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Re: [Phys-l] OFF-TOPIC: Basic scientific literacy




Remember what the average IQ is and what those with an average IQ can
really do. Then remember that for everyone one with a PhD, there is at
least 1 person that didn't graduate h.s. or did, but just barely (ok,
that is a thrown out estimate of making average from 1 PhD plus one hs
dropout). Remember that some kids that dropout or just barely graduate
because h.s. is difficult for them.

For every PhD there are probably 10 people who did not finish high school.
Houston Independent District finally admitted publicly on the air that their
dropout rate is 50%.

IQ is actually NOT a limiting factor because IQ can and does change. It is
possible to push IQs up, or to have them decrease. Feuerstein has
demonstrated quite dramatically that it is possible to raise IQs from around
65, to normal and even sometimes above. He did it with disadvantaged teens.

More important than learning facts is the ability to be flexible and figure
out new things by oneself. When this happens you literally reconfigure your
brain, and this happens even in adulthood. So scientific literacy should
actually be much more than just science. Students should be able to explore
and learn new things with perhaps just some help. And the most basic things
are achieving the ability to pass the various Piagetian tests such as
proportional reasoning, correlational reasoning, compensation reasoning,
conservation reasoning...

Once individuals have the basic ability to use the various forms of
reasoning, they can learn and understand most of the material that is pushed
at them in HS, and college. Arons in his book pointed out that most
elementary school teachers are at the concrete operational level, but after
intensive training 85% were at the formal operational level. In other words
they could use the types of reasoning mentioned in the previous paragraph.

So the most important things students can learn is that science and math are
about constructing and using models which allow you to make predictions
about real world situations. Sadly neither of these subjects when taught
traditionally do not push up student thinking much. It is possible to push
up thinking, and PER probably does improve this, but not enough.

John M. Clement
Houston, TX