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eveglassI've been meaning to write this post for a while, but I never seemed to have time for it. It started out as my trying to explain to someone why, in my mind, translating Latin is like doing math examples. It grew into a list of three types of thinking I enjoy and think I'm fairly good at.
These might be useful in future job searches, assuming I don't get the Cegep teaching jobs I want, or if I find I don't like them.
Okay, as I said, there are three types of thinking that I enjoy and do well. These are general, overarching categories. I've tried to list examples for each.
1. Picking appropriate rule(s) from a toolbox of rules, applying the rule(s), and arriving at an answer.
This is where things like math and Latin coincide. Both require you to pick a rule amongst the many rules you have learned, apply it, and you eventually come to an answer that is either elegant, understandable, or both. I love the "Aha!" moment, when something finally makes sense that did not make sense before. It doesn't matter if I'm applying the same rule over and over, as long as the question is different each time. Some examples of this type of thinking:
- solving math equations
- translating a language I'm not fluent in (This doesn't work for French, where I am so used to reading it that there is no "aha!" moment anymore.)
- transcription
- computer programming (The "aha!" moment comes when the program compiles correctly.)
- song writing / filking (Fit rhyme scheme "a" with metre "b" and meaning "c", and create a song that people like.)
- playing Settlers / Roboralley (Yes, my gameplay is very regular. Anyone playing Settlers with me long enough will probably know exactly how I intend to play any given board setup. Same thing for RoboRalley.)
I suspect that if I understood the principles and rules more, this type of thinking would also apply to:
- cooking (following / creating a recipe)
- sewing (following / creating a pattern)
- urban design
- architecture
2. Synthesizing a large quantity of (sometimes unrelated) information so that it makes sense. Some examples of this type of thinking include:
- outlining a paper (though not writing the paper once the outline is made)
- preparing to teach a class or workshop
- having philosophical or academic conversations
3. Explaining, teaching, performing. In essence, putting my voice out so that people can hear or read it. This should come as no surprise to people who know me. I'm not sure it counts as a way of thinking, but I'm including it anyway. Here are some activities that fall under this category:
- teaching a class or workshop; tutoring
- roleplaying (it is, in a way, a type of performance)
- bardic and heraldry in the SCA
- blogging
- creating web page content
So that's what I've come up with. If anyone can think of other jobs or activities that might require one or more of these skills, I would be happy to hear about them. If not, I now return you to your regularly scheduled LJ.
These might be useful in future job searches, assuming I don't get the Cegep teaching jobs I want, or if I find I don't like them.
Okay, as I said, there are three types of thinking that I enjoy and do well. These are general, overarching categories. I've tried to list examples for each.
1. Picking appropriate rule(s) from a toolbox of rules, applying the rule(s), and arriving at an answer.
This is where things like math and Latin coincide. Both require you to pick a rule amongst the many rules you have learned, apply it, and you eventually come to an answer that is either elegant, understandable, or both. I love the "Aha!" moment, when something finally makes sense that did not make sense before. It doesn't matter if I'm applying the same rule over and over, as long as the question is different each time. Some examples of this type of thinking:
- solving math equations
- translating a language I'm not fluent in (This doesn't work for French, where I am so used to reading it that there is no "aha!" moment anymore.)
- transcription
- computer programming (The "aha!" moment comes when the program compiles correctly.)
- song writing / filking (Fit rhyme scheme "a" with metre "b" and meaning "c", and create a song that people like.)
- playing Settlers / Roboralley (Yes, my gameplay is very regular. Anyone playing Settlers with me long enough will probably know exactly how I intend to play any given board setup. Same thing for RoboRalley.)
I suspect that if I understood the principles and rules more, this type of thinking would also apply to:
- cooking (following / creating a recipe)
- sewing (following / creating a pattern)
- urban design
- architecture
2. Synthesizing a large quantity of (sometimes unrelated) information so that it makes sense. Some examples of this type of thinking include:
- outlining a paper (though not writing the paper once the outline is made)
- preparing to teach a class or workshop
- having philosophical or academic conversations
3. Explaining, teaching, performing. In essence, putting my voice out so that people can hear or read it. This should come as no surprise to people who know me. I'm not sure it counts as a way of thinking, but I'm including it anyway. Here are some activities that fall under this category:
- teaching a class or workshop; tutoring
- roleplaying (it is, in a way, a type of performance)
- bardic and heraldry in the SCA
- blogging
- creating web page content
So that's what I've come up with. If anyone can think of other jobs or activities that might require one or more of these skills, I would be happy to hear about them. If not, I now return you to your regularly scheduled LJ.
