Recommended Reading: Westheimer – “No Child Left Thinking: Democracy At-Risk in American Schools”

This is a great article to read when thinking about the teaching of democracy, citizenship, and ideology. Westheimer makes a strong argument about why we need to include lessons that build critical thinking skills and stronger citizenship. I will summarize and quote some of Westheimer’s points here however, I strongly recommend reading this article in full. It is also found in our course outline.

Westheimer’s argument and alarming evidence that students are left not thinking:

He begins this article by explaining that recently, “some of the very foundations of democratic engagement, such as independent thinking and critical analysis, have come under attack. If being a good democratic citizen requires thinking critically about important social assumptions, then that foundation of citizenship is at odds with recent trends in education policy. In the past five years, hundreds of schools, districts, states, and even the federal government have enacted policies that seek to restrict critical analysis of historical and contemporary events in the school curriculum” (p 4).

Some thought provoking and alarming examples used:

-“In June 2006, the Florida Education Omnibus Bill included language specifying that, “The history of the United States shall be taught as genuine history.... American history shall be viewed as factual, not as constructed, shall be viewed as knowable, teachable, and testable. For example, the bill requires that only facts be taught when it comes to discussing the “period of discovery” and the early colonies. Florida is perhaps the first state to ban historical interpretation in public schools, thereby effectively outlawing critical thinking” (p 4).

-“In Colorado, a student was suspended for posting flyers advertising a student protest.”

-“In Bay City, Michigan, wearing a Tshirt with an anti-war quotation by Albert Einstein was grounds for suspension” (p 4).

Negative outcomes from implemented testing:

Westheimer argues that the relentless focus on testing and “achievement” means that time for in-depth critical analysis of ideas is diminished (p 5).

-“Because of the immense pressure to achieve high academic results on exams and elevate prestigious college entrance rates, independent schools are “over-directed” so that students do not have “sufficient opportunity or incentive to think for themselves.” Increasingly following formulas that “spoonfeed” students to succeed on narrow academic tests, independent schools, Hubbard warned, “teach students not to think.”

Westheimer found that, “ ‘good citizenship’ to many educators means listening to authority figures, dressing neatly, being nice to neighbors, and helping out at a soup kitchen — not grappling with the kinds of social policy decisions that every citizen in a democratic society needs to learn how to do” (7). Therefore we, as educators, need to look beyond this definition of citizenship and move towards teaching and being the social-justice oriented citizen.

"Belief in the fundamental importance of education for democracy has been long-standing. And yet these beliefs are at risk in schools today" (p 8).

Solution:

“For democracy to remain vibrant, educators must convey to students that critical thinking and action are both important components of democratic civic life. Moreover, students must learn that they have important contributions to make. Democracy is not a spectator sport” (p 8).

Article also includes:

This article includes an organized chart that categorizes three types of citizens to help you, as a teacher, to know what catagory you tend to be aiming for in you lessons. Those categories include: the personally responsible citizens, the participatory citizens, and the social-justice oriented citizens. It also significantly includes resources for teachers, with direct links, that cover topics such as current issues on the war in Iraq and terrorism and teaching with the news.

 Check it out!http://www.democraticdialogue.com/DDpdfs/DD17-Westheimer.pdf

-Sarah

Work Cited

Westheimer , J.(2008). “No Child Left Thinking: Democracy at-risk in American schools.” Colleagues 3 (2), 8.  http://www.democraticdialogue.com/DDpdfs/DD17-Westheimer.pdf (accessed on February 26, 2013).