Why We Need to Learn Things On Our Own

[misterkodaker]

Why do we need to learn certain things on our own? I’m a firm believer that we understand the best the knowledge that we learn on our own.

I don’t understand why some students want to be spoon fed knowledge about basic photography. It’s sometimes so bad that they want to know the shortcuts and tricks of the trade without understanding why those shortcuts and tricks of the trade work.

Someone once got mad at me. He wanted to be spoon-fed knowledge about how to use his camera and how to shoot photos. He claimed that he didn’t have enough time to read his camera manual.

He was sending me personal messages in Facebook. I told him that if he had time to use Facebook then he also had time to read his camera manual.

Needless to say he soon got defensive and said that he was doing research by surfing the web and by reading blogs and articles about photography.

If he could do all of that on his own, why did he want someone to spoon feed him knowledge?

We do have former students who approach us for help with their respective shoots. I usually cite a page in the PDF handouts we give them or one of the tutorial videos they receive during our basic photography seminar.

I would review how they understand their knowledge of basic photography and prove to them that they already know what to do. They tend to forget that they possess the knowledge to solve their problems.

Nothing beats learning on your own.

Let me prove this claim.

In the movie “The Dark Knight Rises”: Miranda Tate who was Bruce Wayne’s initial love interest in the movie is the daughter of Ra’s Al Ghul. Robin comes out in the end. Batman ends up with Catwoman in Florence where Alfred sees them. Commissioner Gordon finds out Bruce Wayne is Batman.

If you still haven’t watched it, did you enjoy the spoiler or would you have rather watched the movie and learned all of that information on your own?

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[vproject]

Not to mention that sometimes they themselves want other people to state what they want to do (portrait, landscape, etc).....

They arent the ones behind the camera why would they want other people to dictate what they shoot especially if they don't work for them anyway.

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[Mon Corpuz]

Sir Jo, students these days are living the realm of "instant', instant coffee (just add water), instant noodles, instant workshop.

I observed most people pretend they don't know things, and that they need someone authoritative to affirm their knowledge and beliefs. I think it's a matter of losing someones self-confidence in decision making because of the clutter they see and read on the landfill of trash we called internet.

As you've said, they're lazy to read and learn it from their own means.

This is not to preach "learn it the hard way" but being brave enough to try things but not *toink* to ignore the use of common sense.

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[photobong]

Sir Jo,

I already watched the movie but I was still glad I read about it in your post. Hehe. Some people are like that. They already know things but they'd rather hear it (again) from experts like you are.

The other kind of people (photographers, in that matter) are those that find  reading manuals (or any technical document) uninteresting. They make a lot of excuses such as the one you mentioned about being busy, or they may want to cut the learning curve.

People like them make workshops profitable.

But I still agree that " nothing beats learning on your own." That's my humble opinion.

 

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[birdnipil]

could it be a byproduct of some schools? They are used to being spoon-fed that they forgot to do their own work/analysis and discover things on their own.

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[lennon0131]

As a teacher that is what I noticed with my student these days they want to be spoon fed, and you need to make sure that they chew and swallow everything so they could digest all the information. I also come across some parents who complain that I am too harsh with their kids when I just want them to use their brain and common sense.

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[viper_chad]

I encounter a lot of beginners in photography who want to immediately jump at post processing.  And mind you, they specify Photoshop.  They don't have any idea that after they have been taught how to, they will be shocked of the price of Photoshop (30k?).  And eventually fall into committing crimes of piracy.

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[jigs10orio]

could it be a byproduct of some schools? They are used to being spoon-fed that they forgot to do their own work/analysis and discover things on their own.

OT: yes, i guess so.. getting used to being spoon-fed in schools and spoiled by parents, students nowadays are not fond of "sariling sikap." i graduated a few yrs ago from a state U, and when i visit my professors, i hear rants that kids now are so tamad as compared to students 5 years ago.. one example: when a teacher used powerpoint slides while discussing, we used to jot down notes on our notebooks, using ballpens.. now, they hold up digicams and ipads to take photos of the slides. some of the lazier kids approach the prof after class to hand over his/her flash drive and then ask for a copy of the PPT. i guess this is the by-product of technological advances and the effects of a consumerist society. gusto lahat automatic, digital, instant. people want to learn things like how they do it in The Matrix. upload lang ng instruction manual sa brain, then you now know how to fly a helicopter.

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[jigs10orio]

now, with regards to photography-- as a beginner myself, i am fond of reading and watching tips from the internet and getting info from veteran photographers (i have a tito who is a pro) to serve as guides when things arent going smoothly.  but then again, i agree, based on my own experience, that nothing beats learning due to practice, and not just theories. we get to learn things when we do them or experience them first hand. even if you get the best trainings from the best photographers, learning from practice still wont get newbies nowhere.

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[someone]

I think it doesn't have anything to do with the schools on why these individuals prefer being spoon fed information.

The reasons I can think of on why they're being this way is that they're just lazy and don't have the drive to make great pictures. They want to take shortcuts, thinking that simple formulas would work on getting great images.

It annoys the hell out of me when I see a noob asking what how aperture,shutter speed and iso work. You mean to tell me that you took a month of your life researching what model and brand of camera to buy yet you can't take 5 minutes to read up on the basics of photography?

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[spyderdos]

Students, be it in the subject of photography or any subject matter, are always after the shortcuts and the faster easier way out.....and they think it also applies to photography.

a survey of student habits in the US regarding learning has proven this especially during examinations.They most often want to know what will come out in the exams, the answers to the exams....etc, that is why there knowledge on a subject matter is short term only, good until the end of examinations, after which, recall is hard to come by.

I am a lecturer too, and if my students would ask silly questions, i'd get back at them by saying "have you read the answers to your questions" and leave.....LOL

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[mrasuncion]

i feel sorry those who haven't watched  "the dark knight rises." you've made valid points but man you really messed up that movie for them.

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