#14 - Diana Hess - Classroom Conversations in an Era of Political Polarization

Fishing For Problems

Dr. Diana Hess is the Dean of the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s School of Education. She is also the principal investigator of The Discussion Project, a professional development program that aims to strengthen campus wide capacity to create welcoming, engaging, and academically rigorous classroom environments in which students experience productive classroom discussions on important issues and topics. The topics of this conversation are drawn from a 2013 paper titled Classroom Deliberation in an Era of Political Polarization and a 2015 book titled The Political Classroom: Evidence and Ethics in Democratic Education, both co-authored with Dr. Paula McAvoy, a recent guest of the show. Dr. Hess is also the author of the 2009 book, Controversy in the Classroom. This episode is part of a larger series on how to engage students in controversial political topics in the K-12 classroom. If you enjoy what you hear, please be sure to write a review and share it with your friends and colleagues.