external encouragement.

What does the speaker propose about the structure of education in terms of grade levels?

The speaker proposes disconnecting grade levels from subjects, allowing individuals to progress at their own pace in each subject according to their interests and abilities.

Why does the speaker think that traditional teaching methods are similar to vaudeville?

The speaker compares traditional teaching to vaudeville because it often involves a lecturer delivering the same lecture year after year, which can lack engagement and enthusiasm.

What is the name of the school the speaker created and what is its main philosophy?

The school is called Ad Astra, and its main philosophy is to provide education without traditional grade levels, catering to each child's aptitudes and abilities.

How does the speaker approach teaching problem-solving in his school?

The speaker teaches problem-solving by focusing on the problem first and then introducing the tools needed to solve it, rather than teaching about the tools in isolation.

What is the speaker's opinion on the relevance of traditional educational tools and methods?

The speaker believes that the relevance of traditional educational tools and methods is often lost, and that a more practical, problem-based approach is more effective.

Why does the speaker think gamifying the learning process is beneficial?

The speaker believes that gamifying learning makes it more compelling and enjoyable, which can lead to better engagement and retention of information.

What is the speaker's view on the necessity of a university education for starting a company?

The speaker suggests that there is no point in finishing college if the goal is to start a company, as the perseverance and ability to complete tasks are more important than a degree.

Outlines

00:00

🎓 The Value of College Education and Learning

The speaker argues that traditional college education is not primarily for learning, as most knowledge can be acquired for free. Instead, college serves as a proving ground for one's ability to work hard and complete tasks, including tedious homework. It also provides a social environment for young people. The speaker suggests that exceptional ability should be demonstrated through actions rather than just attending college. Notable figures like Bill Gates and Steve Jobs are cited as examples of successful individuals who dropped out of college. The speaker advocates for an education system that is engaging and interactive, akin to a video game, allowing individuals to progress at their own pace in subjects they are interested in. The speaker also criticizes the current educational system for being too structured and not tailored to individual abilities and interests.

05:01

📚 Rethinking Traditional Education Methods

The speaker discusses the need to make education more engaging and relevant by focusing on problem-solving rather than rote learning of tools and techniques. The example of teaching about engines is used to illustrate the point that understanding the application of tools in a practical context is more effective than learning about them in isolation. The speaker also reflects on their own negative experiences with traditional schooling and contrasts it with the positive experiences of children at a school they founded, which emphasizes individualized learning and a problem-based approach. The school, named Ad Astra, does not use a traditional grade system and instead allows students to progress based on their interests and abilities. The speaker believes that this approach makes education more compelling and enjoyable for students.

Keywords

💡College Learning

College learning refers to the educational process that occurs within a college or university setting. In the script, it is suggested that while colleges are not the primary place for learning, they do serve as an environment to demonstrate one's ability to work hard and persevere through tasks, such as homework assignments. This concept is used to argue that the value of college lies more in its ability to prove one's diligence and less in the direct acquisition of knowledge.

💡Exceptional Ability

Exceptional ability denotes a level of skill or talent that is significantly above average. The speaker in the script implies that having exceptional ability is not necessarily demonstrated by attending college. Instead, it is suggested that individuals who have shown exceptional ability, such as Bill Gates or Steve Jobs, often dropped out of college to pursue their passions, indicating that true exceptional ability may be showcased through actions outside of formal education.

💡Interactive Learning

Interactive learning is an educational approach that encourages active participation and engagement from students. The script discusses the idea that education should be as engaging as a video game, which naturally compels users to interact and learn. This concept is used to advocate for a more dynamic and student-centered learning environment, where the process of learning is interactive and tailored to individual interests and abilities.

💡Gamification

Gamification is the application of game-design elements and principles in non-game contexts, such as education, to encourage engagement and motivation. The script suggests that making education more like a game could significantly improve its effectiveness and appeal. By incorporating elements like challenges, rewards, and interactive experiences, learning can become more compelling and enjoyable for students.

💡Ad Astra School

Ad Astra is the name of the school created by the speaker in the script, which signifies 'to the stars'. This school is highlighted as an alternative to traditional education models. It is characterized by the absence of grade levels, allowing students to progress at their own pace and according to their interests. The school's approach is used as an example of how education can be personalized and de-emphasized from a one-size-fits-all model.

💡Problem-Solving

Problem-solving is the process of identifying, understanding, and addressing issues or challenges. In the context of the script, the speaker emphasizes the importance of teaching problem-solving skills over teaching tools or methods in isolation. This approach is exemplified by teaching students about engines by having them take apart an engine, thus learning the purpose and application of tools in a practical and relevant context.

💡Educational Relevance

Educational relevance refers to the connection between what is taught and its practical application or importance in the real world. The script argues for an education system where the relevance of the tools and knowledge is clear to students. This is contrasted with traditional teaching methods where tools or subjects are taught in isolation, potentially leading to students questioning the purpose of their learning.

💡Vaudeville

Vaudeville is a theatrical genre of variety entertainment that was popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. In the script, the speaker uses vaudeville as a metaphor to criticize traditional teaching methods where lectures are delivered in a repetitive and often disengaged manner, similar to a vaudeville performance that lacks the dynamic interaction and relevance needed to truly engage modern students.

💡Grade Levels

Grade levels are the traditional divisions of students in schools based on age and academic progress. The script criticizes the concept of grade levels as an assembly-line approach to education that does not account for individual differences in learning pace and interests. The speaker advocates for a system that allows students to progress at their own speed and according to their individual aptitudes.

💡Learning Pace

Learning pace refers to the speed at which an individual learns and assimilates new information. The script suggests that a more effective educational system would cater to the varying learning paces of students, rather than imposing a uniform pace as is common in traditional grade-based systems. This concept is integral to the speaker's vision of a personalized and student-centered education model.

💡Student Engagement

Student engagement describes the level of interest and involvement students have in their learning process. The script emphasizes the importance of creating an educational environment that is engaging and enjoyable for students, as evidenced by the speaker's account of children who look forward to attending school and find it more appealing than vacations. This highlights the potential for education to be a positive and sought-after experience when designed with student engagement in mind.

Highlights

Learning is available for free, and the main value of college is to demonstrate hard work and perseverance.

Colleges are seen as places for socialization and proving one's ability to complete tasks rather than solely for learning.

Evidence of exceptional ability is required for exceptional achievements, and college attendance is not considered as such evidence.

Dropping out of college to pursue something significant is often highlighted by successful individuals like Bill Gates and Steve Jobs.

Education should be as engaging as a video game, which naturally motivates learners without external pressure.

The traditional grading system should be disconnected from the pace of learning to allow individual progress.

Teaching should focus on problem-solving rather than just teaching tools, making learning more relevant and practical.

Ad Astra school, created by the speaker, has no grades and allows students to progress at their own pace based on their interests.

The school's approach is to cater education to match students' aptitudes and abilities, rather than a one-size-fits-all model.

Students at Ad Astra enjoy going to school, indicating a positive shift from traditional education experiences.

Education should be about downloading data and algorithms effectively, rather than a tedious process.

Gamifying the learning process can make education more compelling and enjoyable for students.

Many subjects taught in traditional education may not be relevant or used in the future, questioning their necessity.

The speaker's educational philosophy emphasizes the importance of teaching to the problem, not just the tools.

Ad Astra's educational model is designed to be engaging and interactive, making learning a more positive experience.

The speaker advocates for an educational system that is not an assembly line, respecting individual differences.

The speaker's own experience with traditional schooling was negative, motivating the creation of a more student-centered approach.

Transcripts

you don't need college learning learn

stuff okay

everything is available basically for

free

you can learn anything you want for free

it is not a question of learning

um

there there is

a value that colleges have which is like

you know seeing whether somebody's

is can somebody work hard at something

including a bunch of

sort of annoying homework assignments

and still do their homework assignments

uh and and kind of soldier through and

and get it done

you know that's

that's like

the main value of college and then also

you

you know if you you if you probably want

to hang around with a bunch of people

your own age for a while instead of

going right into the workforce

um

so i think colleges are basically for

fun and to prove you can do your chores

but they're not for learning

but there is a requirement of evidence

of exceptional ability

like you just can't if you're trying to

do something exceptional they must have

evidence of exceptional ability i don't

consider going to college evidence of

exceptional ability

in fact

ideally you dropped out and did

something

i mean obviously you know

you look at like you know

gates is a pretty smart guy he dropped

out uh john was pretty smart he dropped

out you know larry ellison smart guy he

dropped out like

obviously not needed

generally you want education to be like

as close to a video game as possible

like a good video game like

you do not need to tell your kid to

play video games they will play video

games on autopilot all day

so if you can make it interactive and

engaging

then then you can make education

far more compelling and far easier to do

so you really want to

disconnect the whole grade level three

thing from the subjects allow people to

progress at the fastest pace that they

can or interested in in each subject

it seems like a really obvious thing

i mean i think like most teaching today

is is a lot like vaudeville

where

um

and it's and as a result it's just not

not that compelling it's like somebody's

standing up there and lecturing to you

and they've done the same lecture

several years in a row they're not

necessarily all that engaged or

in doing it do you agree with peter

thiel about the unnecessariness of

university higher education

a university education is often

unnecessary

that's not to say it's unnecessary for

all people but

i i think

you probably learn about as much or the

vast majority what you're going to learn

there in the first two years

and most of it is from your classmates

now for a lot of companies

they

they do want to see the completion of

the degree because they're looking for

someone who's going to persevere and see

it through to the end and that's

actually what what's important to them

so it really depends on what somebody's

goal is if the goal is to start a

company

i would say no point in finishing uh

college um

so

i think that's how it should be and it

shouldn't be that you've got like these

grades where people move in lockstep

and so everyone

goes through you know goes like normally

you know we'll go through

english math

uh

science and so forth from like fifth

grade to sixth grade to seventh grade

like it's an assembly line uh but but

people are not objects on an assembly

line that's a ridiculous notion so how

would you educate your five boys

actually i created a little school

yeah what kind of school could you

subscribe to us sure it's i mean it's

small it's only got 14 kids now and

it'll have 20 kids in in september

um

it's called ad astra which means to the

stars that's maybe a bit different from

from most other schools is that there

aren't any grades there's no there's no

like not grade one grade two grade three

type of thing and making all the

children go and in the same grade at the

same time like an assembly line i know

um you know because some people love

english or languages some people love

math some people love music

and and different abilities different

times it makes more sense to to cater

the education to match their aptitudes

and abilities i think that's one

principle

another is

that it's important to teach

teach problem solving or teach to the

problem not to the tools

so this would be like

let's say

um

you're trying to teach people about uh

how engines work or you know you could

start by a more a more traditional

approach would be to say we're going to

teach you all about screwdrivers and

wrenches

and

and you're going to have a course on

screwdrivers or caution wrenches and all

these things and it's

this is a very difficult way to do it a

much better way would be like here's the

engine now let's take it apart how we're

going to take it apart oh you need a

screwdriver that's what the screwdriver

is for you need a wrench that's what the

wrench is for

um and then a very important thing

happens which is that the relevance of

the tools because it seems to be going

pretty well

i mean the kids really love going to

school i think that's a a good sign you

know i mean i hated going to school when

i was a kid it was torture

um so

the fact that they

like they actually think vacations are

too long

like they want to go back to school wow

yeah exactly weird i know

if you think you're like what is

education like you're basically

downloading data and algorithms into

your brain

and

it's it's actually

amazingly

bad in conventional education because

like it shouldn't be like this huge tour

like the more you can gamify

the uh the process of learning the

better like

and i think unfortunately like a lot of

education is very bored billion um

you've got

uh

someone standing up there kind of

lecturing at people

um and they've done the same lecture 20

years in a row and they're not very

excited about it and that lack of

enthusiasm you know is conveyed to the

students that they're not very excited

about it they don't know why they're

there like why are we learning this

stuff we don't even know why um in fact

i think a lot of things people learn

probably there's no point in learning

them

because they never use them in the

future

you