General Engineering Introduction/Golden Ignorance/attitude

If an introduction to engineering course seems perverse:

Student "I can not get the arduino to blink."

Teacher "That is wonderful."

Student "Will you help me?"

Teacher "Why would I interrupt your joy?"

Student "I am in pain,, not joy. Everyone else can get it to blink. Will someone show me? I must be an idiot."

Teacher "Do you think there are others like yourself in the world?"

Student "Probably."

Teacher "Do you want to help those like yourself?"

Student "I guess so."

Teacher RANT "Suppose I or someone else shows you how. Will you still remember the feelings, the symptoms, the wrong starting place, the errors? Will you have a chance of putting these into words so others like yourself don't have to suffer? Can you turn your pain into opportunity, life and joy? Can you make this the world's problem and not yours? Can you fix the world? Do you want to be an engineer?"

Student "Can't you help me?"

Teacher "No .. document your gold. Turn your agnst into advice for someone like yourself."

Student "Why aren't you teaching me anything?"

Teacher "I am teaching you engineering."

Student "What is the point in paying tuition, just to be tortured? Why don't I just learn on my own?"

Teacher "Now we are on the right track. Suppose you figure something out on your own. Does this make you an engineer?"

Student "I guess yes."

Teacher "No. Why not?"

Student "I have to document something."

Teacher "Yes!"

Student "Why?"

Teacher "Trades, Crafts are almost engineering, but are not because there is no documentation. Information, training is passed down by word of mouth, not by creating documents that speak for themselves. Once you start documenting what you learn, you are engineering!"

Student "This is nuts."

Teacher "Do you want to be normal?"