ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology Centers
Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related institutions.
*****************************************************************************

"Teaching evolution and the nature of science"
The New York Academy of Sciences presented a two-day conference on 
"Teaching evolution and the nature of science" in April 2006, aimed 
at answering such questions as: What are the basic tenets of the 
concept of evolution and how does understanding evolution play an 
essential role in comprehending science, and in particular, modern 
biology? How can science educators from elementary schools to college 
campuses respond to challenges from those who claim that intelligent 
design is as valid a theory as evolution? How can we prepare and 
support teachers so that they will be able to teach evolution 
effectively despite the controversy? How can state and local 
officials in charge of education policy respond to attempts by 
religious groups and others who seek to change the investigative 
nature of science education.

Now the proceedings of the conference 
(http://www.nyas.org/ebriefreps/splash.asp?intEbriefID=494) are 
available to all, with a mix of text, video, audio, and slides, all 
carefully integrated in one on-line resource, divided into three 
sections: the nature of science and the evidence for evolution; 
pedagogy: a view from the trenches; meeting the challenges: 
reconciling evolution and morality. Presenters include Leslie Aiello, 
Bruce Alberts, NCSE's Glenn Branch, John F. Haught, Wen-Hsiung Li, 
Jennifer Miller, Kenneth R. Miller, Robert T. Pennock, Sydel 
Silverman, Gerald Skoog, and Gerald Wheeler. There's a wealth of 
useful information throughout: as the writer who summarized the 
conference commented, "In an arena that has shaped up to be a 
pedagogical struggle for survival, the conference was a triumph for 
education."
-- 
Martin Weiss, Ph.D
Vice President, Science
New York Hall of Science
47-01 111 th Street
Corona, New York 11368
718 699 0005 x 356

***********************************************************************
More information about the Informal Science Education Network and the
Association of Science-Technology Centers may be found at http://www.astc.org.
To remove your e-mail address from the ISEN-ASTC-L list, send the
message  SIGNOFF ISEN-ASTC-L in the BODY of a message to
[log in to unmask]