Greetings,

My website is devoted to scientific inquiry, critical thinking, and support of these skills in education. 

I AM DONE!!!  (except for final edits).  I would like to profusely thank my committee, Dr. Duffield, Dr. Hadly, Dr. Butler, Dr. Weasel, and most of all, Dr. Ruedas.

My research includes the ambulatory biomechanics and morphological evolutionary relationships of the superorder Xenarthra (ground and tree sloths, armadillos, pampatheres, glyptodons, and anteaters).  In addition, I am researching how students between 3^rd-8^th grade understand science.  I have 20 years experience teaching science to K-12 and adult students throughout the Pacific Northwest.

The Biology Department Graduate Students held Darwin Day Celebration 2007.  As part of our festivities, we developed a petition requesting that books debating evolution versus intelligent design or proposing intelligent design and creation as an explanation in place of evolution be removed from the science section and placed in a more appropriate category.  There is in the Dewey Decimal Classification, for example, category 215 – science and religion – that would be more suitable.   We are asking scientists to sign our petition.  On February 12, 2009, as part of Darwin’s 200^th Birthday Celebration, we will present this petition to the Library of Congress as well as libraries and bookstores across the nation, in an effort to remedy the current issue of creation and intelligent design subjects being classified with the science categories.  If you would like to sign this petition, please use the link on the left to go to our petition.  Your email will not be made public and is used only for signature verification purposes.

If you are not a scientist and would like to support our efforts, there is a petition for you to sign.  It is on the left menu bar titled: Informed Citizen Petition.

Barbara J. Shaw, Ph.D.  (WOW)