ON MOTIVATION AND INSPIRATION: A SHORT STORY TO FOSTER REASONING ON STUDENTS

Transcription

1 ON MOTIVATION AND INSPIRATION: A SHORT STORY TO FOSTER REASONING ON STUDENTS Sergio Rojas (Ph.D. in Physics) Department of Physics Universidad Simón Bolívar srojas@usb.ve srojas/ First version: March 16, 2009 Revised as of: 22 de mayo de 2009 Sergio Rojas, Universidad Simón Bolívar ON MOTIVATION AND INSPIRATION 1

2 Outline 1 Motivation 2 A couple of questions 3 Some of the received answers 4 The story 5 What the heck the story has to do with University life? 6 Concluding remarks Sergio Rojas, Universidad Simón Bolívar ON MOTIVATION AND INSPIRATION 2

3 MOTIVATION Thoughts are free and subject to no rule. On them rests the freedom of man, and they tower above the light of nature...create a new heaven, a new firmament, a new source of energy from which new arts flow. Theophrastus Phillippus (Paracelsus) Any man who reads too much and uses his own brain too little falls into lazy habits of thinking. Albert Einstein Sergio Rojas, Universidad Simón Bolívar ON MOTIVATION AND INSPIRATION 3

4 Outline 1 Motivation 2 A couple of questions 3 Some of the received answers 4 The story 5 What the heck the story has to do with University life? 6 Concluding remarks Sergio Rojas, Universidad Simón Bolívar ON MOTIVATION AND INSPIRATION 4

5 Exploratory Questions A couple of exploratory questions one could ask our students during the first day of any class are: What are you doing at this University? Why are you attending this class? A variety of answers will be obtained. Before continuing, let me, please, take your answers too. Sergio Rojas, Universidad Simón Bolívar ON MOTIVATION AND INSPIRATION 5

6 Outline 1 Motivation 2 A couple of questions 3 Some of the received answers 4 The story 5 What the heck the story has to do with University life? 6 Concluding remarks Sergio Rojas, Universidad Simón Bolívar ON MOTIVATION AND INSPIRATION 6

7 Received Answers Essentially all of the answers fall into the assertion: I am studying to get my diploma on (whatever subject), and a requirement to obtain it is to pass this course. Sergio Rojas, Universidad Simón Bolívar ON MOTIVATION AND INSPIRATION 7

8 Outline 1 Motivation 2 A couple of questions 3 Some of the received answers 4 The story 5 What the heck the story has to do with University life? 6 Concluding remarks Sergio Rojas, Universidad Simón Bolívar ON MOTIVATION AND INSPIRATION 8

9 The story After the short interchange with the students, I ask them to help me reading the following story: A strange fellow approached three construction workers who were part of the team building a cathedral. Excuse me, young man, what are you doing? the strange guy asked one of the workers, who was doing his work with some anxiety. I am cutting stones, the worker replied. Realizing that the construction worker had no desire to engage in conversation, the strange man repeated his question to another worker. This time, this construction worker paused and stated that he was a stonecutter from the north who had come to work and who would return home as soon as he had earned some money. Sergio Rojas, Universidad Simón Bolívar ON MOTIVATION AND INSPIRATION 9

10 The story (continued ) After thanking the second worker, the strange man approached the third construction worker, who was performing his work with enthusiasm, patiently and carefully making and remaking was his was doing, and again asked his question. This construction worker completely stopped what he was doing as if to begin a long discussion with the strange man, and answered: I have journeyed many miles to be part of the team that is constructing this magnificent cathedral. Even though I have spent many months away from my family and I miss them dearly, I am aware of how important this cathedral will be one day and I know how many people will find spiritual peace in this great place. This worker continued his story, telling the strange man about the planning of the construction of the cathedral, and how the construction would be completed, and so on. Sergio Rojas, Universidad Simón Bolívar ON MOTIVATION AND INSPIRATION 10

11 Outline 1 Motivation 2 A couple of questions 3 Some of the received answers 4 The story 5 What the heck the story has to do with University life? 6 Concluding remarks Sergio Rojas, Universidad Simón Bolívar ON MOTIVATION AND INSPIRATION 11

12 The story and University life Relating the story with students behavior, one could assert the following: The first worker appears like the students who are painfully taking a course and only want a passing grade in order to continue the struggling to see how the university diploma, which he/she might not like as much, gets into his/her hands. The second worker is like the students who are doing just enough to obtain their passing grade. Perhaps they will continue this way to obtain the university diploma, which he/she might like as a way to do something else. Sergio Rojas, Universidad Simón Bolívar ON MOTIVATION AND INSPIRATION 12

13 The story and University life (continued ) The third worker is like the active-learner student, who has realized that their University life is much more than obtaining a University diploma and/or passing grade in a class. The active-learner student understands that every subject is interconnected each to another, and consequently he or she needs to understand everything as a whole. Thus, several perspectives can be applied to study any subject. For these students, the University diploma will come as a matter of consciously driving their way through every aspect of the University life. Sergio Rojas, Universidad Simón Bolívar ON MOTIVATION AND INSPIRATION 13

14 Outline 1 Motivation 2 A couple of questions 3 Some of the received answers 4 The story 5 What the heck the story has to do with University life? 6 Concluding remarks Sergio Rojas, Universidad Simón Bolívar ON MOTIVATION AND INSPIRATION 14

15 Ending remarks The hope of telling this story is to reshape students reasoning about their University life. Indeed, after the story has been told, at least in that short period of time, the answer by the students to the posed questions takes another view. Eventually it will be part of their long memory resources and will guide them to approach their endeavors from a different perspectives. Sergio Rojas, Universidad Simón Bolívar ON MOTIVATION AND INSPIRATION 15

16 Ending remarks (continued ) Let s finish by recalling two axiomatic thoughts about the art of teaching an learning that the great mathematician G. Polya used to stress very much: For efficient learning, the learner should be interested in the material to be learnt and find pleasure in the activity of learning. We know from painful experience that a perfectly unambiguous and correct exposition can be far from satisfactory and may appear uninspiring, tiresome or disappointing, even if the subject-matter presented is interesting in itself. The most conspicuous blemish of an otherwise acceptable presentation is the deus ex machina. I am wondering if you would share your thoughts about it Sergio Rojas, Universidad Simón Bolívar ON MOTIVATION AND INSPIRATION 16