CSNbbs

"A local middle school student and her parents are upset after being given a controversial classroom assignment. The students were asked if God was real."

http://www.click2houston.com/news/studen...s/36081128

Seems a question designed to get kids to think a little bit. But apparently it didn't come across that way.

Reminds me of a college assignment in English. We were to make an argument using an ethical framework. I did one on abortion using the Bible. The TA wrote that I should have used a more broadly accepted framework. I guess 2 billion people wasn't enough for her.

(10-28-2015 10:26 AM)gsu95 Wrote: [ -> ]Seems a question designed to get kids to think a little bit. But apparently it didn't come across that way.

Would the question, "Is being homosexual wrong?" be an acceptable question to ask?

I'm not opposed to either question, but probably not in middle school. Seems more like a college psychobabble course level type of thing. Just hope this isn't just another teacher pushing a personal agenda, etc.

(10-28-2015 10:26 AM)gsu95 Wrote: [ -> ]Seems a question designed to get kids to think a little bit. But apparently it didn't come across that way.

If the kids story is true *big if* then it was a question aimed at bullying kids. And it worked as intended.

*gasp* critical thinking?

http://www.fox26houston.com/news/39950453-story

(10-28-2015 10:32 AM)Hitch Wrote: [ -> ]*gasp* critical thinking?

*gasp* establishment clause?

If the teacher had asked all the students to make a case for the existence of God (even those who don't believe in him) you would be up in arms.

(10-28-2015 10:32 AM)Hitch Wrote: [ -> ]*gasp* critical thinking?

Oh, you'd be throwing a butthurt hissy fit if it were the other way around.

If the kids can't express their religious belief then the state has no business challenging them or dabbling in that arena.

Promote nor inhibit

The teacher should be fired.

The teacher is automatically discredited as a learned individual....she is printing assignments in Comic Sans.

(10-28-2015 10:39 AM)shiftyeagle Wrote: [ -> ]

(10-28-2015 10:32 AM)Hitch Wrote: [ -> ]*gasp* critical thinking?

Oh, you'd be throwing a butthurt hissy fit if it were the other way around.

I'd love to see a teacher organize an oxford-style debate on the existence of God, especially if each side was intentionally assigned to argue the stance counter to their own personal religious preferences.

(10-28-2015 10:41 AM)MonarchManiac Wrote: [ -> ]The teacher is automatically discredited as a learned individual....she is printing assignments in Comic Sans.

(10-28-2015 10:47 AM)Hitch Wrote: [ -> ]

(10-28-2015 10:39 AM)shiftyeagle Wrote: [ -> ]

(10-28-2015 10:32 AM)Hitch Wrote: [ -> ]*gasp* critical thinking?

Oh, you'd be throwing a butthurt hissy fit if it were the other way around.

I'd love to see a teacher organize an oxford-style debate on the existence of God, especially if each side was intentionally assigned to argue the stance counter to their own personal religious preferences.

So you're not really against having God in public schools then.

You'd rather just pick and choose when God may and may not be mentioned.

(10-28-2015 10:30 AM)VA49er Wrote: [ -> ]

(10-28-2015 10:26 AM)gsu95 Wrote: [ -> ]Seems a question designed to get kids to think a little bit. But apparently it didn't come across that way.

Would the question, "Is being homosexual wrong?" be an acceptable question to ask?

I'm not opposed to either question, but probably not in middle school. Seems more like a college psychobabble course level type of thing. Just hope this isn't just another teacher pushing a personal agenda, etc.

I agree, probably better to just leave that particular question off this exercise.

(10-28-2015 10:47 AM)Hitch Wrote: [ -> ]

(10-28-2015 10:39 AM)shiftyeagle Wrote: [ -> ]

(10-28-2015 10:32 AM)Hitch Wrote: [ -> ]*gasp* critical thinking?

Oh, you'd be throwing a butthurt hissy fit if it were the other way around.

I'd love to see a teacher organize an oxford-style debate on the existence of God, especially if each side was intentionally assigned to argue the stance counter to their own personal religious preferences.

For middle school kids in a public school?

(10-28-2015 10:49 AM)shiftyeagle Wrote: [ -> ]

(10-28-2015 10:47 AM)Hitch Wrote: [ -> ]

(10-28-2015 10:39 AM)shiftyeagle Wrote: [ -> ]

(10-28-2015 10:32 AM)Hitch Wrote: [ -> ]*gasp* critical thinking?

Oh, you'd be throwing a butthurt hissy fit if it were the other way around.

I'd love to see a teacher organize an oxford-style debate on the existence of God, especially if each side was intentionally assigned to argue the stance counter to their own personal religious preferences.

So you're not really against having God in public schools then.

You'd rather just pick and choose when God may and may not be mentioned.

I'm not against teaching the generic concept of god(s) as a cultural and historical influence. Using God as an abstract to demonstrate critical thinking skills is totally appropriate. The whole point is to force people to struggle with a concept.

Now I am against teaching religious teachings as fact, especially when it conflicts with widely held scientific principles.

Note that I'm not proposing a debate about whether christianity or islam is "true".

So, you are for a push in one direction but not the other.

That's the problem.

Religious discussion in any way, shape, or form, should be off the table. It's not valid to challenge only one position in practice.

(10-28-2015 10:51 AM)mturn017 Wrote: [ -> ]

(10-28-2015 10:30 AM)VA49er Wrote: [ -> ]

(10-28-2015 10:26 AM)gsu95 Wrote: [ -> ]Seems a question designed to get kids to think a little bit. But apparently it didn't come across that way.

Would the question, "Is being homosexual wrong?" be an acceptable question to ask?

I'm not opposed to either question, but probably not in middle school. Seems more like a college psychobabble course level type of thing. Just hope this isn't just another teacher pushing a personal agenda, etc.

I agree, probably better to just leave that particular question off this exercise.

Debating a moral judgement seems like a different animal to me.

Initially I thought it was not really a problem since it is part of critical thinking and belief in God is a commonplace assertion (it doesn't say that means false), not a fact by the scheme. I wondered what the answer would be for A, because perhaps birds count as land dwelling (since their nests are on land/trees) in which case it would be wrong. So I Googled it because I'm curious and lo and behold worksheets for this exercise came up. All of the questions come up regularly on these worksheets, except the God one. It seems to me like she put that one in there in order to make the students question God as opposed to work on their critical thinking skills. That is clearly an issue.

There's a fine line when it comes to mentioning religion in public schools, it shouldn't be avoided, but it should be treated with clear objectivity. If it is not clearly objective, as this exercise was not, then it shouldn't be mentioned.