Comments on: The Texas Textbook Hubbub http://www.skepticblog.org/2010/03/15/the-texas-textbook-hubbub/ The official blog of the Skeptologists Sat, 11 Feb 2012 21:38:44 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Sgerbic http://www.skepticblog.org/2010/03/15/the-texas-textbook-hubbub/#comment-19378 Sgerbic Sat, 20 Mar 2010 04:25:21 +0000 http://skepticblog.org/?p=7233#comment-19378 My son Caspian suggested that Wikipedia is actually an excellent place to receive information IF you are able to revert to a specific date that has been vetted by the instructor. "On April 3, 2010, this wiki page on (topic) was completely accurate" The student could read from home/school library instead of printing out more paper (textbooks and/or hardcopies). Anyone who has been on Wikipedia knows that one page leads to another one and the next thing you know you are learning all about cotton balls (after starting with WWII). It's impossible to make sure all links are vetted by the professor but for general knowledge the links are usually wonderful. This is a free resource available to anyone with a Internet connection and computer. I know this does not answer the question how to solve the nation standards for knowledge. But in a specific classroom an instructor can vet the page and assign a date page was correct for students to read. I'm sure there is something I'm not seeing as the problem with this. My son Caspian suggested that Wikipedia is actually an excellent place to receive information IF you are able to revert to a specific date that has been vetted by the instructor. “On April 3, 2010, this wiki page on (topic) was completely accurate” The student could read from home/school library instead of printing out more paper (textbooks and/or hardcopies).

Anyone who has been on Wikipedia knows that one page leads to another one and the next thing you know you are learning all about cotton balls (after starting with WWII). It’s impossible to make sure all links are vetted by the professor but for general knowledge the links are usually wonderful.

This is a free resource available to anyone with a Internet connection and computer.

I know this does not answer the question how to solve the nation standards for knowledge. But in a specific classroom an instructor can vet the page and assign a date page was correct for students to read.

I’m sure there is something I’m not seeing as the problem with this.

]]> By: Beelzebud http://www.skepticblog.org/2010/03/15/the-texas-textbook-hubbub/#comment-19314 Beelzebud Wed, 17 Mar 2010 17:50:26 +0000 http://skepticblog.org/?p=7233#comment-19314 Bingo! In many places, it's called flame bait. Bingo! In many places, it’s called flame bait.

]]> By: Beelzebud http://www.skepticblog.org/2010/03/15/the-texas-textbook-hubbub/#comment-19313 Beelzebud Wed, 17 Mar 2010 17:45:39 +0000 http://skepticblog.org/?p=7233#comment-19313 Unless the wiki is Conservapedia. Unless the wiki is Conservapedia.

]]> By: Max http://www.skepticblog.org/2010/03/15/the-texas-textbook-hubbub/#comment-19271 Max Tue, 16 Mar 2010 16:37:32 +0000 http://skepticblog.org/?p=7233#comment-19271 Ahem, $2 bills. Speaking of money, they also voted to replace the word "Capitalism" with "free market". Ahem, $2 bills.

Speaking of money, they also voted to replace the word “Capitalism” with “free market”.

]]> By: Robo Sapien http://www.skepticblog.org/2010/03/15/the-texas-textbook-hubbub/#comment-19269 Robo Sapien Tue, 16 Mar 2010 16:26:20 +0000 http://skepticblog.org/?p=7233#comment-19269 Or sending kids to the principal's office for carrying $20 bills. Or sending kids to the principal’s office for carrying $20 bills.

]]> By: kirk http://www.skepticblog.org/2010/03/15/the-texas-textbook-hubbub/#comment-19268 kirk Tue, 16 Mar 2010 16:14:56 +0000 http://skepticblog.org/?p=7233#comment-19268 First the good news, McElroy was defeated in the TX SBOE R-primary by a less lunatic R-candidate who pledged to peal off from the crazy formation. The less good news is that my SBOE Dist. 5 incumbent R-nutcase, Ken Mercer won his R-primary against a very moderate R-business-friendly. The too-early-to-tell news is that an incumbent R-moderate, lost to a "stealth candidate" who may NOT be part of the crazy caucus. The problem with "stealth candidates" is that is exactly how the crazies took over in "down ballot" SBOE elections where Focus on the Family types prepped their churches with movement voters to overrun the SBOE with theocrats. And skeptics - you don't have to debate the motives of the SBOE crazy block. David Barton, a cardinal in the church of crazy and McElroys butt-buddy, has a web-site "Wallbuilders.com" where he lays out the case against modernity. If you wonder where all the nut-jobs come from? REDISTRICTING. Austin/Travis county is a lib-prog hive but was carved up into multiple US-House districts to dilute voting strength. My district stretches from Austin to Laredo (over 200 rural miles)to give R-hick Lamar Smith a life-time of R-hick votes in the US House. The SBOE district is drawn in a similar fashion. First the good news, McElroy was defeated in the TX SBOE R-primary by a less lunatic R-candidate who pledged to peal off from the crazy formation. The less good news is that my SBOE Dist. 5 incumbent R-nutcase, Ken Mercer won his R-primary against a very moderate R-business-friendly. The too-early-to-tell news is that an incumbent R-moderate, lost to a “stealth candidate” who may NOT be part of the crazy caucus. The problem with “stealth candidates” is that is exactly how the crazies took over in “down ballot” SBOE elections where Focus on the Family types prepped their churches with movement voters to overrun the SBOE with theocrats.

And skeptics – you don’t have to debate the motives of the SBOE crazy block. David Barton, a cardinal in the church of crazy and McElroys butt-buddy, has a web-site “Wallbuilders.com” where he lays out the case against modernity.

If you wonder where all the nut-jobs come from? REDISTRICTING. Austin/Travis county is a lib-prog hive but was carved up into multiple US-House districts to dilute voting strength. My district stretches from Austin to Laredo (over 200 rural miles)to give R-hick Lamar Smith a life-time of R-hick votes in the US House. The SBOE district is drawn in a similar fashion.

]]> By: Max http://www.skepticblog.org/2010/03/15/the-texas-textbook-hubbub/#comment-19262 Max Tue, 16 Mar 2010 14:10:34 +0000 http://skepticblog.org/?p=7233#comment-19262 LOL, I'm picturing them scratching off Thomas Jefferson from all their nickels. LOL, I’m picturing them scratching off Thomas Jefferson from all their nickels.

]]> By: rustle http://www.skepticblog.org/2010/03/15/the-texas-textbook-hubbub/#comment-19261 rustle Tue, 16 Mar 2010 14:00:12 +0000 http://skepticblog.org/?p=7233#comment-19261 Some of my neighbors here in Upstate New York can be just as determinedly backwards as the stereotype we believe some Southerners to be. They rail against teaching evolution in schools or even mentioning climate change as being supported by science. But at least we don't have to put up with the Texas BoE. I've gone through my sons' and daughters' textbooks, and even when 2 of them were attending a Catholic high school, evolution wasn't questioned and science was left to scientists. But a science teacher in a public school did give my daughter "Of Pandas and People". The school suspended him for two weeks when it was determined he had a box of them under his desk and was handing them out like invites to a rave. And his classes were audited for the rest of the school year. Sometime, I love New York. Even with our crazy politicians. Some of my neighbors here in Upstate New York can be just as determinedly backwards as the stereotype we believe some Southerners to be. They rail against teaching evolution in schools or even mentioning climate change as being supported by science. But at least we don’t have to put up with the Texas BoE. I’ve gone through my sons’ and daughters’ textbooks, and even when 2 of them were attending a Catholic high school, evolution wasn’t questioned and science was left to scientists. But a science teacher in a public school did give my daughter “Of Pandas and People”. The school suspended him for two weeks when it was determined he had a box of them under his desk and was handing them out like invites to a rave. And his classes were audited for the rest of the school year. Sometime, I love New York. Even with our crazy politicians.

]]> By: Max http://www.skepticblog.org/2010/03/15/the-texas-textbook-hubbub/#comment-19260 Max Tue, 16 Mar 2010 13:56:26 +0000 http://skepticblog.org/?p=7233#comment-19260 I think Trimegistus thinks we're all leftists who oppose right-wing historical revisionism, but would support left-wing revisionism, even though Steve said that history textbooks have an existing liberal bias. I think Trimegistus thinks we’re all leftists who oppose right-wing historical revisionism, but would support left-wing revisionism, even though Steve said that history textbooks have an existing liberal bias.

]]> By: Robo Sapien http://www.skepticblog.org/2010/03/15/the-texas-textbook-hubbub/#comment-19259 Robo Sapien Tue, 16 Mar 2010 12:42:01 +0000 http://skepticblog.org/?p=7233#comment-19259 Government-funded Education Wiki -- lets put our tax dollars into something worthwhile, for a change. Government-funded Education Wiki — lets put our tax dollars into something worthwhile, for a change.

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