Science Education
clock | February 8, 2008I mentioned before that Carrboro Citizen is my favourite newspaper, the only one I read in hardcopy. Perhaps I like it because it is hyperlocal. Perhaps that is why I have this mindset that those who live in Carrboro already read it and those who don't will have no interest. So, I rarely blog about their articles. But sometimes something jumps at me as worthy of mention as interesting to anyone anywhere. This week's edition has one such article - School project an atypical lesson in problem solving - which describes a science project led by Chapel Hill High School Earth and environmental…
gregladen | February 8, 2008Last 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.
I want to begin with a message to PZ Myers: Thank you, PZ, for your service! There are a lot of people in the twin cities who could engage in an interesting debate on religion, atheism, evolution, creationism, etc. and do an OK job, but none others have the experience and intellectual preparation (to do an excellent job) and the draw (to guarantee lots…
gregladen | February 6, 2008The 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 ...
acknowledged on its Evolution News & Views blog today that it provided information to Fred Cutting, the member of the standards-writing committee who recently submitted a minority…
clock | February 5, 2008There were already two Science Foo Camps (in summers of 2006 and 2007) and two Science Blogging Conferences (in winters of 2007 and 2008).
But the hunger for such meetings is far from satiated. So, if you have time and money and can travel, you can choose to attend the SciBarCamp on March 15-16, 2008, where Eva is one of the organizers and Larry will be there.
Or you can go to the International Science Media Fair in Trieste on April 16-20, 2008. I'll be there, on two panels, one about Open Access, another on Science Blogging.
Or, a little later, you can attend the World Science Festival…
clock | February 5, 2008Open Students is a new blog for students about open access to research. It is run by Gavin Baker (who also recently joined Peter Suber at Open Access News - Congratulations!) and sponsored by SPARC, the Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition, as part of its student outreach activities.
The blog will cover the issues of Open Science as it affects the college students and will have frequent guest-bloggers (students, librarians, researchers, publishers...) - of which you can be one if you contact Gavin.
clock | February 4, 2008You probably know that John Wilkins has been collecting a list of science blog posts under the heading of Basic Concepts in Science - where various science bloggers (and not only Seed sciencebloggers) took some time to explain some very basic terms, concepts and ideas in various scientific disciplines.
Recently, John also started collecting another list of blog posts, these a little more difficult to comprehend (perhaps necessitating reading the Basic posts first) - the Intermediate concepts in science. Check them out.
gregladen | February 3, 2008I'd like to point you to an interesting piece on teaching evolution in Florida:
Sometimes, Allyn Sue Baylor doesn't teach evolution in her science class, even though the state requires it. She knows of other teachers who duck the issue, too.
They fear a backlash.
"There are cases when parents have gotten really upset," said Baylor, who teaches at Palm Harbor Middle School in Pinellas County. "It's scary. You can lose your job."
Its an interesting article in the St Pete's times. Here.
Which reminds me to remind you. If you want your public school teachers to teach evolution to your children…
clock | February 3, 2008Oh, how I wish eSkeletons website existed back at the time I was teaching anatomy! Very, very cool! You can focus on human bones only, look at movement, insertions and origins, etc. Or you can make comparison between bones of several primates. Thanks Anne-Marie.
clock | February 2, 2008I've heard this one last year (02.16.2007) but heard it again today (it will probably re-air tomorrow - check your local NPR station) - the This American Life episode about Quiz Shows. It was composed of three stories:
The first one is kinda weird - the guy was lucky with questions on the Irish version of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire, he was shy and this win gave him self-confidence, and he is using the money to live and to help other people.
The third story totally floored me - I hope someone like Zuska or Amanda or Echidne does the analysis of it - it is about a failed quiz show for…
gregladen | February 1, 2008An 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…
clock | January 29, 2008From SCONC:
On Thursday, February 7, SCONCs will migrate to the Morehead Planetarium and Science Center in Chapel Hill. MPSC will open its exhibits to SCONC members for a special viewing at 6:00 p.m. in the NASA Digital Theater, followed by Morehead's Current Science Forum at 7:00 p.m. in the Banquet Hall. This month's topic, "Victory At Any Cost?" covers the arresting subject of performance-enhancing drugs. Dr. Mario Ciocca, head physician for six UNC athletic teams, will talk about the effects of steroids, growth hormones and other banned substances, and the science used to detect them.…
clock | January 28, 2008From SCONC:
Following the smashing success of their previous programs on "The Science of Beer" and "the Science of Chocolate," the Duke Chapter of Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Society, will present "The Science of Baking" On Thursday, January 31, at 4:30 p.m. The featured guests are Emily Buehler, author of Bread Science: The Chemistry and Craft of Making Bread, and Frank Ferrell from Ninth Street Bakery. The event includes free samples, sandwiches, pastries and drinks. The meeting will be held in room 2002 of the Duke North Building. RSVP ASAP to Mary Holtschneider.
gregladen | January 28, 2008The 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:
This fair is open to all Home School students in the greater Twin Cities area.
Each student may enter only one project.
There will be only individual projects, and team projects will not be allowed.
Each exhibit…
gregladen | January 25, 2008From the NCSE newsroom:
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…
clock | January 23, 2008On the heels of David Warlick's session on using online tools in the science classroom and the student blogging panel, here is the opportunity for some of us (that means YOU!) to actually do something about science education online:
Elissa Hoffman is a high school teacher and she has started a blog for her AP Biology class at Appleton East High School in Appleton, WI. She would like it to be a platform with which she can introduce her students to current science research and scientists. One of the things she'd really like to do is find people who'd be interested in "guest blogging" on…
gregladen | January 23, 2008This 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?".
Read this thing by Liz Allen
clock | January 22, 2008On the heels of David Warlick's session on using online tools in the science classroom, this initiative is really exciting:
Teachers, Students, Web Gurus, and Foundations Launch Campaign to Transform Education, Call for Free, Adaptable Learning Materials Online
Cape Town, January 22nd, 2008--A coalition of educators, foundations, and internet pioneers today urged governments and publishers to make publicly-funded educational materials available freely over the internet.
The Cape Town Open Education Declaration, launched today, is part of a dynamic effort to make learning and teaching…
gregladen | January 21, 2008For your amusement, a selection from the public comments on the fight over science standards in Florida.
"How is anyone's life improved by believing in evolution?"
"I will not allow you to teach my child this no matter what you put in your curriculum. I stand for Christ and his creation."
"To teach only one theory is communistic."
"This is unacceptable, unless Biblical Creationism is taught alongside evolution."
"I strongly disagree with the term 'evolution' being used in kindergarten or any grade level. I would change the term 'evolution' to a more user friendly term such as 'adaptations…
clock | January 21, 2008During the Student blogging panel--from K to Ph D at the Conference (actually, the session I enjoyed the best of all - and that is not easy as all the sessions were fantastic), a point came up about the way universities are slowly changing their attitudes toward students blogging. Actually, one of the panelists, Sarah Wallace, is a direct beneficiary of a recent 180-degrees turn by Duke University. Instead of looking askance at student blogging, Duke is now actively encouraging students to write blogs about their research, providing them with the platform and tech support and faculty…