America’s present economy, capital punishment and genetically modified organisms — we’ve all talked about these and other various contemporary and controversial issues in our classes.
While some of these topics are quite interesting and thought-provoking, others are harder for us to relate to and what some teens consider a waste of time. Nevertheless, these debates are important to students’ learning.
Students are often unaware of important controversial topics in society, and discussions about these matters in class help to widen students’ awareness. Many students are oblivious to the fact that there are various important events and issues occurring every day, some of which could affect them directly or alter their perspective on the world.
In-class discussions effectively inform them by allowing students to bring up and examine issues in class.
For example, when government workers were furloughed in October of last year as a result of an unsuccessful compromise between the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate on a bill, many people were either completely unaware of what was going on or unsure of what exactly it meant for the government to “shut down.” An in-depth discussion in a history class could therefore effectively update students and/or clarify any misconceptions about this national issue.
In fact, discussion of current issues happening in different countries or fields of interest allows students to appreciate other cultures and ideas more. Simple facts or ideas that pop up in class could potentially spark a student’s interest and inspire them to pursue important projects or research about it.
Additionally, debating opposing sides of an argument can increase students’ critical thinking skills. Contemporary issues often present an abundance of information and support for all sides, and students develop their cognitive skills by collecting and evaluating factual evidence and learning to discern what points they believe are correct and why.
Furthermore, bringing up widely debated issues in class encourages participation and allows students to increase their interpersonal skills through discussing various materials and thoughts with other students.
Students strengthen their communication and persuasive skills by sharing their thoughts, listening to others’ input, and cooperating to reach moderate conclusions. Discussions also allow normally taciturn people to comfortably express their insights in topics they are passionate about.
It is possible that debating controversial issues can be like proselytizing, as teachers often like to convey their own opinions and the topics themselves often force students to take a stand on a certain side. However, in reality these discussions can greatly affect a person’s future activeness in society, where many different people advocate totally opposite ideas and it is essential for a citizen to keep open-minded while distinguishing his or her own beliefs.
No matter what, class discussions about today’s issues and events bring no harm to a student’s education. They simply inform students about current happenings, introduce new topics and ideas for them to think about and improve both their critical thinking and interpersonal skills. And besides, who doesn’t like sharing their opinions?
