[Edu-sig] Role Reversal...

[Jason Cunliffe]

> I read the "teaching by role reversal" discussion, and while I like
> the general idea, I have to admit (maybe I am getting too old) that
> it sounds like quite a risky project.

Yes risky. But really what did she have to lose? Anyway in that class on that
day it seemed to be a real success. There was also a tv crew there so perhasp
they were on best behavior and excited also. Hard to say what goes on off camera
and extra-editing.

She was a very encouraging teacher with good kids.
They were very young - before the stage when they are gripped with achievement
duties and standardized performance fears. Later she mentioned, at that age they
are very keen to show how grown up they are.. tie shoelaces, counting, sums..
big stuff.

In another segment of the same series once bright kid figures out that 100 + 500
= 600 is just like 1 + 5 = 6. But clearly the clas was all very impressed. 100
is a big number..

> In my experience, many (most?) students are just not interested,
> all they need is a grade. The five exceptions to the rule per
> quarter make teaching fun. That might be a function of the US
> system, but I have the weird feeling that most of my class would
> stare at me blankly when I say "Okay, so those are the basics of
> hash tables. Now give me some problems regarding the data structure
> that I can solve for you." or something.

If I can try to extend from the young children I saw on TV to your class
example, I would say that the teacher did not just present the basics before
throwing them loose on problem generation. Instead, it was a fairly smooth
transition from first giving them basic problems [modelling and with hands-on
worked-through examples], making sure they were reasonably getting it right.

Then saying "ok now its your turn to try and create a problem me for me to
solve". She made it clear by her demeanor that this ws not just a test of rigght
answer vs. wronig answer. I would say that creating the problem was as important
as the correct calculation. Which is why it made me think play = design =
prgoramming.

The 'problem' has at least two facets:
1. how to create a problme, [something kids are not formally encouraged to do in
class]
2. making sure the problem they have created can also be solved by them

There is a interesting tension there.
Some problem were rooted in the classroom. [here's my trivial 'real-world'
example]
... If there are 25 children in the class, and they each have an apple every
day, How many apples will thay have eaten together after 1 week?

A more richly'imagined' problem might involve fully things which cannot be seen
or are 'realistic'.  In the sgmetn I saw, some kids seemed to enjoy the fantasy
aspect, while others prefered the reality. The class experience was made moer
poweful because the math was the same. That's true without any role-reversal,
but stronger for it.

They all involve risk, error and learning to fix things. Getting something wrong
in programming is how one learns as much as defining the problem. The rewards
are throughuout - in the doing and then when it finally works and we get it
right.. And as we know, there is seldom a finally anything in programming,
becuase like evolution, success begats adaptation and experiment. We immediately
get ambitous and try to go further. More abtract, elegant, powerful, complex
.. faster better cheaper smaller vs. slower, worse, expensive
and often fast cheap and out-of-control. [Kelly]

> On the other hand, maybe I am not getting the approach described
> correctly, or maybe I would even be surprised by the response once
> I do it in class. I think I will give it a whirl once or twice
> during the coming quarter, just to see what happens.

hope my description helps..
I look forwards to hearing what happens.
Good luck!