from Erica Jacobsen, JCE High School Editor

“Coulda, woulda, shoulda” is a loop that often plays in my brain after a conference presentation. Why didn’t I… I could have… I should have… Even after extensive preparation, it’s easy to dwell on what you could have done differently so the presentation would have been even better. Maybe you ran out of handouts. Maybe the proper cords to connect your laptop to the LCD projector weren’t available. Maybe later you found a better way to explain a topic. Second-guessing oneself can be a popular pastime, whether for a presentation, classroom lesson, or any area of life.

In the June 2008 issue of the Journal of Chemical Education, Jim D. Roach’s commentary “Als Ik Kan…My New Year’s Resolution” offered me a salve for the “coulda, woulda, shoulda’s”. He describes a speech he makes to new students and their parents on behalf of the faculty of Emporia State University. Central to his speech is the Flemish phrase “Als Ik Kan”, which is part of the company logo placed on pieces of furniture created by Gustav Stickley, interpreted “to the best of my ability”. Based on this phrase, a more effective use of my post-presentation time might be to ask myself “Did I do it to the best of my ability, within the circumstances?” I plan for my answer to be “Yes.” Sure, things can always be improved the next time around, but this time was the best I could do.

Als Ik Kan logo, courtesy of the Stickley Museum at Craftsman Farms.

I wasn’t aware of Stickley’s use of the phrase until now, but widespread application of it is appealing. Roach encourages students as well as educators to live by this phrase in their academic lives. He concludes his commentary saying: “Students will have excellence demanded of them and excellence demonstrated to them…Als Ik Kan”. The commentary will be blogged at this site; please take a look and add your own comments.

For one example of excellence, don’t miss Cardellini’s interview with Peter Atkins in the June 2008 issue of JCE. Atkins’s dedication to the communication of science is impressive. When asked how he finds time to write so many books, he ascribes it to “…an obsession to communicate and share the insights that science alone provides” and “Another factor is the need to work hard. It is no use lying back and expecting the book to write itself.” I have two of his many books on my shelves at home. Flipping through them is a visual treat, to say nothing of the wealth of engaging scientific information they contain. The interview provides an interesting window into Atkins and his life.

The two articles in the June 2008 Chemical Education Research feature by Cooper et al. and Cracolice, Deming, and Ehlert also gave me a feel of “Als Ik Kan” applied to the classroom. The research presented by both sets of authors really speaks to their desire to determine ways students can learn chemistry even more effectively. Cracolice, Deming, and Ehlert compared algorithmic and conceptual problem-solving ability, and discuss its implications for instructors on how to facilitate the development of students’ reasoning skills. Cooper et al. had intriguing results about how working collaboratively in a group can have a positive effect on problem solving. These educators are striving to do the best they can, to help students and other educators do the best they can.

In the end, no matter the task, we should be able to say, perhaps in Latin rather than Flemish, from a novel by one of my favorite authors (1): “Quantum in me fuit”—I did the best I could.

Laura’s take on the Issue

from Laura Slocum, JCE High School Associate Editor

Students ask questions about the names of many of the pieces of equipment that they use the laboratory. Some are easy—Erlenmeyer flask or Büchner funnel, because they are named to honor a person. However other names are harder to explain and rubber policeman is the most challenging of all for me. I have often researched this, but it was not until I read Jensen’s article that I fully understood the use of the word “policeman” in this name. My students still find this a challenging name, but say “That makes sense now.”

Fisher and Levinger discuss several approaches for integrating the ethical dilemmas we face in our classrooms. Though students say they know what cheating and plagiarism are when asked, they often say, “I did not know that was plagiarism” when they cross the line in the classroom. This past year, I put specific examples in my course policy sheet and still had several incidents, especially in lab reports. The learning approaches suggested by Fisher and Levinger should provide even more clarity for students. I have already added a couple of them to the introductory materials for my classes next fall.

Each summer brings opportunities for rest, rejuvenation, and opportunities for us to learn new things to bring back to our classrooms next fall. I hope that each of you will take advantage of the opportunities available to you and I look forward to seeing as many of you as possible at the 20th BCCE in Bloomington, IN, this summer.

Literature Cited

1. Francis, Dick. Hot Money, First American edition; G. P. Putnam’s Sons: New York, 1988; p 29.

JCE High School Chemed Learning Information Center (CLIC)