Is there a pedagogical value to being confusing?

When a teacher makes a lot of mistakes, and you notice them and shoot up your hand to correct them, are you learning more or less than if the teacher was right all the time?

What if it isn't you shooting up your hand, but someone in the same class as you?

Since my degree is practical and science-oriented, most of what I learn is self-consistent rule systems (math, thermodynamics, physics). So, it is pretty easy to notice when a mistake occurs during teaching, and they are quickly rectified.

My opinion is that small mistakes make the transmission of information more clear, as it encourages you to correct information. So, should a teacher do it on purpose?

I am a T.A. for first-year calculus, and mostly I teach how to work through problems. When I am designing how to teach a problem, I build in common mistakes that people make and, of course, a few of my own by accident. Then, the process of doing a problem is much more interactive, and I think it makes for better students.

Comments?

Flash is back

I used a new FTP site, so here is my first flash again.




Watch for more coming up!

Ruben's Tube

Whenever I see something like this, it gives me more reason to become an eccentric rich person who retires to live in a museum owning all sorts of shit like this.

The new iCod

And the original:

Theory of Forms what? what?

I love the ancient idea of Theory of Forms by Plato. I try to reference it as much as possible in conversation.

The idea that there are two worlds, the real one, and than a higher one of perfect ideas is a very old-fashioned belief. The Theory is summed up as this:

The Theory of Forms typically refers to Plato's belief that the material world as it seems to us is not the real world, but only a shadow of the real world. All relation as form becomes the basis for discovery of the form, an inference of the ancient Greek schools.
-From the Wikipedia article

Case in point: Plato actually opposed to the creation of "art" because it was imitating something in our reality, which was already a bastardized version of what existed as a "being" form. As if where an object stood in the hierarchy or reality determined its worth.

Anyway, I find anything that perverts this presumed hierarchy of the world refreshing, like this hotel room with all the edges outlined to make it look like a cartoon:

Link.

What have I been up to?

With my (barely) free time?

Playing Hitman 2 - it's a beautiful combination of TPS, puzzle solving, and cinematic experience. It's the sort of game I would be proud making.

The Statistics of Awesomeness

I have a very deep faith. Faith, that in the large but not infinite set of possible events on this planet, awesome things happen.

There are, after all, six billion conscious beings on earth. That is a really big number. Now that may not be a good objective indicator of all the different things that happen, but STILL. Big number.

The whole point of this is that somewhere, at some point, I have a deep belief that a Banana Truck hit a Toy Marble Truck during a Roller Blade Derby.

The only unfortunate part is that no-one has sent me the pictures yet.

The Definition of an Artist

This following is not bullshit.

As far as I can tell, people who call themselves artists do little to create things that are "new". (There is nothing wrong with that, by the way)

I am of the belief that all that will or can be created exists in people's minds already in lesser forms.

An artist solely exists to notice things that are cool or important or relevant and to say "Hey, look at this people." Whether these are things that already exist (found art), or things they have amalgamated themselves, but already did exist in mental space, they are just noticing the cool things.

People who are good at this, according to measures of popularity, become better artists. And what they tell people to look at ("Hey, hey! Right here! Look at me!") is believed to be more artful or important than others, as is probably so.

There are no entrance requirements to be this sort of person. Just as there are no special privileges alloted once you are this sort of person.

Okay, I'm off to do some Advanced Math.