School leaders and teachers have been preparing for this year’s election for months now, teaching about civics and democracy, managing challenging conversations, and modeling civil discourse in their communities. NAIS has been working to support schools in their efforts during this contentious and polarizing time, and this week we’ve rounded up five related posts from the blog to help keep the important work and conversations going.
Creating Conditions for Civil Discourse in Schools
“Today’s students are growing up in a world in which civility is at an all-time low, live discussion is scary, and algorithms short-circuit civic literacy. Yet, amid this landscape, independent schools are uniquely positioned to be a countercultural force for good,” writes Liza Garonzik, the founder of R.E.A.L. Discussion. “To make good on mission statements and intentionally promote civil discourse in our polarized world, schools need to build cultures that celebrate civility as well as systems for teaching discourse skills.” Garonzik discusses why schools must consider school mission, school culture, and student skill-building to fully engage in discussions across differences.
The Importance of Teaching Digital Citizenship
“We’ve been talking about ‘digital citizenship,’ a term coined about 20 years ago, and using it as a kind of umbrella for a while now to covers a range of issues related to people engage with content online: responsible use; critical thinking, social and emotional wellness; privacy; the impact of distractions on productivity; as well as the complex and multi-faceted notion of media literacy,” explains Greg Davis, a seventh grade English teacher at Wellington School (OH). “And all of these dimensions of digital citizenship are more relevant than ever as we seek to help students learn how to navigate the breakneck pace of growth in technology and information.” Davis describes a few programs that stand out as good examples.
Educating in the Age of Online Hate and Disinformation
“Hateful rhetoric has proliferated in many of the online spaces that our children inhabit every day, and as political polarization deepens, conspiracy theories spread, and anti-democracy, white nationalist, and other bigoted groups grow bolder, it is more critical than ever that educators understand the magnitude of and know how to address these threats,” writes Sheri Lyn Schmidt, an educator at Parker School (HI). “To truly keep children safe, our training and our work must extend into understanding the ways kids’ online environments are shaping their perceptions and actions.” Schmidt shares tangible tips for how to help students resist harmful, online rhetoric.
How to Get Students Involved with Civic Engagement
“Teaching civics should take place not only in the classroom, but through experiential learning,” writes Spencer Burrows, equity and civic engagement coordinator at Pacific Ridge School (CA). “The best way to truly learn and understand civics is to take part in the process itself.” Burrows shares actionable steps to promote civics by giving students real-world experience with how their government works.
The Purpose of School: Sustaining Democracy and Cultivating Humanity
“In this current time of increased polarization, the work of schools in sustaining democracy could not be more important,” writes the Rev. Michael Spencer, the head of school at Oregon Episcopal School (OR). “We can hold the future in our arms—carefully with intention—nurturing, caring, teaching, giving birth to the democracy that has created our freedom and informs theirs into the future.” Spencer reflects on why education is crucial to upholding society’s principles of democracy.