Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Politics : Foreign Affairs Discussion Group -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: KLP who wrote (79338)	3/3/2003 9:18:41 PM
From: JohnM	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 281500

We are way off topic here, Karen, but having said that I can't resist answering your questions. Perhaps you would like to say one more thing in this round and then we should shut it down. Do you mean you think it is proper for teachers to give their opinion in the classroom??? NO, I don't think they should! A teacher should teach, not pontificate! Disagree. If it's appropriate to the topic, not only do I have no problem with it but would encourage it. I'm talking about college level for certain, but would guess this could apply at much earlier ages. I think my two kids were able to argue politics when they were 11 or 12. Let's say the topic was some form of contemporary politics and the Iraq issue was center piece. Everyone gets to offer their views, argue their views, go look for justification for their views, evidence for their views, learn how to structure persuasive versions of their views, including the teacher sharing her/his with the class. What the teacher definitely should not do is any form of coercive actions--teacher favorite, grades, etc.--favoring her/his own views. I don't know about you but when I worked with my kids, I certainly shared my views. We certainly argued about them and learned from one another. There are many ways to teach so that the student doesn't know ones' personal political beliefs. (We have teachers in the family too, although they teach younger grades.) In my view, it depends on the topics. If I'm teaching a science course, political views aren't exactly relevant. Having said that, I recall a science colleague of mine, biologist, who made the case as to just how relevant government policy was. But that still strikes me as a stretch for classroom stuff. But teaching in my sorts of disciplines, the political is always relevant. If nothing else, what does that say to the student who might have an opposing view...? Whatever that view is...? That would say "if you want to get a good grade, one must agree with the teacher...." Oh, that's easily dealt with. You just need to convince them on the first graded exercise that the important thing is the quality of the writing, argument, evidence, not the views. If you grade that way, word gets around like lightning. If you don't, the word also gets around. Bad teachers, the kind that are closed minded, should not be in the profession, the kind that say you must believe what I believe. I had a colleague who shared my political views, who had that problem. Sweet guy and very bright but just couldn't get past this problem. Always a problem for Deans. Another colleague, born again Christian, had the same problem. Couldn't get past it. Deans had to deal with it. But the problem wasn't that they had views or shared those views. It was their lack of tolerance for other views; their willingness to help others learn how to think, rather than think their way. Just to be provocative. This problem is Lynn Cheney's problem; Bill Bennett's problem; even Joe Lieberman's problem.