 Vimto
Male, 40-49, Europe
 2015 Posts
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Friday, November 16, 2012 1:42:13 AM
I partially agree with what he's saying about physics, but his knowledge of science history is a bit iffy. |
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 McGovern1981
Male, 30-39, Eastern US
10540 Posts
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Wednesday, November 14, 2012 5:43:35 AM
@Sistarose
So you've got that sustainable fusion reactor almost done then.....
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 Sistarose
Female, 30-39, Australia
371 Posts
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Tuesday, November 13, 2012 7:16:11 PM
I am kind of surprised, having done Physics almost 20years ago in Australia, I just took it for granted studying relativity and quantum theory was a given. |
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 honkeylips
Male, 30-39, Midwest US
1422 Posts
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Tuesday, November 13, 2012 3:20:35 PM
I taught high school Physics for a year and I tried to squeeze as much modern physics in as possible. It is difficult because you have to meet the standards set forth by the state and most schools only offer physics as an elective. Most of the kids enjoyed the challenge of modern physics and they found it much more interesting than classic. |
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 Arcval
Male, 18-29, Europe
304 Posts
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Tuesday, November 13, 2012 12:44:21 PM
You could fit more in if you had more time and taught it better. There's so much pointless repetition in school. |
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 markust123
Male, 40-49, Western US
3783 Posts
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Tuesday, November 13, 2012 11:42:32 AM
I think the President is a little busy to pay attention to a Canadian who narrates science videos on Youtube. |
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 Andrew155
Male, 18-29, Eastern US
1203 Posts
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Tuesday, November 13, 2012 11:14:49 AM
This is largely inaccurate, coming from a former student of a high school physics class. |
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 Omphaloskept
Male, 40-49, Southern US
183 Posts
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Tuesday, November 13, 2012 9:54:54 AM
"Mr. President, imagine if history classes didn't talk about the abolition of slavery, World Wars I or II, the Great Depression, the rise of the U.S. as a global superpower, the Cold War, or the Civil Rights movement, or, heaven forbid, the first African-American president."
Gosh. He could have just said 'imagine history classes in Texas' and saved time.... |
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 cobrakiller
Male, 18-29, Midwest US
6864 Posts
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Tuesday, November 13, 2012 9:46:28 AM
The issue with trying to fit in even more physics education into high school is that everything in high school is taught at such a slow pace. Even in AP classes you learn in a year what that same class in college would cover in one semester.
To jam more physics teaching in to high school we need to do one or both of two things:
1)make physics a required class for every semester you are in high school
2)start teaching basic physics classes in middle or even elementary school |
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 chalket
Male, 50-59, Southern US
1575 Posts
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Tuesday, November 13, 2012 9:37:02 AM
Bah! The world's gonna end next month anyway... |
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 Cherrybawls
Male, 18-29, Eastern US
169 Posts
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Tuesday, November 13, 2012 9:13:54 AM
I don't think he wants these students to be taught the "ins and outs" of these theories, just the broad concepts so that these students are aware that these ideas exist and they may be inspired to pursue further education in physics and math.
He is lamenting the general ignorance of the population when it comes to technology and physics. He just wants people to be aware of the modern developments in physics not to have mastered the mathematics behind them |
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 lauriloo
Female, 40-49, Midwest US
876 Posts
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Tuesday, November 13, 2012 9:12:03 AM
I took all the physics classes I could in high school and I can't see how these advanced topics could be crammed in when we were still learning basics like momentum, conservation of energy, forces, etc. Even all the college-level physics classes I took for my engineering degree didn't go into most of these very specific subject areas. |
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 An-egg
Male, 30-39, Eastern US
726 Posts
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Tuesday, November 13, 2012 8:59:56 AM
This is factually inaccurate or vague at best.
While I agree with the premise that more science education is a good thing, a lot of what is said here is just untrue. Moreover, it varies from state to state.
I know for a fact that in at least this state relativity, wave-particle duality, the uncertainty principle, and the gravitational effect on light are all mandated to be taught in public high school physics classes.
While this is not all of what he suggested was missing, it does address several of the examples that he gave. Atomic structure (yes, modern atomic structure) is taught in chemistry class as is the E-M spectrum.
The main problem is that kids just don't take high school physics.
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 panth753
Female, 18-29, Midwest US
8222 Posts
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Tuesday, November 13, 2012 8:57:12 AM
@Thonious, I was thinking the same thing. I know a good number of people who think that education should be left to local and state government. I don't believe that, but I could hear the argument in my head when I saw this. |
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 Quackor
Male, 18-29, S. America
2696 Posts
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Tuesday, November 13, 2012 7:47:29 AM
LOL! He thinks High School kids as a whole are capable of learning! |
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Modwain
Male, 30-39, Europe
158 Posts
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Tuesday, November 13, 2012 7:44:38 AM
sometimes it isnt only wether they are willing to learn, sometimes it comes down to us ,wether we are willing to teach |
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 patchgrabber
Male, 30-39, Canada
5329 Posts
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Tuesday, November 13, 2012 7:43:31 AM
Well, to imply that you can teach everything in physics in a high school classroom is foolish. I'm assuming they don't go too much into the newer developments because:
1) There just isn't enough time
2) You need to understand the basics before you can go into more advanced theories
3) It's just high school physics. I'm not expecting any high school grad to know the ins and outs of all of physics. |
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 Thonious
Male, 40-49, Western US
589 Posts
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Tuesday, November 13, 2012 7:39:26 AM
Before this goes too far we have to ask whether the Federal government should even be involved in local schools. |
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McGovern1981
Male, 30-39, Eastern US
10540 Posts
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Tuesday, November 13, 2012 7:36:04 AM
LOL! He thinks High School kids as a whole are willing to learn! |
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 fancylad
Male, 30-39, Western US
2514 Posts
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Tuesday, November 13, 2012 7:22:22 AM
Link: Open Letter to the President: Physics Education [Rate Link] - If you took a class of high school physics, you'd still know nothing. That needs to change. Get your sh*t together, US. |
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