{"id":55604,"date":"2022-09-29T15:26:21","date_gmt":"2022-09-29T19:26:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/edtechteacher.org\/?p=55604"},"modified":"2024-11-03T11:37:13","modified_gmt":"2024-11-03T16:37:13","slug":"3-strategies-to-boost-civics","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/edtechteacher.org\/3-strategies-to-boost-civics\/","title":{"rendered":"3 Strategies to Boost Civics Education"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

by Tom Driscoll<\/a>, EdTechTeacher CEO and Shawn McCusker<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/em><\/strong>, Authors of Becoming Active Citizens: Practices to Engage Students in Civics Education Across the Curriculum<\/a><\/em><\/strong>. [This post was originally published on Edutopia, linked here<\/a>]<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today\u2019s students are engaging in civil discourse\u2014constructive dialogue that seeks to advance the public interest\u2014and activism well in advance of casting their first ballot. However, most of our current civic education practices fail to prepare students for a world where civil discourse begins the moment you have access to a smartphone and social media.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Socializing students for democracy doesn\u2019t belong to one subject area: It belongs to all of us. Here are three strategies that you can use to foster those skills in your classroom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

STRATEGY 1: PRACTICE HEALTHY CIVIL DISCOURSE<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Democracy is a system built upon civil discourse as the means to work out our differences peacefully, but evidence suggests that such discourse is on the decline. According to Pew Research<\/a>, 45 percent of Americans report that they have stopped talking to someone as a result of their political views. When we avoid challenging conversations, we stop developing the skills needed to have them. This has been the trend in classrooms as teachers have steered away from controversial topics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are some classroom strategies to foster civil discourse:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Civil discourse in action. <\/strong>Park districts, conservation districts, and city governments have hearings, and not all of them are contentious. Let them add to the conversation. Older students may participate in person, while younger students can craft a statement for their teacher to read. Being a part of that process makes each student more likely to do so in the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Use dialogues instead of debates. <\/strong>A dialogue<\/a> is about identifying ambiguity, inviting inquiry, and discovering collective meaning. Dialogues invite an understanding of differences and honor silence in the process as opposed to trying to elevate one idea over another in often-heated discussions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Engage in online discourse. <\/strong>Most Americans were never socialized in the norms of online communication, and so they may think of online discourse as doom-scrolling through Twitter. Instead, children can be prepared for civil online discourse by taking part in virtual civil discourse. Posting ideas to small-scale class chats in an LMS or providing feedback to students in schoolwide public forums is one way to make that real. Small-scale structured conversations can teach norms that protect students when they later engage in online conversations on their own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

STRATEGY 2: USE EXCITING RESOURCES THAT ENHANCE ENGAGEMENT<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Educators around the world have leveraged games, simulations, and student competitions to enhance student engagement. Why not employ these strategies for civics?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are some that we recommend:<\/p>\n\n\n\n