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There was no belittling of artillery people there.Dr. Courtney said:Artillery experts are people too.
Shayan.J said:There was no belittling of artillery people there.
Anyway, your objection to this reminds me of this!
P.S.
Sorry...couldn't resist!
Mister T said:Societal attitudes towards education are, of course, changing. It's important that we remain aware of how these changes have affected students. For example, 15 years of "no child left behind" and the like have left many students with the embedded notion that teaching is the only factor, or at least the only significant factor, that accounts for learning. Consequently, if there's no learning going on in the mind of the student, it's the teacher's fault.
Lest you label me a curmudgeon, I will tell you that I very much enjoy teaching college-level introductory physics and that I have a significant number of students who have that all-important combination of a willingness to learn, the ability to learn, and who do the work.
My point is simply this. For students who believe that it's up to the teacher to do their learning for them, motivational speeches that focus on the importance of learning physics will unfortunately tend to reinforce that belief. The message they receive is that this teacher is willing to work very hard to get me to learn. Let's hope he comes through for me.
ZapperZ said:My last advice to you here is that the process of learning is a very private, internal activity. While you have your texts, your notes, your instructor, etc. to help you, in the end, it is YOU who have to make the effort to acquire such knowledge and skills. It must sink in for you. At some point, you have to figure things out for yourself. It means that you need to understand things on your own, and be able to do your own thinking. You have to figure our how you understand things and what you need to do to get something.
ZapperZ said:But this is exactly why I wrote this:
My last advice to you here is that the process of learning is a very private, internal activity. While you have your texts, your notes, your instructor, etc. to help you, in the end, it is YOU who have to make the effort to acquire such knowledge and skills.
Mister T said:I understand. Mine is a cautionary note. Many of these students will interpret what you wrote to mean that YOU are taking on the responsibility of making those things happen. And if they don't happen, it's your fault.
Consider for example a conversation you might have with a student who has done poorly on your first test. You remind him of the advice you gave him ...
His response will be that he tried to do that but it didn't work. In his mind he will be thinking that the blame falls on you for this, not him. Yes, he didn't study properly. Yes, he lacks the skills to succeed. But despite all that, it is YOU who is supposed to be teaching him. Either you failed or your test was too hard. You are a bad teacher.
Now, why would he think that way instead of the way you told him to think? It could be that in his K-12 experiences the blame always fell on the teachers. He will need to learn your lesson the hard way. That's all I'm saying here. It's just a cautionary note to (especially new) teachers about their own expectations.
(Note that in my example it's possible that the student is clever enough to know exactly what's going on, and he is actually playing you. In that case it makes no difference. His lesson is that he can no longer get away with kind of a con. He is what some people call the "con artist". He's smart enough to do well in school, but instead he procrastinates and plays the angles. It's best to just pretend you're not on to him, because if you do let on you're just giving him an excuse to argue. You know you're dealing with a con artist when you feel the need to draw a flow chart in order to follow his convoluted arguments and if-then scenarios.)
Again, I want to impress upon you that I'm really not a curmudgeon. Most of my students are not con artists. Some of them work hard and deserve my guidance, even if they aren't passing the course. I really do enjoy teaching and find it very rewarding. I will admit, though, that dealing with the difficult student is often a challenge to my well-being.
bhobba said:For me an intro to physics course is just the down-payment for understanding the truly magical stuff like Landau Mechanics.
I sometimes think a good high school physics course followed by Landau might be a good path for the better students - certainly philosophy types for which it would likely be a revelation. They simply do not understand physics.
Thanks
Bill
The purpose of Introductory Physics is to introduce students to the fundamental laws and principles of physics, such as motion, forces, energy, and thermodynamics. It is the foundation for understanding more complex concepts in physics and other scientific disciplines.
During this course, you will learn how to apply mathematical and scientific reasoning to solve problems related to the physical world. You will also gain a better understanding of how the universe works and how to interpret and analyze real-world phenomena.
The format of the course may vary depending on the instructor and institution, but it typically consists of lectures, lab experiments, problem-solving sessions, and exams. Some courses may also include online components or group projects.
No prior knowledge or skills are required, but a strong understanding of basic mathematics (algebra, geometry, and trigonometry) is helpful. It is also important to have strong critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
A background in Introductory Physics can lead to various career paths, including research and development, engineering, data analysis, teaching, and many more. It is a versatile field that can open up opportunities in a wide range of industries.