Re: Appropriate for Gen Phys? was: comprehending electric/magneticinteractions

[Larry Cartwright <exit60@CABLESPEED.COM>]

John Clement wrote:
> One difficulty that students have to overcome is the problem that
> they won't consistently use the information they have been given.
> You can give them a simple statement ... [snip]

Are you implying that you have reached a point where you are able to
consistently and infallibly use all information that is given to you,
even in areas where you have little experience and no expertise and
limited interest?

I have a new perspective on comments about students' failure to make use
of information they have been "given".  When I retired from teaching, I
decided I needed alternate employment to enhance the quality of my life
and my pocketbook.  I've had a career, now I just want a job.  This
meant learning a new trade and once again becoming a student of new
subject matter.  I have rediscovered first-hand some truths that it is
easy for teachers to lose track of once they have become subject matter
experts:

(1) The student is constantly being given new information on a wide
variety of topics in a diverse variety of fields.  While one is trying
to master yesterday's new information, the flood of today's new
information keeps coming.

(2) Having been given information is not the same thing as having been
given the training that enables one to use the information.  To
paraphrase the old saw about real estate, the 3 most important factors
relating to a student's ability to apply information are (a) experience,
(b) experience, and (c) experience.

(3) Not everyone who has the responsibility of providing information is
good at it.

(4) Some people are just never going to master certain knowledges and
skills.  After 50 years of periodic attempts to learn, I am reconciled
to never being able to communicate using Morse code.  I am a dit-dah
dyslexic.  The inability to do everything that people would like you to
do does not portend the end of the world.

Best wishes,

Larry

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Larry Cartwright                    Retired Physics Teacher
<exit60@cablespeed.com>              Charlotte MI 48813 USA
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- Good judgment comes from experience,
  and a lot of that comes from bad judgment.
- If you're leadin' the herd, take a look back
  now and then to make sure it's still there.
- A good time to keep your mouth shut is when
  you're in deep water.
- If you're lookin' for permanent employment,
  scratch a dog.
- Learn from the mistakes of others.  You ain't gonna live
  long enough to make 'em all yourself.
                        -- The Cowboys' Guide To Life
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~