Teachable Moments

— Matthew Henry Hall

Matthew Henry Hall is a cartoonist and writer, living in Flagstaff, Ariz. Matthew would be gosh darned tickled if you visited his Web site: www.matthewhenryhall.com.

Comments

“More group work while I read Netvibes”

Kenn Gorman, at 12:05 pm EDT on May 18, 2007

Here’s another cartoon you should draw.

Title it “The Teacherless Classroom” and show a professor reading off Powerpoint slides. This kind of activity is no more teaching than that which you have depicted in your frame. Nor is reading aloud lecture notes without the slides. Why would you think—as you seem to—students would learn more from their professor reading aloud bullet points than thinking and discussing issues for themselves and that group work is code for not teaching?

DJV, at 5:20 pm EDT on May 18, 2007

There are times and places for group work. But — it has to be organised right. (I’m no good at it, and don’t use it.) I loathe Powerpoint presentations — instant sleeping pill. So, I don’t use that either. Sometimes I have lecture notes — most of the time I don’t. Instead, I use the 2-3 hrs before class ‘preparing’ a lecture I can deliver while looking at the students, seeing from their expressions which of them ‘got’ the last bit and which didn’t. Then try to find the source of the difficulty and clear it up. This works for me, and for most of the classes I’ve taught for the last 40+ years. As Ecclisiastes said, ‘There is a time ——-.’

E Tuttle, at 10:05 pm EDT on May 18, 2007

Any suggestions for those of us who don’t have 2-3 hours of prep time before each class?

NM mom, at 6:20 pm EDT on May 19, 2007

Hair raising

Lol. But, the best part about the cartoon is the professor’s jazzy hair and pipin’ hot coffee.

Jonathan David Jackson, at 4:20 am EDT on May 20, 2007

Omigod ... Group Assignments and PowerPoint

As I have said many times before – and I regularly read 57 comic strips and cartoons per day – I generally find cartoons with an education theme just slightly funnier than a frame of Marmaduke (and I have never, ever laughed at a frame of Marmaduke).

I don’t think this cartoon is particularly funny — or even satirically relevant — but there is no possibility I could ever pass up an opportunity to add my name to a list of people making nasty comments about both group assignments and PowerPoint.

I love you people!!!!!

[Disclaimer: The author of this post may have accessed Wikipedia within the past 24 hours]

Frizbane Manley, at 9:55 am EDT on May 22, 2007