away from textbook

["Rauber, Joel Phys" <RAUBERJ@mg.sdstate.edu>]

A sample from a reply to a coupl e of posts are shown below.  With a few 
comments from a University teacher, who has had no experience with high 
school physics (other then being a student in the course); so high school 
teachers, take what I say with a grain of salt.

> > I am a second year high school physics teacher and I recently had an
> > evaluation conversation with my boss and it was suggested that I get
> > away from using the textbook.  There are those that feel that classtime
> > should be spent on more outside activities and labs and computer work.
> > I agree that all of these things are very important, but I also know as
> > an undergraduate physics major that students need to know how to solve
> > problems.  I can take my student's high school text and my freshman
> > college text and the two compare very closely.  Why then would I want
> > to spend more time away from the text?  I would like to hear your input
> > whether you are a high school teacher or a college professor.
> From my perspective, both as a college teacher and citizen, I don't want my 
students high  school experience with physics to simply be a mini-college 
course.  In other words, I don't think the approach should be "this is what 
they do in the college course, therefore, I should be doing the same thing, 
watered down or slightly less mathematical or whatever, that they are doing 
in my high school class".  Having your kids for five days a week for a whole 
year allows you to do things we in the colleges can't.  In particular, a lot 
more of the hands on type of activities.  Modern kids don't get a lot of 
experience with doing "physics type stuff" on their on (the video 
generation) and getting some of that in the high school course (or even 
earlier physical science courses) is good.

On the other hand, don't abandon problem solving; I think that paricularly 
for the high school senior physics course, that its important to emphasize 
the developement of problem solving skills using mathematics; both for the 
intellectual developement it gives and as an example of applied math;  "here 
is what your algebra courses (and calculus if your kids all are having it) 
are good for".  I think I would try to empasize these two areas about 
equally.

> One "problem with problem solving" is that students often develop
> strategies for getting solutions which are "correct" without understanding 

> anything at all about the physics.

I always wonder about the above comment, which is often repeated in places. 
 There is some truth in it; but I often find myself feeling that I'd be 
happy if I could get 80% of my class to do the problems correctly, even 
without the deep understanding that seems to be referred to.  I'm of the 
opinion that well written problems can both test understanding and problem 
solving ability and I've got the tests that show it; meaning I can see an 
awfully lot of students whose strategies don't work on test problems, 
because they didn't develope the understanding.

Thanks for allowing me to inflict my opinions on the group.  The clash of 
opinions and discussions are enjoyable and enlightening.

Joel Rauber
rauberj@mg.sdstate.edu

PS in reference to another post, not all "young Turks" are 
non-traditionlists.  Actually I would like to hear some opinions on the 
comments of "coverage" versus other ideas for the intro class; presumably 
the "less is more" approaches.  I debate with myself this issue at least 
several times a day, and suspect I'll never resolve the issue for myself.