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Wow. Your logic is quite bad. 1. Man criticizes worthless activities in the classroom. 2. Man creates product to help teachers with their bingo day. 3. Bin

Wow. Your logic is quite bad. 1. Man criticizes worthless activities in the classroom. 2. Man creates product to help teachers with their bingo day. 3. Bingo day can be considered to be a worthless classroom activity (I'm such a person. I'd never use bingo in the classroom.) 4. I point out an apparent disparity. It's ironic that a person who decries worthless classroom activities creates a product to make it easier for people to engage in a worthless activity. I made this clear in my previous post. What I wrote is quite logical and reasonable. Your second to last paragraph contains assumptions not supported by the evidence.

chc 15y ago
Bingo obviously can be considered a worthless classroom activity, but so far that seems to be nothing more than your personal opinion, which is not binding on Patrick or other teachers. I would say it is worthless only if you do not value the students' enjoyment. Teachers usually turn to bingo to help keep students engaged, which is the opposite of what Patrick seemed to be referring to as "busy-work." Accusing somebody of hypocrisy because he violates your standards is not remotely fair or reasonable.
- yequalsx 15y ago
  Of course it's my opinion. I think it is a worthless activity. I would never use it. Others would be successful with it. That was my point to Patrick. He found some activities worthless and abstracted that to an opinion about worthlessness in the classroom. In a classroom with 30 people some are going to find virtually any activity worthless. You can't please everyone and so making a general statement about worthless classroom activities is not helpful. I didn't accuse Patrick of hypocrisy. I accused him of irony. Big difference.
tptacek 15y ago
Next, Mr. Taylor announces it's time for Multiplication Bingo. As Mr. Taylor reads off a problem ("20 divided by 5"), the kids scour their boards, chips in hand, looking for 4's. One girl is literally shaking with excitement. Another has her hands clasped in a prayer position. I find myself wanting to play. You know you're in a good classroom if you have to stop yourself from raising your hand. http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2010/01/what-makes-a-great-teacher/7841/ http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2010/01/what-mak... For whatever the data point is worth to you, I don't think you have a strongly-held opinion about bingo in classrooms. I think you have strongly-held opinions about anyone who criticizes standard K-12 education orthodoxy.

chc 15y ago

Bingo obviously can be considered a worthless classroom activity, but so far that seems to be nothing more than your personal opinion, which is not binding on Patrick or other teachers. I would say it is worthless only if you do not value the students' enjoyment. Teachers usually turn to bingo to help keep students engaged, which is the opposite of what Patrick seemed to be referring to as "busy-work." Accusing somebody of hypocrisy because he violates your standards is not remotely fair or reasonable.

yequalsx 15y ago
Of course it's my opinion. I think it is a worthless activity. I would never use it. Others would be successful with it. That was my point to Patrick. He found some activities worthless and abstracted that to an opinion about worthlessness in the classroom. In a classroom with 30 people some are going to find virtually any activity worthless. You can't please everyone and so making a general statement about worthless classroom activities is not helpful. I didn't accuse Patrick of hypocrisy. I accused him of irony. Big difference.

tptacek 15y ago

Next, Mr. Taylor announces it's time for Multiplication Bingo. As Mr. Taylor reads off a problem ("20 divided by 5"), the kids scour their boards, chips in hand, looking for 4's. One girl is literally shaking with excitement. Another has her hands clasped in a prayer position. I find myself wanting to play. You know you're in a good classroom if you have to stop yourself from raising your hand. http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2010/01/what-makes-a-great-teacher/7841/ http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2010/01/what-mak... For whatever the data point is worth to you, I don't think you have a strongly-held opinion about bingo in classrooms. I think you have strongly-held opinions about anyone who criticizes standard K-12 education orthodoxy.