Thought for today:
"When I was first introduced to the theory of genetics as a young school boy, like many other scholars, it took a while for it to sink in.
Genetics deals with the molecular structure and function of genes. An Augustinian friar named Gregor Johann Mendel gained posthumous fame as the founder of genetic science and made his discovery whilst experimenting with peas and bees in his monastic garden during the second half of the 19th century. It is reported that when Mendel first read his paper on his findings in 1865, it was initially believed to be about hybridization and not the inheritance gene. Even Charles Darwin was initially unaware of the importance of Mendel's Paper that was published and entitled, 'Versuche über Pflanzenhybriden' (Experiments on Plant Hybridization), and many scientists refused to accept its findings until the turn of the century.
When I was working in the field of behaviour modification from the 1970's to almost 2,000, I needed to obtain a teaching certificate. I naturally became interested in 'the best teaching methods'. I came across a paper about the workings of the brain and in particular, how one is best thought by their teachers. I knew that we all learn at a different pace, but until then had been wholly unaware that we each learn best by different methods of instruction.
Many teachers will be aware of the saying, 'show, don't tell;' a saying which touches upon the scientific paper I read in 1972. The paper essentially argued that we all learn differently in one major respect. Some of us who tend to be more logical in thought prefer the method of being told straight out and provided with figures, whereas some of a more artistic nature like to see a diagram, image or picture before it clicks. Yet all of us can benefit from clear and precise verbal instruction which reinforces its message with an image also.
They do say that a good picture is more instructive than a thousand words could ever be. If the principle of genetics has always managed to escape your understanding, it may be that your mind has simply been lacking the picture to go with the information that you initially found confusing. Simply looking at the picture of dad, mum and child above is much easier than reading Mendel's Paper. If at first, the penny doesn't drop, just keep looking for the picture and you'll eventually get it." William Forde: January 18th, 2014.
"When I was first introduced to the theory of genetics as a young school boy, like many other scholars, it took a while for it to sink in.
Genetics deals with the molecular structure and function of genes. An Augustinian friar named Gregor Johann Mendel gained posthumous fame as the founder of genetic science and made his discovery whilst experimenting with peas and bees in his monastic garden during the second half of the 19th century. It is reported that when Mendel first read his paper on his findings in 1865, it was initially believed to be about hybridization and not the inheritance gene. Even Charles Darwin was initially unaware of the importance of Mendel's Paper that was published and entitled, 'Versuche über Pflanzenhybriden' (Experiments on Plant Hybridization), and many scientists refused to accept its findings until the turn of the century.
When I was working in the field of behaviour modification from the 1970's to almost 2,000, I needed to obtain a teaching certificate. I naturally became interested in 'the best teaching methods'. I came across a paper about the workings of the brain and in particular, how one is best thought by their teachers. I knew that we all learn at a different pace, but until then had been wholly unaware that we each learn best by different methods of instruction.
Many teachers will be aware of the saying, 'show, don't tell;' a saying which touches upon the scientific paper I read in 1972. The paper essentially argued that we all learn differently in one major respect. Some of us who tend to be more logical in thought prefer the method of being told straight out and provided with figures, whereas some of a more artistic nature like to see a diagram, image or picture before it clicks. Yet all of us can benefit from clear and precise verbal instruction which reinforces its message with an image also.
They do say that a good picture is more instructive than a thousand words could ever be. If the principle of genetics has always managed to escape your understanding, it may be that your mind has simply been lacking the picture to go with the information that you initially found confusing. Simply looking at the picture of dad, mum and child above is much easier than reading Mendel's Paper. If at first, the penny doesn't drop, just keep looking for the picture and you'll eventually get it." William Forde: January 18th, 2014.
