School apologizes over pro-Nazi essay assignment

[Malthus]

Meh, I'd have loved that assignment as a kid.

[derspiess]

I dont understand what the issue is.

I guess it would be highly dependent upon the maturity level of the class.  But that aside, yeah, a non-issue.  One of my favorite classes in college was a political science class that went pretty in depth into Communism, Fascism, and Nazism.  In each of the topics the instructor told us we'd have to think like a communist, fascist, or Nazi, as difficult as that may be, to really learn it.  And of course nobody came out of that class goosestepping or reciting Marx as if it were the gospel.

[CountDeMoney]

There are better ways to do that kind of exercise.

[garbon]

There are better ways to do that kind of exercise.

Agreed.

[merithyn]

There are better ways to do that kind of exercise.

Yep

[Ed Anger]

I dont understand what the issue is.

I guess it would be highly dependent upon the maturity level of the class.  But that aside, yeah, a non-issue.  One of my favorite classes in college was a political science class that went pretty in depth into Communism, Fascism, and Nazism.  In each of the topics the instructor told us we'd have to think like a communist, fascist, or Nazi, as difficult as that may be, to really learn it.  And of course nobody came out of that class goosestepping or reciting Marx as if it were the gospel.

I think like a fascist all the time.

[grumbler]

There are better ways to do that kind of exercise.

Okay, teach.

[grumbler]

There are better ways to do that kind of exercise.

Yep

Nope.

[garbon]

There are better ways to do that kind of exercise.

Yep

Nope.

I think you have a point if you think the assignment was pointless. Otherwise, I would think there would have to be a better way to think critically about how people could have espoused such awful views without asking students to defend the premise that Jews are evil.

[CountDeMoney]

There are better ways to do that kind of exercise.

Okay, teach.

I'm sure even you could've come up with something better than "You must argue that Jews are evil, and use solid rationale from government propaganda to convince me of your loyalty to the Third Reich!" for a critical thinking exercise.

[CountDeMoney]

I think you have a point if you think the assignment was pointless. Otherwise, I would think there would have to be a better way to think critically about how people could have espoused such awful views without asking students to defend the premise that Jews are evil.

You're not a teacher, and obviously only Teacher Knows Best.

[garbon]

I think you have a point if you think the assignment was pointless. Otherwise, I would think there would have to be a better way to think critically about how people could have espoused such awful views without asking students to defend the premise that Jews are evil.

You're not a teacher, and obviously only Teacher Knows Best.

I guess that's why teachers are often up against the wall when budgetary issues come along.

[grumbler]

I think you have a point if you think the assignment was pointless. Otherwise, I would think there would have to be a better way to think critically about how people could have espoused such awful views without asking students to defend the premise that Jews are evil.

I don't think you understand what Naziism was about.   The premise that Jews were evil is at the core of Nazi beliefs.  To say that students should try to think like a Nazi but not to think of Jews as evil is absurd on the face of it.   Your concept only works if the exercise is designed to be a useless joke.

[grumbler]

I'm sure even you could've come up with something better than "You must argue that Jews are evil, and use solid rationale from government propaganda to convince me of your loyalty to the Third Reich!" for a critical thinking exercise.

It is a terrific exercise.  It forces the students to actually read the rationales that the Nazis actually created here in the real world, instead of just making shit up on their own.  It makes the familiar unfamiliar, and the unfamiliar familiar.

Most people don't like to think, and so they don't like exercises like this that require thinking.   You sound like you just don't want people writing about Nazis because they are "so icky."

[grumbler]

You're not a teacher, and obviously only Teacher Knows Best.

Obviously, Teacher Knows a Fuckton More Than You Do!