censorship

censorship was a topic I never considered when developing a curriculum. Reichman says that "ambiguity and confusion are far less likely to result if a school's policies are set down clearly and concisely for all to see". But how is this possile? It is very hard to separate fact from opinion in a classroom. We all feel a range of emotions and compassion for the past. If a teacher is discussing the holocaust, can they do that without making the Germans seem like the bad guys? And what would happen if this belief went against the strict policies set down? And if a strict policy is set that means that these policy makers are strictly deciding what a student or should or should not learn. They can choose to take out parts of our history that they do not want children to learn in order to mold them. This topics came up in class and I thought more about it when I came home. The first genocide that ever occured came from thoughts and opinions within those people. Learning about genocides, slavery and the holocaust, teach us the negative outcomes of all of these events and they help to prevent history from repeating itself. If these events are just removed from textbooks and the curriculum people will not know what has happened in the past and it could potentially happen all over again and if it does, then who is to blame? http://www.ncac.org/education/schools/ This is the National Coalition Against Censorship site. It lists the reasons against censorship, including our first amendment right to free speech. I thought this would interest the class, I hope you all read it.