Certain Bloggers have been giving Floridians a hard time because of the opposition to teaching science in public science classrooms. Shame on those bloggers. (See here and here for examples). There are some local school districts in Florida that insist that excellent science, and not creationism or religion of any kind, be taught in public schools. Continue reading Not All Floridians Are Inbred Slack Jawed Yokels
Tag Archives: Science Education
Florida Poll: Only 22 percent say teach evolution only
A survey conducted by the St. Petersburg Times shows that half of the respondents want “only faith-based theories such as creationism or intelligent design” taught in public school classrooms, and only 22 percent want evolution-only life science curriculum.
Continue reading Florida Poll: Only 22 percent say teach evolution only
Local Florida School Board Rejects Modern Science
On Wednesday the Bay District School Board voted to sign a resolution saying it does not agree with the proposed science standards as they are currently written.
Continue reading Local Florida School Board Rejects Modern Science
Yet Another Crop of Crackers Attacks Education in Florida
What?! Is Florida totally full of morons, or what?The Bay District School Board will vote on Wednesday on a resolution that waters down the proposed state standards for life science education. Please go to the Channel 7 web site where this story is posted and add your comments along side some guy from New York who is the first to chime in (in favor of rational thinking). If you are from one of these states mainly known for slack-jawed yokels who prefer to marry their siblings but will take a cousin in a pinch, and are NOT one of these morons, please, it is especially important that you chime in.Oh, and if you are from Florida and are offended by my attitude … Don’t ask me to change. Change Florida. I’m busy up here working on Minnesota, and we’ve got our hands full….
Creationists and Deception
Marshall Helberger writes an interesting editorial in the Timberjay, a northern Minnesota newspaper, about creationist tactics. Continue reading Creationists and Deception
Evolution and Creationism in Texas
The Texas Acadamy of Science has come out with a statement about creationism in Texas schools science classes, called “Texas Academy of Science Position Against the Inclusion of Creationism and Design Concepts in the Science Curricula in Texas Schools”You can get the PDF here.Among other things, the document states:
Texas science teachers have a finite amount of class time and textbook space in which to teach the many valid and foundational scientific concepts that enable students to become knowledgeable consumers, decision makers and voters. Inclusion of creationist or intelligent design concepts in science curricula would seriously diminish the effectiveness of science education by distracting teachers from covering an already overwhelming body of knowledge, and would consequently dilute student’s understanding of scientifically valid concepts and theories. Therefore, it is the position of the Texas Academy of Science that, through their policies and decisions, the State Board of Education, the Texas Education Agency and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board should ensure that neither “creationism” nor “intelligent design” is added to the state’s scientific curricula.
The Myers – Rue Debate And Why They Had to Taser Me
Last night, the Campus Atheists, Skeptics and Humanists club (C.A.S.H.) presented a debate between PZ Myers and Loyal Rue on the question: Can religion and science co-exist? I witnessed this event and would like to tell you what happened.
Continue reading The Myers – Rue Debate And Why They Had to Taser Me
The Discovery Institute Has Been Mucking Around in Florida
The nefarious Discovery Institute, the Creation Science think tank, is often secretive about its activities. It has not been entirely clear that they have been involved in the recent fight in Florida over the use of the word “evolution” and the teaching of mainstream, scientifically informed evolutionary biology, in public schools. Going with the interpretation of The Gradebook, the Discover Institute … Continue reading The Discovery Institute Has Been Mucking Around in Florida
Attitudes about Evolution in Florida
I’d like to point you to an interesting piece on teaching evolution in Florida: Continue reading Attitudes about Evolution in Florida
K-12 Online Learning
An increasingly large number of K through 12 students (in the tens of thousands or more) are getting some or all of their education on line. Typically, the on line resources are provided by private corporate vendors contracting to individuals or in some cases school districts, and the target audience tends to be middle school or high school.
School districts and teachers (including unions) are typically reticent to support this shift. While such groups may be resisting online offerings because it constitutes direct competition, they also have valid complaints that online learning, like homeschooling, fails to provide certain benefits that a school community can provide.
There is a very well done story on this in the International Herald Tribune.
HURRY UP! Home School Science Fair Deadline Is Almost Here!!!
The Twin Cities Creation Science Association Home School Science Fair, held each year in February, in Har Mar Mall, Roseville, Minnesota, will occur this year on Saturday & Sunday, February 16 and 17, 2008.
The Application Deadline is January 31st, 2008 ($5.00 entry fee)
You can register after January 31st at the door for only three bucks more!
Here are the entry guidelines:
Continue reading HURRY UP! Home School Science Fair Deadline Is Almost Here!!!
Antievolution resolutions spreading through northern Florida
At least nine county school boards in northern Florida have adopted resolutions calling for the state board of education “to revise the new Sunshine State Standards for Science such that evolution is not presented as fact, but as one of several theories,” according to a January 23, 2008, report from Florida Citizens for Science. These resolutions represent a backlash to a draft set of new state science standards, which are presently undergoing revision in response to comments from the public. The state board of education is expected to consider the revised draft set of standards at its meeting on February 19, 2008.
Continue reading Antievolution resolutions spreading through northern Florida
Can science blogging save scientific communication?
This was one of many questions debated at the Second Annual Scientific Blogging Conference in North Carolina this weekend which I attended together with over 200 other folks who work in scientific communication.
When I told my friends I was going to North Carolina this weekend to attend a blogging conference they either said, “cool – why?” or “you’re weird – why?”.
Crazy Floridians
For your amusement, a selection from the public comments on the fight over science standards in Florida. Continue reading Crazy Floridians
Report shows disturbing trends in US science capacities
The National Science Board this week said leading science and engineering indicators tell a mixed story regarding the achievement of the US in science, research and development, and math in international comparisons.For example, US schools continue to lag behind internationally in science and math education. On the other hand, the US is the largest, single, R&D-performing nation in the world pumping some $340 billion into future-related technologies. The US also leads the world in patent development.