Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!husc6!bloom-beacon!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!cwjcc!kevin!hunt
From: hunt@kevin.CES.CWRU.Edu (Francie Hunt)
Newsgroups: comp.edu
Subject: Re: Student preparedness
Message-ID: <387@cwjcc.CWRU.Edu>
Date: 13 Jan 89 16:12:39 GMT
References: <5268@pdn.UUCP> <6771@killer.DALLAS.TX.US>
Sender: news@cwjcc.CWRU.Edu
Reply-To: hunt@alpha.UUCP (Francie Hunt)
Organization: Computer Engineering and Science/CWRU
Lines: 30

In article <6771@killer.DALLAS.TX.US> elg@killer.DALLAS.TX.US (Eric Green) writes:
>
>I think this is the crux of the matter -- the professor being put up
>on a pedestal as "the man who knows EVERYTHING about Computer Science." 
                       ^^^
                       !!!
Please, let's be careful what assumptions we are making here.  This would
sound just as good with the word person substituted above.  There are
many professors out here (myself included) who are not men, and are quite
put off by sweeping generalizations that exclude us.  I pretty much agree
with the rest of your article, but had to set this straight.

Later, ...
>I don't know how to impart upon students the self-confidence needed to
>participate in class and pursue outside questions. 

True, this is a hard thing to do, in most cases.  This is where nurturing
qualities come in handy, to draw out the student participation in a
supportive environment.  I try to make my classes "interactive" by asking
them questions and giving them enough time to come up with an answer before
hopping in myself.  It's usually easy to tell if they know the answer and
are just shy or if they haven't a clue.  Eye contact and a non-threatening
manner go a long way toward increasing the participation in class.

Now, if only good teaching were recognized, encouraged, and rewarded......

Francie Hunt
Assistant Professor, Computer Engineering and Science
Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106
hunt@alpha.ces.cwru.edu