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HunterORL23
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 Posted: Tue May 03, 2011 8:56 pm Post subject: Teaching Political Topics |
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What do you guys do when your textbook wants you to teach something that is a topic that you strictly disagree with (for example man causing global warming). Not only is this something I do not want to teach my students but it is something I feel like writing the publisher an e-mail about. There is no reason why this topic should be in a public school middle school 2nd grade English text book. Why do these publishers want to inflict fear on these kids and force them to conform to their biased opinions.
Makes me sick! |
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myenglishisno
Joined: 08 Mar 2011
Location: Geumchon
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| Posted: Tue May 03, 2011 9:23 pm Post subject: |
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Man causing Global Warming (actually we say "Climate Change" these days because "Global Warming" has fallen out of favour) is not a "Political Opinion", it is an established fact. Evolution and Climate Change are political issues yet they're not debated amongst scientists so both are entirely suitable for school textbooks.
There is virtually no disagreement at all within the scientific community regarding both of these "issues". Stop watching Fox News and listening to scientists that were bought out by oil giants 
Anyway, as they say in the backwards-land (in the US)... teach the controversy. Teach both sides, tell the students that you don't agree with it and then get a debate going. Debates are great environments for learning English. Get them riled up. They will all disagree with you (and rightfully so). |
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Geumchondave
Joined: 28 Oct 2010
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| Posted: Tue May 03, 2011 9:27 pm Post subject: |
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| can we get all this into one thread please? it seems the kind of people who fight modern science also fight the use of I.T..... |
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nathanrutledge
Joined: 01 May 2008
Location: Marakesh
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| Posted: Tue May 03, 2011 10:14 pm Post subject: |
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Global warming is NOT a fact, it's still a theory. There is plenty of credible evidence on both sides.
OP, I know what you mean. My co teacher and I two years ago ran into the exact same problem. I told her that the information in the book was inaccurate and that we should watch what we say. The KEY is that you are NOT teaching science - you are teaching English. As such, make sure you change the offensive words/ideas (fact-theory, is-might be, etc) and teach away. You should have no problem teaching about global warming as a scientific theory - it is one, and there is plenty of evidence to support it, as there is plenty to disprove it.
Good luck. |
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Geumchondave
Joined: 28 Oct 2010
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| Posted: Tue May 03, 2011 10:21 pm Post subject: |
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il move this other from the thread because it still seems relevant
not exactly a political topic is it.... i mean it has been fairly well proven. If the information is inline with the school/korean science curriculum then i dont see a problem, any complaint you have would have to bring up with the education ministry or try and get parents involved - if their is no argument from other parents, students, teachers or pressure groups within korea you yourself can do nothing. If and only if you are highly scientificaly literate you could provided an alternative theory with the consent of your co-teacher if not don't be so mind numbingly arrogant to think you know better than the entire scientific and educational establishment.
obviously if the text book is out of date or not in line with the modern consensus then you might have a point and if you have a real moral objection bring it up with your department and see about changing text books.
also please go away and learn what a theory actually is before you post that in a public forum or anyone with the most vague scientific background will tear you a new one because you are clearly not qualified to talk about science if you don't understand what that means in the scientific community |
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nathanrutledge
Joined: 01 May 2008
Location: Marakesh
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| Posted: Tue May 03, 2011 10:54 pm Post subject: |
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| Geumchondave wrote: |
also please go away and learn what a theory actually is before you post that in a public forum or anyone with the most vague scientific background will tear you a new one because you are clearly not qualified to talk about science if you don't understand what that means in the scientific community |
Global warming is a theory. It is virtually impossible to implement controls on global warming research experiments. For example:
First, rising CO2 levels cannot be definitively attributed to humans. Estimates of emissions from natural sources, such as volcanoes (especially underwater volcanoes) vary wildly. Until these sources can be measured accurately, we cannot make a conclusion.
Second, the measurement of CO2 levels in the atmosphere is a relatively new ability. We cannot prove that levels are historically high as we are comparing digital era precise measurements to samples measured in ice - comparing apples to oranges.
Third, any model we come up with has to fit the past. If it cannot fit the past, then it is invalid. As we've had periods of warm weather and cold weather in the past (for many years at a time - look at the 1970s for an example of global cooling), we need a complicated model that we just don't have.
Fourth, Earth is an open system. We have no control group and variable group to experiment on. Things are changing constantly, to the point that it is impossible to conduct a true scientific experiment.
Fifth, to show that global warming is happening, we'd have to show that in the past, the temperature remained constant. We know this is not the case.
There are so many confounding variables at play, too. Changes in the Earth's magnetic field, changes in solar output, changes in ocean salinity, changes in land use and reflectivity, changes in the ozone layer, etc....
THUS, global warming is only a theory.
And for anyone else, if you have a disagreement with someone, you shouldn't make blanket statements or assumptions - i.e., I spent 9 years in my primary and secondary education in a science academy. I know what a theory and a fact is. Do you? |
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Geumchondave
Joined: 28 Oct 2010
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| Posted: Tue May 03, 2011 11:31 pm Post subject: |
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| Yes thats why i also understand gravitational theory, evolutionary theory, special and general THEORY of relativity, quantum theory and so forth - shall we teach the controversy on those as well? that way every single English teacher can give students their own specific take on things - or heres a thought, maybe we should leave to people who are actually qualified to talk about such things. your entitled to your own opinion but when it comes to someones kids you have to respect there wishes, and if they wanted their heads filled with nonsense they would be sent to a religious institute or home educated where you can get away with such blatant science denial-ism, this isn't a debate about whether the science is right or wrong, the question is as an english teacher do you have the right to make that choice for someone else's kids, and you don't. you can raise the issues with your school, you can raise issue with parents, and you can seek legal advice from and campaign groups working to change the text books - you can not decide that elected officials and science advisors have less right to teach children than you do |
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myenglishisno
Joined: 08 Mar 2011
Location: Geumchon
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| Posted: Tue May 03, 2011 11:36 pm Post subject: |
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| nathanrutledge wrote: |
THUS, global warming is only a theory. |
Global Warming (actually "Climate Change") is as much a theory as gravity is.
I'd rebut all of your points but A) I don't have time and B) you probably wouldn't have it anyway. Just out of curiosity, do you believe in Evolution? I find that disbelievers of one almost always disbelieve in the other.
Your first, fourth and fifth points have already been proven and well-researched. It sounds like you haven't done much thinking about the subject since that science academy you went to.
| Geumchondave wrote: |
| Yes thats why i also understand gravitational theory, evolutionary theory, special and general THEORY of relativity, quantum theory and so forth - shall we teach the controversy on those as well? that way every single English teacher can give students their own specific take on things - or heres a thought, maybe we should leave to people who are actually qualified to talk about such things. your entitled to your own opinion but when it comes to someones kids you have to respect there wishes, and if they wanted their heads filled with nonsense they would be sent to a religious institute or home educated where you can get away with such blatant science denial-ism, this isn't a debate about whether the science is right or wrong, the question is as an english teacher do you have the right to make that choice for someone else's kids, and you don't. you can raise the issues with your school, you can raise issue with parents, and you can seek legal advice from and campaign groups working to change the text books - you can not decide that elected officials and science advisors have less right to teach children than you do |
This is Korea. Even their science teachers are just having them memorize page after page after page. If you actually debate with them and challenge them in any way, you might be the first teacher to have done so.
Go for it! |
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nathanrutledge
Joined: 01 May 2008
Location: Marakesh
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| Posted: Wed May 04, 2011 2:20 am Post subject: |
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Look, myenglishisno said that global warming is a fact - I'm saying he's wrong, it's a theory. You want to go round for round on semantics, you'll be playing with yourself.
A theory is
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systematic ideational structure of broad scope, conceived by the human imagination, that encompasses a family of empirical (experiential) laws regarding regularities existing in objects and events, both observed and posited. A scientific theory is a structure suggested by these laws and is devised to explain them in a scientifically rational manner. dictionary.com |
So, global warming is a theory - we have phenomena that is being explained in a scientifically rational manner. Theory.
A scientific fact is
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| an observation that has been confirmed repeatedly and is accepted as true (although its truth is never final) - dictionary.com |
Global warming is NOT a fact - as there are too many variables that cannot be controlled, the observations cannot be repeated. Individual facts may be developed, but global warming on the whole cannot, in it's current state, be a fact.
The belief or disbelief of something is not what makes it a theory or a fact.
It sounds like the OP doesn't believe in global warming as a fact OR a theory - whatever, I don't care. BUT, as a linguist and ESL teacher, it is important that we teach the correct words. Any time you're talking about scientific theories in absolutes, there is a problem.
Geumchondave is right, it's not our place to be filling students heads with "nonsense," and I'm not suggesting the OP do that. I AM suggesting that the OP look at the wording because the FACT is GW is a scientific THEORY, the validity of which the OP should take no position on.
myenglishisno, to sate your curiosity, I believe in the THEORY of evolution, as well as about 40% of the THEORY of Global Warming/Climate Change. The scientific community has reached a fairly solid consensus on evolution - not so much on GW/GCC. The scientific method is not being used as religiously (ha!) as it should be for GW/GCC research, and as such I find a lot of it to still be ideas and conjecture - sample sizes that are too small, insufficient peer review, cherry picking of cases, etc. To further feed your curiosity, I'm an avid outdoorsmen and conservationist - I'm all for using less fuel and being more friendly towards the environment - and I don't need some half baked snake oil "research" to be dressed up and given to me to do it, either. |
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ontheway
Joined: 24 Aug 2005
Location: Somewhere under the rainbow...
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| Posted: Wed May 04, 2011 6:02 am Post subject: |
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| Global warming or climate change is an important, active part of current events, the daily news, and popular discussion. We are English teachers and as such we should equip our students with the language and understanding necessary to learn about and discuss this topic. It would be perfecly acceptable to present alternative viewpoints in an effort to help the students be able to understand the topic and the language, and to formulate and express their own opinions in English. We should teach the vocabulary, the facts and the controversy in a neutral manner. We should not be alarmist. We should not attempt to foist our own opinions upon them, no matter which side of the issue we may be on. |
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Fishead soup
Joined: 24 Jun 2007
Location: Korea
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| Posted: Thu May 05, 2011 6:47 pm Post subject: |
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The popular thing with Korean students is "low carbon green growth".
I find the discussion books by Jack Martire great. Although I would stay his earlier ones that were pretty contraversial. |
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ESL Milk "Everyday
Joined: 12 Sep 2007
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| Posted: Thu May 05, 2011 8:50 pm Post subject: |
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nathanrutledge said it... you're teaching English, not science. You're not here to teach your opinions on global warming.
Just do the lesson and think what you think in private... if you think that writing the publishers a letter would help, then you should do it. But I don't think that it will... Korea signed onto the Kyoto Protocol, and I'm pretty sure that other Koreans didn't get too upset about it-- so you might want to take that into consideration.
Most of the kids won't care anyway, unless they cared about it before as well... believe it or not, they do have their own minds. |
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