Comments on: Now THAT’S what I’m talking about http://www.atomictumor.com/2006/10/22/now-thats-what-im-talking-about/ Tue, 07 Oct 2008 02:48:26 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.1.2 By: Joel http://www.atomictumor.com/2006/10/22/now-thats-what-im-talking-about/#comment-3812 Joel Sun, 22 Oct 2006 14:03:00 +0000 http://www.atomictumor.com/2006/10/22/now-thats-what-im-talking-about/#comment-3812 Yeah, me too. Yeah, me too.

]]> By: Joel http://www.atomictumor.com/2006/10/22/now-thats-what-im-talking-about/#comment-3813 Joel Sun, 22 Oct 2006 14:10:30 +0000 http://www.atomictumor.com/2006/10/22/now-thats-what-im-talking-about/#comment-3813 I guess I am a little puzzled why the K-3 focus is on viruses. Don't get me wrong--something is better than nothing. But most adults are confused about viruses; many adults think antibiotics are useful in treating colds. Understanding viruses isn't that easy if you don't understand basic cell biology. I guess I would start with the broad topic of infectious diseases, their sources, and the notion of communicable disease. I guess I am a little puzzled why the K-3 focus is on viruses. Don’t get me wrong–something is better than nothing. But most adults are confused about viruses; many adults think antibiotics are useful in treating colds. Understanding viruses isn’t that easy if you don’t understand basic cell biology. I guess I would start with the broad topic of infectious diseases, their sources, and the notion of communicable disease.

]]> By: Mrs. Eaves http://www.atomictumor.com/2006/10/22/now-thats-what-im-talking-about/#comment-3814 Mrs. Eaves Sun, 22 Oct 2006 14:40:18 +0000 http://www.atomictumor.com/2006/10/22/now-thats-what-im-talking-about/#comment-3814 GAC, amen to that. GAC, amen to that.

]]> By: daco http://www.atomictumor.com/2006/10/22/now-thats-what-im-talking-about/#comment-3820 daco Sun, 22 Oct 2006 15:37:02 +0000 http://www.atomictumor.com/2006/10/22/now-thats-what-im-talking-about/#comment-3820 Evidently the good folks of Cleveland need to do something with sex education. They already have sex education in middle and high schoolsand yet..."Cases of chlamydia, the most common STD, rose 30 percent over the past five years while HIV, rarely diagnosed in adolescents, turned up in 19 Cuyahoga County teens." I'm not sure that just introducing "self-esteem and peer pressure as well as biology" is going to stem the tide of disease. I'm all for real sex education in public schools. Can anyone point out a model that has actually show real statistical results? Evidently the good folks of Cleveland need to do something with sex education. They already have sex education in middle and high schoolsand yet…”Cases of chlamydia, the most common STD, rose 30 percent over the past five years while HIV, rarely diagnosed in adolescents, turned up in 19 Cuyahoga County teens.”

I’m not sure that just introducing “self-esteem and peer pressure as well as biology” is going to stem the tide of disease.

I’m all for real sex education in public schools. Can anyone point out a model that has actually show real statistical results?

]]> By: daco http://www.atomictumor.com/2006/10/22/now-thats-what-im-talking-about/#comment-3821 daco Sun, 22 Oct 2006 15:38:11 +0000 http://www.atomictumor.com/2006/10/22/now-thats-what-im-talking-about/#comment-3821 Sorry, should say "has actually shown real..." Sorry, should say “has actually shown real…”

]]> By: GoldenAppleCorp http://www.atomictumor.com/2006/10/22/now-thats-what-im-talking-about/#comment-3831 GoldenAppleCorp Sun, 22 Oct 2006 17:45:16 +0000 http://www.atomictumor.com/2006/10/22/now-thats-what-im-talking-about/#comment-3831 It's obvious that steps need to be taken, daco, but the only job of the school is to educate. It's up to the parents to reenforce these teachings and to be hawkish about what their children are doing at all times. It would be very interesting to know what, if any, schools systems are doing similar sex ed, and to what advantages or disadvantages their students have over the rest of the country. If I have any down time anytime soon, I'll try to look into that. But on a tangential note, European countries, with less Puritanical ideals about sex, seem to generally have lower rates of both teen pregnancy and STDs. To be fair, though, many of them have higher abortion rates, as well. I think a more open and honest attitude about sex is the best cure for this problem. If parents (and schools, media, etc) didn't treat it like a dirty little secret, I don't think we'd be in this situation. /break It’s obvious that steps need to be taken, daco, but the only job of the school is to educate. It’s up to the parents to reenforce these teachings and to be hawkish about what their children are doing at all times.
It would be very interesting to know what, if any, schools systems are doing similar sex ed, and to what advantages or disadvantages their students have over the rest of the country. If I have any down time anytime soon, I’ll try to look into that.
But on a tangential note, European countries, with less Puritanical ideals about sex, seem to generally have lower rates of both teen pregnancy and STDs. To be fair, though, many of them have higher abortion rates, as well.
I think a more open and honest attitude about sex is the best cure for this problem. If parents (and schools, media, etc) didn’t treat it like a dirty little secret, I don’t think we’d be in this situation.
/break

]]> By: Joel http://www.atomictumor.com/2006/10/22/now-thats-what-im-talking-about/#comment-3853 Joel Sun, 22 Oct 2006 22:31:24 +0000 http://www.atomictumor.com/2006/10/22/now-thats-what-im-talking-about/#comment-3853 Here is a worthwhile and skeptical article: http://www.hi-ho.ne.jp/taku77/refer/sedfail.txt It is over 10 years old, but I doubt the picture has changed much. Here is a worthwhile and skeptical article:

http://www.hi-ho.ne.jp/taku77/refer/sedfail.txt

It is over 10 years old, but I doubt the picture has changed much.

]]> By: Netmom http://www.atomictumor.com/2006/10/22/now-thats-what-im-talking-about/#comment-3872 Netmom Mon, 23 Oct 2006 00:38:05 +0000 http://www.atomictumor.com/2006/10/22/now-thats-what-im-talking-about/#comment-3872 I wonder how unusual this really is... it doesn't seem so different that what they taught when I was in school, except it didn't start until 4th or 5th grade. I do know that my kids got the talk about "improper touching" in the early grades -- probably 1st (at school). They do continue through all the middle school grades here, and then cover it extensively (reproductive health, risks, birth control, STDs, healthy relationships, peer pressure, etc.) in the Wellness A class at the high school. Sort of like Mrs. Gottschall's health class, but probably without the scary filmstrips. I wonder how unusual this really is… it doesn’t seem so different that what they taught when I was in school, except it didn’t start until 4th or 5th grade. I do know that my kids got the talk about “improper touching” in the early grades — probably 1st (at school).

They do continue through all the middle school grades here, and then cover it extensively (reproductive health, risks, birth control, STDs, healthy relationships, peer pressure, etc.) in the Wellness A class at the high school.

Sort of like Mrs. Gottschall’s health class, but probably without the scary filmstrips.

]]> By: Netmom http://www.atomictumor.com/2006/10/22/now-thats-what-im-talking-about/#comment-3873 Netmom Mon, 23 Oct 2006 00:38:48 +0000 http://www.atomictumor.com/2006/10/22/now-thats-what-im-talking-about/#comment-3873 ... should have read "different *than*" … should have read “different *than*”

]]> By: Joel http://www.atomictumor.com/2006/10/22/now-thats-what-im-talking-about/#comment-3875 Joel Mon, 23 Oct 2006 00:56:20 +0000 http://www.atomictumor.com/2006/10/22/now-thats-what-im-talking-about/#comment-3875 Anybody actually *read* the link? Yeah, I know, it kinda supports daco's skepticism, but it's still well-researched, well-documented and well-written. Any takers? Anybody actually *read* the link? Yeah, I know, it kinda supports daco’s skepticism, but it’s still well-researched, well-documented and well-written. Any takers?

]]> By: Atomictumor http://www.atomictumor.com/2006/10/22/now-thats-what-im-talking-about/#comment-3991 Atomictumor Mon, 23 Oct 2006 17:50:42 +0000 http://www.atomictumor.com/2006/10/22/now-thats-what-im-talking-about/#comment-3991 Sorry Joel, my ADHD took a look at all the text and blanked out. I'm sure it was super good, tho. Sorry Joel, my ADHD took a look at all the text and blanked out. I’m sure it was super good, tho.

]]> By: daco http://www.atomictumor.com/2006/10/22/now-thats-what-im-talking-about/#comment-3997 daco Mon, 23 Oct 2006 18:45:10 +0000 http://www.atomictumor.com/2006/10/22/now-thats-what-im-talking-about/#comment-3997 Yep, I read the paper Joel. I thought it was well written and informative, but I still have my original concerns. These are two quotes from the link provided by Joel. The first is a better explanation of my concerns. I really don’t mean to sound overly skeptical about “comprehensive sex education” at all, I just wonder what the real results are. I am all for a program that would actually generate real results for the benefit of American young people. The second paragraph, the last in the link, sums up my uneducated opinion rather well. It could be that this may very well be the best that we, as a society, can do. I don’t know. “How realistic is their approach to solving the problems associated with teenage sex? Or, to be more specific, What is the evidence that comprehensive sex education can achieve its stated goals? Does comprehensive sex education respond to the real-life circumstances of teenagers today? Does the new sex pedagogy take into account the realities of teenage sex in the 1990s?” “Despite its confident assertions, comprehensive sex education implicitly acknowledges a lifting of the moratorium and a return to a more Darwinian sexual environment. What sex educators are offering now is training in sexual survival. Once the kids have been equipped with refusal skills, a bottle of body oil, and some condoms, "reality-based" advocates send them into the world to fend for themselves. Perhaps that is the best protection that today's school and health leaders are able to offer from a harsh and predacious sexual environment. But it is not realism. It is retreat.” Yep, I read the paper Joel. I thought it was well written and informative, but I still have my original concerns. These are two quotes from the link provided by Joel. The first is a better explanation of my concerns. I really don’t mean to sound overly skeptical about “comprehensive sex education” at all, I just wonder what the real results are. I am all for a program that would actually generate real results for the benefit of American young people.

The second paragraph, the last in the link, sums up my uneducated opinion rather well. It could be that this may very well be the best that we, as a society, can do. I don’t know.

“How realistic is their approach to solving the problems associated with teenage sex? Or, to be more specific, What is the evidence that comprehensive sex education can achieve its stated goals? Does comprehensive sex education respond to the real-life circumstances of teenagers today? Does the new sex pedagogy take into account the realities of teenage sex in the 1990s?”

“Despite its confident assertions, comprehensive sex education implicitly acknowledges a lifting of the moratorium and a return to a more Darwinian sexual environment. What sex educators are offering now is training in sexual survival. Once the kids have been equipped with
refusal skills, a bottle of body oil, and some condoms, “reality-based”
advocates send them into the world to fend for themselves. Perhaps that
is the best protection that today’s school and health leaders are able
to offer from a harsh and predacious sexual environment. But it is not
realism. It is retreat.”

]]> By: Joel http://www.atomictumor.com/2006/10/22/now-thats-what-im-talking-about/#comment-3998 Joel Mon, 23 Oct 2006 18:45:23 +0000 http://www.atomictumor.com/2006/10/22/now-thats-what-im-talking-about/#comment-3998 Too bad. I found that reading it repaid the effort. Too bad. I found that reading it repaid the effort.

]]> By: daco http://www.atomictumor.com/2006/10/22/now-thats-what-im-talking-about/#comment-3999 daco Mon, 23 Oct 2006 18:46:13 +0000 http://www.atomictumor.com/2006/10/22/now-thats-what-im-talking-about/#comment-3999 Thanks for the link Joel. Thanks for the link Joel.

]]> By: Joel http://www.atomictumor.com/2006/10/22/now-thats-what-im-talking-about/#comment-4009 Joel Mon, 23 Oct 2006 19:37:13 +0000 http://www.atomictumor.com/2006/10/22/now-thats-what-im-talking-about/#comment-4009 You're welcome, daco. I thought you'd like it. As I said, it supports your skepticism. Having read it, I found my optimism tempered considerably. While the data indicates that abstinence-only doesn't work, there is no convincing data that other forms of sex-ed *are* helpful in preventing either teenage pregnancy or STDs. You’re welcome, daco. I thought you’d like it. As I said, it supports your skepticism. Having read it, I found my optimism tempered considerably. While the data indicates that abstinence-only doesn’t work, there is no convincing data that other forms of sex-ed *are* helpful in preventing either teenage pregnancy or STDs.

]]> By: daco http://www.atomictumor.com/2006/10/22/now-thats-what-im-talking-about/#comment-4014 daco Mon, 23 Oct 2006 20:14:49 +0000 http://www.atomictumor.com/2006/10/22/now-thats-what-im-talking-about/#comment-4014 My moderate skepticism of “comprehensive" sex education is certainly no endorsement of "abstinence-only" sex education. If my youngsters had never failed to mind me when I told them to do something then IMO abstinence-only might have a chance. No, "abstinence-only" sex education is even more of a head in the sand approach than is “comprehensive" sex education. My moderate skepticism of “comprehensive” sex education is certainly no endorsement of “abstinence-only” sex education. If my youngsters had never failed to mind me when I told them to do something then IMO abstinence-only might have a chance. No, “abstinence-only” sex education is even more of a head in the sand approach than is “comprehensive” sex education.

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