California teachers lack the resources and time to teach science A statewide survey and interviews with LAUSD elementary school teachers and administrators find that students are receiving little hands-on science instruction. October 31, 2011 [...] The squeeze on science instruction is reflected in predominantly low science test scores. On the most recent fourth-grade science exams compiled by the National Assessment of Educational Progress, California students ranked at the bottom level along with Arizona, Mississippi and Hawaii. Federal, state and local education officials agree that science education must be improved — in California and nationwide. The Obama administration is calling for 100,000 new science and math teachers following bipartisan studies showing that the nation is losing its competitive technological edge. And even Elmo is getting into the act, with "Sesame Street" launching science segments on the popular public television show. "I want to see a renaissance of science education in California, which has been slowly diminishing, and bring it to a new, higher level," said Tom Torlakson, the state Supt. of Public Instruction. Torlakson said that students well-trained in science, technology, engineering and math — the disciplines known as STEM — are critical to the state's economic prosperity. Fifteen of every 20 new jobs in the state require such skills, he said. [...] "Kids are naturally curious and observant," De La Torre said, "and the science helps them become higher-level thinkers." http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-science-20111031,0,3957251.story [with comments]
Wingnut Watch: October Snow Ends Climate Change Debate
New Yorkers make their way through falling snow. EMMANUEL DUNAND/AFP/Getty Images
By Julian Brookes POSTED: October 31, 12:48 PM ET
Via Media Matters [ http://mediamatters.org/blog/201110290006 ]: It's snowing in October – so, sorry, that pretty much sews up the case against climate change. How could the planet be warming if it's getting colder? Thus, the logic of Fox News Eric Bolling, who tweeted as follows on Saturday, as snowflakes blanketed the Northeast: "Hey, Al Gore ... earliest snowfall in NYC since the Civil War ... where's your global warming now, see?" Bolling followed this up with a segment on his Fox Business show gleefully citing the snowstorm as evidence that climate change is bogus. There's a lot to be said about this, but let me just quote Andrew Freedman over at the Washington Post, who writes:
"Snowtober” occurred during a year in which the U.S. has already suffered a record number of billion dollar weather disasters, including Irene, spring flooding along the Mississippi River, and the ongoing Texas drought. Scientific evidence continues to mount that certain types of extreme weather events, including heavy precipitation events (both heavy rain and snow) are becoming more common and severe due to global warming.
According to Wunderground’s Burt [ http://www.wunderground.com/blog/JeffMasters/comment.html?entrynum=1978 ], although early and late season snowfalls should decrease as the world warms, “the climate models also predict that we may see an increase in the intensity of the strongest winter storms, like the Nor’easter that dumped the record October snows over the Northeast on Saturday, and it is important to realize that snow is not the same thing as cold. Temperatures in the Northeast U.S. were quite cold on Saturday, but no observing station there broke a record for coldest temperature for the day on October 29, according to the National Climatic Data Center. Our climate is still cold enough in October to give us the occasional early-season record snowstorm.
FYI, the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [ http://www.ipcc.ch/ ] is coming out with a special report on climate change and extreme weather events on November 18.
In other wingnutty news:
• The justly beleaguered Pat Buchanan is on record as saying women are "less equipped psychologically" to succeed in TV journalism. [Media Matters] http://mediamatters.org/blog/201110310003
John Hartz "Treat the earth well: it was not given to you by your parents, it was loaned to you by your children. We do not inherit the Earth from our Ancestors, we borrow it from our Children." Ancient Native American Proverb
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