Democratic Discourse
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The document discusses implementing a democratic discourse curriculum that encourages classroom discussions of controversial issues. It notes that democracy relies on public discussion, and schools are well-suited for exposing students to diverse viewpoints. Concerns about curriculum standards and teacher bias are addressed. Discussions build political tolerance and knowledge when structured appropriately, and students' views are rarely swayed by a teacher's opinion. The conclusion argues that hearing opposing views is important for society and resisting the urge to impose personal views on students is key.
![A Democratic EducationIn the national debate about a serious issue, it is the expression of the minority’s viewpoint that most demands the protection of the First Amendment. Whatever the policy may be, a full and frank discussion of the costs and benefits of [a decision regarding any controversial issue] is far wiser than suppression of speech because it is unpopular. March 3, 2010Democratic Discourse Curriculum5“”- Justice Stevens, 2007](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/edu407assignment1crowedemocraticdiscourse-12696251692001-phpapp02/85/Democratic-Discourse-5-320.jpg)
Democratic Discourse
- 1. Democratic DiscourseDiscussion and Controversy in CurriculumDerek CroweWarner School of EducationTeaching, Curriculum, and ChangeMarch 3, 2010
- 2. Overview A Democratic EducationDemocracy, Discussion, and Controversy in the classroomAddressing Anticipated ConcernsConclusionQuestions March 3, 20102Democratic Discourse Curriculum
- 3. A Democratic EducationProactively encourages engagement in our current societyPolitical realm is unimportantHonestly addresses the world outside the classroomThat world is too “taboo”Frames the politics as dynamicand transformative Everyone agrees on the nature of public goodMarch 3, 20103Democratic Discourse Curriculum
- 4. A Democratic EducationRests on the some simple assumptions:The good of every human being is intrinsically equal to that of any other (Dahl, 1998) As citizens and members of our democracy, we can work to build a better societyWhat does a better society look like??March 3, 2010Democratic Discourse Curriculum4
- 5. A Democratic EducationIn the national debate about a serious issue, it is the expression of the minority’s viewpoint that most demands the protection of the First Amendment. Whatever the policy may be, a full and frank discussion of the costs and benefits of [a decision regarding any controversial issue] is far wiser than suppression of speech because it is unpopular. March 3, 2010Democratic Discourse Curriculum5“”- Justice Stevens, 2007
- 6. Democracy, Discussion, and Controversy in the classroomWhat is a discussion?Dialogue between or among peopleApproach to constructing knowledgeMany reasons, many waysWhat is a controversial issue?A question of public policy that sparks significant disagreementMultiple, strikingly different legitimate answersMarch 3, 2010Democratic Discourse Curriculum6
- 7. Democracy, Discussion, and Controversy in the classroomExample controversial issuesShould public money be used for school tuition vouchers for students who attend private schools?Should the U.S. immediately initiate a withdrawal from Iraq?Should our city have a curfew for youth?Should our states pass a law legalizing marriage between members of the same sex?What should the international community do to combat terrorism? March 3, 2010Democratic Discourse Curriculum7
- 8. Democracy, Discussion, and Controversy in the classroomDiscussion builds political tolerance, political tolerance builds democracy 23% of adult US population engages in cross-cutting political talk (Mutz, 2006)Aversion to conflict causes low levels of political engagement (Hibbing and Theiss-Morse, 2002)Discussion produces learningTalking about issues actually builds knowledge (Fishkin & Farrar, 2005)March 3, 20108Democratic Discourse Curriculum
- 9. Democracy, Discussion, and Controversy in the classroomWhy the classroom?Living EnvironmentHomogenization of communities“ideological amplification” (Schkade, Sunstein, & Hastie, 2006)MediaShouting heads on TV & radio, self selection on the internetSchoolsGreater range of opinions and viewpointsMarch 3, 2010Democratic Discourse Curriculum9
- 10. Addressing Anticipated ConcernsWhat about curriculum content?What about state testing?How much/who will this cost?Should teachers make their views known? March 3, 201010Democratic Discourse Curriculum
- 11. Content and TestingStudents who learned about AND discussed issues scored higher than students who just learned ( J. Johnston, Anderman, Milne, Klenck, & Harris, 1994)Start with elective classesMarch 3, 201011Democratic Discourse Curriculum
- 12. Costs? Professional DevelopmentChoosing a discussion modelDevelop new lessons that prepare for discussions through contentAssessment Teacher SupportSchool-wide endorsement of the use of issue discussionTeacher study groups that meet throughout the yearMarch 3, 201012Democratic Discourse Curriculum
- 13. Teacher’s opinions?Nearly half of teachers and students surveyed thought teacher opinions would sway student’s viewsOnly 23% of students felt their views would be affected (Hess, McAvoy, Smithson, & Hwang, 2008)No statistical relationship between teacher disclosure and student’s viewsDisclosing can lower participationDisclosing can result in students thinking about their own viewsDisclose after discussion?March 3, 201013Democratic Discourse Curriculum
- 14. Conclusion“Americans in Favor of Hearing the Other Side”What are the consequences of NOT hearing the other side? Tolerance isn’t enough“Resist our impulse to demand that what young people in schools experience reflect our own views” – Diana HessMarch 3, 201014Democratic Discourse Curriculum
- 15. Democracy involves public discussion of common problems, not just the silent counting of individual hands.March 3, 2010Democratic Discourse Curriculum15“”- Jane Mansfield, 1991
Editor's Notes
- #4: disconnect between IN school and OUT of school they are inextricably linkedStudents are members of society – some can already voteGet rid of the REAL world idea – students, like us, are in a world that is as real now as it ever will be Ignoring/supressing/denying the role of controversial issues…
- #5: (seemingly) simple I aim to show you that a better society is one where that question is never answered from one perspective, but addressed equally by manyCitations: page 15
- #6: Citation: page 12
- #7: Multiple definitions, some common features of a discussion are: - approach to constructing knowledge based in the idea that the most powerful ideas are produced when people are equally expressing and listening
- #9: WHY DISCUSSION?Society without political tolerance deprives some of their right to influence the political agendaCross-cutting simply means talking with someone who holds views that are different than your ownAVERSION: Entertainment vs. PoliticsKNOWLEDGE:- familiarizes you with legitimate rationales for opposing views - legitimizes and normalizes political conflict
- #12: Pg 167
- #13: Teacher skill matters to the success of issue discussion in schoolsCitation: page 23
- #15: Citation – page 173We must proactively teach future generations how to engage in true democratic participation not only by facilitating the discussion of controversial issues in our schools, but also by providing resources so students can use their understanding of the world to help shape the society we are all a part of
- #16: Questions?