Editorials

Both hands-on and virtual dissection is the best way to go

Highlands Today
Published: June 10, 2012

Technology is a wonderful thing. Advancements are made because of it, and we should always embrace it in our schools. That said, a school district dictate to end all hands-on animal dissections in science classes is short-sighted and, we believe, a bad move for students who may pursue biology or other related fields.

School board member Ned Hancock also questioned the district's policy of ending hands-on dissections. The district wants to do virtual dissections using computers. Hancock believes it's a mistake to have a blanket policy that ends them. We couldn't agree more.

Virtual dissections make a lot of sense and there's little doubt that much can be learned from them. Money can be saved, to be sure, but there's a lot more to it than just that.

Hands-on dissection teaches many things about our natural world. The tactile experience, as well as the hand-eye coordination experience required to do hands-on dissection provides students lessons that cannot be replaced through a computer screen.

There's little doubt that some students decide right then and there if biology is their field of choice — or even a possibility — after dissecting a frog or whatever. Many of us dissected everything from pigs to cats to worms to spiders in junior high and high school biology classes. Sure, there were lots of immature jokes and other comments made, but it taught us a lot.

Technology can provide so many things, and virtual dissection is a great way to provide even more learning opportunities than our schools often can afford. We don't, however, believe hands-on dissection should be eliminated in the name of saving a few bucks. This is real learning in important areas of science that shouldn't be scrimped on.

We hope the district decides to toss out the ban on hands-on dissection and uses a blend of virtual and "real" dissection for our students. Technology can provide many advantages, but there are some things that are best learned up close, in person and by hand.