Chapter 11

 

The study of civics in social studies is of particular importance today and educators should be diligent about teaching its key concepts to students. We currently live in a historic time with Trumpism, COVID, black lives matter, conspiracy theories about our government and a Capital attack. Since we live in a Democratic society, we must teach students about their role in this picture. This is where that old saying “Knowledge is power” comes into play. As educators, the more we can shed light on our student’s rights as citizens the more active they can be.

As an educator in training, I believe we have failed when it comes to teaching the importance of the vote. I have herd time and again during elections that their vote doesn’t count or doesn’t matter. I have been told that our government is corrupt and the choices we are given during election time are all self-interested and corrupt. The question is, are these the conclusions of a properly educated citizen. I believe the answer is simple. As President Joe Biden bluntly put it during his final debate against former President Trump, NO! According to my text as a graduate student, one of the benefits of civics education is to “improve our democratic shortfalls.” If we examine the 2016 election, we can conclude based on the low voter turn out that there is tremendous apathy. It appears that in spite of our efforts to educate students about their role in government, we have failed.

According to my text, another intended benefit of civics education is “to improve our idea of civic equity.” If we take a close look at the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement, we will discover the strong presents of hate and racial prejudice. The murder of George Floyd is proof that the education system has failed. As a graduate student tasked with studying how these issues are related to how we educate our students, I have come up with my own theories to explain these failures. I believe the apathy is rooted in the distance between the ordinary citizen and the government. Much of what goes on feels far away and doesn’t impact us. To solve this, educators must find ways to “put our students in touch with the government” such as organizing field trips to Washington D.C. However, after the capital riot, such visits will be difficult to arrange. As a future educator, I might consider organizing or attending an event with my class. For example, I could organize a visit with the local government. Educators must show as well as talk about the connections between them and our distant representatives on capital hill. I also believe that communicating with a politician or representative can be intimidating. Therefore, as a future educator, I will teach my students how to communicate with politicians about issues that concern them. Students must learn how the decisions made in Washington affect their lives because they do!

As I have asserted in class, “people are entitled to their own opinions but not their own facts.” If we take a good hard look around, we can see the truth about how our government works is slowly being eroded. The biggest example of this is something known as the big lie which states that Democrats unlawfully stole the 2020 election from former President Trump. Individuals who believe this assertion clearly don’t understand that our government doesn’t choose its own leaders. Only the vote of the people determines our next leader. This could be the result of poor education. I believe the individuals who voted for former President Trump were simply angry with the results. We live in a time where the truth is being lost and it is vital to teach it. Another shinning example of the truth becoming lost are those who don’t believe in climate change.

In terms of methods suggested by my book, I believe sharing power with the students is one of the best ways of teaching about activism and government. Many schools also have a form of student government in which there is a President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer. Each of these jobs teaches students their role in our government. When I was an undergraduate student at Mount Saint Mary College, there was a student government and I was a representative for one of the school’s clubs. In our government, we have senators which represent each state in congress. When I was in Elementary school, I was elected by my classmates as their class representative. I believe this form of learning by doing is the strongest way to teach students how they can make a difference.

The next method I have explored in practice and theory. It is known as JIGSAW and it is a form of cooperative instruction. As an educator in training, I believe JIGSAW plugs many potential holes in the cooperative instruction model. For example, it holds each group member accountable for their role in the group’s objective. Each group member depends on the success of the others to accomplish a shared objective. The JIGSAW method creates an environment where students help each other causing growth and active learning. In terms of teaching civics in social studies, a teacher could organize groups to research the three branches of government as well as key individuals such as the President. Groups can be created to research the jobs and roles of each of the President’s cabinet members. I strongly believe that JIGSAW also addresses increasing classroom diversity since students would learn acceptance by learning about their peers.

To conclude, we live in a historic time. Events are unfolding around us which our students must learn about. They must feel secure when expressing their feelings. School is a safe place where each student’s feelings must be validated. The truth is that 70 years after Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcom X, here we are again witnessing the rise of the second Civil Rights movement. Clearly hate and prejudice still runs hot in America’s blood. The question Educators must ask themselves at this point is; “can we find the antidote to these issues somewhere in our teaching?” All I know is that I’m studying to become an educator to change the world and each day I turn on the news, I discover what I will be up against. After examining my text and working with my professors and peers, I feel better armed with the tools I will need to strike down these enemies and do my part to create a better world.