The Answer Sheet: Science


Posted at 04:50 PM ET, 04/22/2013

2013 National Teacher of the Year named
By Valerie Strauss
Jeff Charbonneau, a high school science teacher from Zillah, Washington, was chosen as 2013 National Teacher of the Year.

By Valerie Strauss  |  04:50 PM ET, 04/22/2013 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Tags:  He Teaches Science, Teachers

Posted at 04:28 PM ET, 04/22/2013

Obama hosts young inventors at 2013 White House Science Fair
By Valerie Strauss
Some 100 students from more than 40 states are attending the 2013 White House Science Fair, which began today with President Obama hosting the initiative designed to stress the importance of the STEM subjects.

By Valerie Strauss  |  04:28 PM ET, 04/22/2013 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Tags:  A Link To Watch It, STEM subjects, Stresses STEM Subjects, White House Science Fair, You Can Watch It

Posted at 10:06 AM ET, 03/17/2013

College student leads fight against anti-evolution teachings in schools
By Valerie Strauss
Going to college is tough enough without leading a campaign to repeal a bad state law, but that's what Zach Kopplin, 19, has been doing for several years. His target: The badly named Louisiana Science Education Act, which actually allows teachers in science classrooms to discuss creationism as a way to question evolution.

By Valerie Strauss  |  10:06 AM ET, 03/17/2013 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Tags:  Protecting the Teaching of Evolution, Science Education

Posted at 11:36 AM ET, 11/20/2012

Needed: STEM education for Marco Rubio
By Valerie Strauss
A few years ago Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida put out a 12-point plan that he posited would improve public education. Idea No. 7 was to address the STEM education crisis. crisis in STEM education. Rubio just showed how much of a science crisis there really is in the United States with his comments in GQ magazine about the age of the Earth.

By Valerie Strauss  |  11:36 AM ET, 11/20/2012 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Tags:  Evolution vs. Creationism, Marco Rubio, Science

Posted at 03:30 PM ET, 10/19/2012

About the ‘rogue experiment’ that upset researchers
By Valerie Strauss
What's the connection between an experiment by an entrepreneur who dropped 100 tons of iron dust into the Pacific Ocean and school reform initiatives?

By Valerie Strauss  |  03:30 PM ET, 10/19/2012 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Tags:  Just Saying, School Reform; Science Experiments

Posted at 08:30 AM ET, 03/01/2011

The fight over teaching evolution, climate change
By Valerie Strauss
A survey shows many biology teachers are afraid to teach evolution. A proposed law in Tennessee would require science educators to "teach the controversies" regarding evolution and climate change -- even though scientists don't think there is much controversy. What's going on in the world of science instruction?

By Valerie Strauss  |  08:30 AM ET, 03/01/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Anthony Cody, Guest Bloggers, Science | Tags:  climate change, evolution, global warming, intelligent design, science class, scopes trial, teaching climate change, teaching evolution, theory of evolution

Posted at 01:07 PM ET, 01/29/2011

Study: Most high school biology teachers don’t endorse evolution
By Valerie Strauss
The central theory of biology is evolution yet a new study shows that most high school biology teachers are reluctant to endorse it in class.

By Valerie Strauss  |  01:07 PM ET, 01/29/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Science, Science | Tags:  biology, biology teachers, charles darwin, creationism, darwin, evolution, evolutionary biology, high school biology, high school science, intelligent design, study on evolution

Posted at 12:09 PM ET, 11/15/2010

Willingham: How 'mind-wandering' affects students
By Valerie Strauss
Cognitive scientist Daniel Willingham writes about "mind-wandering" --or zoning out of what you are doing -- and how it affects students at school.

By Valerie Strauss  |  12:09 PM ET, 11/15/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Guest Bloggers, Guest Bloggers | Tags:  brain research, cognitive science, daniel willingham, mind-wandering

Posted at 01:50 PM ET, 10/28/2010

Poll: How science should be taught
By Valerie Strauss
A national survey released today shows that big percentages of science teachers and parents believe that kids should learn science with hands-on experiments but only 22 percent of teachers feel they have the resources needed to conduct them.

By Valerie Strauss  |  01:50 PM ET, 10/28/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Science | Tags:  how to teach science, parent involvement, science, science lessons, science teachers, teaching, teaching science

Posted at 06:00 AM ET, 10/28/2010

Why are we failing in history, science education?
By Valerie Strauss
An award-winning writer of history and science textbooks writes about the importance of great textbooks and explains why so many are so terrible.

By Valerie Strauss  |  06:00 AM ET, 10/28/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Guest Bloggers, Guest Bloggers, Guest Bloggers | Tags:  history, history textbooks, joy hakim, science, science textbooks, textbook adoption, textbooks, virginia textbooks

Posted at 11:49 AM ET, 10/26/2010

In STEM era, humanities get new attention
By Valerie Strauss
Given all the attention STEM-related subjects get, you could be forgiven for thinking that math, science, technology and engineering are the only things college students can take. In this STEM era, the humanities are getting new attention at colleges and universities.

By Valerie Strauss  |  11:49 AM ET, 10/26/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Curriculum, Curriculum | Tags:  STEM, brandeis university, engineering degrees, humanities, iran, mandel center, math education, new york times editorial, president obama, science fair, social sciences, south korea, stem education, the humanities, university of connecticut, university of pittsburgh, white house

Posted at 11:33 AM ET, 10/25/2010

Willingham: Is a paradigm shift really needed?
By Valerie Strauss
Cognitive scientist Daniel Willingham critiques a popular video that insists that we "do not simply need to fix or improve our schools but to completely rethink how they operate."

By Valerie Strauss  |  11:33 AM ET, 10/25/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Daniel Willingham, Daniel Willingham, Daniel Willingham, Daniel Willingham | Tags:  cognitive science, daniel willingham, reformation, renaissance, rousseau, school reform, sir ken robinson

Posted at 03:00 PM ET, 09/13/2010

Obama ed policy lacks scientific support -- Willingham
By Valerie Strauss
Cognitive scientist Daniel Willingham calls into question President Obama's judgment on the administration's education policy, saying that it has no scientific support.

By Valerie Strauss  |  03:00 PM ET, 09/13/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Daniel Willingham, Daniel Willingham, Daniel Willingham, Daniel Willingham, Daniel Willingham, Daniel Willingham, Daniel Willingham, Daniel Willingham, Daniel Willingham, Daniel Willingham | Tags:  common core standards, daniel willingham, duncan and policy, duncan and reforms, naep, national assessment of educational progress, obama and education policy, obama and inaugural address, obama and school reform, president obama and education, race to the top, race to the top requirements, science and obama administration, teacher assessment

Posted at 06:30 AM ET, 07/05/2010

Is technology changing our brains? -- Willingham
By Valerie Strauss
Cognitive scientist Daniel Willingham looks at the effects of technology on kids and, for that matter, everybody else.

By Valerie Strauss  |  06:30 AM ET, 07/05/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Daniel Willingham, Daniel Willingham, Daniel Willingham | Tags:  cognitive science, daniel willingham, effects of technology, how technology affects kids, how technology affects students, is technology changing our brains, steven pinker and cognition, technology and brains, technology and cognition, technology and students, technology in the classroom

Posted at 02:35 PM ET, 06/23/2010

Texas judge rejects creationist master's degree
By Valerie Strauss
A federal judge has denied an effort by the Institute for Creation Research to issue masters degrees in science education from “a Biblical scientific creationist viewpoint,” instead siding with state officials who initially refused to allow the program to go forward.

By Valerie Strauss  |  02:35 PM ET, 06/23/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Science | Tags:  creationism, creationism vs. evolution, creationist science, earth science institute and texas, institute for creation research, judge rejects creationist masters degree, judge sam sparks and ruling, texas and creationist institute, texas higher education coordinating board

Posted at 12:17 PM ET, 05/31/2010

Academic 'stereotype threat' is real -- Willingham
By Valerie Strauss
Boys outscore girls in standardized tests of science. For example, in the 2005 National Assessment of Educational Progress, boys did slightly better than girls at fourth grade, eighth grade, and twelfth grade. Quick, what’s the reason for the difference? It's not what you think. Cognitive scientist Daniel Willingham looks at how gender plays into student performance.

By Valerie Strauss  |  12:17 PM ET, 05/31/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Guest Bloggers, Guest Bloggers, Guest Bloggers | Tags:  gender gap, gender stereotypes, science, stereotype threat, study on gender gap

Posted at 06:20 AM ET, 04/26/2010

Vote on Obama's commencement speech contest
By Valerie Strauss
Starting today the public can rate the six public schools named as finalists in a White House competition that offers up President Obama as the prize. Obama will give the commencement speech at the winning school.

By Valerie Strauss  |  06:20 AM ET, 04/26/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Race to the Top | Tags:  Blue Valley Northwest High School, Clark Montessori, Denver School of Science and Technology, Environmental Charter high School, High School Commencement Challenge, Kalamazoo Central High school, MAST Academy, Obama and high schools, Obama gives commencement, Race to the Top, Race to the Top High School Commencement Challenge

Posted at 10:30 AM ET, 03/10/2010

“Eyeballs in the Fridge”--New data on what drives males, females into science
By Valerie Strauss
What drives males and females to become scientists? A new study finds differences, and suggests that more science should be taught earlier.

By Valerie Strauss  |  10:30 AM ET, 03/10/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Research, Research, Research | Tags:  education research, science

Posted at 06:30 AM ET, 10/19/2009

The Best High School in America?
By Valerie Strauss
A reader asked if Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Fairfax County, Va., is, in fact, “America’s best high school.” It says so on the cover of Washingtonian magazine’s October issue. The answer: For whom is it the best?

By Valerie Strauss  |  06:30 AM ET, 10/19/2009 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  High School | Tags:  Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, high school rankings