Schools can teach better ways to manage Social Media.
Asked...
We’re facing so many digital-use-based challenges these days. How can we possibly meet the needs of our students?
Answered...
Depolarizing Discourse is a streamlined curriculum for improved digital citizenship that is both measurable and demonstrable.
Harnessing cognitive flexibility
When school settings succumb to the cultural trends of with vs. against, or us vs. them dialogues, students can feel compelled to censor themselves rather than share honest opinions or ask probing questions for fear of judgment by their peers. They’ve been trained by regular interaction with tech platforms to make snap judgments.
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Depolarizing Discourse brings objectivity back to schools so that students do not feel like their personal values are under attack.
Better for the community
Hiring additional counselors or wellness resources can stretch budgets thin. This is a proactive approach to mental health that leverages existing faculty.
Set squarely at the intersection of academics and mental health, Depolarizing Discourse bolsters whole school communities. Using a pass-the-baton model, in addition to training the students, teachers train one another, so everyone reaps mental health benefits of repeated cognitive flexibility practice.
The Mission
Depolarizing Discourse diffuses the emotionally charged tenor of schools, creating more open learning environments for students and faculty, where insight comes from wrestling with topics vulnerably and in earnest.
Rather than teach students to seek the right answers, Depolarizing Discourse teaches the skills needed to reflexively get to more right or better answers - answers that include varied perspectives from multiple stakeholders.
The Vision
A world where everyone is able to share ideas openly and learn without fear of rejection in order to generate better solutions to problems.