[Phys-L] Re: In the Private Universe

[Joseph Bellina <jbellina@SAINTMARYS.EDU>]

It surely is the case that when student do they are more engaged, and if
they have to think things through for themselves as they do, as opposed
to a cookbook, they will develop understanding that affects long term
memory.  So it isn't enough to just do hands on, I think you have to
find a way to guide them to the learning you want them to have.  That
way the own the result.

cheers,

joe

Anthony Lapinski wrote:

> My kids don't listen either. Students don't listen because they are
> distracted, tired, don't care, the subject is too easy/hard, or the
> teacher/class is boring. Remember the Chinese proverb:
>
> I hear and I forget.
> I see and I remember.
> I do and I understand.
>
> Science should be the most exciting subject in school as it is inherently
> interesting and relevant to everyone. I do many hands-on activities so
> students will enjoy physics/astronomy and remember what I say -- for life
> (not just for college). Everyone should know why we have seasons. Everyone
> should take a good physics/astronomy class.
>
> Forum for Physics Educators <PHYS-L@list1.ucc.nau.edu> on Wednesday,
> February 23, 2005 at 8:12 AM -0500 wrote:
>
>
> > David Marx writes
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: David T. Marx [mailto:marx@PHY.ILSTU.EDU]
> > Sent: Tuesday, February 22, 2005 10:29 PM
> > To: PHYS-L@LISTS.NAU.EDU
> > Subject: Re: In the Private Universe
> >
> >
> >
> > > To me, the source of this mistake is the textbooks.  The Earth is
> > always
> >
> >
> > > shown from a side view with a very elongated ellipse and the point is
> > made
> >
> >
> > > that the sun is at one of the foci.  What other conclusion do we expect
> > > students (and often their teachers) to draw from this other than the
> > mistaken
> >
> >
> > > explanation for the seasons?
> > I suspect that the problem is not the textbooks, themselves.  Rather,
> > the students don't read them, or if they do the reading they don't
> > understand what they are reading.  Every intro astronomy text that I've
> > ever used clearly states that seasons are a result of the inclination of
> > Earth's equator to the plane of the ecliptic ... and the diagrams and
> > captions show the difference between northern and southern hemisphere
> > summer, winter, spring, and fall.
> >
> > Also, as another colleague points out, I also have written proof that
> > they don't listen, either!
> >
> > ********************************************
> > "Eternity is very long,
> >                especially toward the end."
> >                               -  Woody Allen
> > ********************************************
> >
> > Dr. George Spagna
> > Chair, Physics Department
> > Randolph-Macon College
> > P.O. Box 5005
> > Ashland, VA 23005-5505
> >
> > phone: (804) 752-7344
> > fax: (804) 752-4724
> > e-mail: gspagna@rmc.edu
> > http://faculty.rmc.edu/gspagna

--
Joseph J. Bellina, Jr. Ph.D.
574-284-4662, 4968
Saint Mary's College
Dept. of Chemistry and Physics
Notre Dame, IN, 46556