Liberal education policy in action

[Michael Tee]

I think there's a generational gap between Ami and I.  It may well be that radical changes were made in high school science teaching, including the lab work, between the 1950s, when I was in HS, and the 1960s or 1970s.

I stand by what I say - - and I don't think for a minute we had bad teachers, our high school was the best public high school in the city, and a student in my senior year there won the Prince of Wales award, given to the student with the highest Grade XIII average in the entire Province. 

After Sputnik went up, there was an all-out movement to improve science and math teaching in all North American schools, and I think Ami was probably one of the beneficiaries of the post-Sputnik reforms.

[Amianthus]

A good example, although quite rare, and done by analyzing data, not by performing lab experiments.

It's been a long time since you've been in a lab, I have to assume. Almost all lab equipment is automated and connected to computers for analysis nowadays. And many high schools are even scheduling time for doing "remote" experiments with equipment that is too expensive for the high school to own - with the experiments being controlled over the Internet by the students. Many large companies (especially pharmaceutical companies) and hospitals loan out their lab equipment in this way on a time share basis for education. Students can even schedule time on lab equipment in the space station in this manner.

[Amianthus]

I think there's a generational gap between Ami and I.  It may well be that radical changes were made in high school science teaching, including the lab work, between the 1950s, when I was in HS, and the 1960s or 1970s.

One of my first science fair wins was a computer program to suggest alternate chemical analysis to differentiate substances when initial tests results were fed in - it would suggest the next test to perform that would give the highest degree of confidence in the test results. Similar programs are being used in forensic labs all the time nowadays.

And this was a direct result of my experiences in HS chemistry labs.

[Michael Tee]

Exactly what I mean.  High schools didn't HAVE computers when I was there.  Not even pocket calculators.  We DID have slide rules, though.  With a slide rule and a pocket protector, you could look like an engineer.

[Amianthus]

Exactly what I mean.  High schools didn't HAVE computers when I was there.  Not even pocket calculators.  We DID have slide rules, though.  With a slide rule and a pocket protector, you could look like an engineer.

High schools didn't have computers when I was there, either. I used one that I had built at home. The first Apples were just coming out when I was leaving HS.

And I still have my pocket slide rule at home. The sleeve for the slide rule has a little tab that you yank and the slide rule pops up. Still know how to use it, too.

[kimba1]

I hope not everything is computerized .

in college I went through dozens of pigs feet and oranges to learn how give injections and do sutures.

I just don`t how anyone can do a IM injection without practicing on something real

slide rules vs calculators- I`m gonna have side with slide rule  
calculators has a bad habit of making the kids not actually learning the math and only know how to solve it by using the calculator.
the downside of this is a greater chance of error since they can`t spot a wrong answer.
often I`ve seen old school engineer catching errors the young bucks don`t catch

[Amianthus]

I hope not everything is computerized .

in college I went through dozens of pigs feet and oranges to learn how give injections and do sutures.

I just don`t how anyone can do a IM injection without practicing on something real

A lot of that is becoming computerized as well. Surgeons are even doing "remote" surgeries, all the equipment operated remotely.

[kimba1]

a scene in star trek come to mind which bones refuse to used the scanner and prefers to actually see a healthy tonsil

[Amianthus]

a scene in star trek come to mind which bones refuse to used the scanner and prefers to actually see a healthy tonsil

Bones was a Luddite...

[kimba1]

except in star trek 4 which he thought 20th century medicine is medevil

[Plane]

One thing that is vital to teach , and is poorly taught , is the scientific method.

Experiments do not have wrong answers.