Chemistry, Teaching, and Renewal Like so many subjects, chemistry is a product of the human intellect. Science is often considered to he the study of material things, which, of course, are fixed in their properties and nature. Thus, it is not surprising that the study of science may appear to the uninitiated as a-potentially sterile investigation-an uncovering-of an unknown but immutahle nature. A deeper understanding of the particulars of chemistry, however, quickly reveals the source of the richness which attracts many to the serious study of the subject. On the one hand, there are many varied opportunities for "doing chemistrv." ,, for makine things hamen .. which mav or mav not occur in the normal world in which we live. There is little doubt about the fascination and challenee of beine ahle to re~roduce natural phenomena under laboratory conditions, or of being able to do something in the lahoratorv that has not beenL.
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satisfaction in being able to understand a myriad of apparentlv unrelated facts. in the sense of workine out a uuzzle. the physical pricesses of doing as ujeli as the mental processes associated with organization and representation. Chemists in general are interested hoth in what we know and how we know it. With respect to the involvement of human intellect and talent, chemistry has much in common with the arts and the humanities. The fact that chemistry is a dynamic discipline provides an additional challenge. New knowledge is discovered, sometimes in the most unexpected places, which necessitates a change in old organizations and affects the established theories and/or their details. Such nrocesses occasionallv" mav. . nroduce new theories that provide better, or additional, insights into previouslv ..~ o o r"l vunderstood or uncorrelated information. Thus. the entire process of "doing chemistry" gives rise to an everchaneine, almost turbulent environment which can be a istry a t all levels must recognize and deal with a serious temuoral uroblem, viz.. they have "learned" their chemistry a t Home moment in time where the fabric of the subject by its nature is incompletely developed. Teachers usually begin teaching several years after they have learned their chemistry; while they are busily, sometimes overwhelmingly, engaged with the unique demands of teaching, there is a real possibility
that some important aspects of the subject will hegin to change because of the discovery of new facts, etc. The problem is compounded as time goes on if teachers do not make an effort to keep up with new developments. As the period of time in which they were trained recedes, they become increasingly out of touch with the evolving structure of chemistry, and their effectiveness as teachers begins to diminish. under such conditions, their influence on their students can be no greater than the textbooks they use: they become transmitters of knowledge rather than amplifiers. If only new facts are involved. such a situation does little harm. but where intellectual processes are affected, the differences between a transmitter and amulifier becomes criticallv imnortant. If teachers have fabric of their or~ginalunderstandings of the subject, transmission gains a t the expense of amplification. Chemistry teachers periodically require time free of other duties and res~onsihilities.Time to acquire new facts and insights.-~n.addition,teachers must also deal with advances in our knowledge about the process of education: how students learn and better ways of teaching and helping students to learn. In a sense, teachers need time for renewal if they are to be effective. Renewal can take many different forms, hut the essential elements-acquisition, accommodation, and reflection-are the same. The acquisition of new facts and ideas can occur during an evening spent a t a local ACS section meeting; through independent study; a t a short course, a summer institute; or during the more formal pursuit of an advanced degree. Accommodation and reflection are highly individualistic, variable processes which generally involve a longer time frame than that needed for the acauisition of new facts and ideas. However, accommodatmn and reflection are totally deuendent uuon acuuis~tion.If chemistrv teachers are to be-effective, the; musttake the time-on their own initiative or, ideally, with institutional encouragement and support-to ensure their own professional growth and development. As teachers we also have a resuonsihilitv to make our needs in this area known to those who are in pisitions to help, by providina thouehtfull~formulated and well articulated si&estions.?he importance of consciously undertaken, periodic self-renewal cannot he over emphasized. JJL
Volume 60 Number 11 November 1983
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