Learning/Teaching

[lady brown <YKFLB@TTACS.TTU.EDU>]

Eric,

You said more elegantly what I have come to believe:  people
learn something when they want to know it or have to know it.  I
can present information till the cows come home, but if my
students don't want to know the information or need to know the
information, they probably won't learn it, however interestingly,
intelligently, clearly, and entertainly I may present it.

Yes, I had a good 8th grade teacher--Miss Miller--who taught me
to diagram sentences, etc, but I didn't really learn
grammar--terminology, usage, etc.--until I had to teach it to my
own students.  I still am struggling with absolute phrases and
with whether to put a comma before "as well as . . . ."  Does "as
well as" function as a coordinate conjunction or what?  So far, I
haven't found the answer in any of the handbooks.
 
Right now, I want to learn what wines compliment what foods. 
I've been reading UNDER THE TUSCAN SUN in which Frances Mayes
talks about restoring an old house in Italy, cooking, eating,
etc.  I also want to learn how to grow tomatoes and basil because
insalata caprese is my favorite.  Wonderful if I can learn to
make fresh mozzarella? Last weekend, I wanted to learn how to make 
the toilet at Sand Creek stop dripping, and I found the answer in 
an old copy of the  New York Times Home Repair book.  The toilet 
no longer drip, drip, drips.

If our students don't desire to know what we have to teach, how
can we create that desire?  If our students don't recognize that
they need to know what we have to teach, how can we create that
need?

Lady Falls Brown