Monday, January 10, 2011
Chapter 5 comments
Controversy in the classroom has always been something that as an educator I have shied away from. I thought that it would only be the cause of problems from parents and the administration. After reading the small section on controversy, I realize that it is almost impossible to avoid controversy if all levels of the taxonomies are truly reached. That being said, I also realize that there is an appropriate way to approach potentially controversial topics so as to not force your views on your students. I thought it was interesting that they pointed out that it is not wrong for the teacher to express their opinion, especially after the students had fully developed theirs. I think this would be a delicate subject, and might bring about unwanted consequences for teachers, especially from parents. However, I do believe that controversial topics should not be avoided simply because they are controversial. Students need to learn how to form their own opinions and the classroom is a great place to do that. If they are guided through the steps to forming their own opinion correctly and not coerced in to believing any one view point more than another, I think controversy can be appropriate in a middle level school setting.
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Gina, you are absolutley correct; as the text stated, controversial topics are nearly impossible for teachers to avoid no matter how much effort has been given. However, the middle school environment is an appropriate place for discussions involving controversy. I was also surprised to learn that it is okay for a teacher to share his/her opinion on a controversial topic. My surprise was prompted by the thought of evolution versus creationism; opinion or not, I know that teachers are not to discuss religious issues of creationism in the classroom. Regardless of this, I felt that it was ingenious for the authors to mention that a teacher should wait to share his/her opinion only after studetns have had a chance to form their own, as to not persuade their thoughts. In doing so, students have the opportunity to engage in high order thinking; they can internalize and work on reaching different levels within their affective domain. Furthermore, I feel that discussing issues of this nature within the classroom can only have positive results, allowing students to discuss issues and obtain another's point of view will promote understanding, tolerance, and acceptance.
ReplyDeleteMoreover, adolescents of the middle school age are going through many changes, as stated within chapter 1 of the text. Some examples given were that students within this age group are no longer considered children, yet aren't quite adults either. These adolescents are trying to find their self-identity and look for acceptance from others (peers, role models, etc.) They also are striving for independence from their parents/guardians. Knowing all of this, as well as the changes that will occur within these students once they reach the onset of puberty, it is crucial that we provide opportunities for them to feel accepted and valued. The latter is another reason why I believe that it is necessary for every school to implement character development programs. In doing so, we will be modeling and teaching acceptance and respect for all individuals; these traits are absolutely critical for students to achieve in order to 'decline the rate of' or 'terminate entirely' youth violence, suicide, and drug/alcohol use! - Michele Vest