Post by John Smith on Sept 25, 2012 15:30:07 GMT -6
The Report that follows was submitted to the Cambridge University Press website, which was compiling anonymous reviews of the professors for the purpose of showing prospective students what the university had to offer. The footage was taken by a student while Doctor Smith was working there as a physics professor in a special summer course that was open to all members of the public (primary schoolers to pensioners).
Student: I went in with low expectations. I mean... it's physics class. Seriously, how exciting could that be? I'm not a math or science person in general, so I definitely was expecting a snooze-fest. I'd heard about his class from some of my friends who had him before, and reviews were pretty positive. But, they were all science people so I thought, maybe it was just a science thing. But, they told me that he was pretty quirky and I might like him, since I do like collecting quirky characters, since I am an aspiring film writer. So, anyway, I walked in and this happened:
Student: Well, it was a little weird to say the least. I thought he had to be joking. I mean, I was sitting there while he was lecturing and all I could hear was "physics, physics, physics". I was horrified. Could I really be that far behind in science? If it continued this way I faced certain failure. I turned to the teacher's aid and asked if he was always like this. She said, he was just warming up. What followed was two hours of what I can only describe as pure theatre. At one point, the professor had the teacher's aid pass out hula hoops for each student in order to demonstrate some law of motion that is now lost on me.
Student: And, then the whole class participated in an equation screaming water gun fight--- the rules of the game were simple--- you were given a card with a question and an answer, and a water gun. Then, we walked around and found random people to quiz in a sort of "duel"... all I can say is that it soon degenerated into complete anarchy, and ties were removed and re-fitted around foreheads.
Student: I know, it doesn't sound like we got a lot done, but the strange thing is, by the end of the lecture... I found that I'd actually learned something! And, not just about the maturity level of your average Cambridge lecture hall, but about physics--- something I had come to believe was beyond my intellectual capability. Actually, all in all, it wasn't bad at all until the end...
Student: When he gave us the home work.
Student: Just kidding! It was:
The Anonymous Video (Gif) Diary of a Student of Doctor John Smith
Student: I went in with low expectations. I mean... it's physics class. Seriously, how exciting could that be? I'm not a math or science person in general, so I definitely was expecting a snooze-fest. I'd heard about his class from some of my friends who had him before, and reviews were pretty positive. But, they were all science people so I thought, maybe it was just a science thing. But, they told me that he was pretty quirky and I might like him, since I do like collecting quirky characters, since I am an aspiring film writer. So, anyway, I walked in and this happened:
Student: Well, it was a little weird to say the least. I thought he had to be joking. I mean, I was sitting there while he was lecturing and all I could hear was "physics, physics, physics". I was horrified. Could I really be that far behind in science? If it continued this way I faced certain failure. I turned to the teacher's aid and asked if he was always like this. She said, he was just warming up. What followed was two hours of what I can only describe as pure theatre. At one point, the professor had the teacher's aid pass out hula hoops for each student in order to demonstrate some law of motion that is now lost on me.
Student: And, then the whole class participated in an equation screaming water gun fight--- the rules of the game were simple--- you were given a card with a question and an answer, and a water gun. Then, we walked around and found random people to quiz in a sort of "duel"... all I can say is that it soon degenerated into complete anarchy, and ties were removed and re-fitted around foreheads.
Student: I know, it doesn't sound like we got a lot done, but the strange thing is, by the end of the lecture... I found that I'd actually learned something! And, not just about the maturity level of your average Cambridge lecture hall, but about physics--- something I had come to believe was beyond my intellectual capability. Actually, all in all, it wasn't bad at all until the end...
Student: When he gave us the home work.
Student: Just kidding! It was:
