Get your hands dirty

[jestaudio]

Just a thought which occured to me as i was giving my new trainee some instruction, it seems to me the best way to learn is dive in and get "mucky", since i've been buildin amps i,ve generally gone for the more difficult builds, Dumble 183, trainwreck, twin tmb marshall etc, would'nt say i did'nt have problems along the way but i have a damn good idea of how the nuts and bolts work rather than studing theory, i may be way out but i wonder how many people learn the same way.ps i train my trainess the same way, get stuck in and get your hands mucky.

As a pss, i,m pretty aware of the dangers of high voltage and more to the point high amperage so i would,nt advise anyone to build a amp wihout a basic knowledge of eliectrical principles

[Reeltarded]

I grew up on a carnival. It's like being a monkey in the jungle. I learned everything I know by watching someone, quietly, and then screwing stuff up every way I could think of.

The first step to any success is starting. Most people freeze in their tracks before the first step. Failure is an option, always, but it's never the end.

Nothing kicks my ass! Watch me! (quietly!)

[Bob S]

In the packaging industry I see the young bucks coming up believing they can do anything. Programming will fix any shortfalls. Which I encourage...
It's not till you've had your butt kicked by something simple, that you realize that everything matters - design, planning, part selection, integration, placement then programming.
Getting you're hands dirty and screwing up is a humbling, learning experience. We all do it on a regular basis - if we are smart enough.
Fun to watch too.

[kbperry810]

Well said Bob

I've learned many a self taught lesson along those very same lines; funny how great a motivator comes from scrambling to figure out where you might have screwed up.

[martin manning]

Different people learn differently. Some will prefer getting the theory first rather than the practice and some are just the opposite. Good teaching technique is a combination of both- show the theory and then give a concrete practical example, or use a live demonstration (to get the student's attention and arouse curiosity), followed by an explanation of the theory. Standard practice in engineering and science curricula is to have classes aimed at teaching theory augmented by practical "labs" to let the students try to put the theory into practice. Many younger people seem to be biased towards jumping in and doing it in my experience (which is teaching classes for many years at my day job to students right out of college and veterans, as well as my own kids). I'm also a fan of the history of technology and the people who created it. One thing I've noticed in reading biographies of famous scientists and engineers and other books devoted to the development of particular technologies, is that the individuals who did great things were very, very good at both theory and practice.

Wot's a "pss," then? I don't know that one...

[Structo]

Hehehehe, I actually took a course on the study of learning at a local college years ago.
They taught us that there are three basic learning styles.

Aural - Hearing how to do something.

Visual - Seeing how to do something or by reading.

and Tactile - hands on, feeling it.

So depending on the type of person you are, one of these three will be a easier way for you to learn.

Made sense to me.

Not everybody can read technical theory books and comprehend everything.

That is why in most college courses you have the text books but you also attend lectures and labs to learn.

[Bob S]

My latest lesson...
Draw out your layout on a cad system before you build.
The "I know what I'm doing - I'll make it up as I go" approach doesn't always end well.
Don't drill holes in another 5 boards before you are anywhere near completing the proto-type.
Oh well - there's no fool like an old fool.
Lesson learned.

[NickC]

Hehehehe, I actually took a course on the study of learning at a local college years ago.
They taught us that there are three basic learning styles.

Aural - Hearing how to do something.

Visual - Seeing how to do something or by reading.

and Tactile - hands on, feeling it.

So depending on the type of person you are, one of these three will be a easier way for you to learn.

Made sense to me.

Not everybody can read technical theory books and comprehend everything.

That is why in most college courses you have the text books but you also attend lectures and labs to learn.

I guess the sense of smell falls under the tactile category?

<sniff> ...... ahhhhhhh, that's the distinctive aroma of a 1-watt Piher 470R burning.

[martin manning]

Nick, no, that would be olfactory learning- like the first time you run into a skunk, or roast a transformer. Full comprehension in one go!
Bob, yea if you draw it out first, you can make all the mistakes and discover all the flaws in your design "on paper," where they are easily and cheaply fixed.

[Reeltarded]

Attactile was my dad's teaching style. It falls betwen drunken monkey, and tiger somewhere. One spinning back kick from a crouching position. That will learn ya! He could bend heavy metal bars with my mind. Do not look him in the eye.

[Structo]

Ha!