I feel like I’ve been writing about science standards battles and legislative battles for far too long. So, it feels good to finally get back to saying good things about Florida science education. Congratulations to chemistry teacher Lisa Peake: Wesley Chapel chemistry teacher wins Presidential Award of Excellence
WESLEY CHAPEL — Lisa Peake isn’t just good at her job. She’s one of the best in the nation.
So good, in fact, that the Wesley Chapel High School chemistry teacher just returned from Washington, D.C., bearing the nation’s highest honor in her field: the 2007 Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching.
…
Peake is the only science teacher in Florida to win the presidential award.
As a state finalist, she got to ride on a special plane that simulated zero gravity. As the plane flew a series of parabolas to simulate weightlessness, Peake and other teachers conducted experiments — and did some other stuff.
“We did the fun things like Superwoman or eating M&Ms,” she said. “It was fascinating.”
Science is fun. It’s a message Peake works to impart to her students. But science is also demanding.
“She raises the bar on them all the way,” Crosby said. “Some of these kids, they want to give their best, but they want to take a shortcut or hope a teacher slacks on them.
“But she didn’t and they respected why she didn’t. That’s huge.”
Very nice!
Peake and other teachers conducted experiments — and did some other stuff.
From what I hear about zero g, “other stuff” probably involved emesis.
Other cool stuff.
http://www.bradshawfoundation.com/journey/
Congratulations, your organization is evolving by getting concerned about actual science, instead of being the defenders of Darwinism like the NC”S”E.
Actually, William, we were talking about science in general here long before you ever wondered over here. Just dig through our blog archives. The only reason we even have to focus on evolution for so long is because of incessant attacks on it. If there were religious attacks on gravity all the time, we would spend tons of time here dealing with that. We love to promote science in general, but we are forced to defend one particular aspect of it, too.
The attacks are concentrated at the state and local level and are almost exclusively focused on evolutionary theory biology. The only target available is middle and high school science.
The process is essentially political and ideological. The fundemenatlists are a strong voting block for the GOP and need to be appeased. In even- number years they usually bring up a string of old favorites and anti-evolution is a big winner. Honestly I do not think the GOP leadership really cares if it passes or not, and does best by having it ‘almost pass’ so they can wring another cycle out it. In the case of FL it a subgroup in N FLA and central FLA that pushes this stuff.
Meanwhile the rich republicans (all non fundies ) I know in South FL send their kids to private prep schools that teach the core sciences for real to ensure their kids can get into the top 100 colleges. They could not care less what the rubes in pasco county are learning or not learning as long as their business taxes are kept at nearly zero.