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The author introduces a catchy archetype: The Null Professor. She then proceeds to tell a story about elite universities, which apparently are a breeding sites
by Confiks 12y ago
The author introduces a catchy archetype: The Null Professor. She then proceeds to tell a story about elite universities, which apparently are a breeding sites for such educators. When the author finally turns to explaining the term, 'pedagogy' is invoked. Just pedagogy.
Somewhat later in the post, the word can even be clicked upon. I honestly hoped that the link would explain the specifics in teaching methodology, but it was simply a link to the Wikipedia page about the term.
Good teachers use pedagogy. Bad teachers, which are 'Null Professors', don't use pedagogy. Simple. The author herself once didn't use pedagogy. Now she does. She understands now.
The article then turns to a question: "Why student's don't get it". This also is easily answered: educators should use "problem-driven and hands-on [methods] rather than abstraction-driven".
- manmal 12y agoIs this a tldr or are you getting at something?
- kaitai 12y agoRemember, most professors do not get any training in how to teach. It is sad but true that learning about pedagogy is a big step for us. Maybe CS needs some of this pedagogy-discussion.
- seanmcdirmid 12y agoIf you asked an experienced effective high school teacher "how do you do it?" What could they tell you? It took a lot of work to learn how to teach: experimentation, analysis, etc...you simply have to learn how to teach! What you are fishing for is "how to teach", whereas Crista post is simply pointing out that "you have to learn how to teach". It is a bit circular, but in university most professors come in without any formal training on how to teach undergraduates; the idea that you have to learn how to teach is still quite radical.
- jseliger 12y agoIf you asked an experienced effective high school teacher "how do you do it?" What could they tell you? It took a lot of work to learn how to teach: experimentation, analysis, etc...you simply have to learn how to teach! Take a look at Teach Like a Champion 2.0 by Lemov. It answers this precise question! (http://www.amazon.com/Teach-Like-Champion-2-0-Techniques/dp/1118901851 http://www.amazon.com/Teach-Like-Champion-2-0-Techniques/dp/...).