Evolution In Kansas Website Journal
August 2
Well, the conservatives took a beating in the primary election. In my own district 9 election, it is appalling how few of the registered voters declined to exercise their rights. Still, until the writing was on the wall, I believed that the common sense of our electorate would pull through. Alas, it was not so!
So on we move to the November election, then the seating of the new board. Will the standards be revised again? Will Bob Corkins be removed of his post? The controversy will continue and it should. For again the probability of our children being taught origin theories as fact reigns high.
- New page: Media - 2006 Elections begins with some of the stories about the just completed primary.
- I started another new page OPEN - About Us that provides information about a voluntary group (Open Public Education Now)located in Independence, Kansas dedicated to the pursuit of honest discussion of the origin theories.
- Lastly, I have added a definition of Origin Theories to the Definitions of Evolution page. I don't know if this term is used by others, I came by it in my introspection as a much better term than 'evolution' to encompass the areas of controversy taught both in the science classrooms of our public schools and in our society.
July 29
- I'm going to put this site on maintenance, that is leave it as it is. We are 3 days from the primary. Only Brad Patzer replied to my questions. There have been maybe 4 or 5 visitors. Until this site gets more action, it is not worthy of additional time enhancing it further. I most likely provide some articles of how the primary turned out with respect to board conservatives and liberals.
- I have found the Hearings on the Science Standards most interesting but way to much work to format and place on that page of the website. The links to the state board files are good and although the format there is a bit wearisome it is readable. I recommend the documents to anyone interested in gaining a fair perspective of what happened.
- In the process of adding the maintenance text above, I got sidetracked to the USD446 curriculum and from there to the Life Science standard and from there to a reference to a booklet to assist teachers when presenting evolution:
"Understand" does not mandate "belief." While students may be required to understand some concepts that researchers use to conduct research and solve practical problems, they may accept or reject the scientific concepts presented. This applies particularly where students' and/or parents' beliefs may be at odds with current scientific theories or concepts. See Teaching About Evolution and the Nature of Science, National Academy of Sciences, 1998, page 59.
I thought this was good, we are on the right track! But alas, this is a fully biased pro-evolution booklet. See my Books on Evolution first two entries.
July 24
- Installed the counter on the main page, however it is counting me as well. Stopping this will require more work.
- Added several articles Media - Related Articles on the Gawis cranium and a commentary Commentaries - Sorrellson the same subject.
- I need to return to the hearings as the primary draws neigh!
- No responses to my questions except for Brad.
July 23
- I found and registered a website counter from the software publisher Statcounter. However, I have yet to get it linked to the website.
July 21
- I ran across a commentary I did not like but added it. Did they find the 'missing link'. Looking for more information, I found and included an AP article from Boston.com under Media - Related Articles.
July 20
- I added the newly published Science Standards Brochure to the Science Standards page.
- I received a response to my questions from only Brad Patzer as of now.
July 17
- I sent questions to all 3 district-9 candidates and put same on the District 9 Election page asking if they would retain the new revised science standards should they be elected. Will I get responses?
July 15
- Created a graphic Kansas link to the forum on the top of the Sidebar. That puts us in business!
July 13 & 14
- Set up a forum provided free by phpBBplanet website (http://www.phpbbplanet.com ) that is also called Evolution in Kansas. I call it a forum but it is in fact a number of forums organized by Categories.
I hope it will provide interesting discussions of the evolution issues and the State Board candidates that should be taking a position on them. I recommend visiting it, located at http://www.phpbbplanet.com/evolutioninkans .
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July 11
- New Page Media - Related Articles created when one of interest was found from Space.com.
- Contacted by email owner of free forum for installation instructions.
July 10
All it has now are links to the PDF transcripts of testimony. I stared reading the files and it looks to be fascinating!
July 8
July 7
Up to today, I have stayed away from creationist sites for articles on this page, thinking that using them would show too much bias on my part. But the ones I have entered before today thrust the preponderance of evidence on the side of macro-evolutionists. When I consider an article to add is when I read them and determine if they are worthy of inclusion.
Today I learned today that not including creationist thoughts on this topic is a grave omission! It becomes evident by reading from both sides that here major controversy exists. What then for our children at their tender ages if they are not also so exposed?
Another growing concern as I develop this website is that the amount of information and the specialized detail required for the reader to digest is far beyond the intellectual capability of our children. To seriously expose them to all aspects of the issues herein is to take away time for the much more important topics they need such as the various biological systems of life forms, the arrangements of the heavenly bodies, the classification of species, the chemical makeup of our physical world.
I would finally note here that in the standards I have copied onto this website, both the state and local curriculums, there is no admonition for the teachers to expose the students to the dating issues. Without these students will, by inference, believe the huge time spans of geologic theory as generally accepted. This of course leads to incorporation as fact in the minds of our young students.
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July 3-4
July 2
- Got the guestbook working with a nice picture to click on. Also got one response from a fellow wiki user.
- Back to USD446 Science Curriculum
To be honest, I am disturbed at what I see here and for 259, Wichita. At least the curriculum does not expressly state that the constraints or problems with macroevolution be provided to the student.
- Breakout boxes removed ....
were white boxes that I had around specific definitions, quoted standards, etc. I've used them a lot and took some time getting them formatted right. Now they are all gone! The Wiki forum says it is a bug - yuck a bad bug! Do I wait for a fix or find another formatting method? - - - Found a workaround but have not gone back to reformat, just trucking ahead.
- Never got to USD446, spent my time on the "history of descent" (see Definitions).
- Reformatted the Media page and added one article.
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July 1
- Added a Guestbook but have not figured how to use a graphic to link to it.
Guestbook provided by guestbook.it-mate.co.uk
June 30
- Main Page: added a recommended order for reading the website pages at the end.
- District Cirriculum: Edited some on usd446, still incomplete; found USD259 Wichita Science Standards by accident. Messy document but added their district.
- Created Commentaries - Media page for opinion articles with an interesting one about the 1999 standard changes.
June 28
Created page School District Curriculums that will contain the curriculum of schools districts as I obtain them. There may no be many as each is long. I have starte with USD46, Independence where I live. This is incomplete.
June 26
I added an opinion (read editoral) at the end of the page.
Using a Yahoo search on "Kansas evolution" I am adding press articles in the order the appear till I get bored of this. It does give me opportunity to get on my soapbox a bit. :)
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June 25
I completed going through the Science Standards and copying the pertinent text to the Science Standards page. I will add some opinion at the end of this page later.
- Research Ways for User Interaction
Spent time looking for a way for readers to add comments and views other earlier comments from others. There may be opportunity here.
I think that a page with press releases on reactions to the board's review and later revision is due in the near future.
I am considering visiting the website of each candidate and asking the questions:
Do you agree with the new version of the Science Standards? If not, what do you disagree with? Would you attempt to revise them again if elected? If so, what changes would you make?
June 24
I downloaded the Standards document in MS Word and began reading it. Determined the basic organization, I began posting evolution pertinent sections to the page until I reach the main standard on biological evolution. I stopped in the midst of this.
also edited out verbiage at the beginning of the Standards page, making it more readable.
June 23
I made changes. Below is the old version.
This website is devoted to addressing the issues surrounding the teaching of Evolution in the public schools in Kansas. It is only fair that you know at the outset that I, the author and a Kansan am a Christian and believe God created the heavens and the earth. I am unsure as to the details but have been concerned for some time that the way evolution may be taught in public schools could lead some of our children away from God. I would submit that this is not a good thing!
I am neither a bible literalist nor a total evolution proponent. The purpose for this website is to provide resources that should help to make informed decisions regarding educational curriculum policy concerning the origins of man and the universe in our state. These resources are large and diverse. I have not digested them all. I hope that they assist you in preparing to select a candidate for the upcoming State Board of Education election in your district.
This is a free website made possible by the folks at pbwiki.com. The google adds come with the free site. It is interesting that these ads are related to the content of the created website. You may find some of them interesting.
In using this website, I recommend that you browse through all the topics on the Sidebar to get a feel what is offered. The Journal gives a chronology of the building of this website, started in June of 2006.
If the information provided here helps you in determining what is best for our children and the candidate in your district that will most likely promote your preference, I will feel successful in the time and energy spent.
This is to discuss the revision of the science standards. I found a page with the Introduction and the document in MS Word. Entered information and text from the Introduction. The Science Standards document is 122 pages!
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June 22, 2006
- Created a terse "Contact Me" page
- Added some new definitions on "Theory"
The definitions here came from a keyword search in Google "example theories". A most interesting addition to the website.
- Created page "District 9 Election"
- included candidates and their websites
- needs more
June 18, 2006
- Created Sidebar,Journal,Video,Book and Definition pages.
- Created links to all in Sidebar.
- This is very rudimentary.
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