Inaugural Post

Since this is a big election year, I thought my inaugural (get it? Election ... Inaugural) post could be about political literacy.

I am not a political guru. Sure, I have my opinions but they are not often based on a wealth of information. Essentially, I am politically illiterate. I'm not proud of it. I know I should be more aware of the issues. But it just gets so darn confusing, and it's tough for me to decipher who is telling the truth. And frankly, despite my good intentions to educate myself, when election time rolls around the bickering and sidestepping just wear me out.

Yet, the responsibility to educate ourselves, our students, and our children about America's political process remains. And I truly believe it is an important responsibility.

As a teacher, I enjoy Scholastic's materials. (This is not an endorsement, just a statement of fact.) The company currently has a set of 2012 Election Skills Books available for grades K-10. According to the e-mail I received, the books have critical thinking exercises, graphs, charts, and maps (visual literacy!) for classrooms to read, think about, and discuss. What a great way to sharpen the political literacy skills of our future leaders!

Thanks for reading! It keeps your ...  Mind Full of Literacy!