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6.6.00
Final
Reflection
Hi
folks,
Here
are some ideas and crosscurrents that struck me as I was moving
through my unit that dealt with my students’ families histories
and some of the Core Democratic Values
- I
approached unit unsure about how to teach CDVs — are they
to be explained (defined) and memorized, are they to be debated,
or what?
-
As time went on I learned it was better to let kids struggle with
the meanings — sure, we could follow the definitions from
the state, but I was looking to make them meaningful. Also, adults
struggle with these ideas, so naturally young students will too.
- My
focus student made it clear that these are ideas to live by, but
not everybody does all of the time. They are more of a guide for
our lives and society.
--There
are no clear answers to questions like "What is justice?"
because the CDVs are ideals, so as a teacher it became necessary
to look for ways these values play out in the actions of our
society’s citizens.
- So
as a teacher it is best to pick an era or individual (or governmental
action) and discuss how it plays out ----- like the topic my focus
student kept bringing up with her family, "justice and war."
Her family’s situation shows the different perspectives on
justice. Her grandfathers were fighting for justice, but it was
not always "just" to remove these men from their families.
- The
CDVs are at once obvious (simple) yet complex:
--They
have become banal, totally meaningless in everyday conversation,
yet when we reflect specifically on one and situations in
our own lives, we see the complexities of how the CDVs
are manifested in daily living.
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