How Learning Works — Jane Holbrook

Paul blogged on Tuesday about a recent visitor to our campus, John Mighton, and recommended his book, “The End of Ignorance”. I’m going to continue the trend this week by suggesting another book, one that I’m finding really helpful. I became aware of it through the POD listserv (Professional and Organizational Development Network in Higher Education) and I received it recently as an interlibrary loan. We need a copy of this on our campus; I’m finding it to be an excellent resource. Continue reading How Learning Works — Jane Holbrook

The High Cost of Intellectual Poverty: How Myths About Intelligence and Talent are Slowing Human Progress, 2010 Hagey Lecture by Dr. John Mighton – Paul Kates

We had the pleasure of two fine speakers last week at UW, John Mighton and Eric Mazur.  Both had a good deal to say about what they discovered while teaching.  You can read about Professor Mazur’s talk Memorization or Understanding: are we teaching the right thing? in a recent posting on this site.  Today I’ll spend time with Dr. John Mighton, mathematician, playwright, author and founder of JUMP (Junior Undiscovered Math Prodigies, grades 1-8). Continue reading The High Cost of Intellectual Poverty: How Myths About Intelligence and Talent are Slowing Human Progress, 2010 Hagey Lecture by Dr. John Mighton – Paul Kates

You think physics is hard? Try teaching. -Gina Passante

Yesterday I attended Prof. Eric Mazur’s lecture entitled “Memorization or understanding: are we teaching the right thing?” As a physicist with an interest in physics education, I was quite excited to hear Prof. Mazur speak. Continue reading You think physics is hard? Try teaching. -Gina Passante

Overheard on the 7 – Trevor Holmes

GRT busWhen I’m not riding my bike to work, I usually take the bus. Waiting for any of the number 7 buses, one overhears things. In the spirit of the “Overheard at” websites, I’d like to offer occasional orts of wisdom from students who, at the end of their day, Continue reading Overheard on the 7 – Trevor Holmes

Eric Mazur to visit Waterloo campus – Trevor Holmes

Renowned physics education pioneer Eric Mazur will be at Waterloo Dec 1 2010. Before there were clickers, before there was a “Force Concept Inventory,” Mazur was developing “interactive engagement” or peer instruction (see a two-minute video here).

The talk is co-sponsored by Physics and Astronomy and the Centre for Teaching Excellence. Here’s the ad: Continue reading Eric Mazur to visit Waterloo campus – Trevor Holmes

How many “Asians” does it take to make middle-class white kids uncomfortable? – Trevor Holmes

It’s International Education Week at Waterloo.

I say this because I had thought perhaps I could blog about my own personal framework for “internationalism” and intercultural awareness. I grew up in an adoptive family with a Scottish-Welsh mother (whose parents were immigrants) and an Irish father (who himself came from Dublin at age 12). My birth family are all Irish-Scottish on the mother’s side but Cape Bretoners since the mid-1800s, and Romanian on the father’s side (also immigrant parents). Somehow, though, the blog topic I thought I was going to consider has been overshadowed by another one, and it reminds me of my white background rather uncomfortably. Continue reading How many “Asians” does it take to make middle-class white kids uncomfortable? – Trevor Holmes

Teaching in refugee camps: A Challenging or a Rewarding Experience? – Yueu Magot Majok

For the fifteen years I have been in Kakuma Refugee Camp in North Western Kenya, I was a student and I eventually became a teacher. During this period, I had a blend of many rewarding as well as challenging experiences about life as a student and as a teacher in a refugee camp. Many people have asked me questions such as “what do you think about teaching here and teaching in Kenya” and I usually don’t know where to begin. Perhaps you will get the answer to these questions when you read this blog. Continue reading Teaching in refugee camps: A Challenging or a Rewarding Experience? – Yueu Magot Majok