November 17, 2007
Before new science textbooks will be approved by the Texas State Board of Education, the Board is engaging in a review and possible rewriting of science standards. In the wake of the Board’s voting to require Texas high school graduates to get an additional year of science education, this should be a good sign of concern for tough standards and high quality education.
Science standard rewrites in other states have been seen as open season on evolution in biology, however. Ohio and Kansas experiences in the since 1999 suggest advocates of science and education should be wary. Texas is not known for strong support of evolution by education officials (a reputation that serious education officials should think hard about changing).
Texas Citizens for Science, a group assembled in 2003 to defend good science and especially evolution, is watching the SBOE actions. TCS President Steven Schafersman has shared his views on actions in the past month, in an e-mail to TCS members and supporters of good textbooks. For the record, I reproduce his e-mail text completely below the fold. This material is also available in different form at the TCS website.
Citizens still carry a lot of clout in government in this nation. Good science standards in textbooks require vigilance of such people. We thank them.
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Education, Education quality, Evolution, Science and faith, Texas, Textbook Selection | Tagged: Education, Evolution, Science, Texas State Board of Education, Textbooks | 
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Posted by Ed Darrell
November 16, 2007
According to former Delaware Gov. Pete DuPont, the Republican Speaker of the Utah House of Representatives Greg Curtis said this:
“We do not reward excellence in education. We don’t fund it, we don’t demand it, and don’t encourage it.”
So, is his advocacy of vouchers part of his plan to not reward excellence in education? Utah schools perform above the national average with far less than the national average in per pupil funding, with overcrowded classes, and with teacher pay below the norm. By almost all measures, Utah public schools provide excellence in education.
Why doesn’t the legislature reward such performance?
That’s not what Curtis meant to say, for course. Somebody tell Greg Curtis that his Freudian slip is showing.
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Posted by Ed Darrell
November 14, 2007
A much more pernicious loss of choice and control is brought about by repeated failure. After a number of experiences in which our efforts are futile, many of us will give up. Well-known research by psychologist Martin Seligman and others shows that this learned helplessness then generalizes to situations where the person can, in fact, exercise control. Even when solutions are available, a mindless sense of futility prevents a person from reconsidering the situation. The person remains passive in the face of situations that could easily be handled without undue difficulty. Past experience determines present reactions and robs the individual of control. . . .
Learned helplessness was originally demonstrated in rats. When placed in ice water, they have no difficulty swimming around for forty to sixty hours. However, if, instead of being put immediately into the water, the rats are held until they stop struggling, something very different happens. Instead of swimming, these rats give up immediately and drown.
Ellen J. Langer (b. 1947), Harvard University psychologist, Mindfulness, 1989, pp. 53-54
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2 Comments | Brain development, Brain learning, Education, Education success, Teaching | Tagged: business management, Education, learned helplessness, psychology, Science | Permalink
Posted by Ed Darrell
November 12, 2007
Your classes are gearing up for the competition, no?
Alfie Kohn might not like the idea of competition in history. In a state famous for competition in almost everything, but most famous for athletic competitions to the detriment of academics, I find great appeal in a contest that requires kids to find, analyze and write history.
Then the students get together to present and discuss history — and usually about 60 Texas kids go on to the National History Day festival. (Details here from the Texas State Historical Association)
Q. What is Texas History Day?
A. Texas History Day, a part of the National History Day program, is a yearlong education program that culminates in an annual state-level history fair for students in grades six through twelve. It provides an opportunity for students to demonstrate their interest in, and knowledge of, history through creative and original papers, performances, documentaries, individual interpretive web sites, or three-dimensional exhibits.
Over the course of the school year, students research and produce a History Day entry, the results of which are presented at a regional competition in early spring. From there, some students advance to the state fair in May, or even to the national contest held each June at the University of Maryland at College Park. At each level of competition, outstanding achievement may be recognized through certificates, medals, trophies, or monetary awards. The most important rewards are the skills and insight that students acquire as they move through the History Day program.
As many as 33,000 young Texans are involved in the program at the regional and state level each year. More than 900 students participate in Texas History Day, and approximately 60 students represent Texas at National History Day each year.
The 2008 National History Day Theme is “Conflict and Compromise in History.”
Texas has 23 regions for preliminary rounds. Details here. A list of sample topics for Texas students should give lots of good ideas.
The topics and the papers promise a lot. These projects could make good lesson plans. (Who publishes the winning entries? I have not found that yet.)
Don’t forget the Texas History Day T-shirt Design Contest — entries are due by December 14, 2007.
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3 Comments | Capturing history, Education, Historic documents, History, Lesson plans, Pedagogy, Teaching, Technology, Texas history | Tagged: Education, History, National History Day, Teaching, Texas history | Permalink
Posted by Ed Darrell
November 11, 2007
Crooks and Liars highlighted the sore-loser comments of the pro-voucher bunch in Utah — and a bunch of people commented there. I’m sure they were planning to leave comments here, or at UtahAmicus, or Utah Teacher, or one of the other blogs that covered the issue like a blanket, but somehow they got sidetracked to Crooks and Liars. The comments are sometimes enlightening.
Eh. We probably ought to be reading C&L more anyway.
Tip of the old scrub brush to Notes from Evil Bender.
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Posted by Ed Darrell
November 10, 2007
Will Okun’s question: Does it make a difference to a black student what color her teacher is?
Some students say it makes no difference; some students vigorously argue that black male teachers push black kids harder, but understand them better.
Good, thoughtful post, lots of comments — at Nicholas Kristof’s blog at the New York Times site.
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Posted by Ed Darrell
November 8, 2007
LaVarr Webb’s UtahPolicy.com features a roundup of comments from blogs on the Utah election, and the referendum defeat of vouchers:
Blog Watch
Lots of reaction to the voucher referendum outcome: See BoardBuzz, Steve Urquhart, SLCSpin, The Utah Amicus, Dynamic Range, The Senate Site, Paul Rolly, Out of Context, Reach Upward, COL Takashi, Jeremy’s Jeremiad, Davis County Watch, Salt Blog, and Millard Fillmore’s Bathtub.
Utah is a small state, blessed with television, radio and newspaper outlets that perform way beyond what the population should expect. Webb’s site tends to summarize most of the important political stuff every day.
It is exactly that type of information that led to the defeat of the voucher plan, I think. More later, maybe. Go take a look at Webb’s link to a CATO Institute commentary; voucher advocates are not giving up in any way.
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Leave a Comment » | Education, Education reform, Education spending, Elections, Politics, School vouchers | Tagged: political news sources, Politics, Utah, voucher referendum | Permalink
Posted by Ed Darrell
November 7, 2007
Some kind soul nominated this blog for “best education blog” in some award process last year, but that was as far as this blog got. Several good education blogs were nominated, but I wasn’t impressed with the final standings. My candidates didn’t rank 1, 2, or 3.
So, should we swear off blog award? Heck, no! As Roger Beynon would say, everything someone says has potential value. And really, there is a lot of good stuff in a lot of these blogs.
So get on over to the 2007 Weblog Awards page on education, and check out the blogs in the running (do it now — you can vote tonight and tomorrow).
One blog excited me a lot — not because it covers education particularly well, but because it’s done by high school students. It’s solid, and it should give your students an idea of just what they can do. Even if you don’t check out the nominatees, go see the James Logan Courier.
Meanwhile, here are the ten finalists — only one of which I link to on this blogroll, which is a clue that I need to get out more, and a clue that there are a lot of high quality blogs out there:
Finalist Links
The Jose Vilson
Teaching Learners with Multiple Special Needs
Frumteacher
Hobo Teacher
NYC Educator
Education Week
Matthew K. Tabor, Education for the Aughts
James Logan Courier
The Miss Rumphius Effect
IvyGate
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1 Comment | Education, Education assessment, Education blogs, Student projects, Weblogs | Tagged: Education, Education blogs, Education reform | Permalink
Posted by Ed Darrell
November 7, 2007
Have you Texas, New Mexico and Louisiana economics teachers registered for Evening at the Fed?
Evening at the Fed
Dinner and Discussion for High School Teachers
Dallas, November 29, 2007
Houston, December 4, 2007
San Antonio, December 11, 2007
El Paso, December 13, 2007
Financial Markets: Innovations and Challenges
The 2007 Evening at the Fed series will feature Jeffery Gunther, assistant vice president and senior economist in the Dallas Fed’s Financial Industry Studies Department. Gunther will speak on factors leading up to the recent financial market turmoil, in particular the role of nontraditional financial instruments. He will address such questions as:
- Are financial innovations, such as hedge funds, forever changing the financial landscape?
- What happened in the U.S. sub prime real estate market?
- What does the consumer need to understand about nontraditional financial instruments?
- What impact do these new financial instruments have on the US economy?
Join us at a location convenient for you. The fee to attend is $15, which includes dinner and materials. Space is limited and the registration fee must be received by the cut-off date.
This would probably be a good session for government and U.S. history teachers, too.
Registration details after the fold.
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2 Comments | Economics, Education, Federal Reserve Bank, Free market economics, Government, History, Personal finance | Tagged: Dallas Fed, Economics, Education, Government, Teachers | Permalink
Posted by Ed Darrell
November 6, 2007
This is election day in much of the U.S. In Utah, voters have a referendum on vouchers to take money from public schools to give to students to attend private schools. This is the first state-wide test of vouchers anywhere.
- The Polling, from William Hogarth’s series, The Election, oil on canvas, 1754; from The Tate Gallery, on loan from Sir John Sloane’s Museum, London.
I think vouchers will be voted down, but either way, I wish there were more, serious national coverage of the story in Utah. Public education has refused to back down from scurrilous and often false claims against the schools, and parents and educators have fought a gallant, fact-filled campaign against Utah’s voucher proposal. Utah voters are traditionally among the better-educated, better-informed, and better-voting people. Known as a conservative stronghold, Utah will probably vote to put this voucher program in the trash can.
The rest of the nation could benefit from knowing more about the reasons this proposal fails, if it does — or why it succeeds, if lightning strikes the way Richard Eyre prays it will.
Marchers protesting the Vietnam War in 1968 used to chant “The whole world is watching.” If only it were true today.
Vote today!
Whatever your views, go to the polls if there is an election in your town, and vote. Your vote will count, and it angers and frustrates the big money interests who hope you won’t vote, so their campaign contributions and, perhaps, outright bribes, will have more clout. Go vote.
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5 Comments | Education, Education reform, Education spending, Elections, Politics, School vouchers | Tagged: Education, Elections, Politics, School vouchers, Utah referendum | Permalink
Posted by Ed Darrell
November 5, 2007
Headline in this morning’s Dallas Morning News: “Texas teens lead nation in birth rate.”
The subhead: “Experts questioning abstinence-only education approach.”
What was the clue?
While the national teen birth rate has slowed, Texas has made far less headway, alarming public health officials and child advocates.
Texas teens lead the nation in having babies. Last month, the nonprofit group Child Trends conferred another No. 1 ranking on Texas. In the latest statistics available, 24 percent of the state’s teen births in 2004 were not the girl’s first delivery.
“That astounded me,” said Kathryn Allen, senior vice president for community relations at Planned Parenthood of North Texas. “I mean, what are we doing wrong?”
Texas’ policy is to deny contraceptives without parental consent wherever possible and to push an abstinence-only sex education program in public schools.
Conservatives blame liberal policies. The radical, “pregnancy is punishment from God” Eagle Forum believes success in reducing teen-aged pregnancies in other states is due to increased abortions, though there is not an iota of evidence to support such a claim.
The good news is that Texas’ teen pregnancy rates are down 19%. The bad news for Texas is that the national rates are down about 30%, and California has achieved a 47% reduction in the same period of time, by emphasizing honest sex education that teaches the use of prophylactics and by making birth control devices available to teens for free at public health clinics.
I have suffered through amazingly destructive presentations in which abstinence-only educators tell fantastic falsehoods to kids. In one presentation, the fellow started out claiming condoms are effective only 60% of the time, but got the failure rate up to 90% by the end of his talk. Kids in the school told me that they learned not to use condoms.
Where is Susan Powter when you need her rage?
Check out the good reporting by Robert T. Garrett, and tell us in comments what you conclude.
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1 Comment | Accuracy, Education, Public education, Public health, Rampant stupidity | Tagged: abstinence only, failed policies, moral dilemmas, sex education, teenage pregnancy | Permalink
Posted by Ed Darrell
November 5, 2007
A decision by the Supreme Court of the State of Washington last month had wags and pundits claiming that it is okay for politicians to lie, at least in the state of Washington.
On October 4 the Washington Supreme Court ruled unconstitutional a law that banned publication of “a false statement of material fact about a candidate for public office” in advertisements or other campaign materials, if the statement was made with “actual malice,” or with “reckless disregard to its truth or falsity,” according to a report in the New York Times.
“The notion that the government, rather than the people, may be the final arbiter fo truth in political debate is fundamentally at odds with the First Amendment,” Justice James M. Johnson wrote for four the justices in the majority. A dissenting justice, Barbara A. Madsen, wrote that “the majority’s decision is an invitation to lie with impunity.”
Justice Madsen added that the decision would help turn “political campaigns into contests of the best stratagems of lies and deceit, to the end that honest discourse and honest candidates are lost in the maelstrom.”
Utah’s voters now are engaged in a great debate that tests those views. Can voters discern the truth from a fog of claims and counterclaims about school vouchers?
Polls show vouchers losing. What does that mean?
Ironically, perhaps, in the Washington case, the candidate who got the claim wrong, according to the court’s decision, also lost the race:
Mr. Sheldon said Ms. Rickert had violated a state law that made it unlawful to publish “a false statement of material fact about a candidate for public office” in advertisements and campaign materials if the statement was made with “actual malice,” meaning in the knowledge that it was false or with reckless disregard to its truth or falsity.
The commission ruled against Ms. Rickert and fined her $1,000. It found that Mr. Sheldon had not voted to close the facility and that it was, in any event, a juvenile detention center rather than one for the developmentally challenged.
Justice Johnson said the law under which the commission had acted was “a censorship scheme.”
“It naïvely assumes,” Justice Johnson wrote, “that the government is capable of correctly and consistently negotiating the thin line between fact and opinion in political speech.”
Mr. Sheldon had other ways to combat the brochure, Justice Johnson added. Mr. Sheldon and his supporters could have “responded to Ms. Rickert’s false statements with the truth.” And Mr. Sheldon remained free to file a libel suit, though he would have to prove not only falsity and actual malice but also that the statement had harmed his reputation.
In a brief concurring opinion, Chief Justice Gerry L. Alexander said the flaw in the law was that it penalized false “nondefamatory speech,” meaning statements that do not injure reputation. But he said the government should be free to “penalize defamatory political speech.”
The voters figured it out.
___________________________
Opinions in Rickert v. Washington:
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Leave a Comment » | Education, Ethics, History, Law, Politics, School vouchers | Permalink
Posted by Ed Darrell
November 1, 2007
News from Central Washington University in Ellensburg tells of the death of Washoe, the first chimpanzee to learn American Sign Language (ASL), the matriarch of a small clan of signing chimps who pushed the boundaries on our view of the intelligence of animals, especially the other great apes besides humans.
Washoe was named after Washoe County, Nevada, the home of the University of Nevada – Reno, where she was taken in 1966 after being captured in Africa as an infant.
Washoe, who first learned a bit of American Sign Language in a research project in Nevada, had been living on Central Washington University’s Ellensburg campus since 1980. Her keepers said she had a vocabulary of about 250 words, although critics contended Washoe and some other primates learned to imitate sign language, but did not develop true language skills.
She died Tuesday night, according to Roger and Deborah Fouts, co-founders of The Chimpanzee and Human Communications Institute on the campus. She was born in Africa about 1965.
Between Washoe and her progeny, extended family and students (she taught signing to several others of her species) and the more famous Koko, the gorilla who speaks ASL, our ideas of the learning ability of animals, their achievements dramatically challenged our ideas about the moral sense of animals, and the uniform and universal superiority of humans.
Fouts and the researchers at the University of Nevada raised several chimps who were taught ASL. One of the more interesting, to me, and genuinely thought-provoking stories was of one young chimp who attended church with her human family. She asked questions about church, and eventually asked to be be baptized (the local cleric performed the rite). This is a Rubicon of great import to creationists, and I have yet to find one who isn’t inflamed or enraged by the story one way or another.
Roger Fouts lovingly described Washoe’s life and accomplishments in Next of Kin (including the baptism story). Fouts defends the rights of chimpanzees, His accounts of the life of research chimpanzees trouble anyone with a moral sense. This book troubled me when I first read it almost a decade ago, and I find it still haunts me any time I visit a display of animals, in a zoo, aquarium, or even at a wildlife preserve (I have not been to a circus since I read the book, coincidentally).
Just wait until cetaceans and cephalopods figure out how to use ASL.
Further reading and resources:
- More books on chimpanzees, signing and research from the Chimpanzee and Human Communication Institute
- The Third Chimpanzee, Jared Diamond’s book on evolution of humans, separating from other chimpanzees; at that Science Daily site, see also other, related links
- The Gorilla Foundation/Koko.org
- “A conversation with Koko,” PBS’s Nature
- Alan Alda and “Scientific American Frontiers,” transcript of “Animal Einsteins,” a program featuring Washoe and Alex, the late African grey parrott.
- Washoe was also featured on NOVA in 1974, in a program titled “The First Signs of Washoe.” I cannot find that this program is either available on video in any form, or available for broadcast.
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Leave a Comment » | Brain development, Brain learning, Education, Learning, Learning styles, Research, Science | Tagged: American Sign Language, chimpanzees, Education, human evolution, Washoe | Permalink
Posted by Ed Darrell
November 1, 2007
Our house had two or three of the things around from my three older brothers — you know, the old Gilbert or Chemcraft chemistry sets, complete with potentially dangerous chemicals, test tubes, an alcohol lamp, a couple of beakers and stands, and instructions for how to make cool reactions with warnings about not making things explode.
We all made things explode, of course. That’s the fun stuff. Making jellied alcohol was fun, too — older brother Wes did that at Halloween, as I recall, the better to make a flaming hand (once was enough, thanks). We didn’t worry so much about the poisonous qualities of hydrogen sulfide, as we did worry about how to claim somebody else was suffering from flatulence when we made it. The kits and their metal boxes were in poor repair by the time I got around to them, but other kids in the neighborhood had new ones, and we always had the labs at the junior high and high school, which were stocked with enough dangerous stuff to keep us on the edge of blowing up the school, we thought (probably incorrectly).
One sign of laboratory experience: The acid holes in the Levi jeans. Older son Kenny recently discovered these things still happen in a lab at college. It had never occurred to him to worry about it before — one of his favorite t-shirts, too. (Holes in clothes appear not to be the fashion statement they were for his parents . . .)
12 Angry Men laments the wussification of these old chemistry sets. No danger anymore, he says.
Someone in comments claims you can still get the dangerous stuff.
But someone else claims such kits may be illegal under Homeland Security and DEA rules. Heck, they say even Erlenmeyer flasks are illegal in Texas. They used to be very popular among the secretaries in the biology department because they made such fine vases for the single-stemmed flowers their grad-student admirers could afford. Gotta see what’s up with that.
Technology changes so you can’t get it anymore.
But, kids with solid chemistry experience make more money in the real world — especially chemical engineers. Here’s a Catch-22: Kids can make more money if they have the experience to get the job, but they can’t get the experience until they get the job.
Update, November 1: The PBS/Wired Science segment on kids doing chemistry, and chemistry sets
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4 Comments | Education, History, Learning, Life, Science, Technology, Technology in the classroom | Tagged: chemistry sets, children, Education, Erlenmeyer flasks, Technology | Permalink
Posted by Ed Darrell
October 31, 2007
News reports and a syndicated radio program, “Evolution Minute,” talk about the efforts to upgrade science education in Florida. Florida worries that without high science standards in education, their kids will be left behind.
High standards? That’s right: Evolution’s in, intelligent design is not. High quality education, not high feely education.
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Posted by Ed Darrell
Millard Fillmore's Bathtub 