Read the Gregg Easterbrook piece on pages 343-346 of "Presence" and respond by writing whether you agree or disagree with the solution he mentions at the end -- "to teach the controversy." How do you think that strategy would work in a Lyndon State biology class?
In theory it sounds like the perfect solution to “Teach the Controversy” but in reality I don’t think it would work all the time. I can’t see any science teacher at Lyndon State agreeing to only “Teach the Controversy”. Science teachers live and breathe facts only. On the other hand, I can’t see any clergymen “Teach the Controversy” either. That would go beyond their allegiance to God. It would have to be taught in English classes.
ReplyDeleteI agree with teaching more than one side of the story to students because we are humans with freedom of thought and speech and should be provided with all the facts to make our own decisions. I do not believe that teaching the controversy would be fair to students with maybe different religious offiliations they would be completely left out.
ReplyDeleteMaybe making a class on relgions/cultures just as mandatory as those biology classes. That way many sides of the story are represented and students can truly make up their minds with all the facts available.
*affiliations
ReplyDeletei personally think that teaching religion should happen in every public school. my reasons for this is for the general education of all in all religions. that way the students have a general basic knowledge of all religions. so in the future the students may choose one they think is credible. in addition to teaching religion in school, i think the school should as well teach or at least inform the students the difference between theory and fact.
ReplyDeleteWhen reading "The New Fundamentalism" it reminded me of a debate that I was involved with in my high school. We debated on how we feel about having religion be in the curriculum in schools. And the whole class came to the exact concesses that Gregg Easterbrook came up with and that is to have it be in the curriculum, not to be taught, but to be understood.
ReplyDeleteNow this never actually was finalized before I was out of high school but I feel that it should be in the classroom so that the children are aware of what is out there, and they can have their own beliefs about what they want to believe in. I wish that it would have been finalized, so that I could have learned more about what others believe in. I am a cristian so I believe in one god, but others might believe in other things so in having this policy in classrooms I think it would make children more informed of their surroundings.
I don't believe that any time soon that this will happen, especially while I am here at Lyndon, but maby someday they will pick up this policy.
"Kids cannot understand astronomy without knowing the ideas behind it. " - Easterbrook
So in theory, the more that the controversy is taught, the better the classes will have an understanding.
Christian*
ReplyDeleteSee this is a hard one to talk about because I believe in the theory of evolution but yet I do have Christian values I am a non practicing Christian. But I do think that people should have the opportunity to learn both sides of the science.
ReplyDeleteHey I am all for you believing in your religion. YES I am religious to an extent. I don't go to church because of personal issues. Anyway I am not going to preach about putting religion in public schools. YOU CAN'T! Religion and Government are not suppose to interact. A Public School to a State College is Governmental. So in that you can't teach it. IT IS THE LAW. I hate to be the mean one here, so judge me anyway you want. I really don't care if you hate me for this. Also yeah so in that no I would not want it here a Lyndon State College in a class. It would not work for me.
ReplyDeleteI agree with them teaching the controversy because I think that every student will have a different point of view. Any student could come out and go against what is taught. So the teacher should come out and teach both instead of just one. I don't think that this can be taught in a Science class at Lyndon State College.
ReplyDeleteI would agree with Treg. Everyone should be able to have a chance to lean each part. I think it would work in a Lyndon biology class but I think I would have a lot of doubts about it.
ReplyDeleteI think that "teach the controversy" is a good theory but, in our world it wouldn't work. Your just not allowed to teach religion in public school. I wish that you could because every kid has the right to learn about what the believe in, or to find out what they believe in. In my house my mom was catholic and my dad was christian and i never got to find out what i believed in, until i was 16 years old i started researching religions and then started to go to church with some friends. I think that everyone has the right to believe in something. I think that everyone needs to believe in something, but first they need to have the right to learn about what they believe in.
ReplyDeleteI have the same to say as Brian. I agree with the controversy. I believe each student will have their own point of view. Some may agree and some may not.Yes, everybody should be educated in each religion. As for me I am Catholic. I went to a catholic school when I was much younger, my parents made me go to sunday classes, and anything else that was going on with in that religion. I knew what it was like and choose to let my kids learn all the religions and choose which they believe in. Surprised that they picked to be a Episcopal. Yes, I still go to church maybe twice a week.
ReplyDeleteI completly agree with mary, everyone should have a choice as well as with desiding their own religion. If different religions are thought to kids it would give them a choice, and something to believe in. An example of this is, i was never taught any religions. Now i really dont have much of a religion, because i was never introduced to one.
ReplyDeleteA agree to this piece to a certain extent. It just seems that sometimes Teaching the controversy as stated by elt5209 is not always going to work although the idea of it makes complete sense. But everyone is given their own decision making. It cant all go to plan.
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