What a small world we live in! I remember him doing similar experiments for my class and enjoying the wonder these reactions created for his students. I found out that recently he passed away suddenly last fall, so I'm glad to have even this little tribute to him on my blog. Rest in peace, Dr. Paul Hunter!
Saturday, August 3, 2013
A quick note...
At the beginning of the summer, I added the video gadget onto my blog, thinking that chemical explosions always produce little moments of wonder, regardless of your background knowledge or interest in chemistry. The top video, randomly selected by YouTube, is a recording of a professor of mine from MSU!
What a small world we live in! I remember him doing similar experiments for my class and enjoying the wonder these reactions created for his students. I found out that recently he passed away suddenly last fall, so I'm glad to have even this little tribute to him on my blog. Rest in peace, Dr. Paul Hunter!
What a small world we live in! I remember him doing similar experiments for my class and enjoying the wonder these reactions created for his students. I found out that recently he passed away suddenly last fall, so I'm glad to have even this little tribute to him on my blog. Rest in peace, Dr. Paul Hunter!
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Laura,
ReplyDeleteThanks for posting. I was able to connect to this post on many levels, most of them non-academic I have to begrudgingly admit. However, I can certainly relate to a teacher having a profound effect on my learning experience. I think of great teachers as "masters of their craft" and it was certainly evident that Dr. Paul Hunter was just that. It's amazing to me that he knows the outcome of each action he's about to do before he does it. I know, I know, he's a chemist and that's his job, but to me the understanding of reactions at the molecular level is very fascinating.
Further, I too am imbued with a sense of wonder when I saw the reaction of Potassium Iodide in the test tube. The multi-color flames that he saws also elicit a sense of bewilderment for me. I wish I had a stronger base of Chemistry. I think it would allow me to understand the micro happenings of our world in a way that is fascinating. I hope you're able to do cool experiments like the ones in the video in your classroom.
Instilling in your students a sense of curiosity I think is pivotal for them to become more enthralled with chemistry. It truly is a fascinating natural science.
I have to admit that I jumped in my chair at that first explosion. That wow factor can really be used to engage kids in the material and get their attention. Our responsibility then, is to keep their attention and use that energy to delve deep into asking questions, making inferences, and reasoning. I believe it was mentioned in class that if all you do is loud bangs and cool experiments, you're missing an opportunity to reach kids on an intellectual level deep enough to translate the knowledge learned to other principles. Like Ben, I find some of chemistry fascinating. Other parts put me to sleep. It seems that this professor of yours was enthusiastic and educational. We need more people like him in our field. thanks for the post.
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