Teachers facilitate the reflective process by providing students with questions and prompts that encourage them to probe and question their assumptions, examine and challenge their biases, and deepen their understanding of the societal issues. By asking these questions throughout the learning process, students can monitor their journey toward becoming civically minded participants in a democratic society.
ReplyDeleteI agree that facilitating the reflective process and fostering student understanding with probing questions is essential for growth in the classroom. Gould notes that when students are engaged in civic activities they become more involved in long term participation [Gould, 2011, p. 81]. Asking probing questions would allow students to practice civic discourse and participate in meaningful conversations that spark different viewpoints [Lalor, 2021, p. 81]. Having research projects will allow students to be more civically mindful. Cross-interdisciplinary skills embedded into lessons where students conduct and monitor their research in a group setting is a way to have students reflect upon their biases and will deepen their understanding of subject-matter.
Gould, J. (Ed.) (2011). Guardian of democracy: The civic mission of schools. Philadelphia:
Leonore Annenberg Institute for Civics at the University of Pennsylvania. Retrieved from
https://media.carnegie.org/filer_public/ab/dd/abdda62e-6e84-47a4-a043-348d2f2085ae/ccny_grantee_2011_guardian.pdf
Lalor, Angela Di Michele. 2021. Making Curriculum Matter: How to Build SEL, Equity, and Other