From our debates in class today, I was surprised to find how torn I became on all three of the issues being presented. Before class I thought I held an opinion one way or the other on each of these issues, but after leaving class I am more confused than ever on what exactly my views are. This brings me to my point of just how important it is to really know both sides of an issue. I think too often a lot of people start out like I did today, feeling (sometimes strongly) for or against an issue without really knowing the entirety of what that issue entails or stopping to think about the other side. If there are two sides to an issue, then obviously there are people who hold the opposite view, otherwise it would not be an issue in the first place. I think it is extremely important to take the time to learn what both sides are arguing and to take into account what each would mean for the people on that side, as well as everyone else. It is also important to learn both sides because, as it happened today, points can be brought up that a person would never have considered otherwise.
Knowing both sides of an issue becomes particularly important in the education system, in which we will come into contact with people on both sides of issues all the time. It is vital to be up-to-date and educated on the latest information and events that come up, not just to be knowledgeable, but to be an informed and active matter of the teaching community. Whether we like it or not, as teachers, we will have in important role in the education community. Things we offer in school board meetings or even teacher conferences will have an impact on how things are done and whether or not things change. With such an important role also comes huge responsibility, and with our decisions quite possibly affecting the quality of education students receive, it is extremely necessary to be well-informed on all sides of every important issue (as there are often more than just two).
This becomes especially important in issues involving culturally and linguistically diverse groups of students, such as in discussions of bilingual education or special schools for students who do exceptionally well in certain areas, for example. It is vital to know what the implication of these issues will mean, so as to take on an informed position on the topic. It is necessary to know exactly what each outcome will bring for everyone. Educational issues being presented can have a huge impact on the way schools are run. Whether programs are implemented into schools or new schools specifically designed to cater to specific students, the educational system as a whole will be affected, as there may be shifts in curriculum, adjustments in state standards, etc. as a result of these things. Thus there is the potential for everyone to be affected, not just these students themselves, which makes it that much more important to be informed on every side of the issues.
Sam,
ReplyDeleteI had the same experience during the debates! When the issues were presented, I immediately formed my opinion, even without having much information to base my opinion off of. I was amazed at how many questions I had to ask Anissa about bilingual education - there was so much I did not even know existed within schools. After the debate on school choice, I had a different set of questions that I didn't understand about the issue. I was absolutely humbled by how little I knew about the topics and yet how quickly I considered myself "right".
I appreciate how you talked about being up-to-date on educational issues. We will be able to impact education by how we vote and what we fight for. The most important thing to always have in mind is "what is best for the students." Obviously, every student is different so different things are best for different students, but what I am saying, it that students should be our focus. I think the more we know our students the better we will be able to identify what they need to make them successful. While this will look different for each student, we might be able to identify some underlying common ground and that's a good place to start.
I actually find it more comfortable to not see the issue as black and white. That's not to say I don't think making a stand on something is important, but it allows me to be flexible with students or work more with them, even if a system is in place. For example, if I work at a non-bilingual school, but a student of mine definitely is needing help, I can have compassion and find resources to help them instead of saying "nope, this isn't a bilingual school and that's that." This was a great activity in class - I'm so thankful we did it!
I find that this is often the case for people to think that their view is right and the opposing one is wrong. If you really want to learn about an issue, do research on the opposing side. Stirring things up like this was crucial to opening our eyes and seeing that we weren't necessarily "right." I also appreciated the information we were given to create our arguments. It gave us more ammunition to educate each other.
ReplyDeleteI also agree with the statements about the children coming first. We all need to put our own viewpoints aside if that means that it will benefit the learning environment for the children in our classroom. I also think that it would be very beneficial to provide younger people with situations where they can feel conflicted about similar topics. Teach them to understand the dichotomy that is each of their beliefs.