Monthly Archives: May 2009

Followup on FL Virtual School and evolution assignment

The St. Petersburg Times education blog The Gradebook asked the folks at Florida Virtual School about the issue of students using the online school to opt out of course material they or their families don’t like. Unfortunately, I’m still just … Continue reading

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Creationism OK at Florida Virtual School?

Florida Virtual School is a popular way to attend school in our state without having to step into a classroom. Students can take online courses to supplement their current traditional school workload, or students can take pretty much all of … Continue reading

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This & that, the grumpy edition

— First of all, since I’m a part-time college student slowly working my way toward becoming a science teacher here in the Sunshine State, I’m particularly irritated by this bit of news. The state Board of Education more than tripled … Continue reading

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Treating science like a rock star: “This changes everything”

Darwinius masillae is getting a big publicity tour despite having been dead for quite a while. The ultimate coming out of retirement stunt. On Tuesday morning, researchers will unveil a 47-million-year-old fossil they say could revolutionize the understanding of human … Continue reading

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Congratulations to Eugenie Scott

Eugenie Scott Executive director National Center for Science Education and friend of the Florida Citizens for Science has been named to Scientific Americas top ten people who have recently demonstrated outstanding commitment to assuring that the benefits of new technologies … Continue reading

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Florida is lagging in science ed study

A new study was recently released: Taking the Pulse of Bioscience Education in America: A State by State Analysis. Essentially, the study takes a look at science/biology scores per state in ACT, NAEP, AP along with other factors to see … Continue reading

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Science teaching as a profession

The Research Corporation for Science Advancement published a report recently called Science Teaching as a Profession: Why It Isn’t How It Could Be. I’m not aware of many studies that specifically examine the profession of science teaching in our public … Continue reading

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Life’s First Spark Re-Created in the Laboratory

A fundamental but elusive step in the early evolution of life on Earth has been replicated in a laboratory. Researchers synthesized the basic ingredients of RNA, a molecule from which the simplest self-replicating structures are made. Until now, they couldn’t … Continue reading

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