Religion in Schools

After reading the article, Religion in Schools Debate Heats Up, the first argument essentially was whether or not schools should be required to observe the moment of silence. Well, what is a moment of silence? A moment of silence is a short period of time utilized for prayer, reflection, or meditation. Is observing a moment of silence a problem? According to the article, “District Judge Robert Gettleman said the law was an unconstitutional breach of the separation of church and state. Defenders of the law argue it is a student's personal choice whether to pray or reflect more generally; therefore, proponents say, the law does not force religion on public school children.” So, what should be done with the moment of silence? For me personally, I tend to agree with the defenders in the article; a moment of silence does not have to be used for prayer specifically. Reflection, meditation, remembrance, and paying respects are all activities that can take place during this short period of time. A moment of silence lacks any specific religious formulation, which is why I feel that it is not a breach of the separation of church and state.

The second portion of the article dealt with the changing of the state of Texas’ science curriculum in order to make it “more difficult for teachers to discuss possible weaknesses in evolutionary theory” (Calefati). “Scientists testified before the board that the "strengths and weaknesses" language is unacceptable because there are no scientifically verifiable weaknesses to Darwin's theory of evolution.” Furthermore, they felt that teaching about weaknesses in evolution would lead to the incorporation of Creationism into the curriculum. The only problem to this whole debate is what parents brought to the school board, and I tend to agree, which is that there should be “nothing wrong with debating a theory that is not proven fact” (Calefati). 

I understand that Creationism or Intelligent Design cannot be taught in the classroom due to “separation of church and state,” but that does not mean that something that has not been proven as fact (evolutionary theory) should not be discussed or debated from an opponent’s viewpoint. Some in favor of teaching evolution say that evolutionary theory should be “subject to investigation and analysis for their incompleteness, but not for their weaknesses” (Scharfersman). If they don’t want to call it a weakness, then call it “incomplete,” but you can still discuss the incompleteness of evolutionary theory. Either way, it still hasn’t been proven fact, so it should still be open to discussion, from students who either believe in evolution or who are skeptics.

References:

Calefati, J. (2009, January 22). Religion in schools debate heats up. Retrieved from https://elearn.mtsu.edu/d2l/lms/content/viewer/main_frame.d2l?ou=2975445&tId=19133302

Schafersman, S. (2009, January 17). The rhetoric and history of the false and unscientific “weaknesses” of evolution. Retrieved from http://texscience.org/reports/weaknesses-evolution-jan2009.htm

 

Innovators vs. Makers

When I read through the biography of Horace Mann, I immediately felt as if this man truly had an influence on public education known today. An innovator is one who creates something new, often for the first time, and Horace Mann fits this definition perfectly in regards to his work involving educational support. When reading about the “makers,” I didn’t get that initial jolt that told me that these men had as much influence on today’s public education as when I read about Horace Mann.  The makers that I read about were men of wealth, men who may have had some form of education, but their influence on the public education of today was more indirect.

            As I read about the life of Horace Mann, I knew that I was learning about a man who had a direct influence on public education past and present. In the late 18^th and early 19^th century students in public schools only attended classes for a couple of weeks in the winter, which is unbelievable when thinking about the amount of time spent in the classroom today. When did the change happen someone might ask? Well, Horace Mann’s idea to improve education started when he established the state board of education, which subsequently led to the increase in the length of a school year to six months, which is much closer to that of today’s school year. This was only one of the many improvements that Mann made to education, but it is one of the great examples of his role as an innovator.

Andrew Carnegie, the steel baron, was the one “maker” who stood out when thinking about today’s public education. Ironically, Carnegie himself is said to have had minimal formal education himself, but he was taught early the importance of learning. So what exactly did Carnegie do to influence the public education known today? Personally, I feel as if Carnegie had more of an indirect influence on the public education, whereas Horace Mann had more of a direct influence; for me this was the major difference between the innovator and the maker. Carnegie is said to be one of the richest men in history, and his money donations to establish schools, universities, and libraries shows that he thought education was of utmost importance.  So if one of the richest men in history thinks so highly of public education, then there has to be some merit there to show its’ importance. Additionally, Carnegie’s life could be a model for the students of today’s society. Through education and hard work, you can achieve success much like Carnegie, even if your wealth doesn’t reach $309 billion (Lubin)!

References:

Lubin, G. (2010, September 2). The 20 Richest People of All Time. Retrieved from  

http:// www.businessinsider.com/richest-people-in-history-2010-8?op=1