HOW EDUCATION AND TRAINING ON THE 7 RULES IMPACTS DEMOCRACY IN SOCIETY

[This section will complement the INTRODUCTION by Ted Weisgal on his experiences, and why he advocates for the 7 Rules to change the rigid structures and empower people to participate equally and fully in reforms]

[Emily Nghiem will add a statement of recommendation, addressing the lack of representation and participation in policy reforms, and how basic education in facilitating groups to communicate their positions and agreed solutions applies to government reforms, from education to media, as well as environmental and health care policy that requires direct representation of local communities. These tools to participate in the democratic process are necessary to educate and empower community members, so that people can learn the process of law enforcement and fulfill the responsibility of self government.]

EDUCATION AND BENEFITS FOR DEMOCRATIC REFORM


A national organization, Engineering for Kids, almost nails it with this educational exercise:
“Real problems, pretend play--
Bring a real-world problem, such as world hunger or global warming, to pretend play and ask the kids to think of solutions. For example, if they were the president of the United States of America, how would they solve these issues? Such critical thinking games allow kids to learn about their surroundings and be aware of their environment while critically thinking about issues and how to work around them.”

While the intent here is commendable, this raises two questions:
1) Do kindergarteners have the intellectual foundation to address either of these problems; 2) Will there be a lasting takeaway?

As an alternative, I offer this exercise:


Each kindergartener reviews two age-appropriate library books. They dictate to the teacher the reasons the book of their choice should be purchased by the school. This dictation is shared with the class. Based on the totality of the reports, the students vote for the book of their choice and advance this vote to the student government that makes the final decision. This decision, one for each grade, is reported to the entire student body.

In 1st grade students replicate the same exercise, except teams of five students discuss the merits of three books before sharing their thoughts with the teacher. In doing this, they are learning RONR and experiencing critical thinking. Debates like this should continue through 12th grade in preparing students for a life of peaceful engagement and dispute resolution.

Later, at an appropriate age, they may be asked to look at ways to address world hunger and/or global warming, using RONR as the tool for dialogue and investigation. 

I think this is a better approach to critical thinking, one that will produce dividends for years to come.

THE 98 RULES: HIGHLIGHTS

We are at the end. This is where RONR currently begins. He talks about:

·       Is the motion in order when another has the floor

·       Does the motion require a 2nd

·       Is the motion debatable

·       Is the motion amendable

·       What vote is required

·       Can the motion be reconsidered

There are 98 motions in the 12th edition of RONR. They provide a significant body to study. While important, we hope that in the preceding we have made our case that the seven rules for Small Boards and Committees is the place to start.

Let the debate begin.

Footnote:
Responding to the question: Is American education calcified or fluid, AI produced the following: “The American education system is a complex landscape with elements of both rigidity and adaptability. While some aspects remain entrenched in traditional practices and structures, there's a growing push for innovation, flexibility, and personalized learning to better meet the diverse needs of students in a rapidly changing world.”

Responding to this essay, we hope you, especially if you are a teacher, demonstrate innovation, flexibility, and personalized learning and we all see the dividends that come from it.


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