This Bear Is Up a Tree

This Bear Is Up a Tree
photo by Scott Granneman

Monday, July 27, 2009

Why Study Religion?

True or false: all Baylor students must take REL 1310 (Christian Scriptures) and REL 1350 (Christian Heritage). The correct answer is at the bottom of this post. The more relevant question is, why do you have to take REL 1310 and REL 1350? Don't you get enough religion in Chapel? What is the purpose of the two graded courses, and why does almost every Baylor student have to take them? The website for the Religion Department speaks to the study of religion as an opportunity to "inquire more deeply into the Christian faith, to gain an enhanced appreciation of the contributions of Christianity to the development of twenty-first century culture, and to prepare for life-long lay or career ministry." But, if you are not a religion major and not interested in a lay or career ministry, what is the purpose for you? These are demanding courses and, even if you have gone to Sunday School all your life, the material is pretty hard to understand sometimes. Dr. David Moseman, in his REL 1310 syllabus, hopes that by the end of the course "you will have a basic understanding of and appreciation for the biblical meta-narrative, i.e., the big picture; the various aspects involved in its interpretation; and its relevance for living life meaningfully."
Today's Chronicle of Higher Education has an essay by Dr. K.L. Noll, chairman of the religion department at Brandon University in Manitoba. He says that religion professors should not "practice of defend" religion in the classroom. It was published this morning, and already several have commented online. The first comment began "this is a disguisting piece of writing..." If you want to read the entire article, you can use the Baylor Library subscription. Go to BearCat and type in "Chronicle of Higher Education." Select the online version. On the page that next appears, select "Single Journals." You will be able to find the title "The Ethics of Being a Theologian" in the 7/27/2009 publication. I've emailed Dr. Moseman to see what he thinks of the question. I'll let you know what he says.
Answer to question - False. Some students transfer in similar courses and students in the Baylor Interdisciplinary Core (BIC) take other courses instead.

Friday, July 24, 2009

How to Work with a Tutor

I discussed our tutoring program today with the program director, Steven Richard. We've talked a lot about how to train tutors and what the really great tutors do in a session that seems to help students make better grades. Here's a hypothetical situation:
Tutor - Hey, how're you doing today?
Tutee - Good.
Tutor - Are we talking about Brit Lit today?
Tutee - Yeah.
Tutor - What questions do you have?
Tutee - I don't have any questions. I just don't understand what the teacher wants me to write on essay tests.
Tutor - What are you reading?
Tutee - I don't know..Something about some people on a trip. It's so boring.
Tutor - What kind of questions will be on the test?
Tutee - I don't know. They're just all weird stuff I never thought about. I don't know what I'm supposed to write.
Tutor - So, what can I help you with?
Tutee - I don't know. I just don't understand it.
Tutor - Well, come back if you think of some questions.

So - what's wrong with this picture? Do you think the tutor helped the student? What would have produced a better outcome?

Whether you are a tutor or a tutee, here's a website that can help you figure this out.
Here's another site.

Thursday, July 23, 2009

Why Study English?

Anna Sam probably heard that, from parents, friends, counselors. What good is an English (or history, or speech, or philosophy) major? Can it get you a good job, even pay the bills? Then she wrote a best seller - well, translated into 13 languages, at least - a sociological study of life as a grocery store check-out clerk. Listen to her story on a PBS Radio interview. I thought it a great illustration of how to turn your passion, your calling, into a paying gig, even when you are stuck in a dead-end job. What do you think?

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Why Study History?

Why, indeed? Were you aware, when you were in elementary and even high school, that there was controversy about the version of history contained in your textbooks? Here in Texas there is a constant complaint that history texts give too much attention to certain groups, or that not enough attention is paid. Margaret MacMillan has written a book, Dangerous Games, about the uses of history in contemporary society and politics. It's reviewed in last weekend's NY Times Sunday Magazine. Every Baylor student is required to take some sort of humanities course, history among the approved subjects. What do you think about that requirement in view of Dr. MacMillan's idea that history teaches us "humility, skepticism, and an awareness of ourselves?"

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

The Price of Success

Two newspaper items struck my fancy this morning. The first in the Waco Trib described research into how small children so easily learn multiple languages. It has to do, apparently, with the fact that children are able to distinguish between all sounds in any language when born, but lose that ability as they learn their native language(s), keeping only those language sounds that are useful to them. The trick to learning a second language when an adult, it appears, is to practice hearing the new language - or social interaction in the new language--duh! I'm pretty sure we have already figured that out.

The second was an opinion piece by William McKenzie in the Dallas Morning News about Tom Watson who nearly won the British Open yesterday. What's so amazing about that? Tom Watson is 59 years old and hasn't won a major tournament in quite some time. Here are Watson's lessons, according to McKenzie. (1) Don't give up. Ever. (2) Life disappoints. Get used to it. and (3) Golf is about more than the ball and clubs. Again, this is pretty much common knowledge.

How does it all relate to college study skills and college in general? You tell me.

Thursday, July 16, 2009

Spatial Intelligence

Chapter 1 of our text discusses Howard Gardner's special intelligences -- here's a good book review in the NY Times discussing spatial intelligence. Read this and see if you think you have this special intelligence. The book is You are Here by Colin Ellard, a Canadian behavioral neuroscientist. The book, incidentally, is titled Where Am I? in its Canadian publication. Why do you think the title was changed for the U.S.? The reviewer, Jonah Lehrer (one of my newest favorite authors) thinks he knows the answer. Do you agree?

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Poetry about Science???

As if it weren't bad enough that physics has crept into polite chit chat, now we have poets writing about, of all things, science!
"There is something vital
about the Passiflora auriculata,

which over a million years varied its cyanogens

to discourage feasting insects..."
writes Kimiko Hahn. You can read about her in yesterday's NY Times. I'm wondering if you right-brainers might be led to converting bio notes to sonnets -- and would that raise or lower test scores?

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Talking about physics

Yesterday's NY Times ran an essay by Michael Tuts titled "I'm a Particle Physicist. Want to Chat?" in which he laments the fact that nobody wants to chat him up about his work. It prompted me to think about our habit of putting difficult subjects we are studying out of our minds except for those specific times we schedule to think about them, i.e. in class (one hopes) or when cramming the night before an exam. Because of my lack of knowledge, I'm pretty much the person who would decline to discuss physics with anyone, especially a physicist. Imagine my surprise when he mentioned the Bernoulli effect -- the only thing I really learned in physics (sorry, Dr. Packard). Suddenly, I'm inspired to find a physicist and talk things over.

Thursday, July 9, 2009

How to Become an Academically Successful (or more successful) Bear

As we begin to create a learning environment for the college reading & study skills class, you are invited to comment on the academic goals you have set for yourself and how this class can best help you achieve those goals.