In many schools, environmental science is "soft" ecology and the environment. I actually attended a graduate level seminar course called "the philosophy of ecology" - only to discover I was the only student in th= e class who knew what the definition of ecology was - the rest thought of it as either "environmental sciences" or "tree hugging 101". My suggestion wa= s that the students need a lower level course that reinforces their knowledge to get them to a level for a real ecology course.
Cheers, Jim On Nov 19, 2007 6:24 PM, Kelly Stettner <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote= : > "So, if the students do not have that background, then I think you are > wasting your time teaching "ecology" and what you should be teaching is > "environmental studies." That could easily be geared to unprepared > undergrads, and could fill in some of those voids that you mentioned your > students have. > > Cheers, > > Jim" > > > Yikes! As a self-teaching student with Vermont College myself, I am > cringing at the thought of an "unprepared undergrad" attempting to grasp > environmental studies WITHOUT a solid understanding of multi-disciplinary > ecology. I am finding that too many of my fellow students are single-min= ded > and wholly without any concept of basic scientific principles or methods. > They are feeling with their emotions instead of thinking with their brai= ns. > That, in my opinion, sets the stage for disaster -- truly caring people = out > there attempting to "fix" nature's "problems" with "solutions" that cause > worse problems than before. All in the name of The Environment...and no > science in sight. No geology, climate history, basic chemistry or physic= s > or thermodynamics. > > In other words, as a student, I do not consider myself a responsible > scientists unless and until I realize that each question I answer leads t= o > more questions. > > Respectfully, > Kelly Stettner, Director > Black River Action Team > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > Black River Action Team (BRAT) > 45 Coolidge Road > Springfield, VT 05156 > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > http://www.blackriveractionteam.org > > ~Making ripples on the Black River since 2000! ~ > > > --------------------------------- > Be a better pen pal. Text or chat with friends inside Yahoo! Mail. See > how. > --=20 James J. Roper, Ph.D. Ecologia e Din=E2micas Populacionais de Vertebrados Terrestres Caixa Postal 19034 81531-990 Curitiba, Paran=E1, Brasil E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Telefone: 55 41 33857249 Mobile: 55 41 99870543 http://www.bio.ufpr.br/ecologia/ Ecologia e Conserva=E7=E3o na UFPR http://jjroper.googlespages.com Personal Pages
