I passed out a number of articles in class today, most pertaining to religion in schools. If you snagged one, read over it. Our goal in this section is to gain a solid understanding of this issue. By the end, we should all have a solid understanding of the nuances of this issue, the rationale behind many sides of the argument, and a much clearer view of our own opinions. Simply, in a few weeks we all should be able to hold an intelligent conversation about religion’s place in the public school system.

As with all of our discussions, we are not striving for consensus ((Remember “groupthink” from psychology? If not, ask your teacher.)), nor are we looking to establish a two-sided, pro/con debate; this is a complex issue ((Overview from ReligiousTolerance.org)) ((Overview from Pew Forum)), and I expect each of you to do enough research so you can thoughtfully contribute to our discussions. This means some independent study: confine your article analyses ((Here’s a non-argumentative article about headscarves in Belgium schools. While our focus will be on the American system, this is a very recent addition to the debate.)) to this subject, talk with family members, religious leaders, teachers, and such about their thoughts, read up on important court cases ((Scopes Trial)) ((Kitzmiller v. Dover Area School District)), etc.

We will continue our discussion of rhetorical devices, logical arguments and fallacies, and appeals throughout this session.

If you come across any resources, please post them below or print them out. Bring all information to class; share the wealth!

will be fueled by our creations.

Today we discussed motivations, which led us to Freud’s pleasure principle. Here’s a clip from the board:

How’s the search coming? If you have a video that you’d like to share, post it in the comments section below. Here’s one from Gwyn that she posted under the previous header:

The video’s from Ted.com are always amazing, and this is no exception. The speaker contends (among many other things) that adults have learned to be frightened of being “wrong.” Has anyone seen Meet the Robinsons?

Our discussion tomorrow will be based on the articles and information we bring in. Remember, it is one thing to know something, but quite another to understand and use this understanding to create.

Here are a few more articles from you guys:

• The declining American high school graduation rate: Evidence, sources, and consequences
• Successful School Breaks the Rules

And one from another teacher:

• What Makes Finnish Kids So Smart?

Here is the video that began our discussion this week:

We’ve discussed what it means to be a student, what a school should provide an how, but what should we as individuals do when faced with this information? Do we dismiss it as alarmist, or do we need to make some changes? What are these changes? Do we think this is this an inevitable change in society, or is there something we can do to stop it? As individuals? As a class? As a school? What is within our power to change? What do we need help with in order to facilitate these changes?

Oh, the quest(ions) continue….

Some things to read while thinking about this:

Japan Looks to a Robot Future

The Mother Theresa of Baghdad

and to look at:

It’s a kitten, in a bucket, surrounded by yarn! Clear your thoughts and imagine your future.

• EDin08 is a group of political lobbyists seeking to influence the current presidential candidates in their policies.
• It is funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation, and is a project of the Rockefeller Philanthropy Group.
• This is a trailer for a movie.

Write about your thoughts, reactions, solutions, or arguments.  Post below if you’d like.