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 After our consideration of "evolutionary education" in class today, I feel compelled to comment on how static standardization causes education to be. Beginning around second grade, kids are farmed to perform on standardized tests. Sometimes teachers' pay and school funding are intricately tied to how students score on the tests, creating tremendous classroom pressure on teachers to "teach to the test." The 2002 No Child Left Behind Act attempted to "improve" educational standards across the United States by declaring schools as educationally "fit" if their students met a certain tested benchmark.

 In 2008, Korn put out a music video that staged an argument for "de-evolution." In light of our discussion in today's class, I think that even in the context of having new "scientific" observations, it is still possible to create an argument - or story - for or against any possible position on an issue. I'm wondering if Darwin had been a religious fanatic (or less science-minded, or whatever) if he could have reconciled his observations in another (maybe even contrary) argument to the one that he poses in Origin.

 "She's still alive, my invented friend, just as I conceved here, still uncrushed by the need for happier endings.  All writing is rewriting" .... Richard Powers, Generosity, Picador, 2010

 I'm a junior English major and psychology minor at BMC, headed toward a post-bac program upon graduation. I run XC in the fall and live for skiing and ski racing in the winter. I like to say that I'm a fact-based English major in that most of my English papers involve a lot of outside research (usually of a psychological nature), which I combine with whatever we're reading or doing in class. I also like to say that I'm on a "need to know" basis with the world; I'm constantly curious, always intrigued, always looking for a good conversation.

 For our final performance, we made a video that uses the progression of our friendship as a metaphor for the evolution of our class' discussions. 

The area of "narrative therapy" focuses on the construction of stories as a way of making sense - of giving "meaning" - to our world. It postulates that behavior is not governed by laws, but by the fact that humans are looking for ways to construct a story that gives sense and meaning to their lives. While reading Coles' book, I couldn't help considering whether his theoretical orientation was toward narrative therapy as opposed to psychoanalytic theory. What's interesting about narrative therapy is that is allows a patient to deconstruct his present identity in favor of a new, more functional identity. He cannot rewrite his past story, but can begin writing himself as a different character as he moves through life.

 Hi everyone, 

Going along with my semester-long quest to understand copyright law, I've decided to examine our own conceptions of "fair use" in copyright law. I want to open these questions to all of you on Serendip. Responses would be much appreciated!

Ethical Use of Human Subjects

1. Globalization of Clinical Trials

2. Case Study

3. Placebos

Globalization of Clinical Trials