Education or brainwashing?

I am a science teacher and a leaseholder. Part of my school year consists of teaching about both energy resources and the environment. I was a bit taken aback when I received an email from our assistant superintendent that suggested we talk to our students about fracking and then gave us a lesson plan with a resource. The resource was from 2001 and completely bias against the gas companies. There was only one side of the issue presented. Then I did a little research to find out how we are teaching our children about this resource and I came across http://mrwynne.blogspot.com/2011/01/very-informative-video-on-hydra.... While I applaud the teacher's use of technology in the classroom and his innovative approach, I also found that his blog was one sided. Another site I found was http://www.thinkbeforeyoufrack.org/ that was made by teenagers in NY.

 

I believe that this one-sided approach hurts students by not allowing them to think critically about a complex subject such as fracking. There are so many variables that need to be considered when deciding whether one agrees with drilling or not. Although I have no doubt that these educators are well intentioned, I fear that they have only shown one aspect of the discussion. It is not until we look at an issue from all perspectives that we can intelligently determine our position. What a missed opportunity for these students.

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Permalink Reply by JK on April 4, 2011 at 11:27am

Good job Pam S!!

You have stopped the process of brainwashing in your own way!

It's too bad there's only one of you as there are many more students needing correct information in order to make up their own minds.  Enough of this slanted bias.

Permalink Reply by Frank Walker on April 4, 2011 at 1:04pm

The smarter kids usually figure out the truth eventually for themselves, regardless the nearly toxic quantities of bias they receive in school.

 

The loonies have been pretty quiet about "global warming" recently, for example.  I expect all the asinine chatter to pick up in July.  (LMAO)

Permalink Reply by Pam S on April 4, 2011 at 2:44pm

gotta admit - I believe that global warming is occurring however I tell my students to look at evidence for and against and make up their own minds. Same with evolution.

Permalink Reply by John D. on April 27, 2011 at 6:58am

Pam,

 

I agree that High School students are mature enough to hear 'both sides' (or, more than two) of an issue.  They should *also* be mature enough to learn some basics of rhetoric, so that they can assess how arguments are being presented.

 

For example:

(1) reductio ad absurdum: (claiming that, if you believe thus-and-such, you must also believe something else which is 'obviously' ridiculous).  "If you're against high-volume, slick-water hydrofracturing of Marcellus Shale in populated areas, then - obviously - you must be against all forms of chemistry, and you must want us all to eat cold food, in the dark, in our overcoats."

 

(2) ad hominem attack: (or, in familiar terms, 'name-calling').  "All people who have misgivings about Marcellus extraction are 'environmental loonies'." 

 

I would encourage you to follow through with your administrators -- if you can get their attention, when they're focused on test scores -- and try to give your students the most rigorous experience that they can absorb.

 

Thanks for your efforts with our kids!

Permalink Reply by Josh on April 5, 2011 at 3:47am
Unfortunately Frank, The smarter kids are not usually the kids who make the most noise. Re: "The squeaky wheel gets the grease." It's the rest of the kids that we need to educate. Cheers Pam S for being a true educator and not just another sheep.
Permalink Reply by PA roughneck on April 5, 2011 at 2:14am

Pam,

  It is a shame that our schools are not helping to teach critical thinking skills any more and I applaud you in your efforts to present all sides of the issue to your students.

  Perhaps if the students who wrote the 'think before you frack' website were aware that without the technology of hydraulic fracturing they would have not eaten breakfast that morning (NG being the major feedstock for fertilizer), texted their friends on their cell phones (again, NG and oil-feedstocks for plastics) nor had electricity in their classrooms for 5 hrs each day (20% of electricity from gas generation), they would have been driven not to write an anti-fracing website but rather towards becoming scientists and engineers who would work to improve the processes of extraction of something we all have come to need.

  Once again, I thank you for your efforts to instill critical thinking skills in our young people, I can only hope that my daughter is blessed with teachers such as yourself that will help reinforce a skill I constantly try and encourage in our home.

Permalink Reply by Steven Downey on April 7, 2011 at 6:32am

Pam,

Thanks for the post. I am a lease owner as well. I'd like to explore this topic and understand it better.

I'm afraid labeling the ideas  presented as "Brainwashing,Toxic, Biased" etc. does nothing to refute the claims made in the videos.  The stories are compelling and are definitely not all from 2001.

One video features an ex- gas worker who seems to raise some serious concerns about fracing.

 

I would like to see Pennsylvania develop it's gas resources  in a safe way ...(fine by me if they drill on my land, as long as it's safe ) 

Permalink Reply by Pam S on April 7, 2011 at 1:40pm
Thanks for your reply. I am in agreement that our resources need to be produced in a safe way and perhaps my word choice was too strong. The 2001 stories that I was referring to was in regard to the lesson plan that my assistant superintendent wanted us to use. You are correct in that the websites I posted are more current. My concern is that in the aforementioned lesson and website, only one side of the issue is being explored fully. There are many reasons that drilling is a really good thing too (energy independence, economics etc) that I would have liked the students to get into a bit more. Perhaps the teacher explored those reasons in the classroom. Thanks again
Permalink Reply by Mmmarkkk on April 7, 2011 at 8:33am
Indoctrinate the children early and you can lead them down the long road to oblivion.  Tactic number one of the environmental extremists and their accomplises in the Teachers Unions!
Permalink Reply by Steven Downey on April 7, 2011 at 9:55am

Right Mark,

Evil "Teachers and Scientists"   LOL   

Back to my question though.....what's the real answers to the concerns raised about Fracing.

that she referred to.

 

Permalink Reply by Pam S on April 7, 2011 at 1:45pm

Dear Mark,

I can definitely understand why you are so upset with teachers and their unions. Apparently they never taught you to spell. I would be angry too.

Sincerely,

Pam

Permalink Reply by Sinclair on April 7, 2011 at 12:28pm

As a science teacher are you saying that the Council of Scientific study Prresidents are all wrong!!

Methane is a potent greenhouse gas please read the following.
http://www.eeb.cornell.edu/howarth/CCSP%20letter%20on%20energy%20&%20environment.pdf
Council of scientific Society Presidents
http://tinyurl.com/3gt8pop
Assessment of the Greenhouse Gas Foot print of Natural Gas from Shale Formations
Obtained by High-Volume,Slick-Water Hydraulic Fracturing
EPA confirms high Natural Gas leakage rates
http://theenergycollective.com/all/11465

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