Raising Heretics: Teaching Kids to Change the World

by Linda K McIver

Overview

It's time to change the world. We need creative problem solvers to address catastrophic climate change, income inequality, pandemics, ecological collapse, misinformation, radicalisation, and many more problems facing humanity. We need critical thinkers. Rational Sceptics. People willing to challenge the status quo. Raising Heretics explores the impact of Data Science and Technology on the world around us. Linda McIver examines the role of evidence and ideology in our society, and how our understanding of science lets us down. The book lays out the foundations of a new approach to raising our children that encourages them to be the heretics we need to save the world.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780646843315
Publisher:	Australian Data Science Education Institute
Publication date:	07/29/2021
Pages:	224
Product dimensions:	5.83(w) x 8.27(h) x 0.47(d)

Table of Contents

Foreword 4

Introduction: Why Heresy? 6

Why Data Science? 11

Where to from here? 21

Chapter 1: Who's in charge? 23

Show me the data 24

How Data Science & Technology are shaping our world 29

Chapter 2: The shape of the future 51

Evidence Based Medicine 52

Evidence Based Climate Response 60

Evidence Based Welfare 67

Evidence based education 72

Evidence based Computing Education 73

Teaching the teachers 75

How do we fix it all? 80

Chapter 3: Science is Solved 81

A History of Heresy in Science 81

What is science? 84

What we teach - Science curricula around the world 91

Science in Schools: An Education in Confirmation Bias 97

Now what? 99

Chapter 4: Measurable or Meaningful: Pick One 100

A statement of priorities 100

What kind of people do we want our kids to be? 104

The myth of perfect data 109

What is assessment for? 112

What do we WANT the purpose of education to be? 115

Assessing the Assessors 118

Workloads 119

Out of field teaching 121

Measurable AND meaningful - how can we have both? 123

Chapter 5: Accepting the Unexpected 124

Knowing versus Understanding 126

Getting comfortable with uncertainty 130

The Unexpected World 133

The Unexpected Classroom 134

Assessing the Unexpected 139

Chapter 6: Projects with Impact 142

In the Beginning, there were toys 142

The Real Thing 145

Getting Real 150

Chapter 7: Templates for Data Science Projects 159

Local Projects 159

Global Projects 167

Where to from here? 182

Chapter 8: What Now? 183

What can you do? 186

Sample Projects 188

Local Project 188

Sample Global Project 196

Acknowledgements 204

Editorial Reviews

"I wish my teachers had had this book. I wish I'd had this book when I started teaching. A joyous, compelling exploration of the importance of critical thinking, creativity and curiosity to good data science practice, filled with wise lessons for all educators in STEM. My favourite takeaway? It's not about cool gadgets and toy problems. Make something meaningful and you make it matter, for every student. What a privilege it would be to witness Linda McIver in action in the classroom." Ellen Broad, Author of Made By Humans

"In this fantastic book Linda has taken a lifetime of teaching and computer science research to engagingly make clear the importance of heretics who question perceived wisdom, how best to teach that skill to our students of all years and abilities, and have them create a fairer and more equitable future for all of us as AI dominates our world."Professor Alan Duffy, Director, Space Technology and Industry InstituteLead Scientist, The Royal Institution of Australia

From the Publisher