Entrance Slip Nov 12 - Permitting Creativity in Science

One thing that stuck out to me from this article was how researchers (but also teachers and students) can often discount interesting observations before really knowing their significance. I really liked how Bavelas tied this thinking to an inappropriate application of statistical inference without knowing the underlying probabilities (p. 310). 

Another stopping point for me was her adaptation of B.F. Skinner's words into a simple mantra for objective and effective research: "the subjects are always right" (Bavelas, p. 311). As someone with a background in the natural sciences, this seems like it should be an intuitive way to approach inquiry. Then again, when I reflect on my own the extent to which I allow my own biases and preconceived notions cloud my ability to engage in impartial observation, I realize how much I need to repeat these words to myself. Similarly, I think it is important to encourage students to approach inquiry from a humble perspective, rather than imposing their own pre-conceptions.

Lastly, I found the idea of generating examples of a budding idea without the use of words or technical formalism to be an interesting idea. I had not really done much thinking about how the syntax of language or math could encourage the researcher to prematurely categorize novel ideas into existing schemas. I liked the suggestion of developing a new schema from the general class of examples surrounding the idea. I think this will be particularly difficult to integrate into teaching though as it is a fairly personal and abstract practice. It is hard to guide a student through this process without engaging their thoughts through language or mathematics, for example.

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