Posts Tagged ‘ STS ’

Why Do We Teach Science, Anyway? The Democratic Argument

November 30, 2010

There are at least two interpretations that emerge when we explore why we teach science from the democratic argument. The first interpretation is that we should be teaching science to help students become informed citizens in an increasingly technocratic and scientific world, and provide them with the tools to intelligently discuss, vote on, and make decisions about “modern life, politics and society.” (Turner, p.… Read more

Why Scientific Perceptions Persist Even with Facts & Teaching

By Jack Hassard

July 15, 2010

There was a very interesting study completed at the University of Michigan entitled When Corrections Fail: The persistence of political misperceptions by researchers Brendan Nyhan, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, and Jason Reifler, Department of Political Science, Georgia State University. This study, although in the realm of political behavior, has strong implications for science education, especially in the teaching of science-related social issues.

Dear Mr. President: Take the Risk, and Try and Humanize Teaching and Learning

By Jack Hassard

March 14, 2010

Tomorrow, President Obama will send his education blue print to Congress, which, according to the New York Times article, “strikes a careful balance, retaining some key features of the Bush-era law, including its requirement for annual reading and math tests, while proposing far-reaching changes.”

The blue print is really no different than what was put into practice by the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act, and is steeped in a corporate model of teaching and learning that uses test scores to drive the day-to-day work of teachers in schools.… Read more

Dear Mr. President: The Need for Meaningful Reform in Science Teaching

By Jack Hassard

May 2, 2009

We know you have a lot on your plate—a deep recession, two wars in the Middle East, health care reform, extreme partisanship, the fast spreading swine flu. Yet the one area that that is essential to our well being as a nation–education–has yet to become center stage. I know it is a high priority of yours, and I know when you think the time is right, you will bring it forward for open discussion.… Read more

Climate Change, Politics and Science Teaching

By Jack Hassard

March 3, 2009

The new administration in Washington has made it clear that it climate change would be one of the science-related issues that it would deal with, and there is clearly some evidence to support this. In an article in USA Today, entitled Politics heats up global warming suggested that climate scientists should get involved in the issue to help with our understanding of the science of climate change, and the implications for the earth, people and the economy.… Read more

Hot, Flat, and Crowded: A Revolutionary Paradigm of Teaching for Energy and Environment

By Jack Hassard

September 8, 2008

In a democracy, there are differing views on how the government and industry should deal with energy, energy sources, and the environment. I’ve visited the American Presidency Project, and there you can read the complete platforms of the Democrats and Republicans. You have to go the Libertarian Party and the Green Party websites to read their platforms. You might set up a project where your students visit these websites, and extract the respective party’s positions on energy, the environment, and science research. How do the party’s differ in their understanding of the environment, and recommendations for the future?… Read more