The 3rd annual “Doodle 4 Google” contest begins today. Kids in grades K-12 can design their very own Google logo and the winner will have it displayed on Google.com for a day. They win other cool stuff, too:

In addition to the winner’s art appearing on Google.com on May 27, 2010, they’ll also receive a $15,000 college scholarship, a laptop computer and a $25,000 technology grant for their school.

Not too shabby.

The theme this year is “If I Could Do Anything, I Would…” and doodles must be submitted by March 31, 2010. It’s great that Google celebrates creativity in kids. If you’ve got a young designer or doodler at home, this could be a fun project.

I have been saying for years that students are influenced by American society to think math is hard. People tell them math is hard, so they think math is hard, so they don’t do well in math. I even remember writing an essay on a college math final in which I ranted about this very topic.

I collected anecdotal evidence to support my theory when, as a grad student, I tried to teach elementary education majors some rudimentary physics labs. The class, which was a light version of Physics 101, designed just for elementary education majors, was required for the degree. Many of the students would put the class off until their final semester, and viewed it as a major obstacle to graduating. They had poor attitudes, because the subject was “so difficult”, and besides, “when would they ever use it”? They came into the class convinced that the subject, and the necessary math, was too hard, and they couldn’t do, and they’d never use it as a teacher. Let me rephrase that: they thought that physics, the basic science behind everything in the universe, was not only impossible, it was unnecessary, to learn. These people now teach our children.

» Continue reading “New study suggests girls learn math anxiety from their teachers”

This story is really a sad example of how hysterical some Americans are becoming. In San Diego, a nervous Vice Principal mistook an 11-year old’s science project for a bomb. According to the description:

Luque said the project was made of an empty half-liter Gatorade bottle with some wires and other electrical components attached. There was no substance inside.

Millennial Tech Magnet Middle School was initially put on lockdown while police investigated, then eventually evacuated. The “bomb” was x-rayed and the student’s house was searched. All turned up nothing, and the item appeared to be what the student claimed: a homemade motion detector.

Authorities decided not to discipline the child but did recommend counseling for the boy and his family. Not sure what anti-social, pro-science behavior they’re trying to counsel for, but that sure was generous of the school, huh?

The worst part about this story (other than the hysteria, invasion of privacy, and the unnecessary search of the home) is that the Vice Principal obviously has no clue what’s being taught there. Didn’t they ask the child what is was? Request a demonstration? Talk to the science teacher or the parents? You have to wonder about a school where the educators and administrators jump to such elaborate conclusions.

[Via BoingBoing]

My oldest daughter just started pre-school last week. Phew! And so ended a stressful eight months of applications, interviews, play dates, and worrying. Here are some observations about our experience. Call it, “Two Atheist Skeptics Go Pre-School Shopping.”

Yes, Interviews
Our city was very competitive for pre-school slots, so the schools really had the advantage. And, they put their applicants through the paces. Most of the schools had orientations, long applications, parent interviews, and toddler play dates as part of their selection process.

The parent interviews were really the worst part. You knew they were judging everything about you, which made it incredibly awkward. Did I talk too much? Did my husband talk enough? Did we ask the right questions? Was there spinach in my teeth? The play dates were also stressful because you knew it was important for your child to make a good impression. But, how exactly? What were the schools looking for during this fifteen minutes of observation? The monitors had clipboards in hand and continued to take notes throughout the play date. What were they writing? If my kid takes a toy from another kid, are we off the list? The purpose of the play date never ceased to mystify us.

It became more difficult over time to take the complicated process seriously knowing it’s all for pre-school. I mean, it’s not Harvard we’re applying to. It’s a place where three- and four-year olds spend a few hours running around every day. Geez, lighten up, people.

» Continue reading “Pre-School Encounters”

cartoon by Gary Larson

If you read other skeptical or science blogs you have already heard about this, but just in case you haven’t here is a thumbnail sketch. 

Young Earth Creationists and believers in Intelligent Design have been trying to have creationism / intelligent design taught in science classrooms for decades. The creationists are quite clever at changing their tactics to slowly chip away  at science standards. From an article on CNN.com,

 ”The controversy over the teaching of intelligent design came to a head in Pennsylvania, where the Dover School Board voted that ninth-grade students must be read a statement encouraging them to read about intelligent design. A federal judge said the board violated the Constitution in doing so because intelligent design is religious creationism in disguise and injecting it into the curriculum violates the constitutional separation of church and state.”  

So, the creationists started calling it “Intelligent Design”  instead of Creationism and are pushing for “Academic Freedom.” » Continue reading “Texas Science Standards and Why We Care”

Updated to add: This wasn’t clear enough in the original post, below, but we did know he would get religious content at the Lutheran preschool we chose.  (We’ve been listening to the bible verses he has been memorizing all year long.)  The main issue in this case comes not from the mere existence of the religious content, but my concern that  the teacher had gone too far by directly contradicting me in something I taught him, and my surprise to discover that this particular church believes in YEC. Rest assured, LSB is loved and cared for at his school, is being taught his letters and shapes, and other than this incident we have been absolutely happy with the teacher and the school, and with the exposure he has gotten to Christianity.

Here’s some background for you: Little Skeptic Boy is five, has four wiggly teeth, and wants Hulk Smash Hands for Christmas. He loves science, as do I, so the other day we had a detailed discussion about the big bang. Next year he starts public school kindergarten, but for now he attends one of the highest-rated preschools in the area, that just happens to be at a Lutheran church in the bible belt. Then today we had this conversation:

Little Skeptic Boy: My teacher said it, but she’s wrong!! » Continue reading “To change preschools or not to change preschools, that’s, well you know…”