🚀 go-pugleaf

On Mon, 1 May 1995, Wes Davis wrote:

> >I would say that my honors, college-bound students find it amazing that I
> >would expect them to read the chapter for anything.  If I haven't covered
> >it in the lecture, then it hasn't been covered!  I would say that that is
> >an effect of TV.
> >
> >Keith Tipton        : If ignorance is bliss,
> >kctipton@tenet.edu  : why aren't more people happy?
> >Houston, Texas      : -->author unknown
> >
> >
> Keith...
>
>         I'm amazed at the similarity of our observations!  My students
> add to these observations with comments such as:  "Why should I
> read?  You're the teacher, it's your job to tell me what I need to know".
> Or, "I can't learn from the book, you have to show me what to do."
> I'm interested in why you think TV is the culprit.  I've always considered
> this attitude a result of teachers doing only rote, one-step operations out
> of sheer desperation!  I've noticed that if I show the students three steps
> to perform to arrive at the result, they will ask me after each step how
> to do the next.
>
>         Do you think that  this attitude on the part of our college-bound
> students changes in college, or do they flunk out, or what????
>
> Wes
>
>                                                      Wes Davis
>

Many are still like that when they come to college, at least our college.
Just last week I had a 3rd year college student (pre-engineering)
complain about the D+ I'd given him in Atomic and Nuclear Physics (he'd
earned an F, but I gave him a D+). He'd also gotten a D in differential
equations. I began a calm and rational inquiry into what specific
difficulties he was having doing the homework, reading the textbook,
etc., and he interrupted and yelled "It's not my fault I'm not learning
the material. You professors are paid to *teach* me!" This one was still
firmly convinced he was going to be an engineer (civil) and a darn good
one. With a modest 2.4 QPA (in these days of grade inflation), he may
actually get an engineering degree at the right school and the right
choice of engineering field.

There's been a large change in student attitudes over the years, and
their strong conviction that their attitudes and their narrow-minded
perceptions are *right* and everyone else who doesn't share them is *wrong*.

        -- Donald