March 12, 2013

The Frustration/Revelation Method of Teaching
— Ace

This is just something I've been noticing from learning French. I have no idea if there is such a thing as Frustration/Revelation, or if they've done Studies to see if there's anything to it, or if this is actually a newish idea.

But I think it's something worth looking into, if it hasn't already been looked into.

The Frustration/Revelation model comes from my own experience. I learn something best when I am initially subject to intense frustration -- or maybe Mystifcation -- over something. What I'm suggesting is that Emotion can play a role in learning.

If you frustrate someone, and Mystify them, and and just bother them with something they cannot understand, they now have emotional skin in the game. They feel dumb, and don't want to feel dumb. Not understanding bothers them.

And then when you Reveal it All to them, they have another Emotional reaction: They feel great. They have gone from being perplexed and feeling that things are Beyond Their Understanding to having a feeling of Being in Charge and now understanding the thing that baffled them.

And they remember, because this wasn't just some dry logic-only exercise, now this was something that activated your Competition/Anger parts of your brain, so the actual learning now becomes an emotional relief.

I mention this because I could almost see Whole Word teaching being a useful part of a lesson, frustrating kids with this "Guessing Game" nonsense, and then, when they are frustrated, supply to them the keys that will release them from ignorance: w sounds like whuh, a sounds like ah, t sounds like teh, until you reveal the Mystery Word is Water, and furthermore, now you've given the formerly-frustrated kids empowering tools to dispel future frustrations.

Our Brains Work Like This: In movies, there's a thing called "Exposition," telling the audience important information that's needed to understand the story going forward.

It's often dry and people tend to hate it.

One way screenwriters make exposition more interesting is by having characters not immediately offer it to the audience, who will be bored with it. Instead, they set things up to provoke a question in the audience's mind -- "Wait, why is this happening?" -- and then, the audience now actively engaged in interrogating the movie, they now have Mr. Exposition answer the question the audience was actually (mildly) interested in.

So they've moved from a dry recitation of the facts-- snoozer -- to injecting a minor mystery, thus increasing audience interest, and then solving that mystery for the audience.

This is done a lot, certainly. Most math teachers will start a lesson with a tough problem and invite students to solve it. They can't. Then they proceed to solving it.

I don't know if this is a central part of pedagogy, but I'd like to see a study to see if it should be a very central part of it.


Posted by: Ace at 01:31 PM | Comments (274)
Post contains 493 words, total size 3 kb.

1 This is part of the thrill in Game Playing, as well.

Posted by: wheatie at March 12, 2013 01:34 PM (2xMNt)

2 I think we should be careful about allowing the murder of phonics. It is no different that the obsession with "the new math". Such control of dialogue allows bad people to control a narrative by eliminating the fundamental building blocks of language and science.

Posted by: Blue Falcon in Boston at March 12, 2013 01:34 PM (KCvsd)

3 This post > The Big Bang Theory

Posted by: Dr Spank at March 12, 2013 01:34 PM (AWl8t)

4 Is this akin to the theory that slapping autistic kids helps them learn?

Posted by: kathysaysso at March 12, 2013 01:34 PM (6H6o8)

5 Est-ce que c'est quellque chose?

Posted by: le fluff at March 12, 2013 01:34 PM (z9HTb)

6 And then when you Reveal it All to them, they have another Emotional reaction: They feel great. They have gone from being perplexed and feeling that things are Beyond Their Understanding to having a feeling of Being in Charge and now understanding the thing that baffled them.

Not unlike a teenage boy unhooking a bra for the first time.

Posted by: pep at March 12, 2013 01:36 PM (6TB1Z)

7 Listen here, le fluff:  there will be none of that nonsense.  Barrels are waiting for those who get out of line.

Posted by: kathysaysso at March 12, 2013 01:36 PM (6H6o8)

8 Ne person veux revelation?

Posted by: le fluff at March 12, 2013 01:36 PM (z9HTb)

9

Semi-on-topic.  From P.J. O'Rourke a million years ago on the only sentence you ever need to know in French:

"Si nous n'avions pas retirez vos marrons du feu pendant la deuxiemme guerre mondiale, bouche de grenouille, vous parleriez l'allemande aujour-d'hui".

Posted by: Frumious Bandersnatch (the name is new but I'm not) at March 12, 2013 01:36 PM (A0sHn)

10 >>>Est-ce que c'est quellque chose? je voudrais croyer que c'est quelque chose. Mais, je ne sais pas. Je deverais croyer celui parce que mon ego a reveillee.

Posted by: ace at March 12, 2013 01:37 PM (LCRYB)

11 Close, but not quite. Being frustrated by something and then figuring it out on your own produces a lasting moment of learning. Being frustrated and then having someone swoop in as a savior produces adoring fans, but not much actual learning.

Posted by: Aruges at March 12, 2013 01:38 PM (MDchW)

12 Everything is easy once you understand it.

Posted by: @PurpAv at March 12, 2013 01:38 PM (OsZtb)

13 >> Not unlike a teenage boy unhooking a bra for the first time. or foreplay generally.

Posted by: ace at March 12, 2013 01:38 PM (LCRYB)

14 Fuck you. More money for education. That's what makes the students the smarter.

Posted by: Up and cummers #14 at March 12, 2013 01:38 PM (9sjmH)

15

The Rubik's Cube frustration thingy.

 

I won't even pick one up. Which is weird, because I have a mathy, sciencey, black-and-white brain, I think.

Posted by: Gunslinger at March 12, 2013 01:39 PM (4S7hN)

16 11 Close, but not quite. Being frustrated by something and then figuring it out on your own produces a lasting moment of learning. Being frustrated and then having someone swoop in as a savior produces adoring fans, but not much actual learning.
Posted by: Aruges


I would think it could also produce resentment.

Posted by: Dr Spank at March 12, 2013 01:39 PM (AWl8t)

17 Est-ce que c'est quellque chose?

Mangez la merde et coassez à la lune, grenouille.

Posted by: Marion Ibramhim at March 12, 2013 01:39 PM (jkt0j)

18 >>>this is part of the thrill in Game Playing, as well. yup. I have frequently said that I'm learning French as an alternative to playing video games.

Posted by: ace at March 12, 2013 01:39 PM (LCRYB)

19 Reading Writing Counting and big ruler. Best way to teach. Yeah I am kinda kidding but only a little.

Posted by: Nevergiveup at March 12, 2013 01:40 PM (9Bj8R)

20 Barack Obama is a stuttering clusterf*ck of a malignant traitor.

Posted by: AllenG (Dedicated Tenther) Channelling Breitbart at March 12, 2013 01:40 PM (nUH8H)

21 I mention this because I could almost see Whole Word teaching being a
useful part of a lesson, frustrating kids with this "Guessing Game"
nonsense, and then, when they are frustrated, supply to them the keys
that will release them from ignorance: w sounds like whuh, a sounds like ah, t sounds like teh, until you reveal the Mystery Word is Water, and furthermore, now you've given the formerly-frustrated kids empowering tools to dispel future frustrations.




But is this what actually happens in Whole Word teaching? Do they actually supply to them the key?

Posted by: Tami[/i] at March 12, 2013 01:40 PM (X6akg)

22

>>> Reading Writing Counting and big ruler. Best way to teach. Yeah I am kinda kidding but only a little.

 

Works for the Nuns...

Posted by: Gunslinger at March 12, 2013 01:41 PM (4S7hN)

23 I need to fire up a translator to understand exactly.


P.J. O'Rourke was plain enough.

Posted by: fluffy at March 12, 2013 01:41 PM (z9HTb)

24 What is the top marginal rate in France today?  Seriously guy, I think you are learning the wrong language.

Posted by: SpongeBob Saget at March 12, 2013 01:41 PM (epxV4)

25 Out, damn sockpuppet.

Posted by: John P. Squibob at March 12, 2013 01:42 PM (jkt0j)

26 >>> But is this what actually happens in Whole Word teaching? Do they actually supply to them the key? no they just tell them the answer eventually.

Posted by: ace at March 12, 2013 01:42 PM (LCRYB)

27 This type of learning pre-supposes some building blocks, methinks, which children in the whole-word situation may not yet have. And those that have them can figure out the word on their own.

Posted by: RiverC at March 12, 2013 01:42 PM (El+h4)

28 Ace, I too really enjoyed this movie.  It was angst and frustration followed by epiphany and inclusion...  just awesome you guys.  Great review!

Posted by: Yip at March 12, 2013 01:42 PM (/jHWN)

29 And yet, these glorified babysitters are now getting Masters Degrees so they can be even more smug about their profession. The whole word teaching method seems to be a slap in the face of western civilization wherein understanding the roots of the language, be it from greek or phonetics will lead to the understanding of the world. Quote PJ Orouke (of course), he pointed out that the British managed to conquer the world...armed only with latin declination and the ability to do geometry (and the cultural confidence to do so).

Posted by: joeindc44 wonders if anyone has any advice for the GOP at March 12, 2013 01:42 PM (QxSug)

30 This is also part of the reason why "everyone is a speshul snowflake and deserves a trophy" is a bad idea.

Where is the motivation to work harder to get a trophy when every one gets one?  You need to be taught to lose, accept losing graciously and then strive to get better so you don't lose again.

Posted by: DangerGirl @deadlyestrogen at March 12, 2013 01:43 PM (GrtrJ)

31

 

This ties in with why commercials often use (or attempt) humor. Your memory of that which comes to you with humor is stronger. If you laugh out loud at something you are much more likely to remember it later.

 

 

Posted by: Meremortal at March 12, 2013 01:43 PM (1Y+hH)

32

@fluffy, I was proud of myself for remember it.  PJ translated reads

"If we hadn't pulled your chestnuts out of the fire in WWII, frogmouth, you'd all be speaking German today."

Posted by: Frumious Bandersnatch (the name is new but I'm not) at March 12, 2013 01:43 PM (A0sHn)

33 I learn something best when I am initially subject to intense frustration -- or maybe Mystifcation -- over something. Doesn't work. I've been trying to figure out women for 35 frustratingly long years.

Posted by: rickb223 at March 12, 2013 01:43 PM (wm3/2)

34 Yep. And, once you learn one (latin) language, it's much easier to learn another. English is one of the harder ones. Finally, if you really hit that orgasmic threshold of Frustration/Revelation, you realize you can learn anything. That's where you really see the connections and associations. Just pore over physics and quantum theory long enough. You'll explode into euphoria extreme.

Posted by: nc beaches at March 12, 2013 01:43 PM (XYSwB)

35 These posts are getting too abstract. Let's get some Upton pics.

Posted by: JDTAY at March 12, 2013 01:43 PM (a0nis)

36 oh, can italian be learned this way too?

Posted by: Yip at March 12, 2013 01:44 PM (/jHWN)

37 That goes about 100% against what education theory (the real stuff, not the stuff some shyster forced on your school board) says. Frustration is a motivator in a relative minority of people. For those people it's a great motivator (I'd guess most over average intelligence fall into the group), but for everyone else, it tends to get them just to stop and try something else. You don't want things to be too easy, because then learning doesn't happen. But you don't want people frustrated, either. Though if you're just talking about an initial difficulty that you then overcome- that's different, but I'm not sure Frustration is the right word for it.

Posted by: AllenG (Dedicated Tenther) Channelling Breitbart at March 12, 2013 01:44 PM (nUH8H)

38 for remember it?  sheesh.  my English sucks.

Posted by: Frumious Bandersnatch (the name is new but I'm not) at March 12, 2013 01:44 PM (A0sHn)

39 Quote PJ Orouke (of course), he pointed out that the British managed to conquer the world...armed only with latin declination and the ability to do geometry (and the cultural confidence to do so). Posted by: joeindc44 wonders if anyone has any advice for the GOP at March 12, 2013 05:42 PM (QxSug) How many sensitivity classes did they have on the Hindus and the Muslims?

Posted by: Nevergiveup at March 12, 2013 01:44 PM (9Bj8R)

40  This post > The Big Bang Theory

Posted by: Dr Spank at March 12, 2013 05:34 PM (AWl8t)

 

Surprised ace didn't refer to a Big Bang Theory episode that was directly on point to his post.

 

Sheldon had a Eureka moment when he allowed his subconcisous brain to do menial work.  

Posted by: polynikes at March 12, 2013 01:44 PM (m2CN7)

41

"The Frustration/Revelation Method of Teaching"

 

This is sort of how teaching was done, Ace...back in the 1900's.

 

Teachers didn't have many books that were 'written for children'.

So they would use the books that were available, which were written for adults.

No pictures.

You had to learn how to read...in order to obtain the treasure of finding out what the book said.

 

But it comes back to curiosity....intellectual and academic curiosity.

A basic curiosity towards learning is essential, in the Frustration/Revelation method.

 

If a kid doesn't care, and isn't curious about the material...then they don't feel the frustration and don't desire the revelation.

 

 

Posted by: wheatie at March 12, 2013 01:45 PM (2xMNt)

42 Eek, French. Asked my daughter if she wanted to learn Spanish, German or Latin. Cuz I know those `n stuff. She wants to learn French.

Posted by: Mama AJ at March 12, 2013 01:45 PM (SUKHu)

43 I was told to learn a foreign language that you should sleep with your dictionary.

Posted by: John P. Squibob at March 12, 2013 01:45 PM (jkt0j)

44 ace, this is just like learning a difficult physical exercise. Frustration = realizing you can't do a single fucking pull up. Revelation = seeing how a grip adjustment combined with ancillary work can make you much stronger Frustration = realizing you can't do two fucking pull ups

Posted by: Eaton Cox at March 12, 2013 01:45 PM (q177U)

45 no they just tell them the answer eventually.

Posted by: ace at March 12, 2013 05:42 PM (LCRYB)



So they remain dumb and perplexed but they eventually just become comfortable in that state.  This explains a lot....

Posted by: Tami[/i] at March 12, 2013 01:46 PM (X6akg)

46 Frustration is a motivator in a relative minority of people. For those people it's a great motivator (I'd guess most over average intelligence fall into the group), but for everyone else, it tends to get them just to stop and try something else.

***

Frustration + resolution is the whole fun in puzzles, riddles, crosswords etc.

Posted by: WalrusRex at March 12, 2013 01:46 PM (Hx5uv)

47 I was told to learn a foreign language that you should sleep with your dictionary. Posted by: John P. Squibob at March 12, 2013 05:45 PM (jkt0j) I wanted to learn about sex, so I should have slept with...?

Posted by: Nevergiveup at March 12, 2013 01:46 PM (9Bj8R)

48 um, there is an old episode of The Simpsons that can back up Ace's notion Homer traded Bart for a French exchange student (who turned out to be a criminal, I think). Bart went to France where he was treated like a slave. By the end, Bart was on the run, hungry, and scared. And as he was saying how he didn't even learn the stupid language, he began to French!

Posted by: soothsayer at March 12, 2013 01:47 PM (NNTrd)

49 the math equivalent to Whole Word is constructivist math, Everyday Math being an example. The net effect of the course is to help kids "think mathematically" -- which means that the kids are asked, in essence, to recreate the thinking that went into the discovery of Pi and, thus, 'thinking mathematically', rather than just 'splaining what Pi is and how it works. After two kids and several years with that, it got to be wearisome. Not to mention the ambiguously worded word problems -- at one point my fourth grader came to me with one of the problems. After twenty minutes, I was tempted to write "fuck if I know" in the answer box. Instead I wrote "unable to determine - please let me know the answer." Her answer was "there isn't an answer, which was the answer" ... ... eye~twitch ... so I taught my kids math the right way. The way that got the US to the moon ... black coffee, cigarettes, and narrow neck ties.

Posted by: BumperStickerist at March 12, 2013 01:47 PM (9P+hO)

50 This is part of the thrill in Game Playing, as well. Posted by: wheatie at March 12, 2013 05:34 PM (2xMNt) maybe o/t but, meh, I love gaming: Boy Scouts Introduce Video Game Merit Badge http://tinyurl.com/azbbj2w foxnation

Posted by: nc beaches at March 12, 2013 01:47 PM (XYSwB)

51 ...  a little English?  Anyone?   ( raises hand ) ... Son of Bitch, Shit

Posted by: Yip at March 12, 2013 01:48 PM (/jHWN)

52 buzzion, my fact checker, can correct the mistakes, but I think I conveyed the le gist of it.

Posted by: soothsayer at March 12, 2013 01:48 PM (0nyYS)

53 @48 Ew, let's keep this place Simpsons free please. Hitler indoctrinated people less.

Posted by: JDTAY at March 12, 2013 01:48 PM (a0nis)

54 I was told to learn Russian, I should order a wife online

Posted by: Yip at March 12, 2013 01:48 PM (/jHWN)

55 This post > The Big Bang Theory Posted by: Dr Spank at March 12, 2013 05:34 PM (AWl8t) But, is it > Ace's age?

Posted by: nc beaches at March 12, 2013 01:49 PM (XYSwB)

56

 Good God. 

 

  All you really smart and hard working teachers and government employees that are butthurt when they hear honest critique about the current state of the school industry and their bloated corrupt unions and the current state of our federal and state governments and their bloated and corrupt unions need to STFU and go on some kind of a quest for the last remaining hooker with a heart of gold.

 

  She's out there guys.  Go f*cking find her.

 

  Or, maybe just realize that the critiques aren't addressed to you or at you..... the really smart and hard working union employee that always gives the taxpayer his/her moneys worth.... geesh.

Posted by: hear it all the time at March 12, 2013 01:49 PM (5yRnE)

57 I wanted to learn about sex, so I should have slept with...? Kate Upton. FTW.

Posted by: rickb223 at March 12, 2013 01:49 PM (wm3/2)

58 Keeping with his race-based ideology, President Obama has named the nation’s first African American education czar to focus on improving the academic performance of black students and countering the discrimination that persists in public schools around the country. The official title is Executive Director of White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for African Americans and the task is to reduce “racial isolation and resegregation of elementary and secondary schools.” Despite decades-old desegregation laws, “substantial obstacles” to equal educational opportunities still remain in America’s public school system, according to the president. Therefore the academic performance of black students has for decades lagged behind whites and other ethnic minorities. So last summer the commander-in-chief issued an executive order to create a special White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for African Americans. The goal is to tackle a rampant crisis of perpetually low academic performance and high dropout rates among black students. African Americans lack equal access to highly effective teachers and principals, safe schools and challenging college-preparatory classes and they disproportionately experience school discipline and referrals to special education, according to the executive order. President Obama also threw this often-cited statistic into his race-based educational excellence executive order: “African American males also experience disparate rates of incarceration.” Presumably, his new initiative will bring the numbers down. The effort includes the creation of a new President’s Advisory Commission on Educational Excellence for African Americans and a special “working group” consisting of senior officials from the departments of Justice, Education, Labor and White House Domestic Policy Council. Oh it's about education ha?

Posted by: Nevergiveup at March 12, 2013 01:49 PM (9Bj8R)

59

In the late 60's I took differential equations using a text book that exemplified this technique.  After several pages of explanation and examples, the bottom of the right page would end with something like "and it is obvious that..."

Where "that" was something not at all obvious to me.  At this point I would re-read and re-examine all the verbiage leading up to the "obvious" 27 times or so, throw the book across the room, kick the dog, curse, review another 20 times then finally give up and flip the page.

At the top of the next page it would say "It is obvious because...."  And once I had the "because" it was in fact reasonable if not obvious.

The first time this happened, I thought it an unfortunate turn of fate that the page just happened to end where it did.  But, slow learner that I am, this same book did this to me at least three more times. 

The dog was thankful when I passed the course and moved on to other texts.

 

Posted by: Dennis at March 12, 2013 01:49 PM (sb8LP)

60 Not unlike a teenage boy unhooking a bra for the first time. Posted by: pep at March 12, 2013 05:36 PM (6TB1Z) rewards...

Posted by: nc beaches at March 12, 2013 01:49 PM (XYSwB)

61 What is this?

HIJKLMNO

Hint:  W.C. Fields avoided it.

Posted by: WalrusRex at March 12, 2013 01:50 PM (Hx5uv)

62

Ace,

 

Indeed.  interesting thought.  It's kind of like what i go through in my own mind.   What you're describing is exactly what Heinlin describes in Take Back Your Government.  Pretty good book overall, for nuts and bolts stuff.

 

Smoking bans will lead to statism.  I can't really go through it step by step.

 

It.  Just.   Does.

Posted by: Prescient11 at March 12, 2013 01:50 PM (tVTLU)

63 Not unlike a teenage boy unhooking a bra for the first time. Posted by: pep at March 12, 2013 05:36 PM (6TB1Z) Yeah no big thrill. It was my sisters in the basement that I took out of the hamper?

Posted by: Nevergiveup at March 12, 2013 01:51 PM (9Bj8R)

64 FWIW, I think my rote math table work when I was a wee kid helped me become a math superstar. It reduced the mystery or made things more predictable, I think.

Posted by: joeindc44 wonders if anyone has any advice for the GOP at March 12, 2013 01:51 PM (QxSug)

65

If I take a page out of Obama's world I can speak at least three languages.

 

English, Canadian and Australian

Posted by: polynikes at March 12, 2013 01:51 PM (m2CN7)

66

"Show me... Sand Floor"

-- Mr. Miyagi

Posted by: Jack Squat Bupkis at March 12, 2013 01:51 PM (F3nFt)

67 >>>You don't want things to be too easy, because then learning doesn't happen. But you don't want people frustrated, either. people will give up after ten minutes of frustration?

Posted by: ace at March 12, 2013 01:52 PM (LCRYB)

68 What is the top marginal rate in France today? Seriously guy, I think you are learning the wrong language. Posted by: SpongeBob Saget at March 12, 2013 05:41 PM (epxV4) yea, been seriously thinking about mandarin or arabic those seem hard I dabbled in Japanese a while back, so understand the male/female thingie.

Posted by: nc beaches at March 12, 2013 01:53 PM (XYSwB)

69 I taught adult education at work for 8 years.  The learning process involves repetition.  Read it, say it, write it.  Instructors should also use this in teaching.


Read it, write it on the board or overhead, ask questions that require students to repeat it.

Posted by: Vic at March 12, 2013 01:53 PM (53z96)

70 That's where you really see the connections and associations.

Just pore over physics and quantum theory long enough. You'll explode into euphoria extreme.

I was going to say exactly that.  I remember like it was yesterday the first time I actually began to understand what all those mathematical games I was playing had to do with physical reality.  It wasn't exactly a eureka moment.  More like a Holy S*** moment. 

Posted by: pep at March 12, 2013 01:53 PM (6TB1Z)

71 Certainement!

Posted by: USA at March 12, 2013 01:53 PM (RIg+t)

72

>>> I was told to learn a foreign language that you should sleep with your dictionary.

 

 

I was told you had to sit on it. You would then learn it easily by Assmosis.

Posted by: Gunslinger at March 12, 2013 01:53 PM (4S7hN)

73 @48

Ew, let's keep this place Simpsons free please.

Hitler indoctrinated people less.

Posted by: JDTAY at March 12, 2013 05:48 PM (a0nis)

 

OT but one of those liberal creators, Sam Simon has terminal cancer.  

Posted by: polynikes at March 12, 2013 01:53 PM (m2CN7)

74 "Most math teachers will start a lesson with a tough problem and invite students to solve it. They can't. Then they proceed to solving it." Learned Helplessness ... fear it. -

Posted by: BumperStickerist at March 12, 2013 01:54 PM (9P+hO)

75 oh, can italian be learned this way too?

Posted by: Yip at March 12, 2013 05:44 PM (/jHWN)


No.  Italian has a special set of rules from an alternate universe.

Posted by: Chef Boyardee at March 12, 2013 01:54 PM (8ZskC)

76 Frustrate kids enough and they will NOT learn. Give them basic tools/basic skills upon which they CAN build and learn : open up a world to them. Schools have been using a kind of whole word approach to math and I told more than a few of my daughter's teachers that it is a downright stupid waste of time. Math can be learned well in progression, building on one skill from another as one would best learn a language.

Posted by: RondinellaMamma at March 12, 2013 01:54 PM (53riN)

77 But is this what actually happens in Whole Word teaching? Do they actually supply to them the key? no they just tell them the answer eventually. Posted by: ace at March 12, 2013 05:42 PM (LCRYB) I suppose you could think of learning to read as a tool, just as learning to type is all memorization, but, oh, what you can do with it!

Posted by: nc beaches at March 12, 2013 01:54 PM (XYSwB)

78 >>One way screenwriters make exposition more interesting is by having characters not immediately offer it to the audience, who will be bored with it. Instead, they set things up to provoke a question in the audience's mind -- "Wait, why is this happening?" -- and then, the audience now actively engaged in interrogating the movie, they now have Mr. Exposition answer the question the audience was actually (mildly) interested in.


I prefer a good montage, not only do they supply needed information they can advance the story along.

Posted by: Dr Spank at March 12, 2013 01:54 PM (AWl8t)

79

:::If you frustrate someone, and Mystify them, and and just bother them with something they cannot understand, they now have emotional skin in the game. They feel dumb, and don't want to feel dumb. Not understanding bothers them.::::

 

This sounds like some crackpot idea that would have been tried in the 1890s.  Professor Ace expounds upon his experimentation to a dusty college amphitheater...

 

"Daguerrotype One, please.  As you can see, I have induced in the subject a sense of inchoate rage through purposeful obfuscation of the mathematical mysteries.  Note the Neanderthal-like, protruding supraorbital ridge, furrowed in anger as the student attempts to deduce the length of the triangle's hypotenuse.

 

Daguerrotype Two, please.  This   is after I have revealed the secret of Pythagoreas' solution  and bled the child to reduce the foul humors brought upon him by  concentrated, induced frustration.  As  you can see, the subject has attained a robustness of health and  general pleasant demeanor."

Posted by: Empire of Jeff at March 12, 2013 01:55 PM (JDIKC)

80 So, who's going to pay for this study?

Posted by: Stateless Infidel at March 12, 2013 01:55 PM (AC0lD)

81 There's 2 ways to learn a language. 1. By association, which is easy for kids but difficult for adults because children don't have words for stuff imprinted on their young brains. 2. By brute force, i.e., becoming an on-the-spot human translator. This is the hard way to do it.

Posted by: soothsayer at March 12, 2013 01:55 PM (gtTDa)

82

50...Boy Scouts Introduce Video Game Merit Badge

 

I guess it was an eventuality.

*sigh*

 

But it seems like it promotes being a shut-in kid...rather than promoting them to get off their butts and go outside in the fresh air.

But then kids who live in inner cities, with no yards to play in, have no place to go outside an play.

 

 

Posted by: wheatie at March 12, 2013 01:57 PM (2xMNt)

83 When education meets politics ( read as democrats) you end up with stupid kids

Posted by: Nevergiveup at March 12, 2013 01:57 PM (9Bj8R)

84 This sounds like some crackpot idea that would have been tried in the 1890s. Professor Ace expounds upon his experimentation to a dusty college amphitheater...

Nice.  Hopping.

Posted by: Dr. Frohnkensteen at March 12, 2013 01:57 PM (8ZskC)

85 After twenty minutes, I was tempted to write "fuck if I know" in the answer box. Instead I wrote "unable to determine - please let me know the answer."

Her answer was "there isn't an answer, which was the answer" ...

... eye~twitch ...

Posted by: BumperStickerist

The point of Whole Lang theory is to inculcate obedience to an authority figure who guards 'the answer.'

Kids aren't born perfect serfs, you know.

Posted by: weft cut-loop [/i] [/b] at March 12, 2013 01:57 PM (/T+P8)

86 >>>Frustrate kids enough and they will NOT learn. I'm talking about 10 minutes of Mystification on a 50 minute class, followed by 40 minutes of Revelation.

Posted by: ace at March 12, 2013 01:57 PM (LCRYB)

87 I spent most of Algebra trying to figure out the quadratic formula - because there wasn't a "four" in there. (Yes I know the formula the way I know the McDonald's "Twoallbeefpattiesspecialsauce" jingle) Thirty years later I found that Quadra is the Latin for "square" hence Quadratic formula - as it applies to squares of numbers. /facepalm At which point I wanted to travel back in time, and have the middle-aged me punch my younger-me's math teacher in the face. Slipping the note that says "Buy Microsoft" into younger-me's pocket.

Posted by: BumperStickerist at March 12, 2013 01:58 PM (9P+hO)

88 Boy Scouts Introduce Video Game Merit Badge I guess it was an eventuality. *sigh* But it seems like it promotes being a shut-in kid...rather than promoting them to get off their butts and go outside in the fresh air. But then kids who live in inner cities, with no yards to play in, have no place to go outside an play. Posted by: wheatie at March 12, 2013 05:57 PM (2xMNt) Our next generation of Bronze Star Warriors?

Posted by: Nevergiveup at March 12, 2013 01:58 PM (9Bj8R)

89 I learned to read Spanish fairly well by myself but I couldn't carry a conversation if you  held   a  cuchillo  to  my  throat.

Posted by: polynikes at March 12, 2013 01:58 PM (m2CN7)

90 I like this whole Revelation idea.  Where can I get literature?

Posted by: John of Patmos at March 12, 2013 01:58 PM (8ZskC)

91 If a kid doesn't care, and isn't curious about the material...then they don't feel the frustration and don't desire the revelation. Posted by: wheatie at March 12, 2013 05:45 PM (2xMNt) And, it's just not going to click for some like it will for others. That's the beauty. For some odd reason, I fell in love with integrals. I do not know if it was the symbols, or the way everything just flowed. But, I felt an emotional attachment, yes. I hated statistics. Still do.

Posted by: nc beaches at March 12, 2013 01:59 PM (XYSwB)

92 people will give up after ten minutes of frustration? Well, some, because they're lazy. That's why I prevaricated on the "frustration" thing. Part of it is a limitation of the language. Frustration typically has a negative connotation. When someone is "frustrated" about learning something, they typically think that this thing cannot be learned- that is, that there are no "keys" to unlock it. Under such circumstance, many people say "F*ck it." See also: Men understanding women. On the other hand, what I think you're talking about is what I've always heard as "confound" or "perplex." Perhaps "puzzle." The idea is that someone can see that there is a key- that there is something that will make it all make sense, and they just have to work to find it. And it may just be that I'm misunderstanding you to mean the first when you mean the second. To go back to the game-playing analogy: think of a game that is completely (or almost completely) random- there is no skill or strategy involved, it's just pure luck. Now, for party games, those can be fun (the card game Flux is a good example). For computer games, they're really not. They're frustrating and boring. That's because there's nothing to learn- there is no key.

Posted by: AllenG (Dedicated Tenther) Channelling Breitbart at March 12, 2013 01:59 PM (nUH8H)

93 "actively engaged in interrogating the movie" Your "interrogation" is nothing more than a persistent paranoia that a difficult film must harbor some arcane anti-knucklehead, liberal "nuance." It took you more than a week to "interrogate" whether Colbert was actually not a conservative. You're a fool.

Posted by: andrew breitbart at March 12, 2013 01:59 PM (XHvin)

94 Shorter Ace: Learning tends to be easier when one is invested in it. Angry learning is one way, I guess.

Posted by: Robert at March 12, 2013 02:00 PM (LUnTP)

95 ergie speaks...

Posted by: Cicero, Semiautomatic Assault Commenter at March 12, 2013 02:01 PM (8ZskC)

96 She wants to learn French. Posted by: Mama AJ at March 12, 2013 05:45 PM (SUKHu) leftist propaganda how often do you see "french" interjected in movies/tv? a lot

Posted by: nc beaches at March 12, 2013 02:01 PM (XYSwB)

97 ERG MAD! ERG SMASH!

Posted by: weft cut-loop [/i] [/b] at March 12, 2013 02:01 PM (/T+P8)

98 ".. followed by 40 minutes of Revelation." Forty minutes of Revelation? Fifty bucks, same as in town.

Posted by: Whore of Babylon at March 12, 2013 02:01 PM (9P+hO)

99 I see in the previous thread that ace is still suckering people with his "I'm 29 or will be 29 soon" joke. God we've got a bunch of gullible people here. Think up a new bit ace sucker them some more

Posted by: Buzzion at March 12, 2013 02:01 PM (z5jKH)

100 D*mn. Who derped in the comments?

Posted by: AllenG (Dedicated Tenther) Channelling Breitbart at March 12, 2013 02:02 PM (nUH8H)

101 I gave up on the Rubik's cube after about 10 minutes.  I also have never been able to see whatever picture is hidden in those posters .  Talk about frustrated.

Posted by: polynikes at March 12, 2013 02:02 PM (m2CN7)

102 This is surely a thing. After all, the pain-pleasure dichotomy does play a role in a lot of things human. But I'm not Dr. Jill Biden, so who knows...

Posted by: Mirror-Universe Mitt Romney at March 12, 2013 02:03 PM (C3R9m)

103 You know, Derp? My 5 year old only had one embarrassing moment in public. How does it feel to know you have a more shallow learning curve than a 5 year old?

Posted by: AllenG (Dedicated Tenther) Channelling Breitbart at March 12, 2013 02:03 PM (nUH8H)

104
Physics, been online learning that lately.  Damn I hated that, but my brain wouldn't grasp it when I was younger, I think because it was taught with too many assumptions or already knowns.  I couldn't just accept those and it frustrated me.

The bra thing, about the time I figured out it was just a pinch and a twist, they moved it to the front.

Posted by: Guy Mohawk at March 12, 2013 02:03 PM (SXIWf)

105 What is erg's hash so I can find him?

Posted by: John P. Squibob at March 12, 2013 02:03 PM (jkt0j)

106  I'm not sure all of Ace's crazy crackpot theories should be made public, "10 minutes of Mystification ....followed by 40 minutes of Revelation"? Sounds like a cult or one of those time-share presentations you're forced to hear on order to get a toaster.

Posted by: Dr Spank at March 12, 2013 02:04 PM (AWl8t)

107 who's stupider, Ashley Judd or eggmcmuffin?

Posted by: soothsayer at March 12, 2013 02:04 PM (OZ9Xn)

108

88...Our next generation of Bronze Star Warriors?

 

More like...our next generation of Drone Strike Warriors.

Posted by: wheatie at March 12, 2013 02:04 PM (2xMNt)

109 who's stupider, Ashley Judd or eggmcmuffin? Hmmm... immovable object vs irresistible force.

Posted by: AllenG (Dedicated Tenther) Channelling Breitbart at March 12, 2013 02:04 PM (nUH8H)

110 yea, been seriously thinking about mandarin or arabic

those seem hard

I dabbled in Japanese a while back, so understand the male/female thingie.

Posted by: nc beaches at March 12, 2013 05:53 PM (XYSwB)


This reminds me of a story.  The last year we lived in Singapore, my daughter was taking Mandarin lessons from a tutor....they didn't teach it at the American school....go figure.  We moved to Hong Kong where they did teach it a bit in school.  I was at the grocery store with my daughter one day and needed a bag of ice; you had to ask the cashier for it at checkout.  For the life of me I could not get the cashier to understand what I wanted.  My 7 year old daughter says, 'Mommy....I'll handle this.'  And I'm thinking, 'Oh this is going to be so cute...she'll ask her in Mandarin.' 


My daughter gets close to the cashier and says, as loud as she can......


"SHE NEEDS A BAG OF ICE!!!"  


The cashier went and got a bag of ice...while everyone in line cracked up.

Posted by: Tami[/i] at March 12, 2013 02:05 PM (X6akg)

111 Perhaps an even more effective pedagogical method is to hold a loaded and cocked pistol to the student's head, with the admonition that the first wrong answer will result in a bullet to the brain.

Posted by: CharlieBrown'sDildo at March 12, 2013 02:05 PM (3Mkrp)

112 What is erg's hash so I can find him? - If you use Chrome, just set your "Dumbass Filter" to "Derp" and your browser will display only erg's comments.

Posted by: Whore of Babylon at March 12, 2013 02:05 PM (9P+hO)

113 One way screenwriters make exposition more interesting is by having characters not immediately offer it to the audience, who will be bored with it. Instead, they set things up to provoke a question in the audience's mind -- "Wait, why is this happening?" -- and then, the audience now actively engaged in interrogating the movie, they now have Mr. Exposition answer the question the audience was actually (mildly) interested in.

***

Some very good expositions in my opinion.

Rear Window:  Dialogue free episode as the camera lingers over Jimmy Stewart's apartment and the courtyard.  It tells the story of who he is and how he came to be in a wheelchair.

A Touch of Evil: A long continuous shot of a bad guy placing a bomb in a car trunk and our unsuspecting heroes driving to the border crossing.  Very suspenseful.


Posted by: WalrusRex at March 12, 2013 02:05 PM (Hx5uv)

114 I don't think Arabic is that hard...arabs manage to learn it.

Posted by: @PurpAv at March 12, 2013 02:05 PM (OsZtb)

115 I gave up on the Rubik's cube after about 10 minutes. I also have never been able to see whatever picture is hidden in those posters . Talk about frustrated. Posted by: polynikes at March 12, 2013 06:02 PM (m2CN7) Lets run with Ace's investment idea. A thought experiemtn: If, when completed, the Rubick's Cube opened to reveal hot, naked, large breasted woman inside would you still have given up and how quickly do you think you would have solved it?

Posted by: Robert at March 12, 2013 02:05 PM (LUnTP)

116 I'm talking about 10 minutes of Mystification on a 50 minute class, followed by 40 minutes of Revelation. OK, I hear you. I just don't care for introducing 'frustration,' into learning. Would that all teachers could inspire their students to have a healthy curiosity and a desire to learn the next step.

Posted by: RondinellaMamma at March 12, 2013 02:05 PM (53riN)

117 Curiosity itself is a great motivator for learning. Alas, it is a character trait I see less of as time passes.

Posted by: Dr. Varno at March 12, 2013 02:06 PM (qNGSj)

118

Posted by: andrew breitbart at March 12, 2013 05:59 PM (XHvin) 

 

I see you baby, shakin' that thing.

 

Posted by: The Volcano at March 12, 2013 02:06 PM (2xMNt)

119 Posted by: soothsayer at March 12, 2013 06:04 PM (OZ9Xn)

One doesn't talk back when you eat it, so I'm going with the egg mcmuffin.

Posted by: CharlieBrown'sDildo at March 12, 2013 02:06 PM (3Mkrp)

120
>>>I guess it was an eventuality.
*sigh*

>>>But it seems like it promotes being a shut-in kid...rather than promoting them to get off their butts and go outside in the fresh air.

Actually, the badge is for "games" not video games in particular. And it isn't for being able to play them, but describe what makes a game fun to play.

Posted by: MikeTheMoose DOOMCASTER! at March 12, 2013 02:07 PM (0q2P7)

121 I'm always wondering just how tight that hobo down the road's asshole is...and now, thanks to Ace's explanation, I know all I have to do his hogtie that stewbum and buttfuck him a while. Mystery solved!

Posted by: Porkkky at March 12, 2013 02:07 PM (lSzZO)

122 You know what also works well. Tell the student that if he doesn't solve the equation in 2 minutes his parents will be murdered.

Works pretty well the first time. Then you gotta get creative.

Posted by: weft cut-loop [/i] [/b] at March 12, 2013 02:08 PM (/T+P8)

123 Erg knows nothing of my work.

Posted by: The Volcano at March 12, 2013 02:08 PM (MMC8r)

124 Yeah Ace, it was called Jr. High School around here.

Posted by: Shirley at March 12, 2013 02:08 PM (Mp8PA)

125 Lets run with Ace's investment idea. A thought experiemtn: If, when completed, the Rubick's Cube opened to reveal hot, naked, large breasted woman inside would you still have given up and how quickly do you think you would have solved it?

Posted by: Robert at March 12, 2013 06:05 PM (LUnTP)

 

At the time It would have been easier for me just to pick up the phone.  Now if you said there was a $100 bill in there,  again at that time , I'm in for the long haul.   

Posted by: polynikes at March 12, 2013 02:09 PM (m2CN7)

126 >>>I also have never been able to see whatever picture is hidden in those posters .

Your vision is still likely perfect. Wait till lit declines a little, it will get easier.

Posted by: MikeTheMoose DOOMCASTER! at March 12, 2013 02:09 PM (0q2P7)

127 A similar mechanism must have been employed by the mystery religions/"cults" of Antiquity.

Posted by: Mirror-Universe Mitt Romney at March 12, 2013 02:09 PM (C3R9m)

128 Erg was educated with a rubber tire and his own poo.

Posted by: zsasz at March 12, 2013 02:09 PM (MMC8r)

129 OK, I hear you. I just don't care for introducing 'frustration,' into learning. Would that all teachers could inspire their students to have a healthy curiosity and a desire to learn the next step. Okay, so I'm not the only one who didn't get the "frustration" thing. It's one thing to get kids curiosity up. It's something else to frustrate them. I submit you were frustrated by French; rather you were perplexed by it. You knew there was something there to learn (it's a language after all), and that it was worth knowing (to you, at least), so when it didn't immediately make sense you saw that as a challenge. On the other hand, a kid stuck in a math (or history, or english, or whatever) class doesn't necessarily agree that there's something to learn. In some cases they can't see that there is some "key" to unlock future knowledge. So when things don't immediately make sense, they say "F*ck it. Who cares?"

Posted by: AllenG (Dedicated Tenther) Channelling Breitbart at March 12, 2013 02:10 PM (nUH8H)

130 "130 Erg was educated with a rubber tire and his own poo. Posted by: zsasz at March 12, 2013 06:09 PM (MMC8r) " Ah, so he's an autodidact? :-P

Posted by: Mirror-Universe Mitt Romney at March 12, 2013 02:10 PM (C3R9m)

131 You know Ace, I had no idea what this post was about or what you were getting at at first...

But then I got it and.....WOW!

Posted by: Kasper Hauser at March 12, 2013 02:11 PM (HqpV0)

132 It's a "real thing" but also not for everyone. It's certainly familiar to fans of martial arts movies. I am actually not that much that way with games. I am more for seeing what happens. I used to be big into the "online beating each other up" thing, but it got very boring very fast. I would like an MMOAG - an exploration/discovery/puzzle game, sort of a "Monkey Island + Sam & Max World" game. But that would be a PITA to create and maintain, and you'd have to have a high volume of new material. Much *much* easier to write a "whack each other" game.

Posted by: Merovign, Dark Lord of the Sith[/i][/b][/s] at March 12, 2013 02:11 PM (bxiXv)

133 "134 You know Ace, I had no idea what this post was about or what you were getting at at first... But then I got it and.....WOW! Posted by: Kasper Hauser at March 12, 2013 06:11 PM (HqpV0) " Heh.

Posted by: Mirror-Universe Mitt Romney at March 12, 2013 02:11 PM (C3R9m)

134 36 oh, can italian be learned this way too? Posted by: Yip at March 12, 2013 05:44 PM (/jHWN) Italian is simple. It has fewer rules than English, most of which can be found in English. The greatest phonetic differences are with the C, CH, and GN letters. And much of the Italian vocabulary can be picked in parallel English words. Examples: Lavorare: Labor ; Viaje: Voyage (Travel) ; Chiave: Key

Posted by: Minuteman at March 12, 2013 02:12 PM (dSE0q)

135 Posted by: Tami at March 12, 2013 06:05 PM (X6akg)

I was a foreign exchange student in France lo these many years ago although I never learned French all that well.  I was twenty-one and supported myself by washing dishes in an Hotel.  So one day I went to a store to get something and stood in line behind to boys maybe ten years old.  They were jabbering away to the clerk in French most of which I couldn't follow and finally they concluded their business.  One of the boys turned to the other and said in English, "Boy, did we put one over on her."

I was on a ferry one time and a Greek girl who knew I was an American told me in broken English that her boyfriend was a poet and had written some poems in English and asked if I would review them for correct usage.  I said I would and they gave me the poems.  They death metal poems about how they would sneak into a house at night and rip the owner's guts out.  I said, "Looks good to me," and got the hell out of there.

Posted by: WalrusRex at March 12, 2013 02:12 PM (Hx5uv)

136

"Not understanding bothers them"

Incorrect - the next line is the key, but inverted:

"Shorter Ace: Learning tends to be easier when one is invested in it"

What has been demonstrated is that the demand & desire for said learning is the real key. To use Ace's froggy lessons as an example, if one were uninterested in learning, then the discovery process breaks down - the only functional methodology is, by default, so called "rote learning", knowing that an individual with at least a functional memory will, thru constant drills, be able to handle some level of the task at hand.

Witness the difference in Basic from the all draft days to all volunteer - today's "instruction" can be carried out from a wide range of materials and methodologies, all/most of which will be followed as the recruit (at least at some level) wants to be there.

 

Posted by: Jess1 at March 12, 2013 02:13 PM (lbiWb)

137 #69  You are correct,  although I would go further.  It is my opinion that the more varying pathways to the brain you can employ to learn information,  the quicker you will learn it and retain it.

Thus, when you were teaching those classes,  you had them write (motor skills with hand), listen (hearing) look at the board (visual) , repeat out loud (speech and auditory).

When my daughter had hard classes I used to make her repeat things out loud, look at flash cards, write things down, etc.  The different methods helped her retain difficult information and often,  when discussing her studies,  we would make connections with visual or sound clues which would trigger her memory.

Now this type of learning doesn't teach logic and problem-solving,  but a child who can learn a lot of information gains confidence in applying the information to solving a problem.

Posted by: Miss Marple at March 12, 2013 02:14 PM (GoIUi)

138 Learning a language is like exercising. Hard at first, but it gets easier over time. Stick with it though, or you will lose it!

Posted by: Jmel at March 12, 2013 02:14 PM (9tSXa)

139 86 >>>Frustrate kids enough and they will NOT learn. I'm talking about 10 minutes of Mystification on a 50 minute class, followed by 40 minutes of Revelation. ******** Maybe mystification would work on more advanced minds? I think the better is the Karate Kid? Rote learning all of the sudden leading to mastery of the moves.

Posted by: joeindc44 wonders if anyone has any advice for the GOP at March 12, 2013 02:14 PM (QxSug)

140 For those who don't understand, think of hazing. Cognitive dissonance, if you suffered, the result *must* have been worth it, otherwise you are an idiot. Therefore, personal investment. Like I said, not for everyone, especially people who know what "cognitive dissonance" is. It isn't *exactly* the same thing as hazing, just similar in principle.

Posted by: Merovign, Dark Lord of the Sith[/i][/b][/s] at March 12, 2013 02:14 PM (bxiXv)

141 <blockquote>My daughter gets close to the cashier and says, as loud as she can......
"SHE NEEDS A BAG OF ICE!!!"
The cashier went and got a bag of ice...while everyone in line cracked up.</blockquote>
Posted by: Tami at March 12, 2013 06:05 PM


Now THAT'S funny ah don' keer whew yew R!

Posted by: Katfish at March 12, 2013 02:15 PM (Nx5wc)

142 "but I couldn't carry a conversation if you held a cuchillo to my throat."

Posted by: polynikes at March 12, 2013 05:58 PM (m2CN7)

Is that Mexican for cooch?

Because that wouldn't be a bad motivator.

Posted by: CharlieBrown'sDildo at March 12, 2013 02:15 PM (3Mkrp)

143 so much for the html testing........

Posted by: Katfish at March 12, 2013 02:15 PM (Nx5wc)

144

 

Day two...of the Daylight Savings Tyranny.

 

And my gruntles are still dissed.

 

Posted by: wheatie at March 12, 2013 02:16 PM (2xMNt)

145 >>>Your "interrogation" is nothing more than a persistent paranoia that a difficult film must harbor some arcane anti-knucklehead, liberal "nuance."

These days if a film isn't screaming screed at me I count myself lucky and don't go looking for it. Did you see Avatar? 2 hrs of pretty pictures screed and no plot; moonbats LOVED it! and you call us simpletons.

Posted by: MikeTheMoose DOOMCASTER! at March 12, 2013 02:16 PM (0q2P7)

146 "143 For those who don't understand, think of hazing. Cognitive dissonance, if you suffered, the result *must* have been worth it, otherwise you are an idiot. Therefore, personal investment. Like I said, not for everyone, especially people who know what "cognitive dissonance" is. It isn't *exactly* the same thing as hazing, just similar in principle. Posted by: Merovign, Dark Lord of the Sith at March 12, 2013 06:14 PM (bxiXv) " Well, I'd say it's like a puzzle. Or pretty much everything in life.

Posted by: Mirror-Universe Mitt Romney at March 12, 2013 02:16 PM (C3R9m)

147 A thought experiemtn: If, when completed, the Rubick's Cube opened to reveal hot, naked, large breasted woman inside would you still have given up and how quickly do you think you would have solved it? I would have cheated and busted it open with a hammer.

Posted by: rickb223 at March 12, 2013 02:16 PM (d0Dmj)

148 Okay, I'm re-posting this from the last thread because it took me so long to remember and then to type it out. It's also kinda related because it has to do with math and learning and such stuff. I was originally taught "new school math" long division: ``_____ 16)434 | ***320|20 ---------| ***114| ***80*|05 ---------| ***34*| ***32*|02 ---------|____ ****2*|27 2/16 = 27 1/8 And then there was another rigamarole to find the decimal place. I was very grateful to the person who taught me the proper way to divide.

Posted by: Ed Anger at March 12, 2013 02:17 PM (tOkJB)

149 ace, you may be interested in the work of Mihály Csíkszentmihályi,.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flow_%28psychology%29

Posted by: HeatherRadish™ needs a beer at March 12, 2013 02:17 PM (/kI1Q)

150 Is that Mexican for cooch? Because that wouldn't be a bad motivator. Self defeating. At that point, there wouldn't be much talking going on.

Posted by: rickb223 at March 12, 2013 02:18 PM (d0Dmj)

151 Day two...of the Daylight Savings Tyranny. And my gruntles are still dissed. Posted by: wheatie at March 12, 2013 06:16 PM (2xMNt) Hey, if they can tell you how big a soda cup you're allowed to have, why can't they force you to keep changing your clocks whenever it suits their whim? Wait, what?!?!

Posted by: Merovign, Dark Lord of the Sith[/i][/b][/s] at March 12, 2013 02:18 PM (bxiXv)

152 What is this?

HIJKLMNO

Hint: W.C. Fields avoided it.

***

You guys are no fun and lack curiosity.  It's water, or H2O, or H to O.

Posted by: WalrusRex at March 12, 2013 02:18 PM (Hx5uv)

153 I was on a ferry one time and a Greek girl who knew I was an American told me in broken English that her boyfriend was a poet and had written some poems in English and asked if I would review them for correct usage. I said I would and they gave me the poems. They death metal poems about how they would sneak into a house at night and rip the owner's guts out. I said, "Looks good to me," and got the hell out of there.

Posted by: WalrusRex at March 12, 2013 06:12 PM (Hx5uv)


YIKES! 

Posted by: Tami[/i] at March 12, 2013 02:18 PM (X6akg)

154 "150 A thought experiemtn: If, when completed, the Rubick's Cube opened to reveal hot, naked, large breasted woman inside would you still have given up and how quickly do you think you would have solved it? I would have cheated and busted it open with a hammer. Posted by: rickb223 at March 12, 2013 06:16 PM (d0Dmj) " The Gordian knot. :-P

Posted by: Mirror-Universe Mitt Romney at March 12, 2013 02:19 PM (C3R9m)

155 yup. I have frequently said that I'm learning French as an alternative to playing video games.

So how you liking Tomb Raider so far?

Posted by: Hollowpoint at March 12, 2013 02:20 PM (SY2Kh)

156 It took you more than a week to "interrogate" whether Colbert was actually not a conservative. You're a fool. This from the douche who was publically, and repeatedly, pwned by Ace and the rest of the Horde on a recent movie thread. That's rich. Seen any movies that you haven't actually seen lately, erg?

Posted by: Sean Bannion at March 12, 2013 02:21 PM (XNAft)

157 I would have cheated and busted it open with a hammer.

^^^THIS is the greatness that allowed the Americans to defeat the Nazis and Japan.  We're not prone to over analysis like others are.

Posted by: @PurpAv at March 12, 2013 02:21 PM (OsZtb)

158 Re: sidebar. I think Google Glass will result in 50% more privacy invasions, and 100% more uninteresting crap posted on the internet. Remember the guy who would post the content of his refrigerator on the internet every day? Now, in video.

Posted by: Merovign, Dark Lord of the Sith[/i][/b][/s] at March 12, 2013 02:21 PM (bxiXv)

159 You guys are no fun and lack curiosity. It's water, or H2O, or H to O.

Posted by: WalrusRex at March 12, 2013 06:18 PM (Hx5uv)

 

How do you pronounce this name, which by the way is a real name of a poor girl in a school who was once taught by a friend of mine.

 

La-a

Posted by: polynikes at March 12, 2013 02:22 PM (m2CN7)

160 We didn't question whether or not Colbert was a conservative. We questioned whether or not he was a comedian.

Posted by: zsasz at March 12, 2013 02:22 PM (MMC8r)

161

155 What is this?

 

HIJKLMNO

 

Hint: W.C. Fields avoided it.

 

***

 

You guys are no fun and lack curiosity. It's water, or H2O, or H to O.

 

-------

 

I thought it was some sort of acronym.

And was trying to figure out what words the letters stood for.

 

Ack...ack-ronyms are screwing up everything.

 

Posted by: wheatie at March 12, 2013 02:22 PM (2xMNt)

162 We had to take a semester each of Arabic & Libyan history as a prerequisite for our OCS (aka Oil Companies School)'s existence in Tripoli Libya back in the 60s..........most of the teachers were HIGH caliber and highly motivated as they could create their own learning plans with no school board lording over them. Arabic wasn't too tough - although 50 years later all I can recall today is how to count, curse, or ask for a loaf of bread..........

Posted by: Katfish at March 12, 2013 02:23 PM (Nx5wc)

163 La-Dash-A

Posted by: CharlieBrown'sDildo at March 12, 2013 02:23 PM (3Mkrp)

164 although 50 years later all I can recall today is how to count, curse, or ask for a loaf of bread.......... Ironically, in Arabic, it's all the same thing.

Posted by: AmishDude at March 12, 2013 02:24 PM (T0NGe)

165 Ironically, in Arabic, it's all the same thing. Inshallah.

Posted by: Sean Bannion at March 12, 2013 02:25 PM (XNAft)

166

Posted by: CharlieBrown'sDildo at March 12, 2013 06:23 PM (3Mkrp)

 

Yep.  I bet they showed  the  man  by  naming  their  daughter  that.

Posted by: polynikes at March 12, 2013 02:26 PM (m2CN7)

167 #167 - HEH - not so (but the gutteral nature of that lingo does lend itself to a lot of similar sounds with only subtle differences)

Posted by: Katfish at March 12, 2013 02:26 PM (Nx5wc)

168 - although 50 years later all I can recall today is how to count, curse, or ask for a loaf of bread.......... Posted by: Katfish at March 12, 2013 06:23 PM (Nx5wc) ******* What more could you possibly need?

Posted by: Seamus Muldoon at March 12, 2013 02:26 PM (pLvWv)

169 and 100% more uninteresting crap posted on the internet

I saw a youtube video of some idiot gushing for 5 minutes about how awesome it was that he got a free paint sample in the mail from some outfit.  It was hysterical.  You would have thought he won the lottery or something.

I don't think he had any idea how pathetic he seemed posting pics of the package and little sample sized spray can to all his friends.

FREE PAINT MAN, FREE PAINT!!!!

Posted by: @PurpAv at March 12, 2013 02:26 PM (OsZtb)

170 There's 2 ways to learn a language.

1. By association, which is easy for kids but difficult for adults because children don't have words for stuff imprinted on their young brains.

2. By brute force, i.e., becoming an on-the-spot human translator. This is the hard way to do it.

***

I am trying to teach myself Latin.  This is my method which seems to be working.  I have an actual course (entitled Latin Via Ovid) in which I study noun declensions and other stuff.  I also read a sublinear Catholic Vulgate Bible (which is in ecclesiastical Latin rather than classical Latin but there is a lot of similarity).  I read as much of the Latin verse as I can and guess the rest.  Then I read the English verse and see how much I guessed right.  The idea is mimic the way a child learns a language combined with formal education.

Posted by: WalrusRex at March 12, 2013 02:26 PM (Hx5uv)

171 No, you don't get the key with whole word. You just get more and more piled on in the vain hope that you'll someday understand.

Posted by: Lauren at March 12, 2013 02:26 PM (wsGWu)

172 "168 Ironically, in Arabic, it's all the same thing. Inshallah. Posted by: Sean Bannion at March 12, 2013 06:25 PM (XNAft) " Inshobama.

Posted by: Mirror-Universe Mitt Romney at March 12, 2013 02:27 PM (C3R9m)

173 Most math teachers will start a lesson with a tough problem and invite students to solve it. They can't. Then they proceed to solving it. There is a education theory named 'Proximal Zone of Development' which might explain this. I've been told that I'm sort of Nazi extremist because I think there is more then just a little validity to the theory. I applied it in college, by choosing to sit in the front of the room next to people I perceived as intelligent. If I suddenly found myself lost, I could quickly ask that classmate a question and then get back on track. My near 4.0 q ave tells me I might have been barking up the right tree. Now where I guess I get called a Nazi extremist is when I suppose that filling our public schools with English as Second Language students precludes 'regular' students from any advantage, and actually places them at a severe disadvantage. But I'm sure the h8ers are right, because students are more and more brIter evr yr. SATs are through the stratosphere. Ore somethang.

Posted by: Regular Moron [/i] at March 12, 2013 02:27 PM (feFL6)

174 >>>We didn't question whether or not Colbert was a conservative.
We questioned whether or not he was a comedian.

Don't spend too much time responding to that snark. Just remember ergie spent YEARS watching Beavis and Butthead, and likely King of the Hill before he figured out that Mike Judge wasn't liberal and was actually making fun of him.

Posted by: MikeTheMoose DOOMCASTER! at March 12, 2013 02:27 PM (0q2P7)

175 What more could you possibly need? Boobehs?

Posted by: rickb223 at March 12, 2013 02:28 PM (d0Dmj)

176 Inshobama. Posted by: Mirror-Universe Mitt Romney at March 12, 2013 06:27 PM (C3R9m) Oh, modern Arabic. Fancy you. Which Indonesian madrasah were you in?

Posted by: Sean Bannion at March 12, 2013 02:29 PM (XNAft)

177 My husband is French (half, but first language), and a lawyer. I married one of the spawns of Satan, I know, I know. But, here's a typical conversation with his french friends: Blah, blah, blah Netflix, blah, blah Archer, blah blah, blah, PC, blah, web, blah, blah, blah, ESPN, blah, blah, StarCraft release, blah, global warming.... every other word, english, hehe

Posted by: sc beaches at March 12, 2013 02:30 PM (XYSwB)

178 Oh, modern Arabic. Fancy you. Which Indonesian madrasah were you in? The one that served dog?

Posted by: rickb223 at March 12, 2013 02:31 PM (d0Dmj)

179 "179 Inshobama. Posted by: Mirror-Universe Mitt Romney at March 12, 2013 06:27 PM (C3R9m) Oh, modern Arabic. Fancy you. Which Indonesian madrasah were you in? Posted by: Sean Bannion at March 12, 2013 06:29 PM (XNAft) " Indonesia? Pakistan, man. It's where all the best choom is.

Posted by: Mirror-Universe Mitt Romney at March 12, 2013 02:31 PM (C3R9m)

180 Boobehs? And I believe it's derogatory to refer to a woman's breasts as "boobs", "jugs", "winnebagos" or "golden bozos".. and that you should only refer to them as "hooters".

Posted by: Sean Bannion, channeling Steve Martin at March 12, 2013 02:31 PM (XNAft)

181 Spawn of Satan home and hungry. Time to watch soccer with some wings and slaw. *cheers

Posted by: sc beaches at March 12, 2013 02:31 PM (XYSwB)

182 For example, our spelling list was just a paragraph. You got it on Monday and tested on Friday. Who memorizes spelling like that?

Posted by: Lauren at March 12, 2013 02:32 PM (wsGWu)

183

"If you frustrate someone, and Mystify them, and and just bother them . . ."

If you substitue RIDICULE for Mystify, you have the method my big brother used to get me B's in freshman Calculus. (yeah, never went to class)

Posted by: Shirley at March 12, 2013 02:32 PM (Mp8PA)

184 "183 Boobehs? And I believe it's derogatory to refer to a woman's breasts as "boobs", "jugs", "winnebagos" or "golden bozos".. and that you should only refer to them as "hooters". Posted by: Sean Bannion, channeling Steve Martin at March 12, 2013 06:31 PM (XNAft) " Sounds like too much work. Just stick to talking about her (and I quote) "vajayjay." It's what all the cool Feminists are doing. :-P

Posted by: Mirror-Universe Mitt Romney at March 12, 2013 02:33 PM (C3R9m)

185 Iran wants to sue "Argo", Hollywood, and of course the Joooes and they get this, they are hiring a French Lawyer to do it? Kinda fits i guess

Posted by: Nevergiveup at March 12, 2013 02:33 PM (9Bj8R)

186 I think injecting celebrity humor into problems helps.  It's not often in my field I can do that, but on the last test I had a problem involving Randy Travis, Ke$ha, Nicki Minaj, Dustin Byfuglien, and an international shipment of vodka.

Posted by: logprof at March 12, 2013 02:33 PM (+iA5G)

187 And I believe it's derogatory to refer to a woman's breasts as "boobs", "jugs", "winnebagos" or "golden bozos".. and that you should only refer to them as "hooters".

Don't forget sweater zeppelins.

Posted by: pep at March 12, 2013 02:33 PM (6TB1Z)

188

"I would have cheated and busted it open with a hammer"

Works great. The "cubes" are (at least were) pressed into the mechanism, so a quick pry apart, arrange the cubes, press back together, and presto - done. Just as brilliant a solution as the twistoroundo method...

Posted by: Jess1 at March 12, 2013 02:33 PM (lbiWb)

189 Crap. Am home finally and this SECOND thread is super-long already! Okay - Whole Word - bane of my existence. Daughter learned it fine b/c she is a MEMORIZER. It's teh awesome for memorizers. Son is a Systemizer - let him understand the system and he can do ANYTHING - he's amazing. They had him in reading support midway thru kindergarten. I got fed up with Whole Word (the eff if even the IU person bothered with phonics, btw, and I fought very hard for phonics for him, he needed to learn the system) and anyway I taught him to read in the space of about a week. Using phonics and this really cool little book about 20 pages long that is just an old pamphlet about how to teach a child to read. Simple. Easy as pie.

Posted by: BlackOrchid at March 12, 2013 02:35 PM (J6kXj)

190 For example 1st grade "spelling test" would be the teacher reading the paragraph "The cat sat next to me. I ate an apple and pet him. He purred." That was the test. No rules, no phonics, just memorize the spelling of every word in the paragraph.

Posted by: Lauren at March 12, 2013 02:35 PM (wsGWu)

191 Boobehs? And I believe it's derogatory to refer to a woman's breasts as "boobs", "jugs", "winnebagos" or "golden bozos".. and that you should only refer to them as "hooters". Posted by: Sean Bannion, channeling Steve Martin at March 12, 2013 06:31 PM (XNAft) ------------------------------------------------------ Sweater puppehs are right out then right?

Posted by: Truck Monkey at March 12, 2013 02:36 PM (jucos)

192 I also HATE Everday Math but my kids are really good at Math so they're doing okay with it. I see a lot of kids just giving up already - they believe they're stupid - in second grade. and they hate math already! the whole thing is SAD

Posted by: BlackOrchid at March 12, 2013 02:36 PM (J6kXj)

193 The longer I am on this planet, the more I am convinced Hernstein and Murray had a point in The Bell Curve Right, erg?

Posted by: Sean Bannion at March 12, 2013 02:36 PM (XNAft)

194 Sweater puppehs are right out then right? I dunno. That is one of my faves. If only AtC were here to offer her Solomon-like wisdom....

Posted by: Sean Bannion at March 12, 2013 02:38 PM (XNAft)

195 "196 The longer I am on this planet, the more I am convinced Hernstein and Murray had a point in The Bell Curve Right, erg? Posted by: Sean Bannion at March 12, 2013 06:36 PM (XNAft) " The Bell Curve was ruined by all those chapters about the volcano. Which is a shame, because the sex scenes were awesome.

Posted by: Mirror-Universe Mitt Romney at March 12, 2013 02:39 PM (C3R9m)

196 Sweater puppehs are right out then right?

***

I wish.

Posted by: WalrusRex at March 12, 2013 02:39 PM (Hx5uv)

197
Did you guys watch the highlights of that idiot Mika today about the Bloomy's soda ban overturn?  What an idiot.

Posted by: Guy Mohawk at March 12, 2013 02:39 PM (SXIWf)

198 You guys are no fun and lack curiosity.


Figured it out seconds ago. I was just about to howl in frustration.


"Never touch the stuff. Fish fornicate in it."

Posted by: fluffy at March 12, 2013 02:40 PM (z9HTb)

199 On my drive home from work I passed a woman out jogging with a really nice large bouncy chest. Unfortunately she was wearing a T-shirt with a picture of Obama on it so his face was going boingy boingy. I've never been so conflicted in my life.

Posted by: Ian S. at March 12, 2013 02:40 PM (OevbG)

200 But bright side, I now have an insanely good memory, so there's that.

Posted by: Lauren at March 12, 2013 02:40 PM (wsGWu)

201 On my drive home from work I passed a woman out jogging with a really nice large bouncy chest. Unfortunately she was wearing a T-shirt with a picture of Obama on it so his face was going boingy boingy. I've never been so conflicted in my life. Posted by: Ian S. at March 12, 2013 06:40 PM (OevbG) What conflict? She is a dirt bag

Posted by: Nevergiveup at March 12, 2013 02:41 PM (9Bj8R)

202 "202 On my drive home from work I passed a woman out jogging with a really nice large bouncy chest. Unfortunately she was wearing a T-shirt with a picture of Obama on it so his face was going boingy boingy. I've never been so conflicted in my life. Posted by: Ian S. at March 12, 2013 06:40 PM (OevbG) " Tell her to take it off. :-P

Posted by: Mirror-Universe Mitt Romney at March 12, 2013 02:41 PM (C3R9m)

203 I heard that AtC likes both Spiders and Clowns. Is that true?

Posted by: Truck Monkey at March 12, 2013 02:41 PM (jucos)

204 just woke up (late) so without reading above -- emotion is absolutely essential to learning. Memory is formed during only when emotion tells the brain that what it is seeing is important (This is one of the fatal flaws in star trek. that and the transporter.) This should be incredibly obvious once you realize it is there since survival depends on learning things and some things are so important you don't want to have to be told twice. Like what foods make you sick, or what makes the tiger angry,...

Posted by: Endeavor to Persevere at March 12, 2013 02:43 PM (zZJJp)

205

" I've never been so conflicted in my life."

Let's see - sweater puppehs, t-shirts, decent weather, and daddy issues.

Where do I sign up?

Posted by: Jess1 at March 12, 2013 02:43 PM (lbiWb)

206 On my drive home from work I passed a woman out jogging with a really nice large bouncy chest. Unfortunately she was wearing a T-shirt with a picture of Obama on it so his face was going boingy boingy. I've never been so conflicted in my life. Posted by: Ian S. at March 12, 2013 06:40 PM (OevbG) " Tell her to take it off. :-P Posted by: Mirror-Universe Mitt Romney at March 12, 2013 06:41 PM (C3R9m) You can't take off stupid

Posted by: Nevergiveup at March 12, 2013 02:43 PM (9Bj8R)

207 Yep. I bet they showed the man by naming their daughter that.

Posted by: polynikes at March 12, 2013 06:26 PM (m2CN7)

The stupid name thing is a perfect example of the failure of Black culture in America.

Posted by: CharlieBrown'sDildo at March 12, 2013 02:45 PM (3Mkrp)

208 "209 On my drive home from work I passed a woman out jogging with a really nice large bouncy chest. Unfortunately she was wearing a T-shirt with a picture of Obama on it so his face was going boingy boingy. I've never been so conflicted in my life. Posted by: Ian S. at March 12, 2013 06:40 PM (OevbG) " Tell her to take it off. :-P Posted by: Mirror-Universe Mitt Romney at March 12, 2013 06:41 PM (C3R9m) You can't take off stupid Posted by: Nevergiveup at March 12, 2013 06:43 PM (9Bj8R) " No, but boobies are orthogonal to intellect. :-P

Posted by: Mirror-Universe Mitt Romney at March 12, 2013 02:45 PM (C3R9m)

209 You can't take off stupid Posted by: Nevergiveup at March 12, 2013 06:43 PM (9Bj8R) -------------------------------------------------------------- Word. Had a girlfriend in college that was like that. After the hot Monkey Lovin' there was nothin'. Nada zip zero. She was as vacant as an empty parking lot. I soon tired of her and her HUGE fun bags and moved on to someone that had a little sump'n sump'n to say.

Posted by: Truck Monkey at March 12, 2013 02:46 PM (jucos)

210 You can't take off stupid

Posted by: Nevergiveup at March 12, 2013 06:43 PM (9Bj8R)

No, but it can be crumpled up on the floor while she bounces around less unpleasantly clothed.

And then used as a towel afterwards.

Posted by: CharlieBrown'sDildo at March 12, 2013 02:46 PM (3Mkrp)

211 I heard that AtC likes both Spiders and Clowns. Is that true? Sir, sacred honor compels me to inform you that continuing along this line of inquiry may result in your untimely demise, or, barring that, a swift kick in the genitals from a short, busty ginger. Use this knowledge as you see fit.

Posted by: Sean Bannion at March 12, 2013 02:47 PM (XNAft)

212 I have a friend who is a vet.  A "nice puppy" vet not a bang bang vet.  Anyway, I told him that he had clearly made the right decision years ago to treat animals instead of people what with Obamacare in our future.  He told me that the Obamacare regulations would screw the animal doctors too.  There is now a headline up on Drudge that corroborates that.

Posted by: WalrusRex at March 12, 2013 02:47 PM (Hx5uv)

213 >>>On my drive home from work I passed a woman out jogging with a really nice large bouncy chest. Unfortunately she was wearing a T-shirt with a picture of Obama on it so his face was going boingy boingy. I've never been so conflicted in my life.
Posted by: Ian S. at March 12, 2013 06:40 PM (OevbG)

>>>What conflict? She is a dirt bag

She wasn't borderline, she failed.

Posted by: MikeTheMoose DOOMCASTER! at March 12, 2013 02:47 PM (0q2P7)

214 I have a friend who is a vet. A "nice puppy" vet not a bang bang vet. Anyway, I told him that he had clearly made the right decision years ago to treat animals instead of people what with Obamacare in our future. He told me that the Obamacare regulations would screw the animal doctors too. There is now a headline up on Drudge that corroborates that. Posted by: WalrusRex at March 12, 2013 06:47 PM (Hx5uv) It's gonna screw us all and the line is long and glorious

Posted by: Nevergiveup at March 12, 2013 02:48 PM (9Bj8R)

215 So they've moved from a dry recitation of the facts-- snoozer -- to injecting a minor mystery

It was Colonel Synapse, in the hippocampus ...

Posted by: Waterhouse at March 12, 2013 02:48 PM (y07jT)

216 The stupid name thing is a perfect example of the failure of Black culture in America. ::: gratuitously exaggerated head snap :::: Oh, no he dih'nt!!!

Posted by: LaQuanisha TyRonA Jackson at March 12, 2013 02:49 PM (XNAft)

217

OT from TMZ

 

 

Michelle Obama is the latest hacking victim in what has become an alarming breach of security.

The website that has disclosed detailed financial information about celebs like Beyonce, Jay-Z, Britney Spears, Donald Trump and Kim Kardashian has now upped its game, revealing very personal financial info about the First Lady.

The website has posted Michelle's credit report, which includes her social security number, phone numbers, banking and mortgage info and credit card details.

The website also hacked into Joe Biden's history, but the info the hackers were able to obtain was extremely limited. They obtained much more in Michelle's case.

When you click on Michelle's name on the website, it reveals this comment: "Blame your husband, we still love you, Michelle." So this could be more than sport ... maybe this is a clue the hackers have beef with Barack.


Posted by: thunderb at March 12, 2013 02:50 PM (Dnbau)

218 The stupid name thing is a perfect example of the failure of Black culture in America.

Posted by: CharlieBrown'sDildo at March 12, 2013 06:45 PM (3Mkrp)


Yeah, like that c*nt 9 year old actress.

Posted by: The Onion at March 12, 2013 02:51 PM (+iA5G)

219 Ace sounds confusicated.

Posted by: mpfs, assault fishstick at March 12, 2013 02:52 PM (iYbLN)

220 Ace, isn't this just another way of saying you learn what you want to learn?  One only gets frustrated if one cares.  Si une belle français te dirais des choses douces mais incomprehensibles a toi, tu serais frustré, et apprendre vite le sens de ses mots...

Posted by: ParisParamus at March 12, 2013 02:53 PM (T26Xk)

221 >>>How do you pronounce this name, which by the way is a real name of a poor girl in a school who was once taught by a friend of mine.

>>>La-a

I'd pronounce it "Lah Hyphen ahh" just to be a jerk.

Posted by: MikeTheMoose DOOMCASTER! at March 12, 2013 02:53 PM (0q2P7)

222 So, anyway, phonics is the way to go, but the words have to be chosen carefully.

Posted by: Mirror-Universe Mitt Romney at March 12, 2013 02:54 PM (C3R9m)

223 Now, Inception, there's possibly too many subplots, with the Snow chase, the Hotel, and the storm.

Posted by: archie goodwin at March 12, 2013 02:54 PM (Jsiw/)

224 The website also hacked into Joe Biden's history, but the info the hackers were able to obtain was extremely limited. As is his intelligence. By design. We feel that having an intelligent VP would be threatening to most Americans who vote in the Presidential election.

Posted by: Diana Moon Glampers[/i] at March 12, 2013 02:55 PM (feFL6)

225 224 >>>How do you pronounce this name, which by the way is a real name of a
poor girl in a school who was once taught by a friend of mine.



>>>La-a

I'd pronounce it "Lah Hyphen ahh" just to be a jerk.

Posted by: MikeTheMoose DOOMCASTER! at March 12, 2013 06:53 PM (0q2P7)


--One of my favorite NFL player names was Fuamatu-Ma'afala.  Filled up the back of his jersey.  And his first name?  Chris.

Posted by: logprof at March 12, 2013 02:57 PM (+iA5G)

226 "227 The website also hacked into Joe Biden's history, but the info the hackers were able to obtain was extremely limited. As is his intelligence. By design. We feel that having an intelligent VP would be threatening to most Americans who vote in the Presidential election. Posted by: Diana Moon Glampers at March 12, 2013 06:55 PM (feFL6) " Security through obscurity.

Posted by: Mirror-Universe Mitt Romney at March 12, 2013 02:57 PM (C3R9m)

227 Ace: "If you frustrate someone, and Mystify them, and and just bother them with something they cannot understand, they now have emotional skin in the game."

Or they choose not to invest more at all due to the frustration, get pissed if you "force" them into investing more, and go play Xbox which, by the way, may be frustrating at first but they're wholly willing to be Mystified by that endeavor.

People will readily learn about stuff which interests them, frustrating or not. They'll learn about the other stuff if there is a threat of pain (e.g. failing grades) if they don't.

Posted by: AnonymousDrivel at March 12, 2013 02:58 PM (eHIJJ)

228 >>>Now, Inception, there's possibly too many subplots, with the Snow chase, the Hotel, and the storm.

Did you forget the wife, and his mental image of her.
the kids, and his impeding charges that keeps him away from them.
getting trapped in dreamland, first with the wife then with his employer.
the use and need for tokens.

and the actual plot, how to plant an idea so that the brain internalizes it as its own idea not an external one.

Posted by: MikeTheMoose DOOMCASTER! at March 12, 2013 02:58 PM (0q2P7)

229 But if the words aren't chose correctly, phonics will only make things worse. Once the student understands the basic phonemic patterns, more irregular words can be introduced and learned in a more "holistic" (and morphemic) manner.

Posted by: Mirror-Universe Mitt Romney at March 12, 2013 02:59 PM (C3R9m)

230 Phonics, where ghoeti can spell "fish."

Posted by: AllenG (Dedicated Tenther) Channelling Breitbart at March 12, 2013 03:00 PM (nUH8H)

231 chosen*

Posted by: Mirror-Universe Mitt Romney at March 12, 2013 03:00 PM (C3R9m)

232

How do you pronounce this name, which by the way is a real name of a
poor girl in a school who was once taught by a friend of mine.

 

L-a? Funny story - that name was mentioned on this board, and I thought it funny enough to pass on to my parents. Last summer we went to Ohio to see some relatives, and somehow my Dad ended up writing out that name for my aunt. My Aunt looked at it, and said, "Oh, yes, we know her."

Either the world is a small place, or there is more than one L-a out there. :p

Posted by: Grey Fox at March 12, 2013 03:01 PM (d1fAu)

233 "233 Phonics, where ghoeti can spell "fish." Posted by: AllenG (Dedicated Tenther) Channelling Breitbart at March 12, 2013 07:00 PM (nUH8H) " Well, strictly speaking, not so much. :-P

Posted by: Mirror-Universe Mitt Romney at March 12, 2013 03:01 PM (C3R9m)

234 The most intriguing part of the "The Mystification/Revelation Method of Teaching" post was when Ace threw the virgin into the volcano. I admit to being totally confused - mystified as it were - and wanting to understand the purpose of that further.

Posted by: AnonymousDrivel at March 12, 2013 03:02 PM (eHIJJ)

235

"The stupid name thing is a perfect example of the failure of Black culture in America."

Yeah. Who else would name a kid "Reince Priebus"?

Posted by: Jess1 at March 12, 2013 03:02 PM (lbiWb)

236 "237 The most intriguing part of the "The Mystification/Revelation Method of Teaching" post was when Ace threw the virgin into the volcano. I admit to being totally confused - mystified as it were - and wanting to understand the purpose of that further. Posted by: AnonymousDrivel at March 12, 2013 07:02 PM (eHIJJ) " She was a hobo virgin. :-P

Posted by: Mirror-Universe Mitt Romney at March 12, 2013 03:03 PM (C3R9m)

237 Yeah, Inception was in dire need of some serious editing.

Posted by: Dr Spank at March 12, 2013 03:03 PM (AWl8t)

238 "238 "The stupid name thing is a perfect example of the failure of Black culture in America." Yeah. Who else would name a kid "Reince Priebus"? Posted by: Jess1 at March 12, 2013 07:02 PM (lbiWb) " RNC Prius.

Posted by: Mirror-Universe Mitt Romney at March 12, 2013 03:03 PM (C3R9m)

239 Yeah no big thrill. It was my sisters in the basement that I took out of the hamper? Posted by: Nevergiveup at March 12, 2013 05:51 PM (9Bj8R) How many of your sisters were in that hamper? Late. I know.

Posted by: Opus An Arcus at March 12, 2013 03:04 PM (ftZTl)

240 "242 Yeah no big thrill. It was my sisters in the basement that I took out of the hamper? Posted by: Nevergiveup at March 12, 2013 05:51 PM (9Bj8R) How many of your sisters were in that hamper? Late. I know. Posted by: Opus An Arcus at March 12, 2013 07:04 PM (ftZTl) " Mystifying.

Posted by: Mirror-Universe Mitt Romney at March 12, 2013 03:05 PM (C3R9m)

241

"If you frustrate someone, and Mystify them, and and just bother them with something they cannot understand, they now have emotional skin in the game. They feel dumb, and don't want to feel dumb. Not understanding bothers them.

And then when you Reveal it All to them, they have another Emotional reaction: They feel great."

 

 

 

 

In other words, the dating ritual of the American Female.

Posted by: Cicero Kid at March 12, 2013 03:09 PM (UrENZ)

242 And on Hub they just had the Yakko sing the President Song.  Glad I was taught the real story and not that drivel.  Really liked how they made it seem the US was in WWI from the start by listing Gallipoli and the Somme, but omitting Belleau Wood.

Posted by: Anna Puma (+SmuD) at March 12, 2013 03:09 PM (kXwK3)

243 In other words, the dating ritual of the American Female. Annnnnnd we have a thread winner!

Posted by: Sean Bannion at March 12, 2013 03:10 PM (IZpkf)

244 I forget, if Ace, did a review of it, because it would have been a 10,000 word deal

Posted by: archie goodwin at March 12, 2013 03:10 PM (Jsiw/)

245 Instead, they set things up to provoke a question in the audience's mind -- "Wait, why is this happening?" -- and then, the audience now actively engaged in interrogating the movie, they now have Mr. Exposition answer the question the audience was actually (mildly) interested in.

The first "Terminator" did this perfectly. There had been nonstop action and violence, and the audience was ready to relax and hear some backstory.

Posted by: boulder toilet hobo at March 12, 2013 03:11 PM (QTHTd)

246 "245 And on Hub they just had the Yakko sing the President Song. Glad I was taught the real story and not that drivel. Really liked how they made it seem the US was in WWI from the start by listing Gallipoli and the Somme, but omitting Belleau Wood. Posted by: Anna Puma (+SmuD) at March 12, 2013 07:09 PM (kXwK3) " Oh, Anna. :-)

Posted by: Mirror-Universe Mitt Romney at March 12, 2013 03:11 PM (C3R9m)

247 Hooked on phonics monkey worked for me! http://tinyurl.com/bck9rcc

Posted by: Rick C. at March 12, 2013 03:12 PM (i7B17)

248 Mirror-Universe Mitt Romney: "She was a hobo virgin. :-P"

Well that's crazy talk, that's what that is. Hobo Virgin >> Marco Rubio's Dumpster Trash. You just don't go around throwing virgins, whatever their religion, into volcanoes. I'm more Mystified than ever. Xbox is looking pretty good now.

Posted by: AnonymousDrivel at March 12, 2013 03:14 PM (eHIJJ)

249 Been thinking about little napolean mayor of NYC. A lot of folks are realizing all of a sudden that he represents the marriage of big business and government. Folks have commented about this all day, wonder what made them realize this now. They are actually starting to ask how he benefits from all his bans.

Posted by: Snarky the Bear at March 12, 2013 03:15 PM (/b8+5)

250 "251 Mirror-Universe Mitt Romney: "She was a hobo virgin. :-P" Well that's crazy talk, that's what that is. Hobo Virgin >> Marco Rubio's Dumpster Trash. You just don't go around throwing virgins, whatever their religion, into volcanoes. I'm more Mystified than ever. Xbox is looking pretty good now. Posted by: AnonymousDrivel at March 12, 2013 07:14 PM (eHIJJ) " The Hobo-Virgin Sacrifice is an integral part of the Rubio-Dumpster ritual. :-P

Posted by: Mirror-Universe Mitt Romney at March 12, 2013 03:17 PM (C3R9m)

251 Has anyone opened the email from "Lindsay Siler, BarackObama.com" which begins "This isn't meant to scare you"

Posted by: Snarky the Bear at March 12, 2013 03:18 PM (/b8+5)

252 Nood

Posted by: Tami[/i] at March 12, 2013 03:19 PM (X6akg)

253 Snarky the Bear: "They are actually starting to ask how he benefits from all his bans."

Maybe they could also start noticing how many SQUIRRELS! he's throwing at them while the city collapses on his watch.

Bloomberg: "Hostile environment for your business you say? Tax burden increasing? Debt skyrocketing? It's all that damn salt and sugar, People. Google it!"

Posted by: AnonymousDrivel at March 12, 2013 03:20 PM (eHIJJ)

254 Nood boots Tami?

Posted by: Anna Puma (+SmuD) at March 12, 2013 03:20 PM (kXwK3)

255 Yeah Jess, I think that's a family name. Do you enjoy 'batin?

Posted by: Frito Plover, Esq. at March 12, 2013 03:21 PM (UsR5V)

256 I gots yer study right here. Two points:

First, whole language as a concept and as a delivery system to our kinders was, is, and forever more shall be a steaming crock of made up teacher metrics BULLSHIT!!!!!

Your own example is an invocation, and a poor one, of phonics or phonetic learning. You probably didn't realize it as most of the actual teachers slip in some old fashioned whatever works methods even when they desperately try not to.

Second, I must ask my own life long quandry. How is it some of us have the Competition/Anger part of our brain seemingly activated at birth? I've never required the frustration/mystification step so the actual learning for me has always been a little like grabbing a fire hose of data input.  My sense of emotional relief does occur, however, I could easily have a fresh cup of coffee and get the same buzz.

Posted by: Blacksmith8 at March 12, 2013 03:26 PM (Yzu6e)

257

The Frustrtion part of this method can be dangerous. I'd say a fair amount of kids will get frustrated and give up before the big reveal. I know I used to operate that way in school.

Like when the class would do some task together that took a while to solve. One person would say "Oh, I found it!" Then another. Then two or three until the room is a symphony of triump. And then the last kid who is still trying to figure out why he's the only one in class too stupid to get the answer as everyone else sits and smiles at hime...that was me.

 

And that's why the Frustration part of the Frustration/Revelation killed my desire to learn Geometry.

Posted by: Bobby K at March 12, 2013 03:40 PM (MrreA)

258

#258, No $hit, Sherlock.

 

Yep.

Posted by: Jess1 at March 12, 2013 03:45 PM (lbiWb)

259 Then why did you pretend to play dumb?

Posted by: Frito Plover, Esq. at March 12, 2013 04:14 PM (UsR5V)

260 Coming up next, JJ Abrams new thriller/class... Are You Smarter Than LOST?

Posted by: Memories at March 12, 2013 04:44 PM (a565n)

261 It is a Hydra.  It lives because it has almost unlimited Federal/State funds to feed it.  Stop the funds aka US $$$ and you regain control.  This means you physically go to every PTA meeting as well as running and getting elected, as the local school board of education committee. As "they" say, it's for The Children.  Time to step up and smack them down.

Posted by: sirsurfalot at March 12, 2013 04:45 PM (Q2Ne0)

262 The frustration/revelation method ... isn't that the the Socratic Method?  I think so.

Posted by: canoedad at March 12, 2013 04:53 PM (twwlf)

263 Funny that you would describe the Mystery Word as "water".  Didn't Helen Keller finally "get" sign language from the word "water"?

Posted by: CBDenver at March 12, 2013 04:55 PM (N9T0N)

264 AHNYYYEEEHHHHHSHSHHHHSHSHSHSHSHSAHNG

Posted by: Helen Keller at March 12, 2013 05:14 PM (9P+hO)

265 This is why when they teach foreign languages they actually give you texts that are slightly above your level, so you will work hard to puzzle it out and gain insight that way.

Posted by: sexypig at March 12, 2013 05:19 PM (dZQh7)

266 Great minds think alike. The idea is, indeed, found in Plato's Meno, where he describe Socrates' teaching method as such: Soc. Do you see, Meno, what advances he has made? He did not know at first, and he does not know now, what is the side of a figure of eight feet: but then he thought that he knew, and answered confidently as if he knew, and had no difficulty; now he has a difficulty, and neither knows nor fancies that he knows. Men. True. Soc. Is he not better off in knowing his ignorance? Men. I think that he is. Soc. If we have made him doubt, and given him the "torpedo's shock," have we done him any harm? Men. I think not. Soc. We have certainly, as would seem, assisted him in some degree to the discovery of the truth; and now he will wish to remedy his ignorance, but then he would have been ready to tell all the world again and again that the double space should have a double side. Men. True. Soc. But do you suppose that he would ever have enquired into or learned what he fancied that he knew, though he was really ignorant of it, until he had fallen into perplexity under the idea that he did not know, and had desired to know? Men. I think not, Socrates. Soc. Then he was the better for the torpedo's touch? Men. I think so. The word that is translated here as a "torpedo" is what we would call a "sting ray" today. So good call on that one, Ace. I think there's also a passage somewhere in the text where Socrates starts hectoring Plato that the students in the Academy "all get shirts" - but scholars are divided as to the meaning of that passage.

Posted by: grillix at March 12, 2013 05:26 PM (zIo2w)

267 Ace is slightly interesting this evening.

Posted by: Rink2 at March 12, 2013 05:42 PM (0BIqy)

268 Ace, most of the great works involve a God. That is, the essence of being, and until you see that, you are floundering in mediocrity.

Posted by: Rink2 at March 12, 2013 05:48 PM (0BIqy)

269 MikeTheMouse, Inception is beyond your pay grade.

Posted by: Rink2 at March 12, 2013 05:53 PM (0BIqy)

270 Ace, Suggested reading: "The Structure of Scientific Revolutions" by Thomas Kuhn.

Posted by: Uncajohn at March 12, 2013 07:27 PM (mf0NM)

271 I have heard that the USMC throws impossible tasks at ROTC persons in order to train them. Over time, these men and women become the greatest of Men and Women to fight, at least in many ways they do, if not always every moment.

Posted by: twoslaps at March 12, 2013 07:49 PM (N36ZX)

272 Pardon me for asking, but.... WHY FRENCH? Just curious. (I'm working on Spanish myself)

Posted by: Kathy from Kansas at March 12, 2013 10:58 PM (F0o5k)

Posted by: Vic at March 13, 2013 01:21 AM (53z96)

274 you are not learning a thing if the answer is suddenly "revealed" to you ... you'll still feel stupid ...

Posted by: JeffC at March 13, 2013 03:32 AM (dtOe6)

Hide Comments | Add Comment | Refresh | Top

Comments are disabled. Post is locked.
226kb generated in CPU 0.1631, elapsed 0.3609 seconds.
64 queries taking 0.2979 seconds, 402 records returned.
Powered by Minx 1.1.6c-pink.

Support





Donate to Ace of Spades HQ!


Contact

Change the At to "@" and the DOT to "."




Intermarkets' Privacy Policy
Support


Donate to Ace of Spades HQ!


Search Thingy



Archives

Monthly Traffic

  • Pages: 30643
  • Files: 372
  • Bytes: 801.0M
  • CPU Time: 37:06
  • Queries: 873221

Content

  • Posts: 22824
  • Comments: 5953260

Feeds


RSS 2.0 Atom 1.0