This discussion of pushing personal views in the classroom reminds me of a news story from Oakland, CA, a couple of months ago. High school teachers organized a "teach in" to discuss the possibility of war in Iraq. It was charged that only anti-war opinions were "taught" at this event, and the organizers responded that they could not find anyone who was willing to present the opposing point of view at this event.
My reaction was that the teachers have misunderstood what it means to be educated. Any teacher should be capable of developing the argument for either side in this debate--the information is readily available in newspaper columns and on the internet. If they can only express the position they personally agree with, then they are providing propaganda, not an educational experience. Recently I raised this issue in my Senior Seminar class. It turned out the students had only heard the anti-war arguments and had no clue as to why Bush and perhaps most of the U.S. public supported an invasion of Iraq. So I did my best to provide balanced arguments for each side (even though my personal feelings side with the anti-war folks). If we cannot articulate each side of an issue, then we have not become truly educated ourselves on that issue. In my opinion, it is often best to hide your true beliefs (e.g., who you're going to vote for) for fear that your position power will unduly influence the students. I have had some success in this effort--often through the years my students have accused me of harboring beliefs that are directly counter to my true beliefs. --Dave ___________________________________________________________________ David E. Campbell, Ph.D. [EMAIL PROTECTED] Department of Psychology Phone: 707-826-3721 Humboldt State University FAX: 707-826-4993 Arcata, CA 95521-8299 www.humboldt.edu/~campbell/psyc.htm --- You are currently subscribed to tips as: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe send a blank email to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
