Chronology Current Month Current Thread Current Date
[Year List] [Month List (current year)] [Date Index] [Thread Index] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Date Prev] [Date Next]

Re: [Phys-l] Parents don't see a crisis over science and math



And we shouldn't be too surprised by the below since the parents, school board members, and even most of the politicians were educated in the 70s, 80s, 90s, and now. We are living with the consequences of worrying more about the psychological state of students than about the knowledge and skills they gain. We ARE STILL stuck in that mode as I continue to see vehement opposition to any attempt to assess a base knowledge and skill set amongst students--at least opposition if someone ELSE tries to do the assessment. Through both Democratic and Republican administrations we have been marching steadily towards educational mediocrity--but as is the game, we always want to blame somebody--it's their fault, not ours! Well, blame the educators--especially the head honchos, blame the psychologists, blame the lawyers (who have dismantled effective discipline in schools and forced school systems to spend huge amounts of money to accommodate a very few special case students), blame the parents or lack of such (but is this cause or effect?), blame the media, blame our obsession with sporting success, blame technology, blame the students, and.....if you are really brave, blame US--the teachers--for inflating grades, grossly overusing 'extra credit', lowering standards and in many other ways protecting our own a****s rather than protecting the educational integrity of the system.

Specifically to the article--we have failed, both in math and science, to sell the public (meaning our students) on the importance of this knowledge and these skills to their successful functioning in the modern world. Despite a huge emphasis put on this in my gen-ed course, I still will hear the comment (from a few)--I don't need to understand this stuff, I don't want to understand this stuff---I just want to use the fruits of science. You won't get close to changing this kind of attitude if your ONLY idea of a physics course is a problem solving, Algebra of Calculus based, AP-style course. That's fine for those ALREADY interested in science and engineering, but it does little for the general population. The connections between science and math and society need to be made and explored EXPLICITLY if the attitude of the majority is to be changed. [Cases in point are the International Space Station and future manned exploration of Mars. Public opinion is negative on both--but the public has been poorly educated as to the ultimate benefits of each of these expensive projects to human society.]

Rick

*********************************************************
Richard W. Tarara
Professor of Physics
Saint Mary's College
Notre Dame, Indiana
rtarara@saintmarys.edu
********************************************************
Free Physics Educational Software (Win & Mac)
NEW: Updated MOTION animations.
COMING: Spanish language versions.
www.saintmarys.edu/~rtarara/software.html
Energy 2100--class project
www.saintmarys.edu/~rtarara/ENERGY_PROJECT/ENERGY2100.htm
********************************************************


----- Original Message ----- From: "Spagna Jr., George" <gspagna@rmc.edu>


Should we be surprised that math/science phobic parents don't see a need
for more math and science for their children? This is the same country
where school boards - not science teachers and practicing scientists -
debate the content of the science curriculum; where political appointees
attempt to control the content of scientific papers which appear to
contradict the administration's pronouncements.

**********************************************
"Nothing in all the world is more dangerous than

sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity."

- Martin Luther King, Jr.

**********************************************

Dr. George Spagna
Chair, Physics Department
Randolph-Macon College
P.O. Box 5005
Ashland, VA 23005-5505

phone: (804) 752-7344
fax: (804) 752-4724
e-mail: gspagna@rmc.edu
http://faculty.rmc.edu/gspagna

_______________________________________________
Phys-l mailing list
Phys-l@carnot.physics.buffalo.edu
https://carnot.physics.buffalo.edu/mailman/listinfo/phys-l