Have you registered to vote in the upcoming presidential election?
Did you know that the deadline is tomorrow, Tuesday, February 18th?
Do you know how your vote determines who our next president will be?
Could you explain the electoral college to your friends?
Do you know how and when voting was set up in the United States of America?
I would venture to guess that a lot of adults could not comfortably answer these questions. Which is why it is so important that our kids can. Have you ever seen a 7 year old stand up and get fired up over a conversation about the electoral college? Or debate their own position on the Equal Rights Amendment? Probably not because most people assume these are questions and conversations for adults and not children.
Not only are we teaching all of our kids about the election process and involving them in hands on activities so that they can truly understand how it works, but we are challenging them to think about whether or not they think it works. At Indi-ED we don’t just teach you, we ask you to think about what we teach for yourselves, to challenge ideas, to think critically about all topics.
Socratic Discussion are one of the ways that we provide an open and safe space for children to do just that, respectfully challenge ideas and each other, to think critically about what they have been taught, to ask questions, to actively listen and consider everyone’s opinions and additional facts that they may not have been privy to. These are the types of discussions that allow us to grow as individuals, as a cohort, and as a country.