Still working it out

From the archives: the year is 2017, a lifetime ago. I’m interviewing my daughter, early 20’s. Number 2 daughter, 17 nearly 18, is nearby but applying for a university loan, interjecting occasionally to ask technical questions or roll her eyes; I can hear the distant sounds of a teen son playing a video game in another room. My daughter is 22; a year into her first nursing job beyond tertiary education and about to move into her first home. It’s a milestone on several fronts, and I find myself looking back on my parenting, contemplating the things I did right, and the things I did wrong.    I’ve worked for a parenting organisation; I’ve led workshops for parents on communication and relationship skills. I’ve been in the position where other women looked to me for wisdom and advice.   I’ve also been careful not to present myself as one with all the answers but a fellow (and sometimes desperate) learner.  I wonder if my assessment of my mothering matches hers.    Do I elevate the succ

Fed up with the status quo, Lorraine gives a ranty response to "Will the Moralization of Science Give Us Better Science?" by Yves Gingras, University of Quebec, Montreal. She really should have been doing something else. Professor Yves Gingras argues against the so-called "moralization of science," suggesting it will negatively impact scientific discovery. I believe he misframes the issue, as one might expect from someone defending the status quo. Scientific discovery occurs irrespective of cultural values, but it is human nature to do better when we know better. Healthier workplace environments in universities will undoubtedly foster better scientists and better science. Reframing the Argument: The question shouldn't be whether science will be hampered by moralization but rather: If you want to participate in the privileged world of scientific discovery, then be a better person. Your career will be affected by your personal choices and actions, even if yo

Written in 2015, the 19-year-old mentioned in this rant about science in education in Aotearoa, is about to turn 29, is well into her nursing career, and has her own 'experimental' family. I’m sure she has her own thoughts about what she wants her children to learn as they grow. Photo above 12 year old (now 21) working on his science fair project I have a great laboratory in my own home with four experimental subjects: two girls and two boys aged 12 to 19.   Over the years I have collected a growing body of qualitative data in the realm of science curriculum and science teaching.   While I do think that Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) are undervalued in the New Zealand school system, I think this is recognized and actively challenged and I applaud any programmes that work to address this.   A few events in my own interaction with the education system as a parent stand out in my mind. A few years ago, it dawned on me that the kids had never had a ‘sci