[meteorite-list] Re: Kitchen Comet Cows

From: George Blahun Jr. <ks1u_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 10:02:24 2004
Message-ID: <000901c1c31c$67535660$1cde9cd1_at_satellite>

Hello everyone, I'd just like to share an observation here without passing
judgement on anyone else or their opinions. Although I no longer teach, I
have a background in math and science education. To me, the primary focus
has to be on getting the audience to learn what is being taught and to
remember it for more than just a few minutes. I too loved Mr. Wizard, but I
recognize that today's students would not react positively to this approach.
As much as I'd like them to be thrilled about a subject before anything is
presented to them, that's just not reality. Whatever it takes to keep this
country from losing a generation of scientists, within reason, is OK with
me. Crude or not, there is plenty of room for divergent approaches to
learning. I'll bet those kids never forget where the methane comes from or
that there;s methane in comets.

Respectfully,
George
----- Original Message -----
From: "Bob Martino" <martino.6_at_osu.edu>
To: <meteorite-list_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Sent: Sunday, March 03, 2002 8:07 PM
Subject: [meteorite-list] Re: Kitchen Comet Cows


> You have _got_ to be kidding.
>
> Did you in fact READ my kitchen comet write-up? If you did then you
should
> have noticed that it is stuffed full of educational content. Every
> ingredient added to the comet is there because such things are found in
> real comets. So I make my activities enjoyable. This is wrong somehow?
> Should all science content be presented by someone who talks like Ben
Stein
> on sedatives? Should I not have my own style?
>
> I inject humor into my presentations. This elicits an emotional response
> from the audience. If you had bothered to keep up on educational,
> learning, and brain research in the last 18 years you might have noticed
> results indicating that humans remember better when strong emotions are
> tied with the memories. Since it wouldn't do for me to make my audience
> cry or run in fear, I figure that making them happy through the use of
> jokes will add that emotional engagement which helps to make the memories
> last.
>
> FYI, I never fail to receive many compliments from the _parents_ (not
their
> "crude youth") who attend my shows. I constantly am told that they
learned
> something and will remember it. And I made them happy, too. Oh, how
awful
> I am! Western Civilization is DOOMED!
>
> Seriously, if you have a better way to indicate the methane content in the
> kitchen comet, I'd love to hear it. Until then, you might try to lighten
> up. "Fun" and "educational" are not mutually exclusive.
>
>
> >You are not alone in this opinion. The idea that science should be
taught
> >as a form of entertainment --not necessarily with any substantial content
> >nor accountability-- is the primary reason why I left the science
teaching
> >profession 18 years ago. The old Mr. Wizard TV shows of the 1950s would
be
> >considered dull by today's commercial entertainment-driven standards, but
> >they were highly informative-- and to me as a young boy--fascinating.
> >
> >> In my humble but doubtless unique opinion, too much of our world is run
> >> already by crude youth and their toadies, the crude youth marketeers.
> >> Perhaps like the methane itself, it's a product of decay.
> >>
> >> I vote not to encourage it.
> >>
> >Add my vote too.
> >
> >> Dave Coleman
> >and Paul Dudley
> >
> >>> And don't forget the methane! So I take a stuffed cow and have it
pass
> >>> some gas into the bucket. Sure its crude. That's why the kids love
it
> >>> so.
> >>
> >> > Mooo!
> >>
> >> ______________________________________________
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> >> Meteorite-list_at_meteoritecentral.com
> >> http://www.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
> >>
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> Bob Martino Can you really name a star?
> http://home.columbus.rr.com/starfaq/
> "I look up to the heavens
> but night has clouded over
> no spark of constellation
> no Vela no Orion." -Enya
>
>
>
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Received on Sun 03 Mar 2002 08:32:08 PM PST