Comments on: Science class: MIA http://blogs.earthsky.org/claremajor/2007/10/25/science-class-mia/ ? / ! / . . . Sat, 17 May 2008 01:54:54 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=wordpress-mu-1.2.1 By: George Curtis http://blogs.earthsky.org/claremajor/2007/10/25/science-class-mia/#comment-215 George Curtis Fri, 02 Nov 2007 01:22:49 +0000 http://blogs.earthsky.org/claremajor/2007/10/25/science-class-mia/#comment-215 Many of the current educators seem to have the misconception that it takes more time than should be allocated to teach reading and math. Thus, they short music, art, history, etc., as well as science. Reading and math teaching goes on for 12+ years! Reasonably good teaching should be able to do the job for most students AND allow adequate time for there subjects. Judging by the caliber of some (not all), they do not learn adequate math and writing in those years, so as a group, probably have some trouble with the tests. Many of the current educators seem to have the misconception that it takes more time than should be allocated to teach reading and math. Thus, they short music, art, history, etc., as well as science.

Reading and math teaching goes on for 12+ years! Reasonably good teaching should be able to do the job for most students AND allow adequate time for there subjects.

Judging by the caliber of some (not all), they do not learn adequate math and writing in those years, so as a group, probably have some trouble with the tests.

]]> By: iamverb http://blogs.earthsky.org/claremajor/2007/10/25/science-class-mia/#comment-207 iamverb Tue, 30 Oct 2007 18:26:26 +0000 http://blogs.earthsky.org/claremajor/2007/10/25/science-class-mia/#comment-207 Jorge, thanks for giving Mr. Poncho a shout-out. It reminded me of how I'm thankful to have had a dedicated, informed, inspiring biology teacher one year in high school. The other 11 years of public schooling, though, I had good teachers that worked very hard just to get enough of their children above the minimum standards to keep the school funded. I'm sure they didn't want to teach only the ITBS, TAAS, TAKS, and TASP tests (to name just a few we had here in Texas), but their jobs depended on it. We all learned how to take those tests - too bad that left us wholly unprepared for anything else. We do need to acknowledge the few who reach out and make a difference, but the opportunity to become inspired and educated shouldn't be different - it should be the norm. Jorge, thanks for giving Mr. Poncho a shout-out. It reminded me of how I’m thankful to have had a dedicated, informed, inspiring biology teacher one year in high school.

The other 11 years of public schooling, though, I had good teachers that worked very hard just to get enough of their children above the minimum standards to keep the school funded. I’m sure they didn’t want to teach only the ITBS, TAAS, TAKS, and TASP tests (to name just a few we had here in Texas), but their jobs depended on it. We all learned how to take those tests - too bad that left us wholly unprepared for anything else.

We do need to acknowledge the few who reach out and make a difference, but the opportunity to become inspired and educated shouldn’t be different - it should be the norm.

]]> By: jorgesalazar http://blogs.earthsky.org/claremajor/2007/10/25/science-class-mia/#comment-205 jorgesalazar Mon, 29 Oct 2007 20:16:04 +0000 http://blogs.earthsky.org/claremajor/2007/10/25/science-class-mia/#comment-205 I'd like to acknowledge the outstanding job of my 3rd grade public school teacher, Mr. Poncho (I don't think he had a first name). He really went out of his way to introduce science to our class. I'll never forget when we went on a field trip to a nearby stream, collected some water, and looked at it under a microscope (for most of us, a first) which he brought from home. The living, spinning, crawling, darting world in that drop of water blew me away! I’d like to acknowledge the outstanding job of my 3rd grade public school teacher, Mr. Poncho (I don’t think he had a first name).

He really went out of his way to introduce science to our class. I’ll never forget when we went on a field trip to a nearby stream, collected some water, and looked at it under a microscope (for most of us, a first) which he brought from home. The living, spinning, crawling, darting world in that drop of water blew me away!

]]> By: Benjamin Napier http://blogs.earthsky.org/claremajor/2007/10/25/science-class-mia/#comment-200 Benjamin Napier Sat, 27 Oct 2007 16:04:08 +0000 http://blogs.earthsky.org/claremajor/2007/10/25/science-class-mia/#comment-200 Our problem is standardized, government controlled schools. There can be nothing that encourages children to independently absorb information, synthisize it and come to their own conclusion. Also, rote memorization has been downplayed. It is not possible to learn higher mathematics or other subjects without an absolute knowledge of the fundemental building blocks of the subject. There can be no parity either. Kids are not all equal and the sharper must be challenged while the less astute pampered. Everyone is not college material. Our efforts at one size fits all, politically correct, pablum education is a failure. Parents need to be involved to the point of pulling their kids out of bad schools and raising a ruckus at the local school board meetings. Elimination of consolidated schools would be a good start. Our problem is standardized, government controlled schools. There can be nothing that encourages children to independently absorb information, synthisize it and come to their own conclusion. Also, rote memorization has been downplayed.

It is not possible to learn higher mathematics or other subjects without an absolute knowledge of the fundemental building blocks of the subject. There can be no parity either. Kids are not all equal and the sharper must be challenged while the less astute pampered. Everyone is not college material.

Our efforts at one size fits all, politically correct, pablum education is a failure.

Parents need to be involved to the point of pulling their kids out of bad schools and raising a ruckus at the local school board meetings. Elimination of consolidated schools would be a good start.

]]> By: lindsay http://blogs.earthsky.org/claremajor/2007/10/25/science-class-mia/#comment-198 lindsay Fri, 26 Oct 2007 20:15:51 +0000 http://blogs.earthsky.org/claremajor/2007/10/25/science-class-mia/#comment-198 This reminds me of my own experience in high school - in New York, the curriculum is geared towards passing the standardized Regents exam at the end of the year. My last science class of my high school career was physics, and that year the test was restructured. I barely passed, and many of my classmates failed. Not because we were stupid or lazy, or because our teachers hadn't done a good job, but many of the questions were poorly written and sketchily covered subjects we hadn't approached in class. I think the problem is that science isn't as easy to standardize for a test.... maybe make science more test-able and we'll have our science education back? This reminds me of my own experience in high school - in New York, the curriculum is geared towards passing the standardized Regents exam at the end of the year. My last science class of my high school career was physics, and that year the test was restructured. I barely passed, and many of my classmates failed. Not because we were stupid or lazy, or because our teachers hadn’t done a good job, but many of the questions were poorly written and sketchily covered subjects we hadn’t approached in class.

I think the problem is that science isn’t as easy to standardize for a test…. maybe make science more test-able and we’ll have our science education back?

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