Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am a scientist. I can assure you the ability to discuss/debate are critical to science. The thing about science is it is nearly impossible to prove something correct, but it is easy to prove things wrong. Debate is critical to the process.

OP here, and I'm a scientist's son. I agree to an extent. But are eighth-graders going to have a good debate over a politically corrupted topic like whether global warming exists?

Politically corrupt? What are you prattling about? Part of science is debating and refuting the erroneous view.

Politically corrupt in the sense that there's a lot of pseudo-science on the topic, and it's asking a lot for seventh-graders to be able to refute it.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am a scientist. I can assure you the ability to discuss/debate are critical to science. The thing about science is it is nearly impossible to prove something correct, but it is easy to prove things wrong. Debate is critical to the process.

OP here, and I'm a scientist's son. I agree to an extent. But are eighth-graders going to have a good debate over a politically corrupted topic like whether global warming exists?

Politically corrupt? What are you prattling about? Part of science is debating and refuting the erroneous view.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:That is odd, OP. Hopefully they are doing some more worthwhile things, too, about which they are equally enthusiastic.

I wasn't able to make it last night. What were your impressions of other subjects/the overall feel? Do you know if they said anything about posting info for review online?

OP here, and here are the slides they used: http://fcps.edu/KilmerMS/studentservices/AAP%20presentation%201-28-15%201.pdf

In general, I liked it. The principal seems good. The technology education course looks like a lot of fun -- not entirely sure why it's required when it mostly looks like robotics and other fun stuff, but I'm sure the kids will like it. Loved the English department. Interesting to see that they add "extensions" in the math honors courses -- whether they're taking Math 7 or Algebra 1, they'll get some work in stats and other topics.

Everyone ran too long, though. I think we were 25 minutes behind schedule at one point. But I suppose you could chalk that up to enthusiasm.

That's the case at Frost as well, both in honors and in gen ed (I have a kid in each). I'm assuming it's just part of the mandated curriculum.

Anonymous wrote:I am a scientist. I can assure you the ability to discuss/debate are critical to science. The thing about science is it is nearly impossible to prove something correct, but it is easy to prove things wrong. Debate is critical to the process.

OP here, and I'm a scientist's son. I agree to an extent. But are eighth-graders going to have a good debate over a politically corrupted topic like whether global warming exists?

Wow, sounds like a fabulous AAP Center program at Kilmer!

Yeah this is excellent because understanding and debunking the opposing view it's essential in solidifying the scientifically correct stance.

I am a scientist. I can assure you the ability to discuss/debate are critical to science. The thing about science is it is nearly impossible to prove something correct, but it is easy to prove things wrong. Debate is critical to the process.

Anonymous wrote:That is odd, OP. Hopefully they are doing some more worthwhile things, too, about which they are equally enthusiastic.

I wasn't able to make it last night. What were your impressions of other subjects/the overall feel? Do you know if they said anything about posting info for review online?

OP here, and here are the slides they used: http://fcps.edu/KilmerMS/studentservices/AAP%20presentation%201-28-15%201.pdf

In general, I liked it. The principal seems good. The technology education course looks like a lot of fun -- not entirely sure why it's required when it mostly looks like robotics and other fun stuff, but I'm sure the kids will like it. Loved the English department. Interesting to see that they add "extensions" in the math honors courses -- whether they're taking Math 7 or Algebra 1, they'll get some work in stats and other topics.

Everyone ran too long, though. I think we were 25 minutes behind schedule at one point. But I suppose you could chalk that up to enthusiasm.

That is odd, OP. Hopefully they are doing some more worthwhile things, too, about which they are equally enthusiastic.

I wasn't able to make it last night. What were your impressions of other subjects/the overall feel? Do you know if they said anything about posting info for review online?

I have an 8th grader in AAP at Kilmer. She said they don't debate political issues, or really debate anything at all. She remembers once in the beginning of the year, they did some activity where they took positions on one issue by dividing themselves into groups.

I'd say it isn't an issue, and the teachers were playing it up.

We're in AAP 4th and to my knowledge have never had any debate classes. Science isn't any different than the gen ed classes I believe.

At the AAP presentation at Kilmer last night, the science teachers seemed particularly enthused that they "debate" in science class.

I'm a little concerned. This isn't philosophy. It's science. "Debates" in science seem best reserved for people with extraordinary credentials parsing details out of mountains of data.

One of the topics they mentioned: "Global Warming: Fact or Fiction?" That's not really a debate. Even the Republicans in the Senate have agreed global warming exists -- they just think it's caused by solar cycles and fairy dust. In the scientific community, it's overwhelming consensus that there's something going on -- it's just a matter of degree and what we should do to tackle it. The "Is it real?" argument is simply in the province of paid-for politicians and sensationalist media.

Has anyone been through this program? Is it not quite the postmodern morass I'm fearing?