Home-Schooling

Conservative Christians Promote What They Hate

Valerie Terico has written an article in the Daily Kos on the irony that most abortions in the USA are being caused by Conservative Christians.

Left Brain/Right Brain Pseudoscience

Steven Novella, a neurologist, has posted on the myth that individuals can be categorized as either left-brain or right-brain in terms of their personality and the way they process information.

Religion Is A Natural Phenomenon

Here is a classic video from 2006 with Dan Dennett discussing religion as a natural phenomenon and rebutting Rick Warren's Purpose-Driven Life.

A Skeptic Resource For Children

The Skeptic's Dictionary website has published a separate Skeptic Dictionary for Kids.  This is a new website, with a growing database, dedicated to children.  It "offers skeptical insights written in kid-friendly language and includes plenty of illustrations and links to sound files to help with the pronunciation of difficult words" (Gurmukh Mongia, Skeptical Inquirer, Nov/Dec 2011).

Education And Prosperity

Edward Glaeser has written an article for the Bloomberg View in which he cites data to strongly support the connection between quality of education and economic prosperity.  He also compares these empirical studies with those that are mirky in drawing a connection between government size and economic growth.  So refreshing to see a political column based on good evidence.

Marketing, Pseudoscience And Education

PZ Myers has posted on the presence of pseudoscience/alternative medicine within a community college curriculum in particular and the state of education in general.

Education Limits?

Hemant Mehta has posted on an education dilemma. This is an interesting situation. What would you do?

Journalism, Education And Critical Thinking

Hemant Mehta has posted on problems with the journalism and education professions. In each, there is a need for critical thinking by practitioners and, perhaps, an abolition of professional schools.

Preschool Program Benefits

With all the economic problems of the USA and the world, there obviously is a need to budget limited resources. It is easy to attack expenditures that do not have quick obvious benefits. This blogger notices public schools and libraries cutting personnel and programs, or even closing. Another area being looked at are preschool programs, especially for the poor.

These two recent studies conducted in the Chicago area (here and here) show the long term value of good pre-school and early elementary school programs. Will society take studies like this into account when making the hard financial decisions? If there ever was a more important time to take into account reason and science in solving problems, this blogger is not aware of it.

Higher Education?

The New York Times has written an article exposing the state of higher education in the USA.

Education And Thinking

Hemant Mehta has posted on a Canadian English and History teacher's suspension for making his students think.

Education And Religious Belief

Mano Singham has posted a detailed analysis of the relationship between education and religious belief.

Grade Inflation/Education Deflation

The Chronical of Higher Education has posted an article on a serious problem in higher education in the USA.