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Biology teachers don't support evolution...

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Feb 2, 2009
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This ought to ruffle some feathers around here:

http://slatest.slate.com/id/2284422/entry/6/#add-comment

What sort of biology teacher rejects evolution? Can they even be good at their job? That's sort of the equivalent of me rejecting the foundations of tonal harmony. What about the 60% that just avoids the whole thing for fear of controversy? Are they spineless or just being politically savvy?

Looking forward to the discussion on this one...
 
Here is a more detailed article. I don't think biology teachers are against evolution, they just fear conflict. That's still pretty lame but at least it is lame in a more understandable way.

Edit: Are these precentages based on public schools only?
 
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I went to a charter high school a few years ago (for the arts, nothing woo-y), and when we got to the evolution unit, our biology teacher started giving a speech about how people can have their own beliefs and how you can believe in a religion and still understand that evolution is a good explanation for the world (her little spiel wasn't really bad or anything, and I don't recall the words "intelligent design" coming up, but I rolled my eyes at how she got nervous, mainly for living in a place where she would get nervous, and ended up interrupting about the weight of the evidence, that it isn't like there's some sort of Darwinist cult and I'm ashamed that this is even an issue). That class was exceedingly dull, mainly because the year was mostly stuff I had learned already as opposed to any kind of evolution-vacillation. I should have expected as much, though, given that my home district is full of conservative Republicans of the "Prop 8? Yeah, don't want the schools teaching our kids about those filthy sick, ******* ****!" variety.

I wonder how to handle the repercussions in the cases where there is major opposition in the community. Of course it's a good idea to first get rid of the teachers who teach Creationism in the science classroom. I get the impression that whatever ideas I come up with would be too blunt for the culture, at least in their first incarnation, since I grew up in a household where I was encouraged to choose my religious beliefs, remaining agnostic most of my life and, although I had heard of these absurdities occurring from a fairly young age, it wasn't until I had reached adulthood that I began to fully grasp the extent of the problem. However, I am unaware of what practical ideas have been generated, or perhaps are already being implemented, to make the transition to more evidence/logic/reality-based biology education.
 
I was never taught evolution. I was given a very thorough and basic understanding of biology. Once the prof got through with training me in taxonomy, the conclusion that organisms evolve is inescapable. Unless, of course, you're in denial.

Perhaps that's the way to go about this. Don't even mention evolution. Merely teach the facts of biology. Those who get it will realize that evolution can and does occur. Those who can't...well, someone's got to clean the fish.
 
I was never taught evolution. I was given a very thorough and basic understanding of biology. Once the prof got through with training me in taxonomy, the conclusion that organisms evolve is inescapable. Unless, of course, you're in denial.

Perhaps that's the way to go about this. Don't even mention evolution. Merely teach the facts of biology. Those who get it will realize that evolution can and does occur. Those who can't...well, someone's got to clean the fish.

Expecting someone to just "get it" is slipshod from an educational standpoint. There is no other way to explain certain things in biology other than using "evolve" and "evolution."
 
Even if the courts have consistently ruled in favour of evolution and against creationism in teaching, it's difficult to be too upset at high school biology teachers wanting to keep their jobs and avoid long drawn out court fights with fools.

It's a sad truth that even if something is right, it's not always the best way to go from a personal survival pov. It's not like teachers are typically independently wealthy.
 
Expecting someone to just "get it" is slipshod from an educational standpoint. There is no other way to explain certain things in biology other than using "evolve" and "evolution."

No, it's quite possible. My own school did that. We had a great biology teacher who taught us all about how cells work and DNA. Never once in class did he bring up Darwin or the word "evolution" and it wasn't until I was in college that the subject was covered in detail. Even though it was college I remember at least one girl in class being upset over being taught evolution.
 
Sad. There might be 100 schools tops in our whole country which don't teach evolution. Hell, I got a great education in biology and I was at a catholic school, where the teachers weren't required to be secular in their teachings (though in practical terms they all were, even our religion teachers)
 
Expecting someone to just "get it" is slipshod from an educational standpoint. There is no other way to explain certain things in biology other than using "evolve" and "evolution."

That is a nice thing to say but it is not true, public schools have to get along with the parents and school boards, so what do they do?

They don't use the terms 'evolution' , it is that simple.

In 3rd grade science they use the term 'adapatation' and leave it at that. It is better to teach the material than to have endless witnessing by student. There are plenty of ways to teach the material and avoid the key trigger words. It is sad but the fact exists none the less. That and that Texas determines a lot of text book content.

So while Illinois specifically has Darwin and natural selection in the ISBE standards, the text books have a minor mention of it. Then they plow ahead and teach it while avoiding the terms that get 15% of parents upset. (15% here in Illinois.)
 
My buddy teaches high school biology.

Every year before the section on Evolution, he asks the kids if they have religious beliefs which don't accept the T of E, and every year a few hands shoot up.

At which point, he tells them, "You're not required to believe this, but it is required that you know it."
 
From the "NYT article".
At the other extreme, 13 percent explicitly advocate creationism, and spend at least an hour of class time presenting it in a positive light.

How do you stretch the scientific basis of creationism to an hour. "Ooooooo all this evidence is too difficult to understand. God must have done it." 7-8 seconds at most.
 
That is a nice thing to say but it is not true, public schools have to get along with the parents and school boards, so what do they do?

They don't use the terms 'evolution' , it is that simple.

In 3rd grade science they use the term 'adapatation' and leave it at that. It is better to teach the material than to have endless witnessing by student. There are plenty of ways to teach the material and avoid the key trigger words. It is sad but the fact exists none the less. That and that Texas determines a lot of text book content.

So while Illinois specifically has Darwin and natural selection in the ISBE standards, the text books have a minor mention of it. Then they plow ahead and teach it while avoiding the terms that get 15% of parents upset. (15% here in Illinois.)

I recall S. J. Gould making the point about the influence of Texas on HS textbooks and that evolution was tucked into the last chapter of most texts and a lot of classes never got that far.
Another point is that HS biology teachers usually take a lot more education courses than biology courses.
 
This ought to ruffle some feathers around here:

no it wont.

this place is full of idiots who themselve do not comprehend evolution.

ie... not a one on this site can convey an evolution in any physics (of walking the planck).

it is like a religious wingnut taking a creed; this site is full of people who would follow a phd off a bridge.

http://slatest.slate.com/id/2284422/entry/6/#add-comment

What sort of biology teacher rejects evolution?
many because there is no math within a reductionary paradigm to describe a single evolution of even the simpliest living species.

Can they even be good at their job?
sure........... they, like many here, can teach the children how to be liars.


That's sort of the equivalent of me rejecting the foundations of tonal harmony. What about the 60% that just avoids the whole thing for fear of controversy?
kind of like what happens on this forum, within this very science section; the spineless do not have the integrity to sustain fact over beliefs.

Are they spineless or just being politically savvy?
i call em liars, bigots, pigs, self centered blanks.................... and the fools will be extinct, eventually. ie.... the species incapable of evolving, eventually WILL go extinct.............. it's a natural fact of evolution!
Looking forward to the discussion on this one...

wrong forum for such a discussion.

but if you like fun, consider the automotive developments as a perfect example of an evolution of cars; no uncertainty there!
 
Since the subject is sort of up... I was going to start another topic on this but see as it might be more relavent I'll risk a possible derail.

I've recently learned that in a university here during bilogy class, when the subject of evolution came up, several students walked out of the classroom making a fuss of "it's against their religion" and such (orthodox jews btw)

From what I understood, the students were allowed to drop the class and take another class instead.

Here's my quesiton, I have no problem if they walk out on a class and take another course if that is something that is perfectly valid for any other student for any other reason. But isn't evolutionary studies mandatory for degrees in biology?
 
Since the subject is sort of up... I was going to start another topic on this but see as it might be more relavent I'll risk a possible derail.

I've recently learned that in a university here during bilogy class, when the subject of evolution came up, several students walked out of the classroom making a fuss of "it's against their religion" and such (orthodox jews btw)
just explain to them, in genesis..... when adam gave up a rib to make an eve is the perfect metaphor to cell division (of all living species).

then share how 'knowledge evolves' (are they equiped with more material information than even moses?)

From what I understood, the students were allowed to drop the class and take another class instead.

and if they do, they dropped 'their' class!

Here's my quesiton, I have no problem if they walk out on a class and take another course if that is something that is perfectly valid for any other student for any other reason. But isn't evolutionary studies mandatory for degrees in biology?

nope!

kind of like, there is no class on integrity, honesty and/or the 'evolution of knowledge'. These concepts can invoke a comprehensible fact; the next generations will be better equiped and capable of greater understanding than the previous generations (invoking a humility to each of us, equally, if honest)
 
I've recently learned that in a university here during bilogy class, when the subject of evolution came up, several students walked out of the classroom making a fuss of "it's against their religion" and such (orthodox jews btw)

I still don't understand those who say "it's against their religion". Evolution is not against creationism. It is only against it in the particular application of how we got here. That is from the creation of earth from basic lifeform trough trilobites, fish, reptiles, dinosaurs, apes up to us humans. You can still have God create earth five or six thousand years ago and still have evolution take on from there on. If in doubt look at how bacteria has gotten more resistant to medicine. Weeds to herbicides. And of course all your pedigree dogs that didn't exist four or five centuries ago. How do those people who deny evolution explain thorough breeds?? High yield crops??
 
Lothian said:
How do you stretch the scientific basis of creationism to an hour. "Ooooooo all this evidence is too difficult to understand. God must have done it." 7-8 seconds at most.
You can spend the rest of the hour talking about the irreducible complexity of the flagellum, eye, clotting system, etc. Don't forget not to mention that each of those has been shown not to be irreducibly complex.

~~ Paul
 

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