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Hodge-PODge
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Topic: Shuttle Launch (updated with pics) Posted: 22 May 2011 at 11:50am |
Originally posted by David
The challege was on and about a week later, I brought in a contraption built from a scrap piece of wood, razor blade, safety pin, wire wound around a toilet paper tube, etc. I still remember the smile on his face when he was able to tune in 1 or 2 of the local AM broadcast stations. ......a radio that worked on no electricity (batteries or household AC)! 
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What teacher worth her (or his) salt wouldn't be thrilled to have a student like that!
No one learns by JUST reading a textbook and taking a test! Students learn by doing (to which Tidalwave can attest).
Sometimes I think teachers are afraid of losing control when the teachable moment sends us off in a direction that is not in our lesson plans. However, when student interest and engagement drives the lesson, the student is going to learn a heck of a lot more. And teachers have to be willing to let that happen -- and for most teachers in this age of "accountability" on standardized tests, it's really a scary thing to let the students drive the lesson. My background is in project-based learning so I, for one, believe it can be done. (And thanks for the compliment, Podsible Dream.)
Oh yeah, and one other thing. . . . Students who test in and qualify for the gifted program are often very bored in the regular classroom, and may cause trouble or not do their work just because of that boredom.. Those students tend to think outside the box. Sounds like there are a few of you guys in this forum. It's a pity your teachers didn't recognize that quality in you because you are the inventors and the innovators in this world.
"To teach is to learn twice . . ."
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2011 RP 177, the Hodge-PODge
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"A man travels the world over in search of what he needs, and returns home to find it."
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TIDALWAVE
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Posted: 22 May 2011 at 10:23am |
In MN, during the late 50's and early 60's there were no 'advanced placement' classes in most K-12 school. I taught myself to read when I was three and was usually the 'grade spoiler' in most of my classes til college. I had a high school physics teacher who was so incompetent that several of us students were always whispering about his lecture mistakes at the rear of the class. The teacher tried to silence us. Finally I made a deal with him...if my group got perfect scores on the midterm he would arrange for us to do our own physics experiments in an adjacent lab. Of course we did...and we ended up repairing and improving on the lab equipment he dumped on our table. We read the text outside of class and took his bland tests. I learned more physics that year than in the rest of my undergrad and graduate studies.
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TIDALWAVE
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Posted: 22 May 2011 at 7:30am |
Tech - you left out "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan!  However, I left out Robert Goddard on my list of heros.  I had a similar experience with my 7th grade science teacher. I had a question about parallel circuits that was perplexing me and that guy really dressed me down in front of the whole class. A couple of years later, I learned that he didn't know much about science at all - he did it because it was the only job available when he needed work. On the other hand, Mr. Hooper, in the 6th grade was great! He wasn't really a "science guy" but, I think he really enjoyed watching us learn. I remember him lecturing about WW2 and mentioning that a few of the GIs made "foxhole radios" to listen to for some entertainment. They did it using only those items that they could get their hands one; like safety pins, razor blades, scrap wire, etc. "Do you think you could make something like that, David?" The challege was on and about a week later, I brought in a contraption built from a scrap piece of wood, razor blade, safety pin, wire wound around a toilet paper tube, etc. I still remember the smile on his face when he was able to tune in 1 or 2 of the local AM broadcast stations. ......a radio that worked on no electricity (batteries or household AC)!  I still remember Mr. Hooper - and the other guy, too. Teachers can and do make a lifelong impact.
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Hodge-PODge
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Posted: 21 May 2011 at 10:40pm |
I just KNEW you'd figure it out!
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2011 RP 177, the Hodge-PODge
2011 Mercedes ML350
"A man travels the world over in search of what he needs, and returns home to find it."
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techntrek
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Posted: 21 May 2011 at 10:01pm |
Yup, slag was on the bad word list. Not sure why, so I removed it (as you can see since it is in my post).
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techntrek
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Posted: 21 May 2011 at 9:57pm |
Yup, I did see that movie. Along with The Right Stuff, Apollo 13 (at least 13 times), another half-dozen documentaries and the entire HBO docu-drama From the Earth to the Moon. That last one has something like 10 DVDs and I've watched it several times - its a must-see for any space buff, its a Tom Hanks production.
Unfortunately my 3rd grade science teacher called me a failure in front of other students, but my mom pointed out that I was reading a college-level science journal cover-to-cover the minute it came to the house... I was bored with her class. Luckily I had three great science teachers in 7th, 8th and 9th grade that made up for it (10th grade teacher was uninspiring and the one I had in 11th played favorites and was abusive to those that weren't his favorites). Didn't damage my love of science and figuring things out! Hodge - not sure what is going on with s-l-a-g, I'll check out the bad word filter to see if something in there may be causing it.
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Podsible Dream
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Posted: 21 May 2011 at 6:41pm |
I think that both David and techntrek had some real fine teachers like you are, Diane. Someone imbued them with a love of learning and encouraged their sense of curiosity and exploration. Judging from your comments you are able to that too. You have some fortunate students!
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Chris and Walt
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Hodge-PODge
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Posted: 21 May 2011 at 6:08pm |
You're quite the philospher, David! And I am just going to graciously ignore the remark about what you were really thinking about us "puny" ladies (although I REALLY don't know why we didn't think of your idea). Can't say that about Mountain Mist any more though, she got the lever idea to work. As for me, I don't have to winterize until the fall so I am not going to worry about it until then.
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2011 RP 177, the Hodge-PODge
2011 Mercedes ML350
"A man travels the world over in search of what he needs, and returns home to find it."
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Posted: 21 May 2011 at 4:00pm |
Originally posted by Hodge-PODge
David and Doug,
You guys sound just like those boys in the movie who kept experimenting with rockets on top of that old sl*g heap in Coalwood, West Virginia in 1957. Hmmmm, well maybe there is ONE major difference between you . . . . after all, they finally did get it right! But hey, the teacher in me would argue that the process is just as important, if not more, than the final end, right? And you guys win hands down in the "process" department!
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One more jab and I'm going to tell you what I was really thinking about the matress problem: "Are these gals really so puny that they can't lift up a corner of the matress and shove a box underneath to hold it up?"  Seriously, I have not seen the movie, but it sounds interesting. Your attitude towards your students is admirable. All teachers should be like that. My boyhood heros were people like Thomas Edison, Louis Pasteur, Marie Curie, NASA scientist, astronauts, Tesla, Marconi, etc. (forgive me, I don't have the spell checker turned on) Hopefully, a large percentage of your students will catch the lifetime "bug" to learn, understand and innovate. I feel sorry for the people in life who are so paralized by the fear of failure that they never try. Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach him how to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.
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Hodge-PODge
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Posted: 21 May 2011 at 10:31am |
Dang, I keep editing the post above but every time I type sl*g, it comes up sl*ag. That it so weird!  It's doing it on this post, too. That * is supposed to be an A! Oh well, you guys are certainly smart enough to figure it out.
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2011 RP 177, the Hodge-PODge
2011 Mercedes ML350
"A man travels the world over in search of what he needs, and returns home to find it."
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