From: Cheryl Singhal (csinghal@CAPACCESS.ORG)
Date: Sat Feb 26 1972 - 09:49:32 CST
On Fri, 25 Feb 2000, Donald R Izard wrote:
> Charles asks about new ways to teach or present merit badges?
>
> 300 scouts earn the same badge. Should NOT part of the MB
> program be teaching the scout - HOW to learn on thier OWN?
> How to do research? Process new information or skills Etc.
This falls directly into the "give a man a fish and he'll eat for a day,
teach him to fish, and he'll eat forever" category.
However, I'm not sure it's totally applicable here. If the elective MBs
are intended, as the material on them suggests, to give a boy a "taste"
of something he might not try on his own, it's a little self-defeating to
believe he knows anything about it when he starts. How many of you, for
instance, would know anything about the French vs English methods of
crewel work -- how many even knew there was a difference? This is not
exactly something that will "feed him forever" once he learns it, though,
any more than basket-weaving or leatherwork or American Heritage or
photography will.
Again, the stated objective is to expose the boys to things they'd not
normally consider. This would seem to me to preclude their knowing much
about it when they first show up. Teaching them HOW to find out more
would seem to be extraneous these days. Most of 'em know more about
Yahoo and deja.com than we do. (g)
Cheryl
