Whether one is on the left side or the rights side of the ism spectrum, politics provide an endless fodder for discussion and debate.  There are many people who wish to keep academia separate from the real world and that politics has no place in the sphere of education.  I would argue that these people have misconstrued the purpose of education.  If our public education system is intended to prepare students to move forward into the “real world” we have to be able to bring the “real world” to them – but in bite-sized and controlled chunks.  Certainly, it would not be responsible to set up the students to have a discussion about the implications of austerity measures in the eurozone without setting them up to think about both sides of the issues at hand.

One of the ways that I’m trying to develop their abilities to write arguments regarding substantive topics (W.9 – 10.1) or to write texts that convey complex ideas (W.9-10.2) or even to evaluate an argument is good (RI.9-10.8) is by bringing them face to face with current events.  How else can I teach them to discuss (SL.9-10.1) or to integrate multiple sources of information (SL9.-10.2) if I never give them the chance to bite into meaty subjects?  And what subjects are meatier than foreign policy, welfare, or health care reform?

Discussing these issues gives my often egotistical students the opportunity to look beyond themselves, their classrooms, and their narrow world and encourages them to see themselves as a part of a larger global community.  I want them to grow comfortable in their sense of self, instead of shrinking away from any thing that might ask them to question their knowledge and beliefs.

At least, this is what I’m going for.

I hope it works.

I mean, I’ve had some evidence that it has worked.  Occasionally, a student will tell me that they brought up something we talked about in class with their parents at home – and that they and their parents had an interesting talk.  Sometimes, a student will say “Hey, remember last year, when this thing happened?  Well I just heard that…”  I’ve even had students who have started listening to NPR on the way to school, because they’ve learned that the “grown ups” aren’t just talking over them, but often about them – and they’re interested in being part of that discussion.