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Re: Cause and Effect



My previous reply probably deserves some elaboration:

At 8:45 AM -0600 10/26/00, Dewey Dykstra, Jr. wrote, inter alia:
Why? Because the result of this failure on our part goes *far deeper* than
the students do not develop a new notion of force. The majority learn from
this failure and the many others we inflict on them that they are not
smart, not good enough, to understand science, physics in particular, and
certain other special people are. I know that this outcome is not intended
by *most* of us, but there it is nonetheless. (I use "most" here instead
of "any" in the previous sentence having explicitly thought about the
choice.)


Dewey, are you suggesting that the majority of your students are
intrinsically capable of understanding physics, that they are endowed
by their Creator with certain inalienable intellectual facilities,
and that among these is the right to understand Newton's laws *as we
do*?

Yes.

What I am about to say applies not only to my students, but more
importantly my students' students. Not only do my students appear to me to
have the ability to develop the appropriate conceptual understandings, but
the research evidence (some my own) suggests that there are students down
to the 6th grade or so (not necessarily just exceptional students, either)
who have such abilities. But to go on...

MOST IMPORTANTLY they have a right to learn in such a way as the most
likely outcome is NOT to learn an untrue, unnecessarily negative, demeaning
description of themselves. Because they have the innate capabilities, some
of the learning might involve develop an understanding conceptually
equivalent to Newton's laws about force and motion.

If we cannot do this, not only should we shut up, pack up and "get out of
Dodge" but the topic and any other that we find we cannot "teach" any other
way without violating this right has no place in the educational enterprise.

I personally would caution against such acts perpetrated during the
training of physicists, too. One good reason is that physicists so trained
are profoundly handicapped when it comes to their contributing to the
education of the rest of society.


Lets get over the idea that science, especially physics, is for
everybody (or even the majority) just because we know how wonderful
it really is.

That's not why I hold the position I do.

I certainly do not advocate science (physics) or the practice/profession of
science (physics) for everyone. It is by far to ideologically narrow and
unrealistic to support a decent society for all. Look at what it's *doing
to* us now.

OTOH, the opportunity and relative simplicity of the process of making
sense (constructing explanations) of physical phenomena can be an
interesting, engaging and useful exercise of the innate capabilities of
human beings. If one accepts the exercise and development of such
capabilities as an important feature of the educational enterprise, then
engaging students in constructing ever more powerful explanations that fit
their advancing experiences with the physical phenomena is a valid activity
in that enterprise.

Dewey

PS: The belief that one has the truth or has a better truth seems to always
result in people according themselves the right to, even priviledge of,
committing violence against others, physical or psychological.


+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Dewey I. Dykstra, Jr. Phone: (208)426-3105
Professor of Physics Dept: (208)426-3775
Department of Physics/MCF421/418 Fax: (208)426-4330
Boise State University dykstrad@email.boisestate.edu
1910 University Drive Boise Highlanders
Boise, ID 83725-1570 novice piper: GHB, Uilleann

"As a result of modern research in physics, the ambition and hope,
still cherished by most authorities of the last century, that physical
science could offer a photographic picture and true image of reality
had to be abandoned." --M. Jammer in Concepts of Force, 1957.

"If what we regard as real depends on our theory, how can we make
reality the basis of our philosophy? ...But we cannot distinguish
what is real about the universe without a theory...it makes no sense
to ask if it corresponds to reality, because we do not know what
reality is independent of a theory."--S. Hawking in Black Holes
and Baby Universes, 1993.
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