Re: STUDENTS GO AWAY!!!!!!!??????

["Samuel A. Mize" <smize@magellan.bgm.link.com>]

Matthew Givens wrote:
> 
> dewar@merv.cs.nyu.edu (Robert Dewar) wrote:
> >
> >This has nothing to do with the Web, we are talking newsgroups here. You
> 
> >need to learn much more about what is going on. Yes, the net is an
> >environment of equality and freedom, but with equality and freedom go
> >responsibility and good citizenship and the need to have educated
> >citizens -- just like any democracy, the smooth operation of society
> >depends on this!
> 
> I came in late on this one, Robert, but it seems to me you don't want
> students posting in this Newsgroup.  IMHO, this isn't the correct
> attitude.  the Newsgroup should be open to those who have questions about
> things they don't understand.  I mean, that's the point, right?  Help
> folks solve problems?


What Mr. Dewar said, which I agree with, is that if all students
post all their basic questions, the newsgroup will be flooded
out.  He suggests that students should (1) Use the other online
information sources, like the tutorials at www.adahome.com, and
(2) get their basic information from their texts and teachers,
instead of asking the entire planet "how do arrays work?"

However, others have taken a strong anti-student-on-cla attitude
(maybe it was Mr. Dewar in another post, I don't know).  We need
to find a balance, and maybe we need to generate a new group for
questions and answers.

I haven't seen anyone respond angrily to a student asking for
pointers to online resources.  often see students get good
results from asking for basic understanding about a topic
(either explanations or pointers to other resources), but they
sometimes get people carping at them too.

I do feel it would help to have a pointer posted weekly to
www.adahome.com, so when a neophyte hits the group for the first
time it's almost sure to be visible.  It would be good if this
included some information about how to get help via the net
and/or on cla without rousing some folks' ire.  It would be
great if everyone coming into newsgroups for the first time
knew how they work, but that generally comes with experience.

(Owner of www.adahome.com: if you want me to do a weekly
pointer, contact me at my personal account: smize@imagin.net.
In a volunteer organization, complaining = volunteering.)

Sam Mize

-- Samuel Mize           (817) 619-8622               "Team Ada"
-- Hughes Training Inc.  PO Box 6171 m/s 400, Arlington TX 76005