Tackling Controversial Issues
Conor Harrison
WorldWise Global Schools, City West Hotel
Thursday, 1st February 2018
AboutMe
Icebreaker
IfIruledtheworld…..Icouldn’tdisagreemore……..
LearningInten.onsAttheendofthissessionpar.cipantswillbeableto:ü DefinewhataControversialIssueisü ExplainwhyanIssueisControversialü Provideara.onaleforteachingaboutControversialIssuesü Ar.culatetheCoreValuesarounddiscussingControversialIssues
ü DiscusshowtocreateaConduciveClimateü ListfiveTeacherStancesthatmaybeusedü FrameQues.onsfromfourStructuralperspec.vesü SuggestanumberofappropriateteachingandlearningStrategies
Task1:My5ControversialIssues
YesWouldhaveago!
NoWouldn’ttouchit!
Task2:PostItsSpectrum
Howdowesafelyteachourstudentsaboutissueswhichare
controversial?
TheChallenge
Q1.WhatareCONTROVERSIALISSUES?
Issue:Animportanttopicfordebateordiscussion,e.g.theissueofMigrants,WaterCharges
Controversial:Givingriseorlikelytogiverisetocontroversyorpublicdisagreement
Controversy:Prolongedpublicdisagreementorheateddiscussion
AControversialIssueis….� Somethingthatdeeplydividessociety,e.g.euthanasia,immigra/on,abor/on,economiccutbacks,watercharges
� Somethingthatchallengespersonallyheldvaluesandbeliefs,e.g.racism,gaymarriage,abor/on,strongpoli/calposi/ons
� SomethingthatgeneratesconflicRngexplanaRons,e.g.historicalevents,conflictssuchasSyria,NIreland,Pales/ne&Israel,Ukraine
� SomethingthatevokesanemoRonalresponse,e.g.migrants/asylumseekers/refugees,crime&imprisonment,educa/on,abor/on,disability,homelessness,poverty
� Somethingthatcausespeopletofeelthreatenedandconfused,e.g.wherefamilieshavestrongviewsonanissue,wherepeerpressureisstronglyinfavourofonesideofanargument
ControversialIssues:AUsefulDefini.on
“Issueswhicharousestrongfeelingsanddivideopinionincommuni.esandsociety.”CouncilofEurope(2015),LivingwithControversy:TeachingControversialIssues
throughEduca/onforDemocra/cCi/zenshipandHumanRights(p.8)
Q2.WhyaresomeISSUEScontroversial?
Q3.So,whyteachaboutControversialIssues?
Ra.onale/Benefits“SchoolsshouldhelptheirstudentstohandlequesRonsofvalue,tolearntomakejudgementswhicharetrulytheirown,aswellaslearningtotakeresponsibilityfortheirownlives.”
DavidDewhurst(1992),TheTeachingofControversialIssues,JournalofPhilosophyofEduca/on,26(2),153-163
Iwanttoexposestudentstoissuesandperspec.vesbeyondtheirownexperience;toshakethemupabit;getthemoutoftheircomfortzone.
Iwanttoprovidestudentswithopportuni.estodeveloptheircri.calthinkingskills.Iwanttoassiststudentsinmakingsenseofthecomplexworldaroundthem.
Q4.WhatarethecoreVALUESwhichwillinformyourapproach?
ValuesCatchphrase
SpecificGoalsMayVaryü TohelpstudentsviewissuesfrommulRple
perspecRves
ü ToengagethemincriRcalanalysisofgovernment
policy
ü Tochallengethemajorityviewofthestudentsor
theircommunitye.g.sectarianism,racism
ü Toraiseawareness
Q5.HowdoyoucreateaCONDUCIVECLIMATE(SafeSpace)in
whichtheseissuescanbediscussed?
Q6.WhatSTANCE(S)doyouasateacherneedtotake?
TeacherStance
NeutralFacilitator
DeclaredInterests
AllyDevil’s
Advocate
OfficialLine
NeedforSafetyforEveryone
Safetyfor Allowingstudentstheteacher & toconsideranissue
withoutexposing personalposi.on
orprejudices
Q7.HowdoyouFRAMEQUESTIONSaboutControversialIssues?
LookingatissuesfromaSTRUCTURAL(PUBLIC)ratherthanaPERSONALperspec.ve
� HumanRights–auniversallyagreedfounda.onforexaminingcontroversialissues• Howcanwebalanceconflic.ngrights?
� LegalFramework–whatshouldthelawsay?� Providesacontextofstate’sresponsibilitytoallci.zens
� SocialResponsibility–therolesoftheindividual,societyandthestateinaddressingissuessuchasracism,homophobia,etc.
FramingDiscussionQues.onsHowwouldyourespondifsomeonetoldaracistjoke?
Whatmightanindividualdoifsomeonetoldaracistjoke?
Whatchoicesdopeoplehave?
Whatwouldtheconsequencesofthesechoicesbe?
Q1.Whatdoyouthinkaboutmigrantworkerscominghere?Q2.Doyouthinktheyshouldgetthesamebenefitsasna.vepeople?Q3.Haveyoueverbeeninvolvedinaracistincident?Q4.HowdoyoufeelabouttheincreasedprofileoftheLGBTcommunityinIreland?
Howcouldweframetheseques.onstakingastructuralapproach?
Re-framedQues.onExamplesQ1.Whatmythsandstereotypesexistaboutmigrantworkersinoursociety?Q2.Howhassocietyrespondedtotheincreaseinthenumberofpeoplefromminoritycommuni.esinIreland?Q3.AreyouawareofexamplesofracistincidentsinIrishsociety?Q4.DoLGBTpeoplehavethesamerightsasheterosexualpeopleinIreland?
HeatedMoments
‘All…………….are……………!’
‘All…………….are……………!’
Manypeoplethinkthis.Whydotheyholdtheseviews?Somepeopledisagreewiththis.Whydoyouthinktheyhavedifferentviews?
HeatedMoments
AlwaysfocusontheFacts
WhatamIlookingat?
PlaceyourPhotographhere
AdaptedfromHarrison,C.Photos:BringingtheWorldintotheClassroom
Wheredoyouthinkthisphotowastaken?
Whatwords/phrasescometomindwhenyoulookatthisphoto?
Whatdoyouthinktheyaredoinginthisphoto?
WhatissuedoyouthinkthisphotoishighlighRng?
Howmightthisaffectthelocalcommunity?
Howdoyouthinkthisphotomightmakeotherpeoplefeel?Why?
Canyouthinkofotherpeoplewhomightbeinvolvedorwhoarejustoutsidethisphoto?
Howdoyouthinktheperson/peopleinthephotomightbefeeling?Why?
Whatmighttheperson/peoplebethinkingorsaying?
Whatcanyouorothersdoaboutthisissue?
Isthisagoodorbadphoto?Whatmakesagoodorbadphoto?
Whoisthisperson?/Whoarethesepeople?
WhatamIlookingat?
Choices&Consequences
ConsequenceDoors
ControversialIssuesMethodologies� EncouragingDiscussion
Ø CarouselDiscussion� FacilitaRngDebate
Ø SpeedDebate� DevelopingCriRcalThinking
Ø 5Whys?� DevelopingEmpathy
Ø OtherPeople’sShoes
Finally….
Don’tfeelyouarepersonallyresponsibleforchangingstudents’
heartsandminds!
ReferenceMaterial-01CDETBandthePDST(2012),TacklingControversialIssuesintheClassroom,Dublin:CDETBCDVECandSadaka(2012,)PalesRne&IsraelHowWillThereBeaJustPeace?Dublin:CDVECClaire,H.andHolden,C.(2007),TheChallengeofTeachingControversialIssues,Stoke-on-Trent:TrenthamBooksCouncilofEurope(September2015),LivingwithControversy:TeachingControversialIssuesthroughEducaRonforDemocraRcCiRzenshipandHumanRights,Strasbourg:CouncilofEuropeCowan,P.andMaitles,H.(eds.)(2012),TeachingControversialIssuesintheClassroom:KeyIssuesandDebates,London:Con.nuumBooksDeBono,E.(2000),SixThinkingHats,(revisedandupdated),London:PenguinBooks[Summary]
ReferenceMaterial-02EqualityAuthority(2014),EqualityinSecond-LevelSchools:ATrainingManualforEducatorsandTrainers,Dublin:TheEqualityAuthorityEqualityAuthority(2011),SpotlightonStereotyping,Dublin:TheEqualityAuthorityGereluk,D.(2012),EducaRon,ExtremismandTerrorism:WhatshouldbetaughtinCiRzenshipEducaRonandWhy,London:Con.nuumBooksHeath,M.(2010),TacklingControversialIssuesintheClassroom:Prejudice(Headlinesseries),London:A&CBlackJamieson,A.andFlint,J.(2015),RadicalisaRonandTerrorism:ATeacher’sHandbookforAddressingExtremism,Dunstable:BrilliantPublica.onsOxfam(2006),TeachingControversialIssues,Oxford:OxfamTheCi.zenshipFounda.on(2003),TeachingaboutControversialIssues:GuidelinesforSchools,London:TheCi.zenshipFounda.on
ReferenceMaterial-03DevelopmentOp.ons(2015),FairViews:AdevelopmentEducaRonPhotopacktoincreaseawareness,deepenunderstandingandencourageacRononissuesofglobaljusRce,humanrightsandresponsibleciRzenship,Dublin:DevelopmentOp.onsDunne,Bríd(2015),GlobalJusRcePerspecRves:AnIgnaRanInspiredDevelopmentEducaRonResource,Dublin:IrishJesuitMissionOffice80:20(2016),80:20DevelopmentinanUnequalWorld(7thEdi.on,)Dublin:80:20
LearningInten.onsAttheendofthissessionpar.cipantswillbeableto:ü DefinewhataControversialIssueisü ExplainwhyanIssueisControversialü Provideara.onaleforteachingaboutControversialIssuesü Ar.culatetheCoreValuesarounddiscussingControversialIssues
ü DiscusshowtocreateaConduciveClimateü ListfiveTeacherStancesthatmaybeusedü FrameQues.onsfromfourStructuralperspec.vesü SuggestanumberofappropriateteachingandlearningStrategies