Binns (was Snape)

[quigonginger]

No: HPFGUIDX 143980

unlikely2 wrote:
> Please forgive my being brief but RL intrudes. So, a partial 
> argument at least.
> 
> Harry James Potter achieved:
> 
> History of Magic    D
> Potions             E

Ginger:  
As Danielle pointed out, Harry didn't finish his exam, so I would 
hesitate to use that as a point against Binns.

unlikely2 continues:
(snip)
 Binn's style gives students like Hermione 
> the chance to shine. On the other hand, I suspect that most 
> students are like Harry and did not do well. Learning is not 
> only about academic performance. An understanding of content may 
> have value.

> It has been remarked that those who fail to understand history 
> repeat it. I wonder if a poor understanding of history is not part 
> of the WW's problem.

Ginger:  
That quote popped into my head as well.  I agree with your comment 
concerning understanding of content.  Binns' strength is his 
knowledge of the facts.  His weakness is the application of these 
facts.  I noticed that the students are required to do research and 
write up essays on various parts of history.  In doing this research, 
I would think that the students are exposed to more than just dates 
and places; they are exposed to the people who made theses dates and 
places important.  

IMO, that's where the value of studying history lies.  Not in the 
what happened, but in the why it happened.  

My high school history teacher was a combination of Binns and Snape.  
He was a very dry lecturer who took would make his tests come out so 
no one could score over 50%.  (25% on the books, 25% on the lectures, 
50% on stuff he had researched out of class.  At the end of the year, 
he simply doubled our test grades for the final grade.)  If a student 
did score a 51%, he would seat them in the front of the class so he 
could roll up future test papers and bop them on the head if they 
failed to continue their "passing" scores.  His point was that there 
was much more to history than we would learn in text books or in 
class.  He also liked marking F--- (that's triple minus, not the F 
word) on tests in big red pen.  But at the end of the year, it 
translated into a C.

My college history teacher was a story teller.  He got into the 
personalities of the people involved and made it come alive.  He 
could mesmerize a class for an hour and a half on the dullest of 
topics.  Probably one of the best teachers I ever had.

In either case, as well as with Binns, it was up to the students to 
pay attention and get the facts straight.  With Binns' essays, the 
student has to look into the facts, organize them, and, in doing so, 
is likely to draw conclusions on their own.  With my hs teacher, this 
was not done, and with my college teacher, it was done for us.  

For some reason, I get the feeling that Binns didn't give much 
feedback on the essays (and probably graded by measuring the 
parchment rather than reading them), so the students still got out 
only what they put into it.  I think Binns could have been highly 
effective had they discussed the essays and conclusions in class.  I 
don't think this happened, just that it would have been a good thing 
if it had.

Back to the original comment that got my attention, I don't think I'd 
classify Binns' methods as "damaging".  Even the dullest student who 
only did the barest of requirements would still walk away with some 
sense of history.  They may forget the specifics once the exam was 
over, but they learned it, so a bit of it will stick in their minds.

I would never classify Binns as an inspiring teacher, but I would say 
he was adequate for the average student, and good for those like 
Hermione who were willing to put something into it.  But I'd argue 
the assessment of "damaging".

Ginger, who got far more longwinded than she intended.