Chris and others, I thank Chris for adding to my collection of things sociologists say.This post in addition to providing comic relief is an example of the kind of thinking that gets sociologists dismissed as do gooders, ineffectual liberals and worse (or less). Intentional or not the post combines denial with diversion to Tina's question regarding a student who wants to convert her .
The ASA code of ethics does not have much to say about the treatment of students. However, it does suggest that they should be given our best effort..... we should make sure that the courses are competently designed.... etc. The lecture hall model Chris would like to see a the causal diagram between "lecture hall model" and "student's religiosity". Wrong question Chris..... My point is this the definition/structure/architecture of the classroom is very similar to that of many places used for religious activity.... some preachers/teachers (Chris you can not test the matter by claiming it a cliche) As you know, some places of religious assembly are called schul (derived from the Yiddish word for school) Further you can see on the marque's in front of churches....sermons are called lessons. Chris as a sociologist should know that the lecture hall as a situation is likely to evoke many different responses in different students. The bottom line is that the information we now have does not suggest that the lecture hall will foster scientific thinking and adaptive learning. Unlike Chris I am not opposed to testing.... What sociology teachers say "We invented science as a way to pretend we could grasp the fundamentals of the physical world. It doesn't work. " "I tell my students it is my job to drag them kicking and screaming into the 21st century.......?" If there are boundaries between teaching and preaching shouldn't we examine them in the context of competent design? Del Chris Scheitle wrote: > Del, > Besides being a fine example of highly dubious logic (I'd love to see > the causal diagram between "lecture hall model" and "student's > religiosity"...secularization theorists beware!) and your standard > cliches about "preacher/teacher" and "untested materials," I'm not sure > your post is really all that relevant or helpful to Tina's 'real-world' > situation. What is she supposed to do? Test her instructional > materials and repel this student away with her results? > > Anyways...Tina...You may check to see if this student is involved with > a campus group (Young Life, Campus Crusade for Christ, etc.). If she > is, then those groups often have faculty\adult advisors. They may be > able to serve as a more convincing mediator. Of course, there is > always the possibility that the advisor would condone this, which would > pose a different problem.... > > Chris > > Del Thomas Ph D wrote: > Dear TSers > Over the last decade there are a series of problems that could be called > hardy perennials, cell phones, religion > attendance, anger/hostility, side conversations.... and so on. I claim > that nearly all of these are linked to use of the lecture > hall model and untested instructional materials. > > For many students the lecture hall is very difficult to distinguish from > the very similar physical set up of a religious or stage > situation. Bema, alter, congregation, preacher/teacher..... are all > merged. Some of us have actually claimed that it is our > task to persuade/convert students. > > The data from fMRI and PET studies show that our thinking is shaped by > the environment/definition of the situation. > > One answer is to practice what we "teach" sociology in the classroom. > > Del > > > > > --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Teaching Sociology" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/teachsoc -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
