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Re: Is competence in physics as a requirement for teachers of physics?




Thomas Wayburn's personal experiences have the ring of truth, for many of
us have experienced the same things. Unfortunately these days the gripes
of a unprepared, unmotivated, and lazy student weigh as heavily as a real
student in the eyes of administrators, and they have the power (through
student evaluation of faculty instruments) to make life hell for even a
competent teacher, especially a teacher who cares about standards and
genuine learning (as opposed to "smoke and mirrors" learning). One item in
Tom's posting resonated with a report on the TV evening news just tonight.

On Tue, 11 Nov 1997, Thomas L Wayburn wrote:

During the first final exam I gave I discovered nearly everyone had a
copy of the instructor's manual (read: answer book) for our text.

The news report quoted a recent poll/study of high school students, which
indicated that a very large percent of the best students (those who got A
and B grades) admitted to dishonesty. Cheating on exams, and plagiarism of
homework were specifically mentioned. I don't remember the figures, but I
was frankly astounded--not at the numbers who cheated, but at the number
who would admit it on a questionnaire. I was already aware that in the
student culture, cheating carries no stigma--it is 'the thing to do'. It
is fueled by an attitude that genuine learning and understanding is
irrelevant and unimportant, and that any strategy to 'succeed' and 'get
ahead' is justified.

-- Donald

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Dr. Donald E. Simanek Office: 717-893-2079
Prof. of Physics Internet: dsimanek@eagle.lhup.edu
Lock Haven University, Lock Haven, PA. 17745 CIS: 73147,2166
Home page: http://www.lhup.edu/~dsimanek FAX: 717-893-2047
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