Personal Development

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Self-improvement:

•   My first day as a schoolteacher— Article: December 8, 2001
•   My Grandfather on Public Education— Column: Jul. 12, 1998, Revised May 15, 2001
•   Evolutionism vs. Creationism— Article: Aug. 13, 1999, slightly revised
•   Propaganda Techniques— July, 1998.
•   Logical Fallacies— July, 1998.
•   Introduction to Ethics— Course Outline: May 4, 2001
•   Diffusion of innovations, Jon Roland— Article: March 17, 2003
•  Reading and Learning Methods and Tools
•  Writing and Publishing Methods and Tools
•  Speaking and Meeting Methods and Tools
•  Mathematical and Logical Methods and Tools
•  Thinking and Creativity Methods and Tools
•  Research and Development Methods and Tools
•  Teaching and Persuasion Methods and Tools
•  Leading and Organizing Methods and Tools
•  PhotoReading— Improved form of speedreading/speedlearning. The webmaster discovered the technique independently.
•  FReader— Computer program designed to improve reading skills, especially speed.
•  AceReader— Reading program to help you read faster while on the computer by utilizing special display modes, such as tachistoscopic rapid viewing.
•  Reading Acceleration Machine (RAM)— Freeware device for presenting word-groups sequentially at a pace chosen by the user. It is a tachistoscope ("rapid-viewer") that supports efficient and rhythmic reading, rehearsal of text-comprehension, and acceleration in reading speed.
•  SpeedMath— Training program to improve mental math skills.
•  SuperLearning— Improve learning skills for all ages.
•  Total Immersion language learning— Many schools do this. Here is one: Berlitz.
•  Memory Techniques and Mnemonics— Collection of methods for improving memory and practicing memorization.
•  Mental Math— Techniques for improving mental math skills. And see
  •  BEATCALC: Beat the Calculator!— Techniques and exercises.
  •  Curious and Useful Math— Still more techniques.
  •  Casting Out Nines, Jim Loy— Useful technique for checking arithmetic calculations.
•  Questorming— One approach to the art of asking the best questions.
•  Integrated Scientific Method— One approach to discussion of the subject.
•  Quantitative Analysis History— Survey of the elements of the subject.
•  Origin of Epistemology and Scientific Method— History of the subject.
•  Nonlinear Regression Analysis on a Spreadsheet, by Paul H. Ricketts— Most spreadsheets have the capability of performing a polynomial regression analysis of any order.
•  Multiple Regression— Discussion of tools to analyze the relationship between several independent or predictor variables and a dependent or criterion variable.
•  NLREG— Statistical analysis program that performs linear and nonlinear regression analysis, surface and curve fitting, and serves as a good educational tool for the subject.
•  Guide to Grammar and Writing— See especially their
  •  Diagramming Sentences— Essential tool for learning grammar that is being neglected in the public schools today.
  •  Basic Sentence Parts, Phrase Configurations— Diagrams of the functional elements of sentences.
•  Grammar Handbook— Writers' Workshop, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
•  Irregular Verbs— Nearly complete list of the English verbs that give people trouble.
•  Exploring English— Instructional material on English grammar and usage.
•  Supervoca Vocabulary Builder— Learn the words likely to appear on standard tests.
•  Soundkeepers Vocabulary Builder— Words likely to appear on the GRE test.
•  Number2.com Vocabulary Builder— ACT, GRE, SAT, Free Test Prep.
•    Robert's Rules of Order Revised— Online version of 1915 edition. Essential manual for parliamentarians of deliberative assemblies.
  •  Official Robert's Rules of Order Home Page
  •  Robert's Rules of Order - Summary Version
•  The Elements of Style, Oliver Strunk (1935)— Classic guide to good writing.
•  Rhetoric, Aristotle (350 BCE) — Classic handbook on persuasive communication that remains one of the best.
•  Elements, Euclid (~325-265 BCE) — Classic text on Euclidean geometry, never exceeded.
•  Rules of Debate— Includes the standard Oxford Rules for competitions.
•  Debate.net— Gateway to public debating.
  •  World Debate— Books on debate and public speaking.
•  Meter and Scansion— Poetry Analysis
•  Versification— Poetic Analysis Terms
•  Groupthink Model— Outline of the book Victims of Groupthink by Irving L. Janis (Houghton Mifflin, 1972).
•  Groupthink— Another outline of the concept.
•  Geologic Periods— Listed on one printable page.
•  Tree of Life— Project to put the entire evolutionary descent tree online.
•  Philosophy of Science: An Overview for Educators, by Peter Machamer— Introductory review.
•  Modeling Across the Curriculum— Research project to study the impact of computer modeling tools on secondary-level science learning.
•  Visualization and Modeling— Symposium on the subject.
•  Three Kinds of Statistical Literacy: What Should We Teach?— Survey of what is most important to teach.
•  Information Theory, Lucent Technologies — History and survey of the subject.
•  Approximation methods— Introduction to some of the methods.
•  Error Analysis— Elementary introduction.
•  Error Analysis— Intermediate introduction.
•  Constraint Analysis— Intermediate introduction.

More advanced materials

•  Prisoner's Dilemma and Public Choice Theory— Explorations of the conflict between what is rational for the individual and what is rational for the group.
•   Counterintuitive Behavior of Social Systems, by Jay Forrester— Classic paper on why public policies produce unintended consequences.
•   Evolving Complex Networks in Constitutional Republics, by Jon Roland— Examines how changing network structures can reveal how political and economic processes behave and misbehave.
•  Information Theory, Inference and Learning Algorithms, by David MacKay— Textbook on the subject.
•  Strategy and Conflict: An Introductory Sketch of Game Theory, by Roger A. McCain— Beginnings of a textbook on the subject.
•  Should Scientific Method be EKS-Rated?, by Craig Rusbult— Discusses controversies in scientific method.
•  History and Philosophy of Science, by Ess— Notes for a course on the subject.
•  Positivism— Some very introductory notes— Introduction to positivist instrumentalism.
•  Philosophy of Science, by Alexander Bird— Introduction to the subject.
•  Systems Biology: A return to the scientific method, by Luke V. Schneider— Presents a modern analytic approach to biological questions.
•  Evolution Is Not a Necessary Assumption of Cladistics, by Andrew V. Z. Brower— Makes some interesting points on the theoretical issues.
•  Theory of autoevolution— Attempts to reconcile instrumentalism, realism, and historicism.
•  The Tri-Partite Model of Representation, by Peter Slezak— Makes some interesting points on the theoretical issues.
•  Epistemological problems posed by ecology and environmental management, by G. Wiegleb— Makes some interesting points on the theoretical issues.
•  Set theory and physics— Discusses mathematical foundations of the field.
•  Quantum Logic and Probability Theory — Discusses connection between the fields.
•  Methodological naturalism— One approach to scientific epistomology.
•  Computer Learning and the Scientific Method, by Leonard Ornstein— Makes some interesting points on the theoretical issues.
•  Regression Analysis of Time Series (RATS)— Econometrics/time-series analysis software package used worldwide by economists and others for analyzing time series and cross sectional data, developing and estimating econometric models, forecasting, and much more.

Prime Reading— First of several lists of recommended books.

Online higher education:

•  Concord School of Law— Accredited JD program available.

Self-improvement groups

•  Toastmasters International— Improve your speaking ability and make new friends. Join or form a local toastmasters club in your area.