Degree of Freedom

an adventure in online learning

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Google+
  • Twitter
  • HOME
  • CRITICAL THINKING
    • Critical Thinking Essentials
    • High-Leverage Critical Thinking Teaching Practices
      • Fulfilling the Promise of Critical Thinking Education
      • What Are High-Leverage Critical Thinking Practices?
      • The 8 High-Leverage Critical Thinking Teaching Practices
    • LogicCheck
    • Critical Voter
    • Critical Thinking – Writing and Interviews
  • MOOCS
    • The One Year BA
    • MOOCS Essentials
    • MOOCS – Writing and Interviews
    • Degree of Freedom Podcast
  • TEACHING AND EDUCATION
    • Remote Teaching Resources
    • Online Course – Assessment
    • Teaching and Education – Writing and Interviews
    • Podcast – New Books in Education
  • ABOUT/NEWS
    • About the Author
    • Interviews/Speaking Engagements
    • In the News
    • Published Writing
  • BLOG
  • CONTACT

Talking Politics – 1

October 8, 2019 By DegreeofFreedom in Filed Under: Critical Thinking

When I attended the LearnLaunch conference in Boston at the start of the year, a free copy of Education Week told of a Pennsylvania lawmaker who had proposed legislation that would ban the discussion of controversial political topics in the classroom, threatening teachers who ignored the ban with punishment such as revocation of their teaching licenses.

Given how I had just come off of a different event focused on how to improve long-ignored civics education in the country – not to mention general proclivities to reject restrictions on speech and restrictions on what teachers can do in the classroom – I was angered by the story, but also amused, given how much it seemed like the act of an ideologue shouting at the wind.

This attitude was shared by most of the people I talked with about the story, all of whom agreed that discussion of current issues was vital part of civics education, and that attempts to limit such discussions were anti-education, anti-teacher and anti-free speech.

Threats to principles one values tend to trigger hostility, defensiveness and outrage – a set of emotions that, while often justified, can lead to distorted judgement. This is why things that outrage us should still be considered worthy of reflection.

Might there be reasons someone in state office (who also had experience working on a local school committee) could have for proposing something as drastic as a law curtailing what teachers can and cannot say in the classroom? If anger alone drove my analysis, I would likely assume not, or at least that the reasons justifying such a ban were based on political dogma and ignorance.

Putting aside the desire to jump to a conclusion based on preferred beliefs is difficult, but doing so is one of the most powerful ways of controlling for bias, the great enemy of critical thought. With that in mind, might there be any reasonable justifications for a proposal to limit discussion of political matters in the classroom?

Continued…

Share this post:

  • Tweet
  • Email
  • Print
  • Recent
  • Comments
  • Tags

Sign up for the Degree of Freedom Newsletter

Recent Posts

  • Event and Interview
  • How to Win an Argument
  • Ethics Bowl
  • Interview with Michael Horn and Vox
  • Channeling Doubt Productively
  • Leveraging the Power of Doubt
  • A Juicy Topic – Critical Thinking

Latest Published Writing

Remote Learning Begs the Question:  Must Lectures Be So Long? (EdSurge – May 25, 2020)

It’s Time to Get Serious About Teaching Critical Thinking (Inside Higher Education – March 2, 2020)

Why the ‘Best’ Ideas in Education Technology and Reform Don’t Win (EdSurge – February 5, 2020)

Is Education Entering an “Age of Alternatives”? (EdSurge – March 2, 2019)

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 1,063 other subscribers

Copyright © 2025 · Degree of Freedom. All Rights Reserved.

loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.