| OCR Text |
Show page 10 lessons, Fail 2004 Lisa Diamond is a professor in the department of psychology. negotiate her own values in the classroom in order to stay neutral. "It is a delicate task to make students aware of the variety of truths because some students have more conservative views/' says Diamond. As it is hard to uphold neutrality on controversial topics, Diamond feels that her job is to manage imbalanced standpoints and validate opposite views, especially since she teaches classes that deal with psychology, gender, and sexuality matters. Religion and morality frequently trigger automatic responses which may not elicit one's most rational behavior. However, according to Diamond, students are usually extremely respectful during in-class debates. "I'm surprised at how mature students are at entertaining different point-of-views. It was a relief to find that most students are religion-wise and are willing, able to, and interested in hearing about the issues they disagree on," said Diamond. "Sensitivity is hard because I can't always read students' minds by monitoring their facial expressions to be able to tell if they are comfortable talking about certain subjects." Still, Diamond does not stifle opinions and enjoys hearing "unsafe" point-of-views because there is no right or wrong. Furthermore, she will inject contradicting assumptions to make students think differently. In Diamond's opinion, it is important to put forth the method of analysis rather than a stern conclusion. When it comes to class assignments that demonstrate extreme opinions such as abortion or reproductive rights Diamond is "hyper-sensitive" to not allow her values interfere with her project evaluation. "I look at the references and sources students use to back up their reaction, they must have enough evidence to support their assertions," said Diamond. In regards to using potentially controversial or inflam- matory materials, Diamond feels that it is crucial to expose students to reality and deconstruct unsupported beliefs. When dealing with videos of an offensive nature, she will warn students in advance so that they know what to expect. Her philosophy is to be honest and up-front to her students and leave them the responsibility to make decisions. Rob Mayer, a professor of family and consumer studies, also deals with controversial global issues by presenting students with multiple sides. According to Mayer, students are always eager to know his opinion on certain subjects, so he must be as objective as possible. "There is never a right or wrong so I resist to telling students what I think because often I may not be sure what I believe since I see more than one side to everything." Mayer believes that if he tells students the answer it shortcuts the purpose of getting them to think for themselves. Thus, he often answers a student's question with a question. When students ask him, "What do you think?" he will answer them by saying, "What do YOU think?" This strategy avoids students finding the easy way out by simply agreeing with him. Mayer added, "This might sound wimpy but it helps students communicate their own beliefs because students tend to agree with me as they respect and look up to me as their professor." To Mayer, the challenge in facilitating critical thinking in the classroom is when the subject matter being discussed becomes so explicit that students shut out due to their defense mechanisms. Mayer, however, welcomes challenges of views because it helps create a better learning atmosphere. He trains students to think independently by synthesizing multiple perspectives so as to see the world in a brighter, different light. Strong opinions are based on personal experiences. Therefore, Mayer will immediately jump to the other side of an argument once he feels that there is an imbalance of opinions. His intention is to get students to think "outside the box" by looking at the strengths and weaknesses of an argument. Ann Darling, associate professor and chair of the Department of Communication, reveals that it is hard not to assert personal opinions. Moreover, stereotyping is not always based on religion. "I think we all thing about our own spiritual commitments often, if not daily. It's hard for me to imagine who I would be without those commitments." To Darling, it is not about teaching students from different backgrounds. It makes no difference teaching students of the Catholic, Muslim, Buddhist, LDS, Christian or any other religion. Teaching and learning is a process that goes beyond religious conceptions. Darling believes that "teaching and learning are by nature sacred and spiritual acts" because they not only establish teacher-student relationships in the classroom but they also enhance the intellect by creating alternative viewpoints. Learning about different outlooks enable enlightened thinking and lead to self discovery. Originally from Albuquerque, Ann Darling was raised |
