2022 MIDTERM POLLS HOW TO

The simulation aims to pull back the curtain on political campaigns, increase understanding of the role of media in politics, develop students’ skills in argumentation and data literacy, and reduce polarization. Jeremy Stoddard, professor and director of the secondary teacher education program at UW–Madison, will present about his ambitious project, PurpleState - an interactive simulation he and a team of education researchers have created that allows students to step into the role of a political strategist. “I want educators to be aware of how courts have responded to past legal challenges involving classroom discussions and instruction.” “In this current political climate, educators may have questions about how much leeway they have during these discussions and whether they could be disciplined for their classroom speech,” Eckes said. Engeleiter Professor of Education Law, Policy, and Practice at UW–Madison, will lead a session about educator speech inside and outside the classroom, and what teachers need to know about the First Amendment and academic freedom. Other sessions will focus on subjects including analyzing news on social media and what role midterm elections play in shaping the political landscape.

2022 MIDTERM POLLS HOW TO

Hess, who has decades of experience researching how to have respectful, nuanced, and engaging classroom discussions about difficult subjects, will deliver the keynote address at the conference. “But this is a great opportunity - because the need is so great - to be able to show that quality civic education can be done well even during challenging times.” Dean Diana Hess is an expert in fostering productive, nuanced classroom discussions about difficult subjects. “There’s a growing level of anxiety among teachers about how and what they can teach,” said Diana Hess, dean of the UW–Madison School of Education. As the midterms draw nearer and students return to classrooms this fall, teachers and administrators must contend with the compounding factors of increased polarization and increased political attention on curriculum and day-to-day classroom activities. The Teaching About the 2022 Elections conference acknowledges that educators face a unique challenge in teaching about elections this year. Experts in politics, civic education, and media literacy will gather at UW–Madison later this month to provide a day of training and support for educators preparing to teach about the 2022 midterm elections.

2022 midterm polls