From: "JACK L. URETSKY (C) 1996; HEP DIV., ARGONNE NATIONAL LAB, ARGONNE, IL 60439" <JLU@hep.anl.gov>
Date: Fri, 13 Dec 1996 11:23:40 -0600 (CST)
Hi all-
Bob Beichner sez:
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This sounds like something out of "Alice in Wonderland!" What you are saying
is that the best teachers are the worst teachers. The less the student
understands from class the better they end up learning the material because
they have to learn it on their own.
While I'll be the first to admit that students have to learn the material
themselves in order for it to "stick," I don't think the logical extension
of this idea is to be satisfied with foggy explanations that force students
to do everything themselves. Shouldn't we aim for providing insights and
guidance that minimize the time it takes for students to learn the concepts
on their own? It's sort of like helping a child learn to ride a
bike...although the new rider is ultimately the one who has to acquire the
balance and coordination, a bit of helpful "support" in the form of Mom or
Dad's stabilizing hand on the back of the bike seat certainly makes the
learning process go faster.
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Not what I said at all, nor is Bob's "logical extension" logical.
This particular "best teacher" was, in fact, a very good teacher,
even though he didn't fit into the popular conception of "good teacher."
The concept of "good teaching" is remarkably subtle, and it may take
decades to recognize who our own good teachers were.
It seems likely to me that the concept of "good teaching" must
depend critically upon the time, the place and the student body. The
outcome, however, is always the same; the student takes over and creates
its own learning.
Regards,
Jack