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August 15, 2007
Bob Jones University Press
Crosspost from Growing Up Goddy. One of the features of the website is the ability to link key websites in the Christian culture (and - how cool! - the second link so featured was Kamp Krusty!). This is my first addition to the site's blogroll.
Following up on Jeremy's post on theology (!) in mathematics curricula, I thought it only appropriate to post a Christian education publishing house's website, and Bob Jones University Press absolutely fits the bill for being a flashpoint for those of us who grew up in the church.
Most people who would happen on a site entitled "Growing Up Goddy" would know the history of BJU, immortalized in the Steve Taylor classic "We Don't Need No Colour Code" ("B.J. went and got a school/founded on caucasian rule/bumper sticker on his Ford/says 'Honkies If You Love The Lord'"). While Bob Jones University no longer has a policy against interracial dating, many of its Fundamentalist distinctions remain (most notably for me as a science teacher, the efforts of the school to support creationist ideas). So you might be understandably nervous about their homeschooling press.
Surprisingly (depending on your choice of curricula), it's not awful. I have actually taught out of BJU's high school chemistry text. It does have a great deal of the language about understanding God's nature from the chemical world that set Jeremy off, and it doesn't do what I'd really like for a Christian text in the sciences to do - point out people of faith who made key contributions to chemistry. (Of course, if you did that, you'd have to mention Michael Faraday, and based on my loose understanding of the history, Faraday's Sandemanian sect was no friend of the Baptists, and that might be a whole new can of worms.)
But much of the fundamental chemistry, the book does well, especially the descriptive stuff, such as the periodic law and the nature of chemical bonding and chemical structure. I actually had homeschooled high-school students deeper into VSEPR theory off of that book than I was able to get college students on a competing college textbook, despite the fact that I only met the homeschooled students once a week (as opposed to three times per week for college students).
And here's where it's BJU Press (and most other homeschool publishing houses) FTW: I defy you to find another high school chemistry text for $37. Anywhere. That was the single biggest reason the homeschool cooperative I worked with adopted the book in the first place.
As long as they pound the competition on cost-effectiveness and pay a measure of attention to standard curricula, hyper-conservative presses like Bob Jones are going to continue to dominate the homeschooling world.
(Now, if the only text you'd ever seen was the biology text, I might understand you having a slightly less accomodating view.)
Posted by Chuck at 12:21 AM | TrackBack
August 10, 2007
Still plugging away
I've not gone anywhere but into semester preparation. I've had several things across my desk, though, and I need to make sure you're appropriately aware of them.
In order of free stuff received from the particulars:
- Last month I received an e-mail out of the clear blue from a guy I was a raving fan of in my collegiate youth, and who I'd exchanged e-mails with in my grad-school geekdom. His name is Tim McAllister, and he fronted a couple of groups called Flock 14 and World Theatre back in the dark ages of alternative Christian music. He said he'd send me copies of his new disc if I'd like them.
My response was something vaguely close to ARE YOU KIDDING ME I TURN DOWN COPIES OF FREE MUSIC PRETTY MUCH NEVER SEND SEND SEND PLEEZE PLEEZE PLEEZE THANX THANX THANX.
So I've got this album Strong Tower and it pretty much has me giddy. A large part of the giddiness is, I feel like I've got the follow-up World Theatre album in my hands. There were so many contemplative piano-and-guitar songs on that album that had been stuck in my head for 15 years or so, I felt like I had been waiting my whole life to hear "Soon The Morning Comes" and "Strong Tower." But I hadn't been waiting that long to hear "Photograph" and "Take The Time", and those songs have taken over my consciousness as well.
And the whole album is...well, it's an ALBUM. It's a consistent, creative effort, from beginning to end. That's something you don't get every day, anymore.
Tim is about as indie as it gets (the CD itself is being sold by CD Baby, and he's also got an mp3 store of his own for you to give him money directly), so he's not going to get plugs from the apparatus, so this word of mouth thing is about how we do it. (Plus, he sent me free stuff. And he swaps e-mails with me. Look, if you're going to buy me off, it's JUST THAT EASY, people.) And he put together a video-thing for Strong Tower, but he hadn't posted it on YouTube, and I need an excuse to get a YouTube account, so...
Permalink for Tim McAllister "Strong Tower" video, in case the Facebook importing ever works again.
- Dear old BlogDad has set up one of his new internet toys, and given me an account on it, and I'm wondering how it's going to pan out. He's dubbed it Growing Up Goddy (subtitled "christian culture expatriates") and says it's for "reminiscing, dissecting, respecting, and laughing at the idiosyncrasies of American culture-Christianity." And honestly, once upon the time, I was hip-deep into that culture - and terribly, terribly frustrated by it. So I'm going to see (if I can manage it, with the new semester kicking off and all) if I can contribute some of those ongoing frustrations, and maybe even mine a few old ones too for yuks.
- I have surely not mentioned lately that Kamp Krusty is consistently full of unfiltered win.
- I have also not mentioned lately that my pastor is a dork.
- Oh, and there's this new player in Major League Soccer. Name of Beckham. Apparently people have heard of him, and stuff. I saw him get a run-out as Los Angeles lost to DC United last night, and apparently the guy has a bum ankle, but he's honestly not bad. He can deliver a sweet free kick, and there were a couple of times he found guys in-stride with his long passes. It sucks that Los Angeles might be too far gone in the league this year for him to help out, but if he sticks around, he could make the next few years interesting for Los Angeles...
- ...but he'll never be as big a hero to me as this guy is.
Permalink for a highlight reel featuring nothing short of the greatest American striker ever, and I still get chills every time I see the two goals starting at the 1:58 mark, because I saw both those goals live.)