The Challenges of Civic Education

1
The Challenges of Civic Education

• Presentation to Congress in the Classroom 2001
• The Dirksen Congressional Center
• Bradley University
• August 8, 2001

2
Is there anything to worry about?

• Contemporary concern for civics
• Lack of engagement (Bowling Alone)
• Lack of knowledge
• Lack of skills, attentiveness
• Lack of commitment
• Lack of appreciation for the political process
• In global perspective

3
Educations Three Core Issues

• Curriculum
• Content
• Pedagogy

4
Curriculum

• Usually defined as an education plan
  encompassing intended outcomes and related
  strategies for achieving those goals.
• Beyond a plan, it serves as
• A policy statement of goals and commitments
• A political statement reflecting those choices of
  goals and commitments
• A social statement about the role of education in
  society
• A philosophy of education.
• Example UK National Curriculum

5
Content

• What should be taught?
• Important as
• Guide for course/materials development
• Standards for assessing performance
• Example
• National Science Education Standards

6
Pedagogy

• How should students be taught?
• Focus on teaching
• Instructor-centered
• Student-centered
• Content-centered
• Focus on learning
• Theories and strategies

7
Controversies

• Within each there is debate over fundamentals
• Curriculum Canonists vs. multiculturalists
• Content Objectivists vs. constructivists
• Pedagogy Teaching vs. learning
• Among the three, central issue which is to
  drive the education process?

8
Civic Educations Curriculum Issues
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Patriotism Moral Education in the Classroom

• Legislated patriotism
• Virginia and the Pledge
• Minnesota and Maryland proposals
• New Hampshire and Civics
• Moral education
• Utahs Character Education project (Stories)
• Association for Moral Education (Dilemmas)
• Character Counts

10
Deliberative Critical Approaches

• Deliberative Democracy
• National Issues Forums
• Study Circles
• Co-Intelligence
• Teaching Democracy
• Dialogue to Action Initiative
• Critical Thinking
• Critical Thinking Community (Resources)
• Mission Critical

11
Civic Educations Content Issues

• Knowledge
• National Standards for Civics and Government
• National Assessment of Educational Progress 1998
  Civics Report Card Major findings

• Skills
• Service learning
• Corporation for National Service
• Center for Democracy and Citizenship

• Orientation Trust for Representative Democracy

12
Civic Educations Pedagogy Issues

• Are our students teachable?
• Diverse learning styles
• Multiple intelligences
• Stages of development
• Educating nomads

• Are our teachings learnable?
• Relevance of national focus
• Localism
• Globalism
• No heros, no theories
• Age of cynicism, skepticism, indifference