6 Steps to Expertise in ANYTHING - No Talent Required!

Summary

This video script introduces Benjamin Bloom's method for becoming an expert in any field without relying on natural talent. Bloom's Taxonomy, a six-step process, is likened to a map guiding learners through memorization, understanding, application, analysis, and evaluation to reach the pinnacle of expertise: creation. The script also highlights the importance of higher-order thinking skills and promotes Brilliant.org, a learning platform that aligns with Bloom's approach, offering hands-on STEM courses to foster deep comprehension and critical thinking.

Takeaways

• 📚 Becoming an expert is not as hard as it seems; it requires the right method and dedication rather than natural talent.
• 🔍 Benjamin Bloom's research identified six steps to expertise, which are applicable to any field of study.
• 🗺 Bloom's method provides a clear path to expertise, akin to a map guiding you from your current location to your destination.
• 🧠 Memorization is the first step in Bloom's taxonomy, where one must remember the basic elements of the subject without necessarily understanding them.
• 🤔 Understanding follows memorization, requiring one to ask 'why' and to explain concepts in their own words.
• 🍳 Application is the third step, where one must do the task, such as cooking a dish or writing code, to solidify learning.
• 🔄 Higher-order thinking skills are essential for true expertise, moving beyond 'lower-order' skills of memorization, understanding, and application.
• 🧐 Analysis involves breaking down components to understand their purpose and effects, a critical step in the path to expertise.
• 💭 Critical thinking allows for the evaluation of information from various sources, leading to informed decisions and innovation.
• 👨‍🍳 Evaluation is the ability to judge the quality of one's own work and that of others, which is crucial for refining expertise.
• 🏆 The pinnacle of Bloom's taxonomy is 'create,' where one applies all learned skills to produce something original and innovative.
• 🌟 Brilliant.org is highlighted as a platform that aligns with Bloom's method, offering hands-on learning to master STEM subjects effectively.

Q & A

What is the main point of the video script?

The main point of the video script is to introduce Bloom's taxonomy as a method to become an expert in any field by following six specific steps, emphasizing the importance of thinking and doing over memorization.

Who is Benjamin Bloom and what did he research?

Benjamin Bloom was a researcher who spent his career studying expertise, seeking to understand what makes an expert and the steps required to become one.

What are the six steps to become an expert according to Bloom's taxonomy?

The six steps to become an expert are: 1) Remembering, 2) Understanding, 3) Applying, 4) Analyzing, 5) Evaluating, and 6) Creating.

Why is memorization not enough to become an expert?

Memorization is not enough because it only covers the first step of Bloom's taxonomy. To become an expert, one must also understand, apply, analyze, evaluate, and create, which are higher-order thinking skills.

Outlines

00:00

📚 The Path to Expertise with Bloom's Taxonomy

This paragraph introduces the concept of expertise and the misconception that it requires natural talent. It highlights Benjamin Bloom's five-decade research on expertise, revealing six steps to become an expert in any field without relying on innate ability. The paragraph uses the analogy of a journey to emphasize the importance of having a clear path, which Bloom's taxonomy provides. It also humorously touches on the etymology of 'taxonomy' and sets the stage for a detailed explanation of the six steps, starting with memorization and moving towards higher-order thinking skills.

05:02

🍳 Applying Bloom's Taxonomy to Culinary Mastery

The second paragraph delves into the practical application of Bloom's taxonomy using the example of becoming an expert chef, specifically mastering the Italian dish spaghetti carbonara. It outlines the initial steps of memorization and understanding, emphasizing the importance of doing rather than just observing. The paragraph transitions into the discussion of higher-order thinking skills, such as analyzing the components of a recipe and understanding the implications of substitutions. It also introduces the concept of critical thinking, using a relatable example of a Black Friday sale, to illustrate how these skills can prevent being conned and foster innovation. The paragraph concludes by emphasizing the value of critical thinking in both personal and professional realms.

Keywords

💡Expertise

Expertise refers to the advanced skill or knowledge in a particular field. In the video, expertise is described as a state that can be achieved by anyone through a structured method, specifically Bloom's taxonomy. The speaker emphasizes that becoming an expert does not require natural talent but rather following certain steps.

💡Bloom's Taxonomy

Bloom's Taxonomy is a framework for categorizing educational goals, which Benjamin Bloom developed. It consists of six hierarchical levels: Remember, Understand, Apply, Analyze, Evaluate, and Create. The video explains how following these steps can help someone become an expert in any field by systematically developing their thinking skills.

💡Remember

The first step in Bloom's Taxonomy, Remember, involves memorizing basic facts or procedures. In the video, this is exemplified by learning the recipe for spaghetti carbonara without necessarily understanding the reasons behind each step, illustrating the foundational stage of expertise development.

💡Understand

Understanding is the second step in Bloom's Taxonomy, where one grasps the meaning behind the facts or processes they have memorized. The video highlights this by suggesting learners ask 'why' questions to comprehend the rationale behind using specific ingredients or techniques in a recipe.

💡Apply

Apply is the third step, involving the practical use of knowledge. In the video, this is depicted by actually making the spaghetti carbonara, rather than just talking about it. This step emphasizes the importance of practice in gaining expertise.

💡Analyze

Analyzing involves breaking down information into parts to understand it better. In the video, this step is about understanding the function of each ingredient in a recipe and what happens if you change or remove them. This critical examination is essential for higher-level expertise.

💡Evaluate

Evaluation involves making judgments about the value of ideas or materials. The video shows this through tasting and assessing the quality of a dish, and comparing it to others. This step helps in refining skills and making informed improvements.

💡Create

Create is the highest level in Bloom's Taxonomy, where one uses all previously acquired skills to produce something new. The video illustrates this with examples like writing original code or creating a new dish, highlighting the culmination of the expertise development process.

💡Critical Thinking

Critical thinking involves analyzing and evaluating information to form a reasoned judgment. The video associates it with making informed decisions, such as evaluating the true value of a Black Friday deal. It is a key component of higher-order thinking in Bloom's Taxonomy.

💡Innovation

Innovation is the process of creating new ideas, products, or methods. In the video, innovation is linked to critical thinking and the application of Bloom's Taxonomy, suggesting that these cognitive skills can lead to significant advancements and problem-solving.

Highlights

Becoming an expert is not as hard as you might think, but it requires doing it the right way.

Benjamin Bloom spent five decades researching expertise and found six requirements to become an expert.

Natural ability or talent is not necessary; fulfilling six steps can make anyone an expert.

Bloom's method provides a map for expertise, showing where you are and how to get to your destination.

Bloom's taxonomy is a way of categorizing thinking, which is essential for becoming an expert.

To become an expert chef, start by memorizing recipes without necessarily understanding the ingredients or techniques.

Experts move beyond memorization to understanding why they do what they do, asking lots of questions.

The ability to explain concepts in your own words is crucial for deepening understanding.

Experts can do the thing they are expert in, such as making spaghetti carbonara, not just talking about it.

Lower order thinking skills are important but not enough; higher order thinking skills are necessary for expertise.

Experts understand the purpose of each component and what happens if it's substituted or removed.

Critical thinking involves analyzing information from different sources to form your own views and decisions.

Critical thinking is essential for innovation, creating ideas, and problem-solving.

Experts can critique the works of others and tell if what they do turns out as it should.

Bloom's taxonomy is often depicted as a pyramid with 'create' at the top, representing original work.

Brilliant.org is a learning platform created by experts to help master STEM subjects through hands-on approaches.

Brilliant's interactive lessons are six times more effective than watching videos for learning.

Brilliant offers a free 30-day trial and a 20% discount on its annual premium subscription.

Transcripts

if you want to become an expert it's not

as hard as you might think but you have

to make sure you do it the right way a

lot of people do it the wrong way which

means they waste time and never become

experts in anything now you might be

wondering in fact you probably should be

wondering what is this method but more

importantly how do we know it works and

we know it works because of this man

this is Benjamin Bloom and he spent his

entire career that was about five

decades researching expertise and what

makes an expert and what he found is

quite

incredible there are six six

requirements to become an expert on

something and you don't need natural

ability or natural Talent you just need

to fulfill these six steps and you can

become an expert on absolutely anything

these are the six steps and we'll be

diving into what they mean in a minute

but first of all I want to show you why

they're so useful imagine you were going

on a journey and only had a vague idea

of the location of your destination you

didn't know your current location and

also didn't know whether you going over

roads or Fields or mountains or water I

wouldn't travel in that car with you

Bloom's method gives you a map tells you

where you are where you should be going

and how to get there I'm back in the car

brought my soures Marmite my top trumps

and my Mr M cassette it's going to be a

lot of fun Bloom's method is called

Bloom's taxonomy which is off-putting

but it has nothing to do with stuffing

dead animals I know that cuz I looked it

up it just means a way of categorizing

things so instead of Bloom's taxonomy

just see it as Bloom's way of C izing

something actually that something is

thinking because it's thinking and only

thinking that will make you an expert

here's how to do it imagine you wanted

to become an expert Chef you know so you

could have your own TV show and become

famous for swearing at everybody you

might start with that classic Italian

Dish spaghetti carbonara and you're

going to use Bloom's taxonomy here's how

you do

it most experts can actually remember

the thing that they're expert in so it

all starts here you have to memorize the

B B recipe you don't have to understand

the ingredients or techniques just learn

them use flash cards and test yourself

what are you trying to learn coding

remember the syntax violin remember the

notes physics the

formula experts know why they do what

they do they move Beyond memorization

they understand and at this point you

have to ask yourself lots of questions

why why why why why why do you add salt

to pesta water why use Panetta instead

of bacon I don't know but then I'm not

an expert in spaghetti carbonara

for this step you need to explain if you

have friends explain it to friends if

like me you don't have any friends

explain it to yourself write it down in

your own words what does that bit of

code do why did Beethoven overuse

perfect

cadences experts can do the thing

they're expert in so the cooking expert

doesn't just talk about making spaghetti

carbonara they make spaghetti carbonara

that's step three whatever you're

learning you have to do it write the

code play the piece of music solve the

equation some people think think that

they can learn just by reading or

watching YouTube

videos I used to it's easy and it feels

like you're learning but your brain is

tricking you don't be tricked do the

thing remember understand and do these

first three steps are important but

they're not enough to become an expert

Bloom gave them a name lower order

thinking skills a lot of people spend

their whole lives stuck here to become

an expert you need to cultivate higher

order thinking skills you need the next

three steps for

that experts understand what each

component does and why it's there they

know what will happen if it's

substituted or removed why does the

recipe use butter what would happen if

that was changed to oil or there was a

different amount or it was cooked at a

different temperature what's the

difference between peino cheese and

Parmesan why three eggs and not two or

four why are eggs needed at all you can

do it but you have to know why you do it

if you want to be an

expert so another domains it might be

what's each line of code doing in this

particular code block or in Newton's

equations of motion what is each term

doing why is it necessary break it down

into its constituent

Parts I just mentioned critical thinking

that's not criticizing everyone because

you know you're great and they're

rubbish if you want that Twitter X

Reddit or stack Overflow is the place

for you critical thinking is when you

can read and analyze information from

different sources and use it to form

your own views arguments and decisions

it's Black Friday and you get a

notification about a fantastic deal on a

washing machine here it is this little

beauty it was $400 and has been reduced

to just

$39 what a deal you're having that you

buy it get it home install it and love

it but then a friend shows you this you

could have bought it for $249 a few

months before Black Friday and the store

discounted it a month afterwards this

actually happened which a consumer

Champion company in the UK monitored 200

one products for a year and found only

one of them was actually cheaper in the

Black Friday sale critical thinking

skills would have stopped you being

conned they're also essential for

Innovation for creating ideas and

problem solving without critical

thinking some of the greatest inventions

in human history would not have been

possible I'm thinking the wheel the

microchip Bing critical thinking is a

skill that some employers will pay more

for so it's worth having and it could

lead to a better life by learning

Bloom's taxonomy you'll develop these

skills probably have a better life it's

what I'm here for it's what I'm here

for experts can tell if what they do

turns out as it should they can also

critique the works of others so try your

dish does it taste the way it should if

not why not what about dishes by other

chefs do they taste better or worse than

yours why what ingredients or methods

have they used that you didn't an expert

will know just by tasting them what's

the difference between a good and a

great carbonara or why does Mozart sound

different to Beethoven can Bark's

influence be felt in

both you'll often see Bloom's taxonomy

written like this there a little

triangle or pyramid with the sixth step

create right at the top and you create

something you use the skills that you've

developed by remembering understanding

applying analyzing and evaluate to

create something completely original if

you're learning coding that might be

writing some software that does

something that you specifically want to

do if you're learning how to write you

write something original if it's music I

don't know write a piano can chat or

something oh that reminds

me it's time for me to listen to the Mis

man now you know how to become an expert

I think you're going to love

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