Chalk
I'm taking one course this semester, an introduction to teaching class that is hidden away in the urban studies department. It's the first of a series of five classes which teach how to teach and include student-teaching/observation. Were I an MIT undergrad, this series of five would land me with a Mass. teaching credential, but alas as a grad student they will just be a good experience and not meaningful according to the state. I'm looking forward to the student teaching and wondering where I'll be assigned-- it could be middle or high school, and basically any of the science/math classes.
Anyway, in an extreme case of teaching how to teach through example, we started off the first week by reading the syllabus together painfully slowly and then spending the whole second period watching a movie. The movie, "Chalk," is actually really entertaining, but I suspect it's a mockumentary. I think this because (1) The confluence of strange characters is just a bit too much, although each one individually seems plausible and (2) The teacher specifically forbade us from googling the movie.
If you watched "Best in Show" with no idea that it was fake, would you be able to tell the difference? It seems so absurd as you watch it knowing that it's a comedy. But "Chalk" seems mostly believable until you suddenly realize that the overly-absurd parts have gradually piled into quite a large mountain. So I expect that today after we finish watching it and discuss our reactions, that it will be revealed that the people are actors and not real teachers. Hopefully.
Today was fun because I got to give my Genetics of Harry Potter talk for the third time, this time to 7 Japanese university students. Two of them were actual biologists, which made me nervous about giving such an elementary talk, but they didn't complain. With such a small group we got to go up into the lab and look at some worms in the scope as well, so that was nice. I think they enjoyed it.
Anyway, in an extreme case of teaching how to teach through example, we started off the first week by reading the syllabus together painfully slowly and then spending the whole second period watching a movie. The movie, "Chalk," is actually really entertaining, but I suspect it's a mockumentary. I think this because (1) The confluence of strange characters is just a bit too much, although each one individually seems plausible and (2) The teacher specifically forbade us from googling the movie.
If you watched "Best in Show" with no idea that it was fake, would you be able to tell the difference? It seems so absurd as you watch it knowing that it's a comedy. But "Chalk" seems mostly believable until you suddenly realize that the overly-absurd parts have gradually piled into quite a large mountain. So I expect that today after we finish watching it and discuss our reactions, that it will be revealed that the people are actors and not real teachers. Hopefully.
Today was fun because I got to give my Genetics of Harry Potter talk for the third time, this time to 7 Japanese university students. Two of them were actual biologists, which made me nervous about giving such an elementary talk, but they didn't complain. With such a small group we got to go up into the lab and look at some worms in the scope as well, so that was nice. I think they enjoyed it.