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Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!seismo!rlgvax!cvl!umcp-cs!beth
From: beth@umcp-cs.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.flame
Subject: Making learning fun
Message-ID: <3666@umcp-cs.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 8-Nov-83 11:16:16 EST
Article-I.D.: umcp-cs.3666
Posted: Tue Nov  8 11:16:16 1983
Date-Received: Wed, 9-Nov-83 21:52:03 EST
Organization: Univ. of Maryland, Computer Science Dept.
Lines: 47

This discussion was moved here because it doesn't relate directly to computer
science education.  Someone wanted suggestions for improvement.  I have one.

Virginia, and several other states, have programs for the "gifted" students.
(Gifted here means intelligent and/or artistic.)  In particular, there is a
Governor's School for the Gifted held each summer on three college campuses.
About 450 rising junior and senior year students (150 each site) spend a month,
at taxpayers' expense, learning from some of the best teachers in the state.

When I went in 1976, I took a philosophy course from a high school English
teacher.  We read a lot of Plato, Socrates, and Spinoza among others.  We
discussed their work, and no one thought you were weird for enjoying the stuff.
In my other formal class, I had creative writing from a college professor. One
activity was writing group plays.  Each person created two characters and
described them briefly at the top of a page in his/her notebook.  That person
also wrote the first line of one of the characters. Then we passed the notebooks
around the circle, each person adding another character's section of dialogue.
After the notebooks had made it around the circle, some of them were read aloud.
We also wrote other things (poetry, short stories, ...)

In addition to formal classes six days a week, we had special interest classes
(computer programming for me) and activity classes (fencing for me.) We had
lectures in the afternoon and evening and field trips to various places.

However, the best thing about Governor's School was making friends with people
who had similar interests and goals, such as going to college. Many of my
friends in college went to Governor's School, and not necessarily at the
same site.  As one of my friends said, "That was the best month of my life."

Why was it so great?  We learned.  The teachers expected us to work, but they
also came to class prepared to teach by not only lecturing but by leading the
discussions, answering questions, and asking us questions.  They treated us as
adults.  This was possible because everyone was there to learn.  We knew that it
was a privilege to be there.  We were serious students, and we wanted to make
the most of the opportunity in addition to having a good time.  I realize that
high schools can't work like this all the time.  I realize that Virginia might
cut off support for this program (and not many of the students were well off.)
But I believe that if a teacher tries to make learning fun, but still teaches,
and if he/she treats the students as adults, expecting them to work and not
teasing or condemning them, students will learn.  I don't think that cutting
down on the creativity of the teachers is the answer.  Rather, teachers should
be encouraged to add creativity where appropriate and should be given students
who respect them enough to let them do their job.
-- 
Beth Katz at Univ. of Maryland, College Park, Dept. of Computer Science
UUCP:	{seismo,allegra,brl-bmd}!umcp-cs!beth
CSNet:	beth@umcp-cs	ARPA: beth.umcp-cs@CSNet-Relay