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Re: [Phys-l] base knowledge erosion



It seems to me that schools/teachers do not teach our students how to
think. Scoring well on tests seems to be the emphasis. I make my kids
think critically and apply their knowledge in my physics classes, and it
is very difficult for them. I am one of only a few teachers who gives "C"
and "D" grades at our school (private high school). Many teachers don't
want to deal with parents and potential conflicts with administrators when
low grades go home. It really is a shame. My kids are so glued to their
calculators that they can't do simple fractions to decimals in their head.
Computers have certainly made certain aspects of their lives easier, but
this technology has also made them think less.

Forum for Physics Educators <phys-l@carnot.physics.buffalo.edu> on Monday,
February 27, 2006 at 11:58 AM -0500 wrote:
On Feb 27, 2006, at 11:23 AM, Spagna Jr., George wrote:
I once announced that students should meet me at the
Observatory if was clear on the night of a scheduled lab, or in the
science building if it wasn't. A student asked, "How do I know if
it's
clear?"

I'm sure the student was suitably embarrassed a moment after asking
the question. I hope they were, anyway.

This may not be cluelessness as much as it is assumed ignorance -- a
phenomenon I warn my students about on a regular basis. It seems that
any notions of common sense and real-world experience are erased by
walking through the door of my classroom (or maybe it's me?!).
Restating questions in the context of "Okay, suppose one of your
friends walked up to you at the mall and asked..." gets past this,
sometimes. Sometimes it *is* cluelessness!

---
Michael Porter
Colonel By Secondary School
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

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