How I learn New Things

By James Ball

In this week lecture for CIU, our blog post task is to think about how we learn what we learn and what process most strongly represents us using the V.A.K. model. V.A.K. Stands for Visual (reading/writing also falls here), Auditory/Aural and Kinesthetic (or physical activity).

V.A.C. Image: ©2015 James Ball

How do I learn new things? I have been pondering this question now for the last 3 days since getting the blog topic . . . How do I learn new things? Looking back on past things that I have learnt, the one thing I have found in common with all these times is actually quite simple. Every time I was learning something new, I was getting excited about what I was learning. And when I got excited, I then had to dabble into this new thing I was learning and read into and learn the history of it, for there is that Old saying that goes “Learn from the Mistakes of the Past so you can Change the Future”.

When I got accepted into this animation course the first thing I done was jump up and down and scream “WOO HOO!” The second thing I done was to buy a book I’ve had my eye on for some time. The book was called “The Animator Survival KIT – The Extended Edition” written by Richard Williams and Published in the year 2009. In it, I learnt a great deal of my knowledge about 2D animation principles and the history of animation.

On Page 46 There is a quote by Disney animator Art Babbitt who says: “The Knowledge that went into making little drawings come to life is in the early Disneys. Nobody taught us how to articulate these fanciful characters. We had to discover the mechanics ourselves and pass them around amongst each other. There are many styles but the mechanics of the old Disney animation remain.”

Every week I am sent a weekly Newsletter from Skeptoid which contains there latest Story/Podcast. So every week I get to learn a new interesting fact about this weird planet that we like to call Earth by listening to the podcast in the background when I’m doing other things . . . Like writing this Blog.

A recent example of Kinesthetic learning that I can think would be joining a gym. I have been going there for the last 2 weeks now, and I’m only starting to learn how to use all of the crazy machines they have available for you to use. In this context I find this style of learning the hardest but at the same time I know it’s the best way I’m going to lose some weight at this time.

To finish off, I would just like to say that I quite enjoyed thinking about and learning about the way that I learn new things and that I apparently am old school and like reading books. I think the best process that strongly represents me in the V.A.C. model, would be Visual learning.

V.A.C. Image: ©2015 James Ball

Quote: Pg. 46, “The Animator Survival KIT – The Extended Edition” Published 2009 - By Richard Williams