(August 8, 2010 at 5:25 pm)ABierman1986 Wrote: I'd like to clarify my point on what a scientist is because I think you misread me; I believe a scientist is anyone who uses the scientific method to further their passions. I completely agree with you that music, writing, and all forms of art and creativity are scientific. They can be pursued scientifically, they can be investigated, and in that matter are no different in approach than cosmology or biology. This addresses the very issue I am trying to get at, though perhaps it came off as more anti-education. I am concerned that the very definitions that schools use for their educational curriculum are being warped from their correct usage. What students are taught is science is not science, it is an aspect of science, or something that was deduced scientifically and then these subjects are declared to be science. I have a problem that the schools couch higher scores on multiple choice biology tests as higher understanding of science.Hmm. I suppose then it would go more into my point regarding the constant lowering of standards instead of working to get get grades up. Still worse are people who seem to skimp on the arts (and physical education) because it's apparently less important than the sciences we're constantly lowering the bar on.
Either way, when you're right, you're right. I remember my biology teacher trying to quickly and awkwardly talk about evolution in our classroom. He did a good enough job of it, but you could almost hear him sweating over what we might do to him over simply presenting highly substantiated evidence. There is just so much effort it seems just to try to make everyone happy (parents and teachers) than try to actually do their jobs and teach the children to be able to compete in modern times.
(August 8, 2010 at 4:02 pm)ABierman1986 Wrote: Thanks for the thoughtful response. I completely agree with you on the complexity of the educational system. I don't even propose to attempt to change it, at the moment. My purpose is to clarify exactly what we mean when we say we teach our children science, and regardless of what content is taught, I believe revealing the lack of science in our schools would surprise many people and perhaps spark a discussion in wider thought.I think you've done an adequate job of that. I simply wanted to point out that the problem is more systemic than that to sort of add to what you're saying.
I think ultimately the solution is going to have to be comprehensive - perhaps moreso than the problem itself and it's going to require the politics that have been plaguing it with problems for decades. It's going to be far from easy and it's going to take even more activism, but I hope to see and perhaps participate in this necessary eventuality.
