Talents aren’t born, they are made.
I finally
had time to read a book Talent Code written by Daniel Coyle. This books takes a
research how some place have produced multiple super star in their field.
Studies have shown that there isn’t talents. Talent is made with right guidance
and support. More Daniel found out about the talent hot spots, more story seems
repeat itself. Behind every talent is a coach that can support deep practice
and motivation. Usually behind talent weren’t any fancy places and top class
facilities. They just needed a teacher that ignited their motivation and fueled
the hunger for learning for the rest of their lives. These stories came from
music and sport world but similar way talents were created in business world.
Ignition
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| Sirpa Saari |
When you start
your sport or other hobby, you don’t need to have a super coach or teacher. The person just has to have a way of teaching that fuels your motivations to
practice yours skills in your chosen sport or other trait. First touch to for
example to new sport can be to key factor does your inner flame burst in fire
and to learning start on the right path. This really makes it even more
important to find the right persons to teach to first steps. When ground work
has been done solid and motivating it can create a life long journey of
learning. This can be transferred to agility too to both in humans and dogs.
Motivation base must be built well to help the team go through the hardships
and difficulties on the route. Passion must be fueled to help fire the learning.
So do we support enough the learning of the handler and the dog to give start
to route to become supreme agility team?
Deep practice
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| Sirpa Saari |
Next part
on the journey is to learn to train in deep practice mode. Deep practice is
based on error solving. We learn most efficiently when process the mistakes we
have made and divide them in to small pieces. This actually reminds of clicker
training. There we chop up the skills in to little pieces and built them
together. In clicker training we try keep learning error free but do animals
learn also from mistakes? We all learn from our mistakes. Of course as humans
we can make this process deeper but I think dogs will also learn from their
mistakes in life and in training (this means when dogs don’t get rewarded which
makes them change their behavior). Deep
practice is mental zone when we work more slowly and work the problem bit by
bit. Deep practice actually helps us built myelin in our brain which enhances
the neural transmission. This is a important part the learning in brain.
Deep
practice is something we can learn and train but to help it we need a teacher
or a coach that knows how keep us in the deep practice zone. Super coaches can
change way of teaching to match each learner. It key to find the best way
individual learns and take the teaching in. Everyone has little things that
helps them to keep in deep practice zone and coaches in the hots spots have
learned see them in every learner. Coaching is another skill to learn to become
a deep practice expert. It takes 10 000 practice hour to master a skill,
it needs about ten years of training and deep practice to become the talent.
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| Sirpa Saari |
The deep
practice idea can be also transferred to dog training. I actually just had
light bulb moment when I thought of jumping technique training – deep practice!
We give dogs training exercises where they can learn and feel about the jumping
and built up their myelin wrapping in their brain circuits. Of course the dog
need to be in deep practice zone which in dog training terms is in the right
alert state and motivated. So how can we take deep practice
to more consideration when coach our dogs? One for starters remember built up
everything from little pieces. Clicker training rules are quite like building
animal to do deep practice. So more you understand science based training more
you can coach your dog work in the deep practice zone. I know this is my
conclusion but to me it really make a lot of sense. My thought may not be totally true. But if it
makes even few people to explore operant training this writing has open few new
windows to clicker training world.
That's All for now!!
MPF
