“Bang, Bang, You’re Dead”
Philosophy: In this case, Ryan assumes that his grade 6 students are more open minded than his colleagues. In your opinion, is it truly open-mindedness that his students are exhibiting? Why or why not?
I would argue that the grade 6 students are more open-minded than his colleagues. The reason I would say this is because the students are being presented with questions on a topic that they have not already formed a strong opinion on, whereas his colleagues seem to have already made up their mind on the issue prior to their conversation. I believe this has a lot to do with how the conversations were presented. Ryan prepped his students for the conversation by asking their opinions and if they were willing to share. When offered answers, Ryan presented his students with another question which caused a shift in critical thinking. On the other hand, during the conversation with his colleagues, the conversation wasn’t open to critical thinking, it was more of a statement made to support ones already set thinking. What comes to mind in this circumstance is fixed mindset versus growth mindset. The students are exhibiting a growth mindset by being open to alternative points of view and being responsive to the questions that Ryan is asking. On the other hand, Ryans colleagues are exhibiting a fixed mindset because they are not responsive to the statements made or questions asked, but rather keep restating their own thoughts as well as being dismissive of Ryan’s opinions. All in all, when comparing the colleagues’ lack of ability to be impartial and the student’s ability to take part in a difficult conversation, I would say the students exhibited open-mindedness.
