* * * * *
                                        
                         Learning physics the hard way
                                        
> “I am simply interested in seeing how well my students have absorbed the
> concepts of the laws of thermodynamics, potential versus kinetic energy,
> and so forth,” said Gaston at the press conference. “Regurgitating parts of
> a textbook on an exam is fine, but demonstrating applied knowledge is
> another matter entirely.”
> 
> A typical Gaston exam question involves asking students to choose between
> catching a small metal box filled with 20 pounds of lead dropped from a
> height of 1 foot, or the same metal box stuffed with 20 pounds of feathers
> dropped from the roof of an 8-story building. Each year, about five
> students try to catch the feather-filled box and end up in the emergency
> room with concussions.
> 
> “I still think it was a trick,” glowered Marvin Stoddmeyer, a student who
> chose the feathers and failed the final exam, breaking his collarbone in
> the process. “Gaston said something about momentum and kinetic versus
> potential energy or something during the year—yadda yadda yadda. But at no
> point did he specifically warn us not to try to catch a 20 pound object
> dropped from an 8-story building. That's deception, man.”
> 

Via Joanne Jacobs [1], “Physics Teacher Earns Praise, Criticism for “Applied”
Exams [2]”

I can bet that Marvin Stoddmeyer will never forget the difference between
potential and kinetic energy after this. Nothing quite like learning physics
in an applied setting.

I wonder if Spring [3] will me to teach The Kids “Applied Physics” like this?

Hmmmm … 

[1] http://www.joannejacobs.com/mtarchives/014688.html
[2] http://watleyreview.com/2004/121404-
[3] http://www.springdew.com/

Email Sean Conner at sean@conman.org

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