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Hi all-
Do you believe everything you read? Think about these purported
research results. Is the proposition that the research purportedly "show"
one that is logically provable?
Regards,
Jack
Who grew up with the Buck Rogers map of the solar system on his
bedroom wall.
On Sat, 8 Sep 2001, John Clement wrote:
The fact that the information is in the syllabus does not meanthat they are
capable of understanding that material. The recent article inSept Physics
Today gives the references to the research that shows thatbelow 5th grade
students are not capable of understanding the elementaryastronomy ideas.
Meaning 2 and 3 are exactly right. The usual lecture method does notdetails, some more
promote conceptual understanding as the research shows.
John M. Clement
Houston, TX
-----Original Message-----
From: phys-l@lists.nau.edu: Forum for Physics Educators
[mailto:PHYS-L@lists.nau.edu]On Behalf Of John S. Denker
Sent: Saturday, September 08, 2001 7:07 PM
To: PHYS-L@lists.nau.edu
Subject: Re: Thinking Level of students
At 12:09 PM 9/8/01 -0700, Wes Davis wrote:
Many - if not most - of my college astronomy students areunable to form
a mental picture of the relationship between the earth, sun and moon.
That statement is hard to interpret without some more
until it has beencontext.
I assume we talking about
A) the basic new moon / 1st quarter / full moon geometry,
as opposed to
B) lunar nodes, pairing of eclipses, and the Saros
Even under this assumption, is the message that:
1) They weren't born knowing it, and can't picture it
covered in classcovered in class?
2) The picture doesn't "stick" even after it has been
even though theyin the usual way?
3) They are intrinsically unable to grasp it, no matter how it
is taught?
4) They can't do it quickly using mental images alone,
meaning (1) wouldcould manage if given more time and/or pencil&paper and/or props
to work with?
Those are very, very different meanings.
======================
I would find meanings (2) and (3) quite shocking. Even
earth/moon/sunbe alarming. Geometric relationships in general, and the
and studentsgeometry in particular, is commonly introduced in 2nd grade,
syllabuses. Iare expected to (mostly) "get it" by 3rd grade or 4th grade. (You can
confirm this by using google to find a bunch of 3rd-grade
advanced trainingalso checked with someone who teaches 3rd grade and has
in developmental psychology.)
Meaning (4) would be no surprise -- and no problem.
Bottom line: I don't understand what the point is.....
--
Franz Kafka's novels and novella's are so Kafkaesque that one has to
wonder at the enormity of coincidence required to have produced a writer
named Kafka to write them.
Greg Nagan from "The Metamorphosis" in
<The 5-MINUTE ILIAD and Other Classics>