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Viewpoint Diversity Curriculum

Started by GSOgymrat, May 18, 2021, 07:45:46 AM

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GSOgymrat

"Children should be taught how to think, not what to think."

This approach to education doesn't sound radical or controversial but it is. I'm 100% behind what Erin McLaughlin is advocating.

‘They Learn to Parrot What They Know They’re Supposed to Say’

Erin McLaughlin, an educator in Pennsylvania, believes that, in school and in life, people should study what others think and why. But in her estimation, many educational institutions that purport to value diversity and inclusion fail to treat viewpoint diversityâ€"which she defines as “the recognition that nobody’s worldview is complete, and that no one marker of identity actually defines the way we see the world around us”â€"as a vital part of civic education. Her mission: to persuade educational institutions to put viewpoint diversity at the center of their cultures and curricula.

McLaughlin strives to do just that in her job as a high-school English teacher. While working on a master’s degree in positive psychology at the University of Pennsylvania, she began to build a theoretical and practical framework around her ideas. She has developed what she calls the Viewpoint Diversity Curriculum, which poses questions such as “Can I go beyond my personal experience?” and “Can I find a way to constructively connect with the other side?” ...

"Teaching kids what to think instead of how to think is dangerous. Advocacy-based teaching deprives them of the skills [they need] to reach their own conclusions. Instead they learn to parrot what they know they’re supposed to say to get a good grade. Kids are really good at that, but it doesn’t translate to actually believing what they are saying or knowing why it’s supposed to be important. When you present students with different viewpoints, they develop critical skills, learn how others think, and understand why they came to a given belief."

"It takes teachers who are willing to step away from advocacy, regardless of how passionately they feel about a subject, and let the kids get there on their own. The first objective is for a school to become self-aware enough to know its strengths, its biases, and its relationship to the American political spectrum. A school that improves its overall self-awareness can better help students understand their own viewpoints and the viewpoints of others. The second objective is to cultivate intellectual humility so that students recognize that their worldview is incomplete and biased, and that other people have much to teach them. No matter how smart or moral we are, our worldviews aren’t complete. It’s easy to judge, but it’s better to be curious, because we don’t have all the answers. The third objective is related: to develop actively open-minded thinking skills, so that students can learn from and debate those whose viewpoints differ."



Shiranu

Unfortunately people will see that name (like "Critical Race Theory") and lose their fucking minds without even a second of listening to what it actually means.
"A little science distances you from God, but a lot of science brings you nearer to Him." - Louis Pasteur

GSOgymrat

Quote from: Shiranu on May 18, 2021, 03:50:32 PM
Unfortunately people will see that name (like "Critical Race Theory") and lose their fucking minds without even a second of listening to what it actually means.

True. Most people don't understand critical race theory and the GOP are using it to galvanize their base. I'm all for having a conversation about the strengths and weaknesses of critical race theory but that's not what is taking place. Anyone who cares about open discussion of ideas should be concerned when states pass laws banning discussion of certain topics in schools.

SoldierofFortune

Education is actually a conditioning and
modern education is an invention after industry revolution to make ready the children for the requirements of the industry.

Hydra009

#4
Quote from: SoldierofFortune on May 18, 2021, 11:20:55 PM
Education is actually a conditioning and
modern education is an invention after industry revolution to make ready the children for the requirements of the industry.
I dunno, I doubt that modern education is all that effective. >_>

SoldierofFortune

Quote from: Hydra009 on May 19, 2021, 12:29:15 AM
I dunno, I doubt that modern education is all that effective. >_>

I defend the thought that learning must be for learning's sake, not for fulfilling the need of working force of industry.


Mike Cl

Quote from: SoldierofFortune on May 18, 2021, 11:20:55 PM
Education is actually a conditioning and
modern education is an invention after industry revolution to make ready the children for the requirements of the industry.
Howard Zinn, is that you??????

And I agree with your statement.  Howard Zinn is very good at detailing that thought.
Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able?<br />Then he is not omnipotent,<br />Is he able but not willing?<br />Then whence cometh evil?<br />Is he neither able or willing?<br />Then why call him god?