1. Landlords protest after pub swearing ban gets them sacked

Comment #207051 by pwl on July 9, 2008 at 6:01 am

Guess they weren't 'landlords' at a weatherspoons pub (Large atmosphere sucking pub chain in UK which I think I remember banning swearing - not that you'd know if you ever went in one).

I think the title landlord has been pretty well discussed now but most people in the UK would use the term to describe the people in charge of the pub. I would think of it just as the traditional title.

2. Science is thrilling - except in our schools

Comment #204090 by pwl on July 4, 2008 at 5:51 am

For those who are looking at science teaching as a future career I would fully recommend it. We need as many good science teachers as we can.
It is however one of the hardest subjects to get your classroom management skills right in (I am perhaps a bit bias).
When children go to a maths class they expect to sit down and do maths, in an english class they expect to sit down and write (I over simplify it I know).
In a science class they expect to do practicals (and so they should) but they also need to discuss, research and also write things down. Managing the transition between activities is key. Strong teachers manage this, weak ones struggle and go for safe options (eg copying from text books etc)

The new science curriculum in the uk focuses on developing understanding on the scientific method and the content is far more open than it was (less learning facts for the sake of it). I feel this is the right way to go. We now need to make sure we have teachers that are confident in delivering it.

3. Science is thrilling - except in our schools

Comment #203581 by pwl on July 3, 2008 at 7:46 am

As a science teacher can I assure you that sodium into water is still allowed (with a few precautions) as are many other exciting experiments.

One thing the government could do to help us teach science well and encourage creativity is not to change everything all the time and all at once. Last year in the UK we had a new science curriculum at keystage 4(age 14-16) which I agree with in it's approach. Next year we are hit with changing both the KS3 (11 - 14) and KS5 (16-18 A-levels)
It would have helped if we could have started this now unified approach from the bottom up rather than starting in the middle and then having to do the top and the bottom at the same time!

Hopefully all these new initiatives will help but after this it needs to be allowed to settle for a while. This will allow science teachers to develop and improve their teaching without thinking that everything will be turned on it's head again

sorry for the rant

ps good science teaching is going on but with the shortage of science teachers (especially in the south east) and the varying quality of them it can be patchy.

4. Judge orders La. school district to stop Bible giveaways

Comment #168096 by pwl on April 24, 2008 at 2:06 pm

Im a science teacher in a christian school in the uk and we had the gideons in earlier this year giving away their bibles to our year 7s. Duriong their speech they told our children of all the wisdom that could be gained through reading the bible. Yes like killing those who worship other gods! and all those other moral lessons.
on another topic for all those who think that creationist clap trap isn't a problem in the uk, in the last few months I have had pupils challenging me on evolution and on the big bang. I never had a problem before working at a christain school because I thought that in this country it wasn't really taken all that seriously. I was wrong!!
Last year I showed some of Richard Dawkins christmas Lectures and some of the pupils were visibly shaken by having to view something by him. I take it this was down to them being brain washed by their parents/ preachers etc.

5. Fox News Discussion on 'The Golden Compass'

Comment #85838 by pwl on November 7, 2007 at 9:57 am

Loved the last sentence ' I also respect your belief....' yep just not enough to let you speak for 5 seconds without interupting or to listen to what you say.

I agree with the points above about Annie Laurie Gaylor being to slow though. Anyone with rational views is going to be cut across but at least someone like Hitchens is sharp enough to get in an intelligent and witty response when it counts.

6. Jesus Camp: A scary movie that should frighten us all

Comment #85591 by pwl on November 6, 2007 at 10:23 am

Thanks for the link LawJik. That is a very scary movie!

7. The God Delusion and Alister E McGrath

Comment #82373 by pwl on October 26, 2007 at 7:33 am

Ahhhh... I nearly didn't manage to listen to all of this but I did develop a fascination for the McGrath lisp 'simplistic, slick spin ' was a high point.

McGrath gives no shred of evidence for god but dismisses Dawkins for not understanding religion. It's all wishful thinking and arrogance on the part of the 'faithful' to believe that they are 'special' and have a big baby sitter in the sky. How can people continue to believe that their brand of religion happens to be right, they can't which is why they're getting so defensive.

ps it would be refreshing to hear Alistair McGrath start a sentence with I completely disagree with your point, this is what I think and your view and my view are not compatible. Every time I listen to him his sickly sweet agreement at the start of seemingly all sentences grate with me. Even in his debate with Hitchens he tried it. That is what I want to say and indeed I said it.

8. Downward, Christian soldier

Comment #80659 by pwl on October 22, 2007 at 2:21 pm

I read the generals comments in the times this week
(http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/faith/article2681695.ece) and I am glad to read an intelligent and rational response.

9. Cheney and Obama: It's Not Genetic

Comment #80597 by pwl on October 22, 2007 at 9:52 am

from what I remember from reading 'the selfish gene' am I right in thinking that although someone gets half of our genes from our father we dont necessarily get a quarter of our genes from his father, or any of our other grandparents?