WHY STANDARDS?
The issue of offensive material in the classroom is usually not discussed. We have academic freedom to do just about anything we want under the guise of “teaching.” The problem is that NOW the intersection of our culture with the technology has significantly changed the rules of the game.
Yup, the Standards Police have arrived! BEWARE! As many of you already know, I have written on this topic in all of my books and several articles and blogs. Why? Because what we model or permit in the classroom, especially anything negative or contentious, will most likely be emulated by our students and pushed to the next level.
We have a responsibility to set appropriate guidelines and standards in our classroom as a learning environment and in our workplace. We need to filter what is in the culture before it contaminates our domains and diminishes our control and effectiveness. We need to sift through all of the material and extract what is positive, uplifting, and constructive to facilitate learning, not impede it. Anything that can offend our students can destroy their learning spirit and our classroom atmosphere.
SO WHERE’S THE PROBLEM?
The problem is (Are you ready? Do you want the truth? Can you handle the truth?): Media in our culture are OUT OF CONTROL. What we read, listen to, and see on TV, the Internet (particularly YouTube and social media), and Comedy Central, and in movies, theaters, and comedy clubs is now stretching the limits of decency. Much of that material is blatantly offensive and would be inappropriate in the classroom. I’m not saying that it is not entertaining; it just doesn’t belong in your classroom or department.
This blog series will address this problem and how you can set standards for a safe, productive, yet, also exciting, learning environment. I hope you will stick around.
COPYRIGHT © 2010 Ronald A. Berk, LLC
No comments:
Post a Comment