WHO AM I?

My name is Laura and I am a Data Analyst & Process Engineer for a Fortune 500 Company in Wilmington, DE, primarily working in Improvement Excellence. I earned a BS in Microbiology and a MS in Finance from UDels accelerated program.

I was born in England, lived in Germany for a few years, and moved around the states all throughout my childhood. Having assimilated into different cultures drove my passion for global travel and diversity in thought.

Post my education, I joined the corporate world and started my decade-long career in Banking & Tech. I love to read, write, learn and teach! It’s my life’s purpose. And so now, I am sharing my knowledge that I’ve learned over the years with other learners to foster a sense of collaboration and community in the broader effort of continued learning.

WHAT IS META-LEARNING?

The prefix meta comes from the Greek term μετά, meaning “beyond.” It typically signifies when something is “about” itself or deals with a higher layer of abstraction.

Meta-learning is about how knowledge is structured and acquired within this subject; in other words, learning how to learn it. It enables creative thinking (i.e. coming up with new ideas, imagining beyond the status quo), and problem-solving (implementing ideas to fix issues or make things better).

In short, my technique of teaching - meta-learning - is making complex concepts simple and making creative connections across topics and domains.

WHY IS META-LEARNING THE FUTURE?

Over the long term, the more meta-learning you do, not only will you start to see the interconnectedness of domains of knowledge, but you’ll also know what your capacity is for learning, how you can best schedule your time and manage your motivation, and you’ll have well-tested strategies for dealing with common problems. As you learn more things, you’ll acquire more and more confidence, which will allow you to enjoy the process of learning more with less frustration.

Meta-learning ensures your skills stay sharp, that you can keep up with the major transformations taking place in the fourth industrial revolution, and that you stay relevant. In fact, curiosity is central to innovation. Most of the breakthroughs that have advanced humanity stem from someone's curiosity.

Crossing disciplines seems to be our future. In order to prepare for such a world, I teach learners how to look at things from a wider perspective and how to apply common solutions to different problems and areas of interest at an early age.

WHAT IS MY PERSONAL STORY WITH LEARNING?

I didn’t always love to learn! I got average grades in school, struggled with paying attention, but somehow always managed to do well on standardized tests. It wasn’t until after college that I found my own unique way of learning that worked for me - meta-learning.

Once I discovered how easy it was to learn, I dove into all things STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, math) and started to build my expertise. Now, I read daily and have my own meta-learning projects in my spare time.

As a teacher and tutor, specifically for current students, I will tailor your project to your exact needs and abilities, avoiding the one-size-fits-all approach taken in school.

WHERE DOES CREATIVITY COME IN?

Creativity will be a must-have ingredient for success in the fourth industrial revolution and is expected to grow in importance in the coming years. Why? It's because the nature of work itself is changing.

The rise of machines makes creativity more important than ever and machines will even enhance our creativity. As machines take on more of the “knowledge work,” creativity will become an increasingly prized attribute in the workplace. Machines are getting better at some creative tasks, but cannot create in the way humans can. Regardless of the impressive capabilities of AI, it'll be up to humans to imagine future scenarios, dream up new possibilities, and steer the organizations of the future.

HOW DOES THIS APPROACH ADD VALUE?

At some point, most of us lose the constant desire to question everything and ask “Why”. It starts at school, hampered by traditional education systems that generally value correct answers over questions.

The power of using meta-learning is realizing how to learn new things faster and more effectively. Being able to see how a subject works, what kinds of skills and information must be mastered, and what methods are available to do so more effectively is at the heart of success of all meta-learning efforts.