OHIO community kicks off national dialogue on āTeaching, Learning and Reporting about Science in Times of Public Mistrustā
Photographer: Evan Leonard51ĀŅĀ× President M. Duane Nellis kicks off the āTeaching, Learning and Reporting about Science in Times of Public Mistrustā interactive forum.
Members of the 51ĀŅĀ× and local communities recently packed the Baker University Center Theatre to engage in an interactive forum that brought together a New York Times reporter, subjects of her series on climate change and OHIO experts to discuss one of the many issues dividing our country.
51ĀŅĀ×ās panel on āTeaching, Learning and Reporting about Science in Times of Public Mistrustā brought New York Times national correspondent Amy Harmon to Athens on Nov. 7, kicking off a five-city tour in which journalists returned to communities that they covered in a series of New York Times articles on the nation's cultural divides. The event was hosted by 51ĀŅĀ×ās Patton College of Education with participation from the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism and the Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Affairs.
āIt wasnāt that many weeks ago that in my inaugural address, I said that I wanted 51ĀŅĀ× to be known as a place where dialogue and rigorous civil debate are institutional hallmarks,ā 51ĀŅĀ× President M. Duane Nellis said in welcoming everyone to the event and in reference to his strategic pathways. āWe create such an environment through dialogue like tonight, provoking civil dialogue by hosting an event that really focuses on science, science education and really the future of our country in many ways.ā
Harmonās series of articles focused on Jim Sutterās attempts to . A Wellston High School science teacher and graduate of the Patton Collegeās Woodrow Wilson Teaching Fellowship program, Sutter joined Harmon for a panel discussion, which was moderated by Dr. Sami Kahn, assistant professor of science education in OHIOās Department of Teacher Education. Other members of the panel included:
- Dr. Bernhard Debatin, professor for multimedia policy at 51ĀŅĀ×ās E.W. School of Journalism, director of the Institute for Applied and Professional Ethics and director of the honors tutorial program in journalism
- Katey King, one of Sutterās former Wellston High School students and a current student in the Patton College of Education
- Brogan Speraw, a former Wellston High School students and a current engineering student in OHIOās Russ College of Engineering and Technology
- Dalton Teasley, a current Wellston High School student
Harmon kicked off the conversation by explaining her role at The New York Times where she covers the intersection of science and society, focusing on the issues that divide our nation. Among those issues is climate change, and Harmon noted that she opted to explore that topic through the classroom where individuals interact much more than they do in society in general.
āAs a national reporter, what I strive to cover is whatās happening in our culture? ā¦ Why are we having this cultural divide?ā Harmon said, noting that the articles on Sutter and his teaching efforts were among her favorites and stretched her mind and challenged her assumptions. āThatās always really rewarding when that happens as a reporter.ā
Sutter spoke about his approach to teaching science and climate change ā a role that he sees as much a science advocate as a science educator. His students noted how Sutterās real-world examples of climate change, seen in their community and, in some cases, their backyards, brought the idea of climate change into focus for them, with Teasley noting that it made him appreciate science in general.
King put the subject of Harmonās articles into context, noting Wellstonās economic history with coal-mining, which Harmon explored in her articles.
āA lot of times sustainability and conservations arenāt the first things that come to mind when theyāre thinking about their everyday lives,ā King said of some individualsā reluctance to embrace the notion of climate change. āWeāre just kind of trying to survive.ā
Drawing on his research and expertise in environmental and science journalism and fielding questions submitted by the public, Dr. Debatin discussed the role journalists play in reporting on scientific issues and translating complex information.
āPeople have opinions, and thatās OK,ā Dr. Debatin said, ābut, we shouldnāt confuse opinions, like my personal beliefs, with things that can be shown through evidence and facts and testing and experiments. I think we have a responsibility, as science journalists, to really show the difference in a respectful way.ā
He said teaching media and science literacy is the key to teaching critical thinking rather than skepticism.
āSkepticism doesnāt help because it usually ends with, I know nothing and canāt really judge,ā Dr. Debatin said. āCritical means we have criteria to understand what is trustworthy, what is, for instance, factually true. Where is there evidence and things like that? I think that is what we need to work toward both as journalists and as educators.ā
Speraw added that as consumers of news and information, the public needs to work harder ā āto read more to find out what the facts are.ā
Harmon noted that denial of scientific evidence isnāt limited to one side of the political spectrum, using as an example a liberal bias against genetically-modified food.
āMy point is just that it can happen across the political spectrum, this kind of denial of evidence, and I do think itās part of my obligation as a science reporter to try to probe that when that happens,ā she said.
The conversation then turned to the public mistrust of news and science organizations, with Sutter using that mistrust to argue for education.
āI think this is more reason why we need to have really strong education and we need to give the students the tools to be able to critically evaluate things that are presented to them,ā Sutter said, noting that his goal in the classroom is that his students assume the role of ācitizen scientists.ā
King, who is studying to become a teacher, said she learned things in Sutterās class that she can take with her into her own classroom.
In closing out the conversation, RenƩe Middleton, dean of the Patton College, noted how we are all teachers, learners and reporters.
āThe challenge for all of us is to become active in our own learning, to question, to challenge, to experiment with hearing and learning something that may challenge our long-held beliefs,ā Dean Middleton said. āThe truth is hard. Facts do matter. And so weāve all been challenged this evening to be critical thinkers.ā
Middleton noted that 51ĀŅĀ× is donating money to Sutterās GoFundMe page to help in creating the Wellston High School Nature Trail Project and to buy equipment for his AP environmental science class.
Photographer: Evan LeonardAmy Harmon, a national correspondent for The New York Times, discusses a series of articles she wrote about educating students about climate change.
Photographer: Evan Leonard(From left) Sami Kahn, Jim Sutter, Amy Harmon, Dalton Teasley, Brogan Speraw and Katey King engage in a panel discussion at the āTeaching, Learning and Reporting about Science in Times of Public Mistrustā interactive forum.