Daily Mis

On Education and Rote Learning

Short note.

We’ve had a lot of sloppy education theory on the ‘net recently. The apogee: rote learning works, so let’s reintroduce it?

But you’re misunderstanding works here. Do you mean achieves better exams grades? Do you mean students will better be able to recall x, y, and z? If yes then rote learning, indeed, works. But if that’s the end of the education system I want out. The end of my education system is one that creates thoughtful, capable citizens.

What these citizens need are not facts and numbers plastered to their minds, but a confident understanding of concepts that can be applied to real life situations. Does rote learning achieve this end? No.

Please, blogosphere, please: don’t utter your shallow ignorances.

May 10th 2009

DailyMis

Publishing content makes me queasy, it’s like the feeling of having forgotten something. You pat yourself down, look around, everything seems fine, but something is amiss. For a month I’ve ignored this feeling; put it down to nerves. But, well, I have realised it’s not just jitters - it’s the guilt of publishing bad content.

First you cry. Then you gorge on chocolate. Then you tilt your head, like a man having walked in on his wife having sex with a friend, and whisper: “There’s got to be changes.” I’m at the latter stage.

In list form those changes will be:

1. Not to post as much. I’ve spent restless nights searching for material. I have to post something, I thought. The result was a tonne of half baked juvenile crap. Target: one good post a month.
2. Get some content. I want my posts to be informative and enjoyed. Every post has to be about something tangible and interesting. I’d like to spend a week, or so, researching New York pianists, or something, and then write a exposition. So: actual content.
3. Simplify my design. I write. Let’s ditch the furnishings.

Think of these steps as medication.

April 05th 2009

Distinguishing necessary and sufficient conditions

A foolproof system to distinguish necessary and sufficient conditions. Of interest to philosophy students.

*   *   *

I think it best to start with an example.

It is necessary to be in Scotland while in St Andrews.
It is sufficient to be in St Andrews to be in Scotland.

Umbrellas

The relationship between necessary and sufficient conditions is umbrella-like. The ribbing is the necessary condition; it envelops the sufficient conditions.

For example: the ribbing might be ‘Being a woman.’ it might cover ‘Being a female nurse.’, ‘Being a mother.’, ‘Being a female writer.’,..

Being a woman is necessary for being a mother. Being a mother is sufficient for being a woman.

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The System

An assertion is given. We must find what the ribbing is and then what it covers. Consider:

“If it’s hot then I will go for a walk.”

1. Strip the assertion of its particulars.

“If…then…”

2. Substitute in ‘woman’ and ‘mother’ into (1) in all its combinations:

(i) “If [woman] then [mother].”

(ii) “If [mother] then [woman].”

3. Recognise which makes sense:

(i) “If women then mother.”

(ii) “If mother then woman.”

4. Using the recognised form, substitute <necessary condition> for woman, and <sufficient condition> for mother:

“If <necessary condition> then <sufficient condition>”

You’ve distilled the form.

*   *   *

Returning to the original assertion:

“If it’s hot then I will go for a walk.”

So, “It’s hot” is sufficient for “Going for a walk”. And, “Going for a walk” is necessary for “It’s hot.”

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Further Example

Another example without description.

Assertion: “You will get a room provided that you have no pets.”

1.

“… provided …”

2.

(i) “Mother provided woman.”
(ii) “Woman provided mother.”

3.

(i) “Mother provided woman.”
(ii) “Woman provided mother.”

4.

“<necessary condition> provided <sufficient condition>”

“Getting a room.” is necessary for “Having no pets.” And, “Having no pets.” is sufficient for “Getting a room.”

April 03rd 2009

The Blogosphere is Dying

I was on Technorati yesterday; I opened five, or so, interesting literature blogs.

All were packed with how-tos, large lists, or posts in the same vein. All written with the intent to draw and maintain a readership. The content was not a reflection of the author. Impassioned content replaced with pageview-grabbing-well-tested-prattle.

The blogosphere fails to produce original, creative material; instead opting for crowd-pleasing drivel.

March 29th 2009

Fear of Writing

I was browsing Hacker News[1] today and happened across an article[2] on graphophobia (see title). I proceeded to comment on my anxiety and received the obligatory sympathy; but, over-and-above that admission we must find its source.

1. I suffer from a painful inferiority complex. I go to inordinate lengths to finish first; that No. 1 vindicating my talent. Do not misread: I am  not superficial, I strongly believe I have the intelligence to support my achievements but that painful juvenile uncertainty is omnipresent.

2. Writing means the potential of failure; the potential of realising my superficiality.

I hope I am now writing myself into maturity.

March 26th 2009

On Articulation

St Andrews installed her new principal today; Dr. Louise Richardson [1]. A number of events were arranged to commemorate the occasion, three such being academic panels[2]: one for science, one for the humanities, one for the social sciences. The former average, the latter tiring; the humanities’ talk, however, had one great speaker: Prof. Michael Bentley, a history professor, educated at Sheffield and Cambridge [3].

I will not summarise his speech, nor the main points thereof. Nonetheless, nonetheless.

Prof. Bentley made clear his dismay at the low standard of articulation most students express [or don't express]. Blame lay with the secondary school system, he argued, whom have stopped teaching grammar both: (i) explicitly and (ii) systematically. A comparison of Brits to mainland Europeans serving testament to this thesis.

I concur.

March 26th 2009

On Literature

First: I apologise for yesterday’s short, and immature, post.

I was in Waterstones today. I drifted over to the reference section to see if any new titles had arrived; no. I did, however, see an adult buying Twilight.

Why won’t civilisation grow the fuck up?

March 24th 2009

Changes

Something is happening.

March 23rd 2009

Calvin

Calvinism is a steadfast doctrine; pity about the theology.

March 23rd 2009

More and Erasmus

I have, these last few days, looked deeper into my being than before. I am, like most learned men, a skeptic and atheist; however, we lost a lot with religion’s devolution: (i) culture, (ii) respect. Although she, herself, shed these long ago.

We painfully need to [re]establish these values.

March 21st 2009