Argumentation is a rational method used in all areas of life, including education, to solve a problem, dispute or conflict. Our study is based on a discursive textual analysis of the use and possibilities of argumentation in religious education and our aim is to interpret the argumentation used in religious education through Habermas' model. For…

Voting instruction typically provided to students is focused on educating for informed voting, but we believe it is essential that schools educate for informed and equitable voting. Indeed, in a well-functioning democratic society, participants need to be prepared to engage in critical, but civil, discourse with and about people who look and think…

The purpose of this Action Research study was to investigate and improve the use of trauma-informed practices for educators in K-12 contexts within the United States, particularly when facilitating conversations about consciousness-shifting current events (CSCEs) with students. Participants and data collected in Cycle 1 consisted of focus groups…

This document is the first of a semi-annual "stocktaking" publication to analyze various political trends impacting education and young people. Bellwether hopes to help the field separate signal from noise and provide context around various issues and trends affecting the sector. The impact of COVID-19 school closures on schools and…

These stories from art educators highlight how art and visual culture can bridge learning with lived experience. Written "by" and "for" art educators from all backgrounds and contexts, this volume offers guidance for expanding students' opportunities to critically examine current events, histories, and cultural assumptions in…

What should teachers do on the days after major events, tragedies, and traumas, especially when injustice is involved? This beautifully written book features teacher narratives and youth-authored student spotlights that reveal what classrooms do and can look like in the wake of these critical moments. Dunn incisively argues for the importance of…

This study investigated three teachers and their students at International School in Guatemala as they engaged with social issues through and with art. Student and teacher experiences were examined using critical theory, concerned with ideological conflicts that shape the curriculum and how knowledge is legitimated within schools and communities…

The manifestation of Campbell's Law is examined in light of the current era in American public schools of high stakes testing inclusive of narrowed curriculums and teaching to the test. The decades-long practice of reducing instructional time of non-tested subjects, which includes social studies fundamentals, has resulted in a less informed…

Today's teachers want to capture their learners' attention and strengthen their knowledge, skills, and dispositions "to make informed and reasoned decisions for the public good as citizens of a culturally diverse, democratic society in an interdependent world." Social studies class can become the place and time where young learners begin…

It is important that preservice educators have an awareness of geography, including city, county, state, and the broader globe. Ensuring that preservice educators are aware of new technologies to promote K-12 students' knowledge of geography is important. K-12 students can benefit by gaining 21st-century skills using problem solving, critical…

Public school boards and public education are increasingly under fire across the nation. Media coverage of current events and issues is often the main source of information for the public. Media portrayal of school boards and their operations is generally the only opportunity for the public to get information or to learn about what school boards…

U.S. students have consistently lagged behind their peers in other nations on international science assessments--a performance increasingly at odds with the challenge of being able to live and compete in a global environment, powered by innovations in science, engineering and technology. A strong foundation in science is clearly critical if…

Religion plays an important role in social studies content and is difficult to ignore, especially because of current world events. In our global society, it is more important than ever to know about and understand the religious beliefs of others. The social studies curriculum is infused with religion, but teachers circumvent the issue, mistakenly…

Middle school history teachers confront the same challenge every day: how to convey the breadth and depth of a curriculum that spans centuries, countries, and cultures. In "Making History Mine", Sarah Cooper shows teachers how to use thematic instruction to link skills to content knowledge. By combining thought-provoking activities and rich…

This biweekly newsletter contains news and information about school improvement in the United States, designed expressly for parents and families. This issue highlights the resignation of Rod Paige as Secretary of Education, and the nomination of Margaret Spellings by President Bush for the nation's top leadership position in education.