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