Thursday, June 05, 2008

Justice O'Connor lends her name to an online civics program for middle schoolers

Personally, I think this is a great idea. Justice O'Connor is colloborating with James Paul Gee, a professor at Georgetown on Our Courts, "an upcoming online learning program for middle school students." See G4C: Justice O'Connor Talks Our Courts Learning Game; Retired Justice Developing Online Civics Lessons; ASU Law school press release.

Without repeating much of the article or drawing unnecessary attention to the shot against No Child Left Behind, the site essentially provides an additional and relevant source for middle schoolers to see civics. According to the article, "Our Courts will have two components, said O'Connor: a curriculum portion that educators can use, and another part young people can use in their free time to argue and discuss real judicial problems. The need for such a project has become even stronger in recent years, she added, since the No Child Left Behind Act 'squeezed out civics education' from public education."

Overall, I think this sort of collaboration is a great public service and hopefully will inspire others to do the same. I wish I had something like that when I was in middle school (notwithstanding the fact I didn't have the internet back then either).

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