Last week we were honored to have visitors from Denmark, from a high school and Aaolborg University in Copenhagen.
The group was motivated to come to the U.S. to learn more about the Touchstones program, which we have used in grades 3, 5 and Middle School since this Fall. This incredible program has a simple premise: Students sit in a circle and discuss a famous piece of writing that addresses a complex ethical theme or issue.
Teachers facilitate the discussion, but do not lead it, allowing students to take the lead. This year, students have tackled issues such as “Does money cause worries,” and “Is revenge ever right?”
The scholars from Denmark wanted to learn about how to address difficult issues, particularly in multicultural settings. They were motivated, in part, because of recent terrorist attacks and how the country, which has long been racially homogenous, is starting to become more diverse.
They chose to visit LCCS because of our involvement with Touchstones as a way to think about important issues, and because of our incredible diversity.
During their visit to LCCS they visited two Touchstone classes, one that was addressing classism and the other that was analyzing a passage of the classic French text, Democracy in America, by Alexis de Tocqueville.
Here are some of their reflections:
“To see that 5th graders were having these really major discussions about really large philosophical issues and concepts was interesting to see,” said Iben Jensen.
“We wanted to get an idea of whether this is something we can bring to our classrooms,” said Ulla Hojmark Jensen. “How do you encourage a democratic classroom?”
“We have a lot of challenges in our country, and we don’t really know how to talk about race and diversity. We have such a short history when it comes to diversity,” said Mira Skadegard Thorsen.
“We wanted to see how a diverse community works.”
It’s a tremendous honor that these scholars chose LCCS out of the many schools across the country that participate in Touchstones. Thanks to Ms. Muse, Mr. Coven, Ms. Klaslo, Ms. Wuerthner, and Mr. Diamond - our dedicated teachers who are making this incredible program such a success!
