Two starting points and supporting resources for the lessons are the Red Blue Dictionary, which attempts to explain key terms and concepts from various political perspectives, and a non-school edition of AllSides, which presents news articles from three political perspectives ( right, left, center). When classrooms are properly prepared for private discourse, there is the Mismatch platform. It connects classroom learners across the United States to participate in small breakout discussions on structured prompts. Video conferencing platforms bring together small groups with different perspectives for structured conversations with clear guidelines. Learning/materials for learners and educators are on hand to maximize the potential for constructive dialogue on issues that may appear divisive at first.
AllSides for Schools is versatile. On the one hand, it could be a small part of a unit investigating topics such as media literacy, research and bias. Educators may choose several activities and lessons to build a classroom foundation of self-reflection and critical thinking. For this purpose, educators can use bias analysis tools or use the Relationships First lesson in combination with one of her topic-based lessons. Meanwhile, AllSide could be a big part of ongoing civic and current affairs investigations. Learners can work through all lessons and discussions and stay up to date with current events through Story of the Week activities. Along the way, learners delve into their own positions on issues, see where they agree/disagree with others, and try to understand the factors that influence those beliefs.
From there, AllSides can be easily integrated into persuasive/argument writing and speaking units. As learners improve their position on issues, you can conduct research using AllSides and other sources and discuss issues with learners outside the classroom through the Mismatch program. The skills learners learn and practice are similar to those of debate, but remember that AllSides is not about winning arguments. Instead, it’s best suited for governance units, where learners use the concepts, skills, and content they’ve learned to explore solutions to problems through collaboration and compromise.
More and more, we seem to be faced with complex issues that require thoughtful and careful discussion. Being able to participate in these discussions and collaborate with others from different backgrounds and perspectives to design solutions to social problems is an essential skill that learners need. But that discourse can seem like an impossible goal to educators who understand how polarizing things can be. The document highlights the fact that it doesn’t happen. Instead, the materials encourage learners to look inward first to better understand their own perspectives. There is a handy set of tools designed to help you detect bias in the sources of your information and, perhaps most importantly, learn how to speak and listen to others. Once you’ve mastered it, you can embark on a variety of topic-based lessons and interact with other classroom learners through Mismatch. Along the way, there is a healthy focus on discussion rather than debate.
However, during the review process, we ran into a few bugs.There is also some pending content. Most important is the lesson about race. Considering AllSides is spread across at least three different sites or experiences, it can get a little confusing. In the future, it would be nice to have a more streamlined user experience. And of course, measurements of “bias” (especially the red-to-blue range) are subjective, and learners should be encouraged to think critically about her AllSides assessment. That said, for educators who want to explore current affairs, controversial issues, and social justice, AllSides for Schools can be an excellent starting point for meaningful and rigorous learning. It’s a collection of tools that you would normally have to search for and link to yourself.
Website: https://allsidesforschool.org/
User’s overall consensus about the app
learner engagement
Learning materials help you respectfully ask questions, self-analyze, debate, and engage with peers on compelling and controversial issues.
Curriculum and instruction
AllSides recognizes that building quality communication and analytical skills is necessary to foster genuine debate about complex issues.
customer support
There are tips and PD materials for building classroom culture and shaping discussions. Some broken links.
