12.31.2010

A Civics Revival

Title: A Civics Revival
Publication: The Boston Globe (Globe Editorial)
Date: September 12, 2004

Key Ideas in the Article:

• Civics education should be a statewide effort to instill the value of democracy
• The true mission of education is the creation on which democracy can survive
• Educational emphasis on math and science and not on democracy
• America has developed an anti-government stance

Summary:

Civics education has been on the decline since the Viet Nam War and Nixon administration, thus voter turnout between the ages of 18-24 years of age has become abysmal. An initiative sponsored by the Center for Democracy and Citizenship, called the Campaign for the Civic Mission of Schools, sets about to bridge the disconnection our future adults have with American democracy by promoting and investing in Civics education. A notable superintendent from Hudson, Massachusetts, is excelling with this initiative. He stated that the "true mission of education" to be not only the teaching of math, science, and reading but "the creation of a public on which a democracy can survive." Sadly, there is an air of anti-democracy in this country and it is present from without and within. "America is probably more vulnerable to democracy declining from within than it is to a terrorist attack," said State Senator Richard Moore,, who has worked on an advisory group within the National Conference of State Legislatures. Most children know more about the Simpsons, than their own representation.

Professional Reaction:

I find myself saddened by the lack of connection our young people have with democratic ideals and yet totally understanding of our youth’s detachment to a disempowering system of government. On one hand, future adults of America should take a stake in their future, but on the other hand… Why should they care? The political sphere isn’t exactly filled with role models and doesn’t obviously deliver direct benefits to the most self-centered age group in the most self-centered country in the world!

As teachers and community leaders in a post-modern world and a post-911 city, we should do our bests to put aside our disapproval of current events and motivate our students to understand their American privilege. We should make them feel lucky to live here. Perhaps we can even make a difference and inspire civic-mindedness which is needed for our country’s very survival. However, the “powers that be” are much more concerned about the math and science race which we will never win.

I happen to love America, but I had to move away for a year to gain the perspective in which that patriotism is founded. I was a spoiled youth, but I was excited to vote, when I was 18 years old. Nearly 20 years have gone by and disillusionment runs rampant. People may badmouth President Obama till they are blue in the face, but he did inspire and mobilize this country’s youth in numbers that have not been seen in many years. He used the power of the internet and social media to gain a grassroots following and promote a sense of hope where there was none.

When this editorial was published in 2004, George W. Bush was the figurehead of our culture of fear. In 2010, the fear is less but the techno-dependent generation has much more important things to worry about than Proposition 8; they have Facebook! Our kids care more about media than a disempowering public school system which aims to expose them to concepts they won’t really use. Social Studies was my favorite class in school, but I think that this campaign would be better off investing in social networking initiatives to activate the minds of Generation D. With the lonely reality of virtual reality, teacher’s should work even harder to build a real community in their classroom; that way when our students leave our classroom, they make better choices for their democratic consumption.

Classroom Applications:

As a secondary school teacher of “look at me, look at me” pre-teens with an ADHD up-to-the-minute awareness of the mundane, it is too easy to unapologetically take our future for granted. If we want our kids to give a crap, we have to know what they care about and connect to what they can do to protect it. That every kid knows how to recycle, well, that’s a good thing and that’s a good start! Motivation may come in a protective form… If education’s aim is preservation, it can be used wisely. I tell my kids that they have so much against them already so we have a lot of ground to cover. I am blunt because my urban kids demand it! Survival is the name of the game. I find myself saying, “you are going to get screwed, unless you learn to _________. (fill in the blank) (write a coherent letter, make change at the bodega, get everything in writing, know you rights, etc….)

I am trying to arm my students with the ammunition of information and that is much more palpable metaphor than a cherry tree. My kids learned about their Miranda Rights by watching Law & Order and they know what a petition is from logging on to Facebook, not studying a textbook which was obsolete after it went out to print. Media in the classroom is a social and educational imperative! A hard fact that they might lose their Metrocard or government assistance check if they don’t go out in vote is a practical demonstration of political representation. If I apply some pressure about something that quite clearly affects students personally, a student might find a use for voting after all. As educators and civil servants, we are bound by civics and we are able to harness civic mindedness on the micro-level to make an impact. Yes, the “Doom and gloom” of news sucks and threat of losing sucks, but it can always be worse! Also, it can be better!

Tips to motivate students to learn civics:

• Make it personal, relevant, authentic, and grassroots.
• Model civic-mindedness in the classroom by creating a community.
• Find a cause which encourages empowerment.
• Be truthful and make it fun.
• Use technology and lots of it.

References/Bibliography:

“A Civics Revival” The Boston Globe
September 12, 2004

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