Chemistry at 3:45 a m

[rabid_bookwyrm]

"I suppose I can understand the math department's point, but at the same time, this is a teaching institution, and they aren't teaching." "Well, not teaching everyone." "Right. But they should be teaching everyone, and that's more important than their ivory-tower mathematical eugenics project, or whatever they've got going

Comments

[flawlessnight]

Yeah...it's pretty despicable. When the most down-to-earth person in the department teaches like Wheeler, you know you've got a problem.

Also, I like the phrase "ivory-tower mathematical eugenics project". :)

I do kind of wonder whether they've got the same reasoning as the physics department - physics as a major is intentionally murderous because if they gave a normal workload etc. they'd so many thesising seniors every year they couldn't possibly deal. The math department is small and composed almost entirely of old men...

I mean, it's not a good reason to not teach their subject - I'd take a murderous workload over a methodology for which I have no affinity any day.

[flawlessnight]

The physics department does actually teach, with the exception of, say, Wheeler, who kind of effervesces up at the chalkboard and hopes you learn. Bless his soul, but it's true.

[rabid_bookwyrm]

Mr Powell has never taught a day in his life. He's pretended, and no one to him before it was too late. David, Darrell, and (I hear) Joel and John teach.

[flawlessnight]

Lucas teaches too!

Mary gets points for effort, she apparently tries to teach but isn't good at teaching a great bulk of people all at once, she's better one-on-one.

[flawlessnight]

Johnny is probably the most egregious example, actually, just because Wheeler kind of teaches, just only to people who already think like he does. Which is pretty much like 2 people ever, so the distinction isn't that huge. But Johnny teaches to no one; he barely even lectures from the text.

[rabid_bookwyrm]

No, that's no excuse at all. The Math for Sciences class would simply not be in the math major.

I understand that their reasoning is that they should be able to teach how they want, and since there's no Hum110 for science majors, why should there be a Math for Sciences. It coule be pointed out that we had Physics for Poets to deal with exactly this problem, but then again it was on that reasoning that they abolished PforP. If only they'd taken it the other direction, and instituted the Maths for Sciences class.

[flawlessnight]

(to that reasoning) But disciplines shouldn't be taught "purely". Not if you need to make them accessible to everyone. The way you make a subject accessible is to relate it to what people actually know, so they don't have to a) make a different headspace for your subject and then b) be in it all the time to understand what you're talking about.

Griffiths knows this; it's why his textbooks are the only readable grad school texts. They're informal, like a lecture (given to undergraduates, say) that's just been written down. He uses contractions. He strives to present the math clearly, and anytime you could possibly misunderstand, he comments on the situation and explains it in a way that makes you feel like it's natural that you got confused and only had to be set right again

[flawlessnight]

Someone should tell them that every time someone misunderstands something that should be very simple, an angel gets set on fire.

[cupacoffey]

I approve of you.

[flawlessnight]

Aww. <3

[silencegolden]

Maggie and Arthur have been pushing for a Math Methods for the Sciences course, which at least sounds better. I think they'd be happiest if a theoretical physicist taught it, but Dan could be qualified too. They seem to shun the math department.

Also: This is why I'm taking Physics 200 instead of Math 211.

[rabid_bookwyrm]

That's good. I really hope they manage, because it would be great.

If you're doing it next year, then grand. You win so hard; you'll have Darrell and David teaching.

[threnody_kismet]

I can't believe they canceled your physics for poets course! Dumb dumb dumb. We have physics, astronomy, geology and environmental science classes for non-science folk. And I think that's great.

[rabid_bookwyrm]

Yeah, that's the way to do it.