Korean Job Discussion Forums

[greedy_bones]

I've been teaching at a great hagwon for about a month. The pay is great, the hours are low, and I teach using novels like The BFG and Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH. At the school, there are also math and science classes.

Yesterday, in my free time, I was checking out some of the science books. I opened up the biology book and noticed it was an intelligent design book. The first two chapters are dedicated to explaining why evolution doesn't work, mostly by disproving Lamarkian evolution.

I don't teach science, but I'm truly bothered by the choice of textbooks. I know it's not my class, and I should just be worrying about my own classes, but the book really irks me. Would you guys bring this book up to the science teacher, or just let it be?

[dean_burrito]

[moosehead]

quite possibly the person in charge of buying the textbooks is a right-wing christian conservative and knows very well what is in that book.

I've had students in non-science class bring up such matters when something evolutionary-related was discussed. yes, there are people in K who are trying to dismiss evolution, just like in the west, and yes, they are right-wing christian nutjobs, just like in the west (and I don't really give a flying f*ck how many flames this attracts and I'm not going to argue about it either - you know who you are)

OP you can ignore it - which I would recommend or not - at your own peril. that's a big can of worms if you must open it.

do let us know how it goes tho, if you decide to bring it up. it could get very interesting

sort of reminds me of when Da Vince code came out and I called a K friend to go see it and she said no, she couldn't because the church had come out against it and it was all lies so she didn't want to go, even tho I suggested she decide for herself. She appeared offended I would say such a thing (imagine! making up one's own mind!). needless to say I never asked her to go to the cinema again

[clyde]

Stay out of it. There is no reasoning with Christian idiots. It is not worth making an issue about because even if if there is blatant irrefutable proof, faith mongers have "faith" and that trumps all else academically. Sit back and chuckle my friend, and save the arguement for the hof after work.

[Yu_Bum_suk]

[Bibbitybop]

Supplement it with a lesson from 1984 (the novel) about how people will believe anything (2+2=5) if they are repeatedly taught.

[cruisemonkey]

You could probably try to explain to the science teacher why 'intellegent design' is not an alternative scientific theory, is not based on science and has nothing to do with science... but it would be like beating your head against a brick wall.

[Juregen]

[jdog2050]

[harlowethrombey]

[Underwaterbob]

[sarbonn]

If I wasn't teaching science, I wouldn't care. I have a specific job here in Korea, and I perform that job. If a science teacher's job is to give bad science to students, then that's on them and their country. If they want to develop students who are incapable of competing with the rest of the world, that's on them, too.

On that note, I've had students come to me and ask me science questions because the science teacher told them something that didn't make any sense. The kids know I have degrees in physics and cell biology, so I answer them directly, and they go away happy. Usually, the teacher, who is really a glorified Korean English teacher, is the one teaching them science, so I don't even make a point of pointing out that she hasn't a clue what she's talking about. The kids are smart enough to figure that out on their own. They're also smart enough to come to the one person in the building that does have most of those answers they need.

[greedy_bones]

I decided to leave it alone. I may teach science at some point, since that's what my degree is in. If I end up teaching science, I will demand a different biology textbook.

I think my favorite part of the evolution section is the part where it deals with the age of the earth. It says something along the lines of "When the theory of evolution first came about, evolutionists thought that it took a few thousand years for organisms to evolve. Later, they realized it would take longer and changed the age of the earth to millions and then billions of years old."

Apparently, the age of the earth is determined by what works for evolution, not geology or astronomy.

[Simplicity]

Richard Dawkins: The Root of All Evil

http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=enemies+of+reason+episode+1&oe=UTF-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-GB:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wv&ei=68atSZ6hGJ3gsAPjl9nPBA&oi=property_suggestions&resnum=0&ct=property-revision&cd=1#q=The+Root+of+All+Evil&emb=0&client=firefox-a


Christopher Hitchens vs. Al Sharpton: A debate, God Is Not Great. (They open it up for questions at the end, listen for the heckler)

http://mirror.findyourfix.com/Documentary/1074_Christopher_Hitchens_and_Al_Sharpton_A_Debate_034God_Is_Not_Great034_2007/16218_Full_Debate.html

[BS.Dos.]

Stop thinking so positively.