Professor Elam

Monday January 21, 2019

I watched a Hillsdale College On Line free course over the break. It was Victor Davis Hanson on the Second Wo

https://online.hillsdale.edu/courses/WorldWarII/home/world-war-ii-schedule

Hillsdale offers a variety of free online classes.

https://www.hillsdale.edu/academics/free-online-courses/

I very much enjoyed Hansons' take on WWII s it was from the point of view of strategy.

And I have red a good deal about the war and have viewed documentaries and Patton.

So I signed up for a course on Mark Twain.  And the second lecture discussed two of his short stories,

The Story of the Bad Little Boy

The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County

the English Professor was reading from notes whereas Hanson apparently used a teleprompter allowing for better eye contact.

But it has been decades  since I read the Frog story and I had never read Bad Little Boy.

The Professor read excerpts and described the story but it was clear to me that to really follow there should have been a link to read the two stories on line first, so as to better follow the discussion.

The parallel struck me.   This is true of accounting or nay other topic.  If the student has not read the material, attempted the problem,there is little to be gained from the lecture. And certainly no serious question can be asked.

So prepare prepare prepare

And in your spare time plan to view Hanson on WW II.