May 28th, 2013 Bob
Register now, only a few openings remain!
Weekend workshop (Sept. 20-22, 2013) at the University of Oklahoma Biological Station on Lake Texoma
Topics include current climate science, inquiry-based learning, state curriculum and classroom issues
- Taught by experts on climate science and science education
- Open to science teachers, and science education students in Oklahoma and North Texas
- 16 hours of professional development credit
- Room, board, and materials are included in $25 registration
- For more information or to register, see www.oklascience.org or http://www.ou.edu/uobs/teachers.htm
Workshop organized and sponsored by: Oklahomans for Excellence in Science Education, the Oklahoma Climatological Survey, the National Science Foundation, and the University of Oklahoma Biological Station
Posted in Events | No Comments »
May 25th, 2013 Bob
From OKLAHOMA EVOLUTION/CLIMATE CHANGE NEWS
May 2013
OKLAHOMA CREATIONIST ANTI-SCIENCE BILLS DIE AGAIN!
[As reported earlier on this list serve Oklahoma bills promoting anti-evolution, anti-science courses in public schools, either died in committee or were not heard on the House floor before adjournment of the Legislature. The Legislature adjourned Sine Die on 24 May, a week earlier than the deadline.
HB 1674 (Rep, Blackwell, ‘Science Education and Academic Freedom Act’) and SB 758 (Sen., Brecheen, ‘Oklahoma Science Education Act’) are dead for this year. Like previous attempts these bills are not authored by scientists and there is no evidence that qualified scientists had any input into the texts of the bills; they are based on templates provided by the creationist Discovery Institute and similar to bills attempted in other states.
In addition two other bills that could be bad for science education were similarly defeated. HB 1940 and HB 1456, both essentially identical ‘Religious Viewpoints Antidiscrimination Acts, keep coming up each year, despite being killed each year and once being vetoed by Governor Brad Henry. It is now law in Texas, where it has apparently not been placed into operation by any school district, despite contrary comments by one of the bills’ author before the House Education Committee
The demise of these bills this year can be attributed to the large number of messages sent to the appropriate committees by national and state organizations and the individuals who responded to requests to help. To all who did, THANK YOU – your efforts paid off as usual! None of these types of bill have passed during the past 13 years! However, we will likely have to continue opposition next year. The authors of these bills, and their supportive legislators, continue to be anti-science and, in many ways, anti-education.]
ALL ANTI-SCIENCE BILLS DIE IN OTHER STATE LEGISLATURES.
In previous posts we have discussed creationist bills in other states. It now appears that all have died. Eight antievolution bills were introduced in six states (Arizona, Colorado, Indiana, Missouri [2 bills], Montana, Oklahoma [2 bills] in 2013; none won passage. For more details see NCSE posting HERE.
REPEAL EFFORT FAILS AGAIN IN LOUISIANA.
[From NCSE (in part), 2 May 2013. Bold added.]
“Louisiana’s Senate Bill 26 (PDF) was tabled on a 3-2 vote in the Senate Committee on Education on May 1, 2013, which effectively kills the bill in committee, according to the New Orleans Times-Picayune (May 1, 2013). The bill, introduced by Karen Carter Peterson (D-District 5), would, if enacted, repeal Louisiana Revised Statutes 17:285.1, which implemented the so-called Louisiana Science Education Act, passed and enacted in 2008, and thus opened the door for scientifically unwarranted criticisms of evolution and climate science to be taught in the state’s public schools. It was the third bill of its kind, following SB 374 in 2012 and SB 70 in 2011.
“Since 2008, antievolutionists have not only sought to undermine the law’s provision allowing challenges to unsuitable supplementary materials, but have also reportedly invoked the law to support proposals to teach creationism in at least two parishes — Livingston and Tangipahoa — and to attack the treatment of evolution in biology textbooks proposed for adoption by the state. Recently, speaking to NBC News on April 12, 2013, Louisiana’s governor Bobby Jindal ®, who signed the bill into law over the protests of the state’s scientific and educational communities, acknowledged that the LSEA allows teachers to “teach our kids about creationism.”
“Among those testifying in favor of the repeal was Zack Kopplin, who was quoted by the Associated Press (May 1, 2013) as describing the LSEA as “about going back into the Dark Ages, not moving forward into the 21st [c]entury,” adding, “Louisiana students deserve to be taught sound science and that means the theory of evolution, not creationism.” Tammy Wood, a Zachary-area science teacher, highlighted the failure of the LSEA to provide “the necessary restrictions, standards, and guidelines” to avoid its misuse to promote “mere nonsense masquerading as a viable alternative.” The complete video of the hearing is available on-line.
“In advance of the hearing, Kopplin published two op-eds arguing for the repeal. Writing in the Guardian (May 1, 2013), he emphasized (in the words of the headline) “the cost of teaching creationism — in reputation and dollars” to the state: “Any state that passes a creationism law will harm their students and drive scientists — and business — away.” Writing at MSNBC (May 1, 2013), he addressed Governor Jindal directly: “it’s time to take your own advice and actually lead the Republican Party toward being a smarter party by endorsing evidence-based science, and the repeal of Louisiana’s creationism law.”
“Among those endorsing the repeal effort are seventy-eight Nobel laureate scientists, the National Association of Biology Teachers, the Louisiana Association of Biology Educators, the Louisiana Coalition for Science, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the American Institute for Biological Sciences, the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, the American Society for Cell Biology, the Society for the Study of Evolution together with the Society of Systematic Biologists and the American Society of Naturalists, the Clergy Letter Project, the New Orleans City Council, and the Baton Rouge Advocate.”
EVOLUTION TEACHING IN PENNSYLVANIA- AND ELSEWHERE.
“In a wide-ranging article, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (April 28, 2013) discussed “the ill-kept secret about public school biology classrooms nationwide — that evolution often isn’t taught robustly, if at all.” In Pennsylvania as around the nation, “[f]aith-based belief in creationism and intelligent design continues to be discussed and even openly taught in public school classrooms, despite state curriculum standards.”
“In a poll of Pennsylvania’s science teachers conducted by the paper in early 2013, 89.5% of respondents said that they believed in the theory of evolution, 13.3% in intelligent design, and 19.1% in creationism; 4.76% were not sure or expressed a different view. (Respondents were allowed to chose more than one option.) There were 105 respondents; further details of how the poll was conducted were not provided.”
[See remainder of NCSE posting HERE. Although we do not yet have such data for Oklahoma, estimates are that as many as 50% of Oklahoma high schools do not cover evolution in biology courses.]
MIDDLE SCHOOL AND HIGH SCHOOL SCIENCE TEACHERS NEEDED FOR SURVEY.
“Greetings Middle School and High School Science Teachers!
My name is Nicole Colston and I am a PhD student in Environmental Science at Oklahoma State University. I hope to solicit the participation of 5th-12th grade science teachers in Oklahoma for my on-line survey. This study is part of
my dissertation research about science teaching and learning in Oklahoma, [...]
[You may view the latest post HERE. If you are a science teacher, PLEASE help her out. Her study will lead to better knowledge of how science teaching in Oklahoma stands.]
WEEKEND TEACHERS’ WORKSHOP ON CLIMATE CHANGE AND VARIABILITY – FREE.
Coming this fall!
Topics include current climate science, inquiry-based learning, state curriculum and classroom issues
Workshop organized and sponsored by: Oklahomans for Excellence in Science Education, Oklahoma Climatological Survey, National Science Foundation, and The University of Oklahoma Biological Station. Open to high school teachers and college majors in science education from Oklahoma and northern Texas. Instructors will include professional climatologists and college instructors.
Here is the workshop application form. Registration deadline is September 10. BUT apply early, limited to30 students. Check out the flyer for more information.
Posted in News | No Comments »
April 22nd, 2013 Bob
Posted in Opportunities | No Comments »
April 19th, 2013 Bob
OKLAHOMA/TEXAS EVOLUTION ROAD TRIP: OPEN TO ALL.
Thursday May 30 thru Sunday June 2, 2013
Time is running short to register for the Oklahoma Evolution Road Trip! It is May 30 through June 2 and costs $350 which includes travel, accommodations, and most meals. (The cost is $400 if you prefer single accommodations.) This is a real bargain; a recent Big Bend ecotour of similar length cost almost $3000. Home base is the University of Oklahoma Biological Station on beautiful Lake Texoma. We will see fossil deposits, dinosaur footprints, and living trees, and visit creationist museums. There will be plenty of time for discussion. Dr. Stanley Rice and Dr. Gordon Eggleton, both of Southeastern Oklahoma State University, will lead the trip. The tentative deadline is May 3, though we may extend this upon request. Pre-college teachers will receive professional development credit. More information, and registration information, is available at http://www.ou.edu/uobs/evolution.html as well as at Dr. Rice’s blog (http://www.honest-ab.blogspot.com) and website (http://www.stanleyrice.com). If necessary you may attend for just part of the trip, although registration costs remain the same. We’ve talked about evolution; now let’s go see some stunning evidence for it!
TEACHERS’ WORKSHOP ON SCIENCE OF CLIMATE CHANGE AND VARIABILITY, 20-22 SEPTEMBER.
The teachers’ workshop for high school science teachers from Oklahoma and northern Texas will be held at the University of Oklahoma Biological Station on Lake Texoma, 20-22 September, sponsored by Oklahomans for Excellence in Science Education, Oklahoma Climatological Survey and the OU Biological Station. Tentative topics include: evidence for human-caused changes in climate, how temperature may be affected, how precipitation may change, inquiry in the classroom, tree ring data, resources for teachers, climate change and human prehistory, biological effects of climate change, teaching climate change in Oklahoma and Texas (state standards and curriculum), lesson plans for the classroom.
Instructors include faculty from OU and OSU, experienced science teachers and curriculum supervisors and, especially, staff from the Oklahoma Climatological Survey. Full scholarships for room, board, books and other costs will be provided for 30 high school teachers accepted. PLAN NOW TO APPLY. DETAILS FOR APPLICATION WILL BE POSTED ON THE OESE WEB SITE (http://www.oklascience.org) SHORTLY.
STATUS OF OKLAHOMA LEGISLATIVE BILLS.
As previously reported the anti-science bills are dormant. Unless an attempt is made with a floor amendment to insert the content into another bill, HB 1674 (Rep, Blackwell, ‘Science Education and Academic Freedom Act’) and SB 758 (Sen., Brecheen, ‘Oklahoma Science Education Act’) are dead for this year. However, they could be revived with the same bill number next session. Like previous attempts these bills are not authored by scientists and there is no evidence that qualified scientists had any input into the texts of the bills; they are based on templates provided by the creationist Discovery Institute and similar to bills attempted in other states.
The demise of these bills this year can be attributed to the large number of messages sent to the appropriate committees by national and state organizations and the individuals who responded to requests to help. To all who did, THANK YOU – your efforts paid off as usual!
USEFUL OKLAHOMA WEATHER/CLIMATE SITE AND NEWSLETTER.
For up to date information on Oklahoma weather and climate information, the website provided by the Oklahoma Climatological Survey mesonet is recommended ( http://www.mesonet.org ). Also for subscription for daily email reports send to ticker (at) mesonet.org (replace ;’at’ with @ symbol)..
ANTI-SCIENCE LEGISLATION IN OTHER STATES.
So far this year nine bills have been filed in seven states on evolution education, climate change education or both. These bills have failed in Arizona, Colorado, Kansas, Indiana, Montana and Oklahoma. Bills in Missouri have not yet been decided. In Kansas there is a bill that explicitly targeted climate change without mentioning evolution. In addition, there is a Texas bill pending that would protect proponents of ‘intelligent design’ in institutions of higher education. In the past 13 years Oklahoma has more anti-science creationist bills (23) than any other state! Thanks to the many science supporting individual activists and organizations Oklahoma remains free of these damaging attempts to damage science education.
NEW GALLUP POLL ON CLIMATE CHANGE. {From NCSE, 9 April 2013]
“U.S. worry about global warming is heading back up after several years of expanded public skepticism,” according (PDF) to a new poll from Gallup. Also heading back up are the rate of understanding that most scientists accept global warming and the rate of accepting that increases in the global temperature over the last century are mostly due to human activity. But those who think that global warming’s effects will affect them in their lifetime are still in a minority.
Asked “Just your impression, which of the one following statements do you think is most accurate?” 62% of respondents preferred “most scientists believe that global warming is occurring,” 28% preferred “most scientists believe that global warming is NOT occurring,” and 6% preferred “most scientists are unsure about whether global warming is occurring or not.” Gallup described the 62% figure as representing “a nearly full return to pre-2010 attitudes.”
Asked “And from what you have heard or read, do you believe increases in the Earth’s temperature over the last century are due more to the effects of pollution from human activities or natural changes in the environment that are not due to human activities?” 57% of respondents chose the human activities response and 39% chose the natural changes response. The 57% figure is up from 50% in 2010, but lower than the all-time high of 61% in 2007.
Asked “Do you think that global warming will pose a serious threat to you or your way of life in your lifetime?” 34% of respondents said yes, 64% of respondents said no, and 1% expressed no opinion. But 54% of respondents to a separate question about when global warming’s effects will begin thought that they have already begun to happen, with 3% thinking that they will begin within a few years and 9% thinking that they will begin within their lifetime.
Finally, asked “Which comes closer to your view — it is possible to take specific actions that will slow down the effects of global warming or the effects of global warming are part of a natural process that can’t be altered?” 56% of respondents thought that specific actions to slow down the effects are possible, 40% thought not, and 5% expressed no opinion. The new poll was the first in which Gallup asked the question, so no longitudinal comparison is possible.
Asked “Next, thinking about the issue of global warming, how well do you feel you understand this issue?” 27% of respondents preferred “very well,” 52% preferred “fairly well,” 18% preferred “not very well,” and 3% preferred “not at all.” The 27% figure is comparable to results from previous polls from 2010 on; Gallup used a different question (including a reference to the greenhouse effect) previously and received a lower rate of “very well” answers.
Overall, Gallup summarizes, “trends throughout the past decade — and some stretching back to 1989 — have shown generally consistent majority support for the idea that global warming is real, that human activities cause it, and that news reports on it are correct, if not underestimated.” Despite a fall in support in the last few years, Gallup adds, now “attitudes are returning to previous levels, putting them near the long-term averages.” [….]
For a Pew poll on climate change views see HERE.
Posted in News, Opportunities | No Comments »
April 19th, 2013 Bob
Join The DNA Day Celebration
On April 25th, National DNA Day will commemorate the completion of the Human Genome Project in April 2003 (10 years ago) and the discovery of the double helix of DNA in 1953 (60 years ago). Don’t let these important anniversaries go unnoticed!
Partners like the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), American Society for Human Genetics (ASHG), Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI), Learn.Genetics and many more have created free resources and organized events to help students, teachers, and the public learn about genetics.
NHGRI will partner with the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Natural History to celebrate National DNA Day on April 19, 2013. This unique day will allow students and teachers to learn more about genetics and genomics. The DNA Day celebration will include a morning of engaging scientific presentations and panel discussions with some of the nation’s leading historians, scientists, geneticists and physicians that will emphasize the wide breadth of careers within genomics and genetics. Participating groups will also have the opportunity to visit various exhibits at the museum and partake in activities that will be a part of the Smithsonian NHGRI Genome Exhibition that will open in June 2013.
Share Your Earth Day & DNA Day Resources On The NABT ecosystem
Are you looking for some Earth Day or DNA Day teaching resources? Are you looking to share some Earth Day or DNA Day resources with other teachers? The NABT ecosystem Resources Section is building a list of teacher recommended websites, videos, articles, and tools. Like all ecosystems, this network supports a diverse population of producers and consumers. The more resources that are posted, the faster the ecosystem will become one of your go-to sites for classrooms materials, professional development opportunities, and colleague-to-colleague interactions.
The NABT ecosystem is free to join and open to all biology teachers. Start connecting today at http://www.nabt.org/ecosystem.
After Earth: Free Resources & Scholarship Opportunity From Dr. Joe Levine
Global change is arguably the most important single scientific issue facing our species in the 21st century – and is also arguably the most difficult subject for biology teachers to address. It’s almost impossible to explain to students why changes in global systems are important if they don’t understand how those systems work. And those systems are fiendishly complicated. Harness the energy of After Earth, the upcoming science-fiction film starring Will and Jaden Smith, to engage students in the science of global change, mass extinction, and biodiversity.
Dr. Joe Levine (of Miller/Levine: Biology), has curated a new website, scouring the web, picking and choosing from a vast array of scientific information and images to create manageable and engaging lessons on the basics of global change. Found at http://www.lifeafterearthscience.com, the site offers free downloadable lesson plans on interdisciplinary topics including guided web research and writing activities. Striking images and mesmerizing animations based on satellite data bring core concepts to life on Earth Day … and throughout the school year.
Teachers can also apply for After Earth Scholarships to attend Dr. Levine’s Inquiry in Rainforests Course at the Organization for Tropical Studies in Costa Rica July 9-24, 2013. Scholarships for the course will cover tuition and estimated airfare for participants except for transportation to and from airports. The course scholarship page can be found at OTS Scholarships. The application deadline is May 3, 2013 and awards will be announced in mid-May.
Trip Of Interest: Evolution in Oklahoma & Texas
“The Oklahoma Evolution Road Trip”, sponsored by Oklahomans for Excellence in Science Education and the Oklahoma Academy of Sciences, will take you on an exploration of Oklahoma and Texas, where strong support for creationism is contrasted with stunning evidence of evolution. Join Dr. Stanley Rice, Professor of Biological Sciences, and Dr. Gordon Eggleton, Professor Emeritus of Physical Sciences, both at Southeastern Oklahoma State University, from Thursday, May 30 through Sunday, June 2 on trips to fossils and dinosaur footprints in Oklahoma and north Texas, informational visits to two creationist museums, and discussion about evolution and education.
Registrations are now being accepted and the cost is $350 ($400 for a private room). All participants will be housed at the University of Oklahoma Biological Station on the shores of beautiful Lake Texoma, and registration includes accommodations, transportation, and most meals. With sufficient enrollment and donations, partial refunds may be available, especially for pre-college teachers, who will receive a certificate of professional development.
More information is available at http://www.ou.edu/uobs/evolution.html. Please register by May 1, 2013.
If you are interested in making a contribution to help offset the costs for pre-college teachers, please contact Stanley Rice at srice@se.edu. Contributions are tax-deductible.
Posted in Events, Opportunities | No Comments »
March 17th, 2013 Bob
EVOLUTION IN OKLAHOMA AND TEXAS:
A ROAD TRIP
Thursday May 30 thru Sunday June 2, 2013
Oklahoma and Texas are renowned for a lot of things, but two of them are creationism and the abundance of evidence for evolution. That is, the very places where creationism is strongest are the places with some of the best field evidence of evolution. On this trip, let’s go learn and talk about both creationism and the field evidence for evolution.
Sponsored by Oklahomans for Excellence in Science Education and the Oklahoma Academy of Science, the trip leader is Dr. Stanley Rice, who has published four popular science books, two of them about evolution (www.stanleyrice.com). He is professor of biological sciences at Southeastern Oklahoma State University, where he began teaching in 1998. Stan is the president-elect of both Oklahomans for Excellence in Science Education and the Oklahoma Academy of Sciences, the two scientific organizations that are sponsoring this trip. The geology instructor is Dr. Gordon Eggleton, professor emeritus at Southeastern Oklahoma State University. Gordon led field trips to all of the locations that we will visit. Stan can tell you about most of the things that are alive, and Gordon can tell you about most of the things that are dead.
This road trip would be open to anyone in the public who is interested. It will be especially geared to pre-college science teachers, who will receive professional development credit.
Accommodations and most meals will be provided by the University of Oklahoma Biological Station (www.ou.edu/uobs), on the shore of Lake Texoma southwest of Madill. The location is beautiful and the rooms are nicer and cheaper than anything you will find anywhere else. Participants should arrive on Thursday May 30 by lunch and can leave after lunch on Sunday June 2.
Where else can you find a four-day weekend of exploration, science, and good company that costs only $350, which includes everything? $350 is the maximum cost; with sufficient participation, the cost may be lower. Donations will be accepted to help cover the costs for pre-college teachers. (If you want to have a single occupancy room, your cost will be $50 more than the final cost.)
No science background is required. Just bring your inquiring mind, your camera, your notebook, and outdoor dress. You will also need sheets, towels, washcloths, and toiletries for the rooms.
Find the event brochure here.
If you have questions, please contact Dr. Stanley Rice .
For more information and online registration go to: http://www.ou.edu/uobs/evolution.html
Posted in Events | No Comments »
February 20th, 2013 Bob
Dear OSTA,
Let me begin by first thanking you for your support. There have been no calls in support (of proposed anti-science bills) only opposition – quite a bit, I believe. Thank you again. Now, we need to focus on SB 758 which meets Monday and will be the last chance for bills originating in the Senate to be heard.
Senate Bill 758 (Sen. Brecheen), “Oklahoma Science Education Act,” is a shorter and somewhat different version of HB 1674 which passed the committee today (on a 9-8 vote), and follows Brecheen’s attempts earlier to pass similar bills. However, unlike HB 1674, this bill does not mention the usual ‘controversial’ topics of biological evolution, chemical origins of life, global warming and human cloning. Both of these bills use the usual buzzwords, ‘critical thinking,’ ‘strengths and weaknesses’ of evolution, etc. — these are simply attempts to oppose the teaching of valid evolutionary science and are attempts to get around all previous Federal Court decisions declaring such bills as religious creationism.
Action alert! SB 758 has been referred to the Senate Education committee. Please contact committee members and voice your concerns about the bill. Dr. Broughton’s analysis, Why SB 758 by Brecheen Is a Bad Bill, can be helpful. Here is the contact info for the committee:
John Ford, Chair, 521-5634, fordj@oksenate.gov
Gary Stanislawski, Vice Chair, 521-5624, stanislawski@oksenate.gov
Earl Garrison, 521-5533, whitep@oksenate.gov
Jim Halligan, 521-5572, halligan@oksenate.gov
David Holt, 521-5636, holt@oksenate.gov
Clark Jolley, 521-5622, jolley@oksenate.gov
Susan Paddack, 521-5541, paddack@oksenate.gov
Wayne Shaw, 521-5574, Shaw@oksenate.gov
Ralph Shortey, 521-5557, shortey@oksenate.gov
John Sparks, 521-5553, sparks@oksenate.gov
Ron Sharp, 521-5539, sharp@oksenate.gov
–
Deborah A Hill, NBCT
(Deborah is a science teacher in Norman and a past OSTA Board member)
Posted in News | No Comments »
February 6th, 2013 Bob
Dear Oklahoma Science Teachers Association,
We so appreciate your help in the past and are asking that you can help us once again this year in our efforts.
We need your help!
Oklahoma State Senator Brecheen has reintroduced legislation (SB 758 Oklahoma Science Education Act) requiring science teachers to teach scientific strengths and weaknesses of “existing scientific theories.” The primary difference in this bill from those previously introduced by Senator Brecheen is that the bill does not specify any scientific theory.
Senator Brecheen has made clear the intent of his bill in previous speeches, press releases, and newspaper op-eds and letters. This bill is another attempt to weaken the teaching of science in Oklahoma by misleading students into thinking that scientific theories rather than being supported by a multitude of evidence and data are scientifically controversial and have identifiable “scientific” strengths and “scientific” weaknesses.
We request that your organization once again join us in opposing this bill. At this time the SB 758 has been referred to the Oklahoma Senate Education Committee and may be considered as early as Monday, February 11. Please send a letter or email from your organization restating your opposition to such legislation and lease alert the members of your organization and ask them to send messages opposing this bill to the entire membership of the Oklahoma Senate Education Committee. We have found that NUMBERS DO COUNT.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Senate Education Committee, 2300 N. Lincoln Blvd., Oklahoma City, OK 73105 |
| Name |
Position |
Party
|
Room |
Phone |
email |
|
| John Ford |
Chair |
R
|
424A |
521-5634 |
fordj@oksenate.gov |
|
| Gary Stanislawski |
Vice Chair |
R
|
427A |
521-5624 |
stanislawski@oksenate.gov |
|
| Josh Brecheen |
Member |
R
|
513A |
521-5586 |
brecheen@oksenate.gov |
|
| Earl Garrison |
Member |
D
|
533 |
521-5533 |
whitep@oksenate.gov |
|
| Jim Halligan |
Member |
R
|
425 |
521-5572 |
halligan@oksenate.gov |
|
| David Holt |
Member |
R
|
411A |
521-5636 |
holt@oksenate.gov |
|
| Clark Jolley |
Member |
R
|
519 |
521-5622 |
jolley@oksenate.gov |
|
| Charlie Laster |
Member |
D
|
522 |
521-5539 |
laster@oksenate.gov |
|
| Susan Paddack |
Member |
D
|
533A |
521-5541 |
paddack@oksenate.gov |
|
| Wayne Shaw |
Member |
R
|
513A |
521-5574 |
Shaw@oksenate.gov |
|
| Ralph Shortey |
Member |
R
|
514A |
521-5557 |
shortey@oksenate.gov |
|
| John Sparks |
Member |
D
|
513B |
521-5553 |
sparks@oksenate.gov |
|
| Ron Sharp |
Member |
R
|
533 |
521-5539 |
sharp@oksenate.gov |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Erin Boeckman |
Legislative Analyst |
|
|
|
boeckman@oksenate.gov |
|
| Lori Block |
Staff Attorney |
|
|
|
block@oksenate.gov |
|
| Sean Wallace |
Fiscal Analyst |
|
|
|
wallace@oksenate.gov |
|
| Mary Savuto |
Administrative Assistant |
|
|
|
savuto@oksenate.gov |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The Senate Education Committee is scheduled to meet on Mondays at 9:00 a.m. in Room 419-C..
Thank you for your continued support.
Sincerely,
Deborah A Hill
Oklahomans for Excellence in Science Education
Posted in News | No Comments »
January 28th, 2013 Bob
Saturday, February 16, 2013
2:00 Pm To 4:00 PM
Genealogy Center
2901 South Harvard Avenue, Tulsa, OK
Dr. Stanley Rice portrays Charles Darwin on YouTube at The Darwin Channel located at:
https://www.youtube.com/user/StanEvolve.
Dr. Rice is a Biology professor at Southeastern Oklahoma State University in Durant, Oklahoma and is President-Elect of both the Oklahoma Academy of Sciences and Oklahomans for Excellence in Science Education.
He will speak about “Confessions of an Oklahoma Evolutionist: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly” on Saturday, February 16, 2013 in the Harmon Conference Room at 2901 S. Harvard Ave in Tulsa, Oklahoma at 2:00 PM.
Books written by Dr. Stanley A. Rice are available on Amazon.com.
Encyclopedia of Evolution
(Facts on File, 2006 and 2007)
Green Planet
(Rutgers, 2009 and 2012)
Life of Earth
(Prometheus, 2011)
Encyclopedia of Biodiversity
(Facts on File, 2012).
This event is scheduled in honor of Darwin Day.
Darwin Day is a global celebration of science and reason held on or around Feb. 12, the birthday anniversary of evolutionary biologist Charles Darwin.
More information about Darwin Day can be found online at
http://DarwinDay.org/.
Posted in Events | No Comments »
November 15th, 2012 Bob
See OESE web site for news, links, resources… and more. Need a speaker for your group or organization? Join OESE!
http://www.oklascience.org/
[To subscribe to the OESE list serve:: Send message to okevol-on@okevol.talklist.com with your name. To unsubscribe: okevol-off@okevol.talklist.com. Please provide this information for those who may be interested in subscribing. If you change your email, please go here to make the correction.]
JUDGE JONES LECTURE RESCHEDULED TO 6 DECEMBER.
Judge Jones who presided over the now famous Kitzmiller trial in Dover PA and declared that Intelligent Design was religion and not science will now present his talk, “Our Constitution’s Intelligent Design,” at 7 PM, Dec. 6, in the Bell Courtroom, at the OU College of Law. His earlier schedule had to be cancelled due to the storm.
OKLAHOMA BIOLOGY TEACHER WINS NATIONAL AWARD.
Congratulations to Putnam City North teacher Bethany Lorenz who received the Outstanding Biology Teacher Award last week at the awards luncheon of the National Association of Biology Teachers Professional Development Conference in Dallas. Bethany serves on the Boards of Oklahomans for Excellence in Science Education and Oklahoma Association of Science teachers.
Every year, the Outstanding Biology Teacher Award program attempts to recognize an outstanding biology educator (grades 7-12) in each of the 50 states; Washington, DC; Canada; Puerto Rico; and overseas territories. Candidates for this award must have at least three years public, private, or parochial school teaching experience. A major portion of the nominee’s career must have been devoted to the teaching of biology/life science, and candidates are judged on their teaching ability and experience, cooperativeness in the school and community, inventiveness, initiative, and student-teacher relationships. OBTA recipients receive gift certificates from Carolina Biological Supply Company, microscopes from Leica Microsystems, Inc., and certificates and a complimentary one-year membership from NABT.
“CLIMATE OF DOUBT.”
“Climate of Doubt”, the Frontline documentary on the promulgation of climate change denial that aired on October 23, 2012, is now available on-line. The documentary focuses on how, over the last four years, climate change deniers mobilized, framed their tactics, and undermined public and political acceptance of the global scientific consensus on climate change. Climate change education receives a passing mention: “Beyond Washington, in wave after wave, the skeptic tactic of fighting scientific warnings with doubt and delay was finding success. Tennessee passed a law allowing the views of climate change skeptics to be taught in schools.” (Similarly, although unmentioned, Louisiana passed such a law in 2008, and South Dakota adopted a resolution in 2010 calling for “balanced teaching of global warming” in the state’s public schools.) Along with the documentary itself, Frontline is also providing a transcript, extended interviews with people featured in the documentary, and a timeline on the politics of climate change.”
A SHORT VIDEO ON BASICS OF EVOLUTION
Genie Scott posted this on Facebook: “Here’s a 10 minute video that gets out the basics of evolution very clearly. It’d make a good download on a student’s hand-held to review on the bus on the way to school.” An excellent review for others as well.
CAMERON UNIVERSITY PROF: HUMANS TO BLAME FOR CLIMATE WARMING.
“Climate change was the topic of discussion Saturday afternoon at the Museum of the Great Plains.
“Southwest Oklahomans don’t need a reminder about how the climate has shifted in recent years with the lack of moisture and record high temperatures being set annually. The Greater Southwest Chapter of the Oklahoma Anthropological Society hosted the meeting and seminar. Temperatures outside were tracking an ironic 10 degrees above normal while around 20 audience members sat in the air conditioned room while J.L. Dodd, professor of environmental science and natural resource management in the Agriculture Department at Cameron University, laid out the grim truth.
”We have seen a two-degree increase in temperatures in the last century,” he told the audience. “The question is are we increasing greenhouse gas, or is it the volcanoes?”
“Dodd believes it’s the former. He estimates 98 percent of the scientific community believes the evidence of global warming a real occurrence and humans are to blame. In an ongoing PowerPoint presentation, Dodd pointed out that in 1900, humans accounted for 20 times the amount of greenhouse emissions as volcanoes. A century later, humans account for 135 times the amount of greenhouse emissions.” Entire article HERE.
INSIDIOUS DESIGN: AT OHIO SUPREME COURT, TEACHER CLAIMS “ACADEMIC FREEDOM” RIGHT TO PUSH CREATIONISM IN PUBLIC SCHOOL.
[From Church and State, published by Americans United for Separation of Church and State, November 2012. Full article HERE.
“Jenifer and Steve Dennis enjoyed living in Mount Vernon, Ohio, a city of about 16,000 people in the center of the state, but they no longer reside there. After an incident in 2007, they stopped feeling welcome.
“The Dennis family’s problems began one day when their son Zachary, then 13, showed them some marks on his arm. The red burns were in the shape of a cross, and Zachary told his parents that a science teacher named John Freshwater was responsible for them. Freshwater had made the mark with an electronic device called a Tesla coil.
“It soon came to light that Zachary wasn’t the only student who had been burned. While investigating the matter, school officials soon uncovered a host of problems in Freshwater’s classroom.
“It turned out that Freshwater, who in 2003 had publicly attacked the school district for mandating that evolution be taught, had been pushing “intelligent design” – a variant of creationism – in class and distributing materials designed to cast doubt on the validity of evolution.
“The investigation revealed that Freshwater had put religious posters in his classroom, asked students questions about their religious beliefs and the depth of their commitment and even offered “healing” services at meetings of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. He had also distributed “work sheets” to students that undermined evolution (but, interestingly, hadn’t let students take the materials home where parents might see them).”
Posted in News | No Comments »
