Dear Students,
I had a dream last night that I came to class and said that we are going to do another project with iPads and YOU ALL REVOLTED against it! Ha!
So, let me say a few things. Thanks for your hard work on Thursday! Several of you worked many more hours than I had expected. You took this assignment very seriously. I have watched several of the videos and they are good presentations!
But remember the goal of this whole project was learning (not just a grade) so let me give you some reasons why we did it.
1) There is a hierarchy of knowledge and expression of knowledge. For example, simple recall of things like ions is the lowest form of knowledge. Recall is totally necessary, but it is not very deep nor does it require much thought. A first grader could memorize the formula for carbonate. Application and understanding are higher. Much higher kinds of knowledge are analysis and evaluation. That is why I have you analyze your experiments and evaluate your technique and write about it. This requires maturity. The highest form of knowledge is creativity. This takes skill, maturity, along with integration of the lower forms of knowledge. Creativity requires producing something that never existed before. It requires a plan (not just throwing paint on a canvas) and it requires a design. You did all of these things on Thursday....with chemistry! Producing new materials that will go into the 12th generation of the iPhone or designing an experiment that will lead to understanding the cause of cancer takes creativity. Creativity is also one of the highest and best things we can do as humans. We are most human when we create for good. My goal is to create an atmosphere where those types of students (good chemists) can flourish.
2) I think when you have to explain something in detail you have to take your understanding to a whole new level. This makes new connections in your mind that are longer lasting. Learning is much deeper when you have to explain something. That is why when you sit in the study room and explain dimensional analysis to some poor Chem. 110 student, you understand it better yourself.
3) I think it is good to interact with the latest technology tools. Now they are just tools and not the be all end all, but it is good for you to learn to solve the problems that arise. I saw you help each other out, this is good. Learning is relational. And you developed your problem solving skills. Life is full of problems. That is not necessarily a bad thing.
All of this is good learning that goes way beyond chemistry.
Thanks for being such willing learners!
JB
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