Saturday, October 8, 2011

Front Loading and Bug Gut Remover

I have been accused, a time or two, of thinking in analogies. Today, it was bug gut remover.

I could barely see through the windshield. The inside was dirty. The outside was dirty, and littered with those oblong splats. I decided that I would "pre-scrub" some of the spots while the car filled, hoping that I could blast off the rest at the car wash. Before I went to the car wash, I stopped at the store.

Hmmm... bug gut remover. I wonder if it really works.

I made my purchase, walked to the car, and read the directions again (I read them in the store too.) I decided to spray the front of the car before driving to the car wash. (Seasoned bug gut removers: Don't worry, I didn't spray the windshield until I arrived at the car wash.) Falling into the commonly false logic that if doing something once would be good, then twice would be great, I realized that the front of the car was still moist and the spray was still working. No need for an additional spray.

The remover said to apply 3-5 minutes before cleaning. I had to wait for a bay to open, so it was closer to 20 minutes. When it was my turn, I grabbed the scrubbing brush and started. I must have expected that this miracle bug gut remover was a hoax, because I was genuinely surprised at the ease with which the little carcasses were erased. I missed a few, but the power washer was no match for the remaining splats.

Wow! That saved a lot of time and effort. There was no way that I spent the same amount of time applying the spray as I normally would have applied in scrubbing. Also, the actual car wash was faster than normal.

And then it hit me... bug gut remover is the same as front loading.

Front loading concepts for students:
  • can be done in short, low-effort bursts
  • can be done just before teaching a concept, or a while before teaching a concept
  • supports students so that the actual learning episode is more targeted and efficient
Front loading, and bug gut remover, is a win-win!

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