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

This last round about Darwin's intent, Jesse Helm, etc.....
 
if, part of the mission, is to help people learn, I am leary of the word
educate, we might draw some understanding from constructivism, one of
the models we seem to pretty much agree has a lot to offer. I'm talking
about an agreement on the macro level, because I'm no expert, its a very
large area of study, and you probably know a lot more than me about
theory. Knowledge, from the constructivist point of view, is made up of
lots of building blocks which in turn consist of "Things I have
learned." 
 
One of the precepts, again, only as I understand it, is that in areas
where I've learned lots of things, it is unlikely that your presenting
me with facts will make the slightest bit of difference in my model of
my universe.
 
Rather than retreating to a position of circling the wagons, or raising
the drawbridge, I wonder if we wouldn't be better served in another way.
If we enter into a discussion where there is strong disagreement, I have
two options:  I can either rise (or lower myself, as the case may be) to
your level of intolerance and shout, "You're wrong, you're wrong, you're
wrong...", or, I can say, "That's a really interesting position.  Here's
what I think."
 
Call me naive. Call me politically unaware. Call me stupid.  It's simply
the course I choose.
 
Jeff Courtman
4026 Richmond Ave.
Shreveport, LA  71106
cell: 214.450.8872
 
 

***********************************************************************
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]