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Physicists Work on Physics' Uncool Image
WindowsTroll writes "Since it seems that science doesn't appeal to the youth of today, physicists are trying to make physics kid friendly. From the article, 'Bicycle stunts, rap music and modern dance -- all in the name of Einstein.' I am particularly interested in the modern dance, thinking that this is probably a better approach of studying oscillations than the springs that I used when I was in college."
Kids know that science is not entertainment, and trying to dress it up as such tells them that you don't think science itself is worthwhile. Enthusiasm for the subject on the part of the teacher is worth more than a world of interpretive dances and rap tunes.
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My graduate fellowship (in physics) requires me to spend two days a week working with the science classes at a local high school, and I can say from experience that gimmicky pedagogical tricks like those mentioned in the article aren't the way to get kids (except maybe very young children) interested in science. The stuff just comes off as incredibly lame, and physicists end up looking like bigger geeks than they already are.
The way to engage kids is simply to show them the physics at work. I've got kids making plasma in a microwave, measuring the temperature of the sun with a cup of water, studying paper airplane trajectories, making stereo speakers. Physics is interesting and it's ubiquitous, so there's always something kind of cool that the kids can relate to. The secret is to let them see what's happening, get their hands dirty, and most importantly, let them ask the questions.
Find interesting (but safe) project, put them in charge, and they're hooked.
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>Real physicists like Stephen Hawking, and fictional ones like Quinn Mallory, are very cool!
The problem is, we think they're cool, while most kids think the opposite.
Enthusiasm for the subject on the part of the teacher is worth more than a world of interpretive dances and rap tunes.
Absolutely!
I'm a professional mathematician. I've had to help a lot of people with their math, and there seems to be a pretty common problem: A bad teacher. Oddly, if you ask most people, they actually enjoyed math for a while, then had a bad teacher and they fell behind or were otherwise discouraged, found it hard, and stopped enjoying it. More often than not the "bad teacher" occurs in early primary school. Ask a few questions about why the teacher was bad and it can be easily tracked to a complete lack of enthusiasm and interest in the subject. They teach it in the most rote, boring way possible, because they (the teacher!) doesn't really want to be doing it. The reason is easy enough: The majority of people who have an interest in primary education are the sort of people who hated math at school. They then help instill this attitude in all the impressionable young kids. Attitude is infectious, especially to young minds, and someone who doesn't care about math will teach the kids not to care either.
The fact is, kids are taught that mathematics is hard and that mathematics is boring from a very young age. Tell people that it is easy, and that they can do it, and present it with a little enthusiasm and interest, and people do get interested in mathematics again. I've had little difficulty in getting people interested in mathematics no matter how old they are - all you have to do is break through the instilled "it's hard and it's boring" attitude, there are no gimmicks required.
Jedidiah.
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