Proxy Googling and Learned Helplessness

[wuapinmon]

My students are too lazy to read long things. When they can't electronically search something I've given them, like a syllabus, they will use me as a proxy google, emailing me a question instead of taking the time to read the document and finding out the answer for themselves. Or, they'll email me questions like:

How do I put accents on words?
What's the capital of Bolivia?
What's the official currency of Panama?
Where is my office?
When are my office hours?

Now, I dedicate time to stuff like office, hours, and contact info the first day. It's on the first page of my syllabus. But, I've noticed that my students have gotten more and more in the habit of just using me as a proxy google. It's easier to send me a google query than to take the time to read and look for it themselves.

I feel like we, as a culture, are fighting a losing battle. These kids have never known anything else. And it's getting worse each year. I will have kids who will tell me, literally, that they don't understand how to do assignments, that are literally at the top of the page, and it's simple stuff, like making sure to attach an image to a document. Learned helplessness is a thing too. Parents do so much for them, and they get to college, and we have so many "Offices" that have people who will help fuckups that they can get through college without learning these things. For real.

God help us.

In case you wonder, I've been grading papers and answering emails for 3 hours.

[Scott R Nelson]

I would make it cost them something to ask you a question that they could have easily found out for themselves in less than a minute. Maybe you should make it your goal get them to be a bit less helpless.

[Uncle Ted]

My students are too lazy to read long things. When they can't electronically search something I've given them, like a syllabus, they will use me as a proxy google, emailing me a question instead of taking the time to read the document and finding out the answer for themselves. Or, they'll email me questions like:

How do I put accents on words?
What's the capital of Bolivia?
What's the official currency of Panama?
Where is my office?
When are my office hours?

Now, I dedicate time to stuff like office, hours, and contact info the first day. It's on the first page of my syllabus. But, I've noticed that my students have gotten more and more in the habit of just using me as a proxy google. It's easier to send me a google query than to take the time to read and look for it themselves.

I feel like we, as a culture, are fighting a losing battle. These kids have never known anything else. And it's getting worse each year. I will have kids who will tell me, literally, that they don't understand how to do assignments, that are literally at the top of the page, and it's simple stuff, like making sure to attach an image to a document. Learned helplessness is a thing too. Parents do so much for them, and they get to college, and we have so many "Offices" that have people who will help fuckups that they can get through college without learning these things. For real.

God help us.

In case you wonder, I've been grading papers and answering emails for 3 hours.

http://www.letmegooglethat.com/?q=google&l=1

[wuapinmon]

http://www.letmegooglethat.com/?q=google&l=1

yeah, that's a little too smug for a mentor/student relationship sometimes.

[falafel]

I have a 40 year old friend who is like this. I don't get it. He'll call me and then ask me to walk him through something that he can just as easily (if not easier) figure out himself by going to google. I don't get it.

[wuapinmon]

I would make it cost them something to ask you a question that they could have easily found out for themselves in less than a minute. Maybe you should make it your goal get them to be a bit less helpless.

Well, I've never quite found a system that I felt contained enough bite or value to make it worth their while, or mine. When you start multiplying things x large classes x many classes. Well, sometimes, it just ain't worth it.

[Moliere]

I feel your pain, wuap. You just described my home life. Sometimes my kids even call me google, just for fun. I’ve stopped answering questions that can be easily googled.


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[Jeff Lebowski]

I feel your pain, wuap. You just described my home life. Sometimes my kids even call me google, just for fun. I’ve stopped answering questions that can be easily googled.

Ha! In my house we call it "noogling" (after the first letter of my first name). Just call up dad instead of googling it yourself.

[falafel]

I feel your pain, wuap. You just described my home life. Sometimes my kids even call me google, just for fun. I’ve stopped answering questions that can be easily googled.


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Oh great, you're just pushing them further into it.

You need to block google on your home network and instead buy a set of 1990 Encyclopedia Britannicas for $FREE.

[smokymountainrain]

in fairness, Bolivia has two capitals.

[wuapinmon]

in fairness, Bolivia has two capitals.

Which is the point of the activity I have them do. They don't want to go and learn, they just want to googleármelo. While Sucre is the capital, La Paz is the de facto capital, or seat of government.

[falafel]

in fairness, Bolivia has two capitals.

BoliVia.

[myboynoah]

I feel your pain, wuap. You just described my home life. Sometimes my kids even call me google, just for fun. I’ve stopped answering questions that can be easily googled.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Ha! In my house we call it "noogling" (after the first letter of my first name). Just call up dad instead of googling it yourself.

askdadclean.jpg