Never underestimate the power of analogies while trying to explain a concept to students; in fact, in some situations, it may very well be the ONLY solution in making the listener understand with ease and create a lasting impression on the memory.
When I set out to build my first website, I knew I had to get a domain name: www.patrickcarpen.com. That would cost a fee, so I registered it. I was a bit shocked however to learn that I would need to pay a second fee: a hosting fee. I had no idea what hosting meant.
My friend Stone Evans explained it to me in a very simple way. He used “the analogy of the telephone”. Just as you may purchase a telephone from a store for a small fee, your domain name may be may be compared to the telephone. But nobody can call you on that telephone unless you pay a “telephone company” to “connect your phone”. The telephone company may be compared to the “hosting” company in the website world. The domain name (patrickcarpen.com) alone cannot do anything unless you have a “hosting” company to make people all over the world able to access your site.
When Stone Evans explained the concept of hosting using the “telephone analogy”, it was very simple to understand and it stuck fast in my mind. I can never again be at a loss as to why I need a hosting company to make my website work.
In the same way, teachers often need to go from the known to the unknown in order to make learning fun, and retention powerful. Jumping straight into the unknown and expecting the student to fully grasp the concept is a dangerous practice, and one which can be highly deterrent to learning: it could make learning “not so much fun”.
I have used telephone for years; but I was now, for the first time in my life, being introduced to websites. Stove Evans took a step back into the past: into the known, held me by the hand and led me into the unknown: all with the power of the analogy.
