Chronology Current Month Current Thread Current Date
[Year List] [Month List (current year)] [Date Index] [Thread Index] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Date Prev] [Date Next]

Re: classroom quotations



Tim Folkerts wrote:

John's contribution of

"185,000 hits:
http://www.google.com/search?q=physics+quotes";

doesn't seem to me to be a physics quote that students would find
interesting. Perhaps I'm just missing something ;-)

1) This list is about not just physics but also
pedagogy. Part of pedagogy is encouraging people
to think for themselves.

If somebody asks a question and I answer with a
google URL, it's a not-very-subtle hint. Since
the hint seems to be lost on some people, I'll
make it more explicit:

1a) You will get more help if you give it a good
try on your own before asking for help. Explain
what you tried, how far you got, and why you think
you are stuck.

This rule is more important than you might think.
There's a wonderful book by Robert E. Kelley,
_How to Be a Star at Work_. One of the points
that he makes is that the "stars" have a network
of other stars that they can call on to solve
problems for them. But being part of the network
is a privilege, and if you abuse it you'll get
thrown off the network. Your productivity will
go waaay down and you'll never know what hit you.

1b) If "doing your best" to answer your own
question is a high standard, the lowest standard
is typing your question into google to see what
happens.

============

2) The 185,000 URL is taken out of context.
If you look at the rest of my message you'll
learn something extra. I gave _four_ URLs
with increasing specificity. Searching
for sayings is more specific than searching
for quotes. Searching for quotable physicists
such as Feynman and Einstein is more specific
than searching on physics per se.

Some people play the piano better than others.
Some people use google more effectively than
others. You can learn a thing or two by watching
others.

(Google is a hundred or a thousand times easier
to learn than piano.)