Teachers Should Address Controversial Topics In Schools

1274 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Importance of creative critical thinking

There is much debate regarding whether or not teachers should address controversial topics in schools. Many individuals attempt to provide principles that argue against teaching controversial issues. However, these individuals do not take into account the varying beneficial qualities that arise from addressing these topics. I argue that teachers should address controversial topics in schools, as it will serve to benefit the quality of education students receive. Pupils will develop into skilled thinkers, informed citizens, and tolerant human beings. Furthermore, it fosters an understanding and respect for the equal rights of others. I believe that addressing controversial topics will benefit students in schools and out in society. Teachers …show more content…

However, research has shown that specific training of teachers is effective in increasing confidence and competence in addressing controversial issues within the classroom. (Gilligan, Handley & Lynagh, 2010). Often times, to help students think critically about issues, teachers will establish a discussion amongst the students. They will do this by simply stating the facts about an issue and leaving the students to analyze and deconstruct it. In these discussions, teachers will create an environment in which students will be open to multiple perspectives and everyone will get the chance to argue their point respectfully (Warren, 2000). Through this strategy, students will develop critical thinking skills, as they will be able to hear their classmates’ perspectives, as well as being able to express their own in a safe school environment. In order to develop critical thinking skills, pupils must be able to objectively analyze all sides of an issue in order to form a judgement (Gilligan, Handley & Lynagh, 2010). From hearing their classmates’ perspectives, students will learn to build their own conclusions by analyzing all the various viewpoints of an

Show More
Related

  • Critical Thinking? You Need Knowledge By Diane Ravitch: Article Analysis

    473 Words  | 1 Pages

    The article, “Critical Thinking? You Need Knowledge” by Diane Ravitch, discusses how in the past people have been deprived from the thinking process and abstract thinking skills. Students need to be given more retainable knowledge by their teachers to improve their critical thinking skills. (Ravitch).

    Read More

  • Analysis: Why the US is Destroying its Education System by Chris Hedges

    1287 Words  | 3 Pages

    Chris’ article is considered a normative argument due to the fact that it is primarily focused around political as well as ethical matters. Because his argument is considered normative, it must have a warrant. According to Richard A. Quantz, “a warrant is a rule or principle that connects the rest of the premises to the claim” (Quantz, 2012, p.4). The warrant present in this article is that teachers should teach students information that prepares them for the future. While the claim supports the political aspect of a normative argument, the warrant supports the ethical aspect of a normative argument. The claim can be seen as political because it addresses the struggle for power. Likewise, the warrant can be seen as ethical because it addresses what is morally right. To be fair to children, teachers need to provide them with knowledge that will allow them prosper. Although his argument is labeled as normative, Chris Hedges uses a couple of kinds of other premises in order to strengthen and better support his argument. He includes empirical, and conceptual premises.

    Read More

  • The Freethinking Student of Dialogic/Dialectic Learning

    1052 Words  | 3 Pages

    A student and teacher should be able to openly communicate or discuss the content and/or topic in class. To begin the educating process, one must set the correct tone and setting for it. Education is supposed to be an “experience”. An experience is supposed to engage all that are involved in it. “That every reader, everyone engaged in any teaching or learning practice, explicitly wonders about his or her work as teacher or pupil, in mathematics, history, biology, or grammar classes, is of little importance. That as teacher or pupil in the experience of the critical instruction in content that all explicitly engage a “reading of the world” that would be of a political nature, is not of the highest necessity” (Freire 49). ...

    Read More

  • English and Communication Studies: Jacqueline Jones Royster

    1307 Words  | 3 Pages

    Delpit, Lisa. “The Silenced Dialogue: Power and Pedagogy in Educating Other People’s Children.” Other People’s Children: Cultural Conflicts in the Classroom. New York: The New Press, 1995.

    Read More

  • Censorship in schools

    1378 Words  | 3 Pages

    Censorship is “the restriction or removal of information, or the prevention of free expression” (Taylor 8). There are many things that can be censored such as books, movies, TV shows, newspapers, and the way people dress. People censor things for a number of reasons- they do not agree with it, find it offensive, or think that it is just inappropriate in general. Different people consider different things inappropriate, so the content of what is censored varies. Anyone can censor, including parents, teachers, school officials, and board members (Taylor 8-10) Many things are censored in schools and places where children are present because parents do not want their kids to be exposed to inappropriate content (Taylor 10). Students are entitled to their First Amendment rights just as much as adults are, but schools still censor things like newspapers, books, and clothing.

    Read More

  • Censorship in the Classroom

    2776 Words  | 6 Pages

    Sex. Politics. Religion. The big three: a work of literature is often considered controversial because of its statement about or use of these topics. What makes these and other areas so touchy in the classroom? Why do some parents and concerned community members want controversial materials out of the classroom?

    Read More

  • Exploring the Evolution of Social Criticism and Critical Thinking

    1321 Words  | 3 Pages

    It is a source of education and a powerful resource in the life of every individual and in social life. Despite the fact that the identification and analysis of critical thinking skills are beyond the boundaries of a single discipline or subject, the learning and application of these skills require possession of certain knowledge. The value of critical thinking is lost if it is treated as a list of logical operations, and the possession of certain knowledge is regarded simply as a collection of information. The investigation of the relationship of a value judgment and the actual use may lead to a new assessment of the need for common concepts of critical thinking and the possession of certain knowledge in education (Paul,

    Read More

  • Public Vs Public Education: Private Vs. Public

    1194 Words  | 3 Pages

    Education is defined as the “discipline that is concerned with methods of teaching and learning in school or school-like environments as opposed to various non-formal and informal means of socialization.”(Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008). If one really looks at education, he or she will realize how broad it actually is. Education extends beyond the notion that it is merely for knowledge alone. It is imperative that one view education in an analytical perspective. Mr. Smith suggests that “we must also ensure that students develop critical thinking skills.” Critical thinking is a definite must ...

    Read More

  • Summary Of The Banking Concept Of Education

    1155 Words  | 3 Pages

    Overall I do agree with Freire that students should have a hand in the discussion to help them learn to think more critically about what they are learning. I think every teacher or professor should try and incorporate the problem-posing model in their classrooms. But, the problem-posing model will not always work for every subject. All students should be able to think critically about what they are learning, express their opinions, concerns, and thoughts especially in the

    Read More

  • A New Education: Education Reform

    1306 Words  | 3 Pages

    Step one is focusing more on students critically thinking or thinking on their own. A great phrase of putting this idea to the test is, “focusing more on the question than the answer.” (Schlesinger 34). In The Power of “Why?” Schlesinger expresses her feeling towards what the bigger impact can be on students when focusing more on the depth of the question than how “quickly” and “correctly” students answer the question (34). She mentions that teachers are evaluated on how students test scores are rather than how critically they think. Schlesinger says that educators can help students think critically by, “letting the students speak their minds”, or teaching students that answers to our history has/will change as well as previous information that we once obtained from the past (34). Oftentimes teachers are afraid to let students open their minds and really think about the question because they think the books answer is the only right one. Teachers also may be more focused on making sure that the students know the right answer so they can do well on future test that the administration uses to evaluate the teachers. Students can significantly gain and profit from this tiny step in our education system. El...

    Read More

  • The Coddling Of The American Mind By Greg Lukianoff And Jonathan Haidt

    840 Words  | 2 Pages

    During the 60’s and 70’s, people have thrashed out with their words and each other. This caused some awareness in schools due to the offensiveness of the matter. During the 80’s schools began on focusing on preventing this kind of speech on their campuses. Since then, students have become more and more sensitive in a negative way. The authors used an example of a kid shouting “Shut up, you water buffalo” at an Israeli born student. That incident made national news, just for calling another kid a “water buffalo.” Another example is when a university found a student guilty of racial harassment for reading a book honoring student opposition to the Ku Klux Clan. The picture on the cover of the book offended one of the student’s co-workers. Just because the student was reading a book, minding his own business, the student was punished from the university. Never said anything or hurt anyone physically, and his education was ruined by someone taking offense to a book he was reading. The authors used this extreme example to prove that accepting the fact that student are fragile and letting them be fragile is not the right way to go and the past can prove

    Read More

  • A Significant Issue in Education: Teacher BIAS

    1031 Words  | 3 Pages

    A significant problem of practice in education is teacher bias. Teacher bias has implications around race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality and socioeconomic status. Teachers must be willing to examine their beliefs, acknowledge and overcome their biases. Teachers need to evaluate their practices in relation to their ideals as well as recognize and assess the position of power they hold in their classrooms in order to be true Social Justice Educators (Cooper, 2003).

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Singapore's Education Journey

    1293 Words  | 3 Pages

    As an educator, we need to ensure that children develop strong sense of critical thinking as this would help to ‘interrupt the tabloid culture’. When we look at the media-driven society, we see that children are constantly being bombarded with messages about how to live as part of the socially acceptable herd. They are being initiated into ‘herd thinking’ and ‘groupthink’ (Janis 1972) at a very early stage. Groupthink describes how individuals feel pressured into agreeing with the consensus of the group, often against their own better judgement. The group can make bad judgement due to lack of consideration of alternative viewpoints. I believe that children need to be able to think critically so as to make informed choices. They need to be able to think for themselves so as to resist ‘herd thinking’ and

    Read More

  • School Safety

    2065 Words  | 5 Pages

    Sides: Clashing Views on Educational Issues. 14th ed. Ed. Dennis L. Evans. Dubuque: McGraw-Hill Contemporary Learning Series, 2008. Print.

    Read More

  • Essentialism In Education Essay

    1256 Words  | 3 Pages

    When analyzing contemporary issues in education, it is very important to ask why and how the issues arise. Some of these problems are obvious to the mass public, and some require a more in-depth analysis. One of the less obvious issues in education is the current philosophy in the classrooms. One may ask the questions, “Why is the philosophy of education important? And, why does it matter to me?” To put it simply, the philosophy imbedded in the goals of education and teaching methods in a classroom affects the students’ futures. This topic was chosen because the philosophy in schools is often overlooked as the absolute core of educational issues. Many students understandably struggle with sitting in a classroom, uninterested. In addition to the constant stress and pressure of having good grades, students often ask why the given curriculum must be learned.

    Read More

More about Teachers Should Address Controversial Topics In Schools

Open Document