Speaking glibly against high-stakes testing is easy but their effects are like residual pesticides. They linger in systems long after their application. The ideas that prompted their widespread use persist even among those who might disavow over-testing. Sometimes detection of toxic testing residuals can be tricky. Standing in front […]
Tag Archives: Science Education
Why Science Education is Essential for Democracy
10/31/16 The current election cycle scares me in ways that I have never felt before. It is not so much the hatred and lies that Donald Trump spews regularly, but the potential for sanctioned violence and irrationality from my fellow citizens. History and morality demand vigorous challenge. My realm is science […]
Let’s Talk About Values, Beliefs and Evidence
In August 1945, the United States dropped the atomic bombs that devastated Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Seventy years later, the President Obama is imploring Congress to approve a deal to dissuade Iran from building a nuclear bomb. This is an opportune moment to reflect on the intersection of science, technology and human values. It is a […]
How to Reframe the Education Policy Debate
Education policymakers have successfully framed the language of modern school reform to reflect specific values — “accountability,” for example, means standardized test-based accountability, and “no excuses” means that teachers are to blame if students don’t do well. To move past this limiting reform model supporters of public education will have to reframe the debate with […]
Next Steps for the Next Generation Science Standards
The National Research Council’s K-12 Framework for Science Education and the Next Generation Science Standards are designed to drive dramatic rethinking and improvement of science education for all students in the United States. Now decisions at the district, state, and federal levels will determine whether the new standards will promote substantive improvement…..Five other state actions will enable […]
Arguing for Science Literacy
Students who are scientifically literate know how to argue. However, current education policies undermine rather than advance this vital academic goal. I do not mean disagreements that are resolved based on personal considerations or positional authority. For scientists, argument is all about whether claims — regarding the accuracy and generalizability of their models to explain […]
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