Malcolm -- Why cannot ecology be offered at an introductory level? Is not A & P at the high school introductory? .You make the assumption that all high-school teachers just have a BS. In Kansas some have MS with specialized training in ecology. gSofd
Malcolm McCallum <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent by: "Ecological Society of America: grants, jobs, news" <[email protected]> 09/24/2007 08:56 PM Please respond to [EMAIL PROTECTED] To [email protected] cc Subject Re: Teaching Ecology in grades 9-12 Most highschool teachers have multiple courses under their belt in anatomy, physiology and general organismal biology. They have a well rounded education in biology with only a single course in ecology. When they teach biology they have that broad background to draw off of. If they teach ecology they have virtually no background to draw off of. Its is atune to having a person with one math class teach algebra. And, we already have enough of that going on in the schools today. I know of one person who teaches math and science and doesn't have but a few courses. If the coursework and degrees don't matter, then why even have them? Ecology is not an introductory course! I do not think it is wise unless the teacher has special education in the discipline, and then, I still see no point in watering down the highschool curriculum with more advanced courses, when the basics are barely fulfilled. If the teachers aren't covering the material in general biology because they are unable to finish the book, its time to raise the standards and make them finish the book. The text "Modern Biology" if they are still using it, simply isn't that difficult to complete. Place some expectations on the students beyond tying their shoelaces. Expect them to read something outside of class. IF students were expectations in reading, writing, and even math were implemented in the general biology course, maybe the class would make it to the end of the book! Why? because the students who don't care would not take the class and slow it up. On Mon, September 24, 2007 3:13 pm, Larry T. Spencer wrote: > Here's my two cents. Personally, I would rather have students come > away from high school with a positive feeling for science and I think > that they might be achieved more readily by teaching ecology and > evolution than teaching the Krebs cycle and cell metabolism (not to > denigrate those topics). I think it might be easier for a student to > see the idea of hypothesis and hypothesis testing in ecology than in > the normal science course. The fact that ecology can also be taught > from a quantitative viewpoint could also mesh well with the math the > student is taking in other hs classes and perhaps math teacher and > biology teacher could work together such as they often do at the middle > school level. > > In any case, the fact that the teacher lacks a Ph.D. is not really > germane to the teaching of ecology or any science at the hs level. If > that were true the teacher would need a Ph.D. to teach the Krebs cycle > and other topics. > > Larry > > > -- > Larry T. Spencer, Professor Emeritus of Biology > Plymouth State University > > ---------------------------------------------------------------- > This message was sent using IMP, the Internet Messaging Program. > Malcolm L. McCallum Assistant Professor of Biology Editor Herpetological Conservation and Biology http://www.herpconbio.org [EMAIL PROTECTED] [EMAIL PROTECTED]
