Larisa A. White

Report cards are out. Know a struggling student? Help is here: "White’s debut presents a comprehensive discussion on the inner mechanics of learning... Readers will appreciate White’s simple, straightforward suggestions to optimize learning..." —Publishers Weekly booklife.com/project/unde...

All hail, The Return of the Rains!!! First measurable precipitation of the year, falling now. Rain chains are singing in anticipation of the re-greening of the hills. 🌧️☔🌧️☔🌧️☔🌧️☔🌧️☔🌧️☔ #nature in the #SFBayArea

This is the stuff of my dreams, in mid-October, California, breathlessly awaiting the return of the rains.

Beautifully expressed.

Equinox Ramble on Bair Island, in the SF Bay. Look who I met on the trail!

What a joyful noise! Makes me want to go out and sing up the sun, as well: I'm here! I'm alive! I'm well! And I feel a great day is dawning. Happy Equinox.

Enjoyed watching a swarm of juncos attempting to catch a small, yellow butterfly on the wing today. At least a dozen of them dove at it, and that precious little insect evaded them all! New respect. 🦋

Of course, I inadvertently chose our first 90-degree day to make them, but somehow the aroma of fresh-baked, cardamom-ginger shortbread cookies makes it all worthwhile. Anyone want to stop by for tea?

Urgh! Never had a spam problem until this week. Submitted my new book to PW, Kirkus, and Booklist for reviews, and within 48 hours, the spam bots started flooding my inbox with "offers." Damn. I thought those were reputable organizations. So... which one of them sold my email address? 🤬

Just went into the backyard restoration area for a break between classes (11am) and met a lynx, out hunting. Guess the local cougar is in town. Think I'll stay indoors, this evening!

Just wondering: If we take one of those new Scottish cruises on small, repurposed fishing vessels... Do we get to eat lox whilst traveling through locks in the lochs? 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿⛴️

Just in from a reader: "I just finished reading your excellent book last night. Future scholars may remember it as the last work of rigorous intellectual honesty before the age of AI. I hope your book is well received and reaches its enormous potential to help others." #EduSky #AcademicSky #AI

This is the stuff of nightmares... 😭 AI firms are systematically destroying human knowledge in the form of coherently organized, human-generated books, to slice and dice wisdom they contain into meaningless, contextless morsels of AI slop!

#EduSky #AcademicSky

NEW: from the parent of a 14 y.o. boy: "Students often feel it is unnecessary to learn study skills, note-taking, or memory techniques until they hit a bottleneck. [...] My boy is reading your book this weekend and has found it incredibly useful for understanding why those skills are important."

Love watching the hummingbirds forego the birdbath, then struggle to bathe in dewdrops caught on the leaves of the Persian lime tree. 🪶🌳

That is a beauty!

Gotta love brain art!

Did you know... Humans have 6 memory systems, used in learning; Only 2 of those 6 are consciously accessible; Only 1 of those 2 lasts longer than a few minutes; and what we do inside our brains while we study determines where our memories end up? Understanding Matters! #edusky #academicsky

The world is truly filled with wonders!

Global climate change I believe in; global warming, sometimes, not so much. The hotter and longer the summer heat domes last inland, the colder our days and nights seem to get on the CA coast. Woke shivering this a.m. at 63F in the house w/ no AC! Three layers of wool this morning. ❄️❄️❄️

An interesting retrospective on school subjects that have largely disappeared since the 1950s, and the underlying cognitive skills they taught. Happy to report that I still teach a fair few of them at Quercus Academy. m.youtube.com/watch?v=aXDY...

OMG, our fruit trees are happy with their forest floor! First ripe lemon of the season, and the aroma is mind-blowing! (And haven't fertilized a thing in years)

New year; new resource: “Understanding Matters: A Guide to Human Learning” understanding-matters.com How humans, as complex biological beings, actually learn, remember, analyze, judge, and create & how #AI affects those processes. In plain & simple language. For our students. #EduSky #AcademicSky

While waiting for long-term study results, we might help people learn about how people actually learn, think, analyze, judge, and create, and about the biological processes behind those abilities & how AI use impedes them. My new book does just that: "Understanding Matters" (see larisa-a-white.com)

First day of our first quarter, explicitly teaching 10th graders about the neurobiology of learning, and how to apply it to make mastery of physics & math less stressful. And they're eating it up! 🥳🥳🥳 #EduSky #teaching #learning

Happy news, indeed!

Relaxing in the breezy afternoon sunshine, munching sun-warmed blueberries, and listening to a juvenile crow complaining of loneliness.

A joyous Solstice to one and all! Celebrating the peak power of light AND the birth of my new book, "Understanding Matters: A Guide to Human Learning." Dancing with joy. Final cover revisions and book edits completed & approved!!! Awaiting final proofs. Pre-orders to begin July 6th. Wheeee!

First time I've ever observed this: early morning, squirrel racing toward the blueberry bushes for breakfast veers off to the side to take a quick dust bath, washing his hands and face before eating! Who knew squirrels had table manners? Has anyone else seen squirrels do this?

Mmmmmm. June mornings in the garden, squabling with the birds for the rights to these:

The Obamas, @obamafoundation.bsky.social, are still dishing out hope, empowerment, and heaps of good news. What an excellent thing to have in my feed!

Finally found a movie that runs at my speed, and soothes my weary soul: Carroll Ballard's 1979 "The Black Stallion." The light and the textures, the landscapes and soundscapes are simply magnificent. And, my God, that horse could act! 🏇

These images just make me happy; so much soil life! Thanks, @janephuong.bsky.social.

A few happy scenes from the family's birthday bicycle adventure on the Coast Trail south of Half Moon Bay, CA... What a delightful adventure it was! SO MANY flowers, and cheerful songbirds, and happily pollinating insects. And the aromas of the coastal sage scrub/prairie lands. Mmmmmmm.

Physical proof FINALLY arrived in today's mail. I adore the warm, cozy feel of the cover colors IRL. I also generally adore cream colored interior pages. But together...? The contrast makes it look like someone peed on the pages! ☝️☝️☝️ Why physical proofs are non-negotiable. 🙄 #amediting

Yikes! Fire Season has arrived early this year. 10 years ago we packed our bug-out bags every August, 5 years ago we started packing them each June. Now it looks like we'll be packing in May! Go climate change! 🫤

If you’re a writer, write “I waited” without saying it. "The physical proof copy of my new book is expected to arrive in the mail, later today."

What is faster than a speeding bullet, and bouncier than a breeding brush rabbit in spring? A dusky footed wood rat launching herself 18 inches into the air, to chase a spotted towhee away from 'her' blueberry bushes. Who knew they could fly? The Niffler is back!

Just stumbled upon this video, showing some amazing land restoration work being done in Hawaii. Inspirational. Enjoy! youtu.be/24uCCr3KjCI

Important CALL TO ACTION from the California Native Plant Society: May 7th, 3pm demonstration at O’Neill Regional Park, opposing the roll back of the Roadless Rule protecting our national forests. Info & RSVP here: cnps.convio.net/site/Message...

Nice post. Addresses an important (& often omitted) part of the #AI conversation: celebrating the amazing things that a well-educated, independently thinking human brain can do, which no LLM can replicate. It's the reason for my forthcoming book, "Understanding Matters: A Guide to Human Learning"

Downside of knowing anything about nature, or geography: When watching a TV show that depicts a sunset picnic on an ocean bluff, supposedly set on the coast of Maine... You are instantly flung out of the story, and find yourself disbelieving everything else that happens in the episode.

Working on line edits for my book. Saddened by the need to chop up sentences that my editor says are "beautifully crafted, complex sentences, but beyond the likely literacy level of my intended, mainstream audience." Book is called "Understanding Matters," so I guess I have to do it. ☹️ #amediting

Bit of blue sky peeking through the grey today, but 2.32" of rain this weekend were well worth it! A few other blue things seen in the garden today: first signs of ripening blueberries, and first three bluebells!

Ooooh! That was exciting. Never experienced a cloud burst like that one before: Out every window, it looked as if we were standing in a dark cave, behind a raging waterfall. Glad we're at the top of a hill! 💧💧💧💧💧