Re: [Phys-L] Instructional resources (Was: Indicators of quality teaching)

[Bernard Cleyet <bernard@cleyet.org>]

On 2013, Jul 04, , at 05:57, rjensen@ualberta.ca wrote:

> True story: I was attending a
> large chemical education conference (BCCE; 2000+ participants). Dozens
> had signed up for a workshop on giving demo's. I was shocked and
> saddened by the number of college and university instructors *freaking
> out* (figuratively and literally) when anything involved fire. A few
> hypochondriacs refused to touch any of the chemicals. And these people
> *teach* chemistry.

Another one:   

My HS chem teacher ('55) fractionally distilled gasoline using a RBBF, column, etc.  AND a bunsen burner. I was in the front row only a few feet from the app.   I was shocked, but being a new student and very repressed said nothing.  A few years later I read in the local paper about the burned teacher the flame having ignited the vapour.  


I've also noticed what I think is an over reaction to the dangers of nuclear radiation in the class room.  Even simple experiments using sealed sources are uncommon in high schools and I doubt many colleges do experiments with unsealed sources.  Back in '58, my nuclear lab included column separation of isotopes from spent fuel rods, preparation of polonium from radium-D, etc.  I was saddened to lean that UCSC's neutron  (Pu-Be) source was given up, probably because the RSO couldn't be bothered with the wipe tests, etc.  I later visited my counterpart in a plains state U who had managed to keep "his".  

After replacing the diodes in our 50kV / 50mA  XRD transformer, I left it out for months.   No one called attention to my gross irresponsibility.  Would someone now properly warn me?

bc who doesn't bother switching off when he repairs light fixtures and outlets.