On Tue, 15 Dec 2009 17:42:25 -0800 (PST), "Sal M. Onella"
wrote:

I taught school in the
Navy, but I have no experience with little kids, except my own. My
Navy students were almost always well-motivated but I have no idea
what the 4th graders are going to be like.

I know what you mean because our experience has converged there.
Outside of the Navy, and just yesterday, I was Mentoring 3 of my high
school students to varying degrees of success. When asked how it
went, I responded "up, down, and sideways." Luckily this response is
not the typical experience. These kids are from the lower end of the
socio-economic spectrum, but the school system here in Seattle has
made an investment, and community (I do this through the NW Assoc. for
Biological Researcher) does its part to. Computer literacy is tops
(without the golden hand of Chairman Bill Gates being felt). From
their interest and drive, their challenged background (or challenged
emotional/developmental life) doesn't disrupt their momentum.

One of the most profound lectures I have ever read, insofar as
teaching science goes, dates back roughly 150 years to one of our own.
"The Chemical History of the Candle" by Michael Faraday is a series of
lectures by the master of inductance given to young students. It is
the classic of its type and sets the standard even to this day.

One might ponder about the significance of a history of the candle. In
one sense, it is quite complete to that heading alone. But beyond it,
and he goes vastly beyond it, there is coverage that is topical to the
current energy debate, the current green debate, and current to the
state of biology that is understandable by the mid-schooler on.

One point that still astonishes me is when Faraday makes the point
(and I will extrapolate to current capacities) that for every barrel
of oil burned, a barrel of water is produced in the combustion
process. I have to wonder at the plight of science understanding (not
just training) when I see huge flame geysers burning in the desert
(waste gas) of an oil rich country that has to import water:
"What the ****? Over"

73's
Richard Clark, KB7QHC