Right Wingers and Wimpy Moderates Are Murdering US Education. Do Americans Care?

[BurtWorm]

Stagnant scientific education imperils U.S. economic leadership, says a report by leading business and science figures.

Released Thursday at a congressional briefing attended by senators and congressmen of both parties, the report updates a 2005 science education report that led to moves to double federal research funding.

Nevertheless, the "Rising Above the Gathering Storm" review finds little improvement in U.S. elementary and secondary technical education since then.

"Our nation's outlook has worsened," concludes the report panel headed by former Lockheed Martin chief Norman Augustine. The report "paints a daunting outlook for America if it were to continue on the perilous path it has been following".


http://www.usatoday.com/tech/science/2010-09-23-science-education_N.htm?csp=34news


I wonder if the phony culture wars might have something to do with the situation? You know, the ones in which red-faced parents and right wing school board members scream about how teachers and schools are promoting socialism and atheism, and the media and politicians scramble to be "fair" to both sides?

[woo me with science]

1. It was insisted to me, twice, by a union-backing, wholly Democratic-voting teacher here at DU

that teachers can effectively teach even subjects they don't know, because they have degrees in "pedagogy." I told her that if she has never taken physics, she has no business pretending to teach physics to my daughter's AP physics class.

The problem with scientific illiteracy is not a right/left issue. Look here on DU and you will see that the woo forum is the busiest and most popular DU group there is.

[BurtWorm]

2. But you don't see lefty woowoos screaming to include chakra point theory in biology classes.

Although, I do understand your point. That's why I ask the question if Americans in general care. If enough of us did, we'd be talking about this more often than we talk about creationism vs. evolution, for example.

[Spike89]

3. True to a certain point

At both extremes that argument falls totally apart. Obviously teaching involves a degree of subject matter knowledge, but pedagogy is critical also. Education isn't just about cramming facts into heads--no student would ever learn more than their teacher. Likewise, expert pedagogy can open the doors to learning, but students still need guides who can find their way around in the subject.
The ideal teacher has a strong knowledge of both curriculum and pedagogy. Lacking ideal teachers in every classroom, I think pedagogy is somewhat more important, but certainly not a replacement for content knowledge.