🚀 go-pugleaf

Its the Rush L school of social discourse.  We even shout at one another.
Al

On Tue, 2 May 1995, Donald E. Simanek wrote:

> 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
>