Gary Garber's Blog

Even though you have been able to read them in almost final draft form online for over a year, the NY Times just reported that the Next Generation Science Standards have finally been unveiled.  I was saddened to see the NYT spends so much time covering in their article and opinion pieces covering evolution and climate change which are actually a very small piece of the NGSS.  The big deal in the NGSS is the emphasis on Science Practices and the way instruction should take place:  The idea that the learning process and practices might be more important than actual content.   More frightening might be that perhaps students should develop ideas instead of being dry sponges sucking up every ounce of what they are told, right, wrong or controversial.  That should scare the dickens out of the nay-Sayers more than then emphasis on climate change and evolution.   If students start to think critically….they might…YIKES!