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pleco
SFN Addict
USA
2998 Posts |
 Posted - 06/15/2006 : 14:07:35
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South Carolina adoped new policies to "critically analyze" evolution in class:
quote:
Biology teachers in South Carolina public high schools should engage in class discussions that also question the theory of evolution. The state's new teaching standard encourages them.
The Education Oversight Committee on Monday unanimously signed off on language that adds the phrase “critically analyze” to guidelines for teaching evolution. That phrase modifies the state's nationally recognized biology standards.
The new standards take effect in August.
The guideline directs teachers to “summarize ways that scientists use data from a variety of sources to investigate and critically analyze aspects of evolutionary theory.”
In some scientific circles, “critically analyze” is viewed as synonymous with teaching either creationism — the explanation of how life came into being according to the Bible — or intelligent design — a theory that incorporates both religion and evolution.
Link
I see the new tactic is to co-opt language used by skeptics and scientists - use of the terms "data" and "critically analyze".
The DI may have found another wedge?
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by Filthy
The neo-con methane machine will soon be running at full fart. |
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HalfMooner
Dingaling
Philippines
15831 Posts |
 Posted - 06/15/2006 : 15:19:42 [Permalink]
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My reading of this can be summarized by: "Good news and bad news."
The bad news first: Creationists have made an inch of progress. With their total lack of evidence and lying techniques, they deserve to make none. Any erosion of science education is a bad thing, and these new guidelines should be taken to court and overturned.
The good news: Creationists have made an inch of progress. Any biology teacher with an ounce of wit can teach good science and evolutionary theory without violating these vague new guidelines, and even use them as an invitation to attack Creationism and ID as unscientific.
When they win at all, the Creationists are winning tinier and tinier "victories," with the progression now coming down to near-meaningless "moral victories."
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“Biology is just physics that has begun to smell bad.” —HalfMooner
Here's a link to Moonscape News, and one to its Archive. |
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Dude
SFN Die Hard
USA
6891 Posts |
Posted - 06/15/2006 : 16:51:21 [Permalink]
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After all.... who could protest a requirement to critically analyze evolution? Isn't that what scientists are supposed to do?
This is a two edged weapon.
It lets teachers who are themselves crazed fundies bring in the creationist babble.
On the other hand it lets teachers who are interested in teaching sound science the lattitude to "critically analyze" any of the creationist nonsense that kids will inevitably bring with them into the classroom.
But ultimately the real purpose of this is to allow floor-time in science classrooms for the creationist babble. There will spring up, overnight, organizations that will be able to come into the classrooms and provide that "critical analysis" of evolution, free of charge to the school system of course.
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Ignorance is preferable to error; and he is less remote from the truth who believes nothing, than he who believes what is wrong.
-- Thomas Jefferson
"god :: the last refuge of a man with no answers and no argument." - G. Carlin
Hope, n.
The handmaiden of desperation; the opiate of despair; the illegible signpost on the road to perdition. ~~ da filth |
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Hawks
SFN Regular
Canada
1383 Posts |
Posted - 06/15/2006 : 17:29:10 [Permalink]
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Reading through the link, it looks like this will end up being a get-out-of-jail-card to teach whatever you want in the science class-room. Statments such as "...some aspects of evolution cannot be explained..." and "...science educators are inflexible about teaching theories that challenge evolution and its explanation about the origin of man." reveal that this has more to do with pushing some form of creationism rather than encouraging any form of scientific discussion.
The wedge has been inserted. Look out for hammers... |
METHINKS IT IS LIKE A WEASEL
It's a small, off-duty czechoslovakian traffic warden! |
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Dave W.
Info Junkie
USA
26022 Posts |
Posted - 06/15/2006 : 17:59:03 [Permalink]
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| The DI has been pimping the "critically analyze" stuff for some time now. It's entirely about pushing creationist thought into classrooms as a part of the political movement to get religion into every aspect of life. By singling out evolution, and not modifying the standards to teach kids to "critically analyze" all sciences, they've tipped their hand and shown their religious motivations. |
- Dave W. (Private Msg, EMail)
Evidently, I rock!
Why not question something for a change?
Visit Dave's Psoriasis Info, too. |
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H. Humbert
SFN Die Hard
USA
4574 Posts |
Posted - 06/15/2006 : 18:04:40 [Permalink]
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quote:
Originally posted by Dave W.
The DI has been pimping the "critically analyze" stuff for some time now. It's entirely about pushing creationist thought into classrooms as a part of the political movement to get religion into every aspect of life. By singling out evolution, and not modifying the standards to teach kids to "critically analyze" all sciences, they've tipped their hand and shown their religious motivations.
Although once in awhile in an effort to seem impartial, they throw in "and global warming." (Any takers as to why that might be?)
It's no different than what they tried in Georgia with the biology book stickers. Like all the other creationist efforts, I expect this tactic shall fail any court's test.
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"A man is his own easiest dupe, for what he wishes to be true he generally believes to be true." --Demosthenes
"The first principle is that you must not fool yourself - and you are the easiest person to fool." --Richard P. Feynman
"Face facts with dignity." --found inside a fortune cookie |
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HalfMooner
Dingaling
Philippines
15831 Posts |
Posted - 06/15/2006 : 18:16:15 [Permalink]
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Until a court ruling is forthcoming, the effect of the new guidelines are going to be entirely dependent upon how good the biology teachers are. If I were one such teacher, I could imagine myself interpreting the guidelines as requiring a "critical analysis" of classical, "gradualist" evolution in light of theories of evolution via "punctuated equilibrium." And the teachers' arguable new license to directly attack Creationism might even make these fundies sorry they ever messed with the science curriculum guidelines in the first place.
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“Biology is just physics that has begun to smell bad.” —HalfMooner
Here's a link to Moonscape News, and one to its Archive. |
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Starman
SFN Regular
Sweden
1613 Posts |
Posted - 06/16/2006 : 01:17:23 [Permalink]
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| At this time, a biology teacher should analyze evolution, TOE and the evidence for it to protect the children from the creationist drivel they are exposed to outside the schools. |
"Any religion that makes a form of torture into an icon that they worship seems to me a pretty sick sort of religion quite honestly"
-- Terry Jones |
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