Re: [Phys-l] laptops banned from class

[Jack Uretsky <jlu@hep.anl.gov>]

On Thu, 30 Mar 2006, Robert Carlson wrote:

> I've already done what Anthony, Herb and Jack discuss
> below.  But, sometimes lectures get so lonely.  If you
> want to use what I use for free, then you can get the
> CD in a zip file at physicstoolkit.com.  My lecture
> notes, generated using lecture notes in the zip file,
> can be viewed at
> http://home.minneapolis.edu/~carlsoro/.  The phys 1221
> notes are kind of sparce lately because I am insisting
> students drive the lecture by reading and asking
> questions and they are resisting.
	That's because (IMO) you haven't gotten them over THE THRESHOLD.
The threshold was elegantly explained to me one day by a student who
asked, "Why do I have to read this stuff?  What are they paying you for?"
Most pre-meds, in my experience, never cross this threshold, for good 
reason; they have a different agenda which has to do with pocketbook 
issues.  Many community college students have full time jobs, they 
consider that they do not have time to do their own learning.
	The habit of a lifetime in our public schools is to expect a 
highly-skilled teacher to pour knowledge into the heads of receptive 
students.  Many teachers, who deem themselves highly skilled, believe that 
they actually can do such pouring.  Dick Hake, in his early -90's TPT 
article on SDI labs persuasively describes his own disillusionment with 
the power of his own dramatic and exciting teaching skills.  The rest of 
us, enchanted by the sounds of our own voices, can probably learn much 
from Hake's narrative.
	But it does seem to me that an effective test of students taking 
responsibility for their own learning is their willingness to take the 
initiative in the classroom and, especially, to challenge the teacher 
without any prompting.

					Regards,
						Jack

> But the phys 1100
> notes are complete.
>
> Enjoy,
>
> Bob Carlson
>
> Sorry Bernard, while all documents are in html and
> will run on Macs, the applications only run on pcs.
>
>
>
> On Thu, 30 Mar 2006, Herb Gottlieb wrote:
>
> As usual, Anthony's suggetion above is EXCELLENT. But
> why not go one
> stepfurther. Give students the entire year's lecture
> notes in advance so they do not need to come to any of
> your classes for the rest of the year??
> Herb Gottlieb   :-- )
>
>
> As usual, Herb's suggestion is EXCELLENT. I know,
> because that approach worked pretty well for me my
> freshman year at MIT. Which just
> reminds me, that the goal of top notch teaching, IMO,
> is to persuade
> students to learn for themselves.
>                                        Regards,
>                                                Jack
>
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"Trust me.  I have a lot of experience at this."
		General Custer's unremembered message to his men,
		just before leading them into the Little Big Horn Valley