Action-Ed's Philosophy

A common misconception many people have about The Civic Mirror (and other game-based learning programs) is that it replaces traditional instruction – those moments where teachers explain key facts and concepts to their students. Nothing could be further from the truth.

In fact, if you look at the various Civic Mirror course packs and unit plans we’ve put together, you’ll see that we recommend educators devote a significant amount of time for good ole’ instruction and discussion. And referencing the “Reflection & Connection” piece that we believe is so important, most of the teachable moments the program provides would remain “untapped” unless fleshed out by the educator.

Another important point, as this video demonstrates, is that The Civic Mirror helps to make course readings more relevant and meaningful: Students can use and apply what they’re reading to their own country/citizen scenario. For example, the lecture shown in this video about the legal system was intentionally scheduled to occur right before the students’ first National Court event when their interest in the subject matter would be at its highest. As a result, the text became a playbook full of information and strategies the students could use in their own simulated scenario.

In sum, The Civic Mirror does not replace traditional instruction. If anything, it makes it more potent and relevant for students who would otherwise have no arena to use what they’re learning.

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ARE YOU WONDERING WHAT THE CIVIC MIRROR IS?
Basically it’s a government and economics simulation that turns classrooms into countries and students into citizens. Far more than just a game, The Civic Mirror is a fully comprehensive civic education program that turns the old rules of teaching and learning on their head. Students actively assume real-world citizenship roles – both in the classroom and online – and work as individuals to provide for imaginary families and achieve hidden agendas, while working together to build a strong, democratic nation.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT CIVICMIRROR.COM.

FOR THE COMPLETE CIVIC MIRROR EVENT SUMMARY, CLICK HERE .

Reflection & Connection

The Civic Mirror requires educators to let go of “the classroom reigns,” to have faith in their students and the experience, and to capitalize on the endless teachable moments it provides. The instructor’s most important role is to observe what’s happening and to connect the experience to her students’ lives and the curriculum. Simply put, the CM educator ideally helps her students understand what can and cannot be done, and helps them foresee the possible consequences of the various options. But she will NOT tell her students what “should” be done.

This video shows several clips of what I call student free flow. These scenes may seem rather innocuous (clips of students chattering), but there are stories of student learning behind each and every one them. For example, pay attention to the clip of the boy sulking in his chair in the computer lab. With a bit of prompting and encouragement on my (the teacher’s) part, the adversity he faced in The Civic Mirror was turned into a powerful – and maybe life-changing – learning experience (as you’ll see in the last video of this series).

There are also several clips of teacher coaching, mentoring, and interrupting in order to educate either small groups of students or the whole class. The Civic Mirror completely changes the classroom dynamics, providing a rich, student-centered learning environment, and an environment that frees up teachers so they can more meaningfully interact with their students.

DO YOU HAVE QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ABOUT THIS CIVIC MIRROR VIDEO TUTORIAL?
Please leave them below and join the discussion!

ARE YOU WONDERING WHAT THE CIVIC MIRROR IS?
Basically it’s a government and economics simulation that turns classrooms into countries and students into citizens. Far more than just a game, The Civic Mirror is a fully comprehensive civic education program that turns the old rules of teaching and learning on their head. Students actively assume real-world citizenship roles – both in the classroom and online – and work as individuals to provide for imaginary families and achieve hidden agendas, while working together to build a strong, democratic nation.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT CIVICMIRROR.COM.

FOR THE COMPLETE CIVIC MIRROR EVENT SUMMARY, CLICK HERE .

Performance-Based Self-Assessment

This video shows students learning how they will be evaluated throughout The Civic Mirror. Basically, at the end of every simulated year, students complete a self-evaluation rubric where they have to evaluate their ‘in-game’ performance in four areas that count equally. Then the instructor reviews the self-evaluation, cross-marks if needed, and records the mark. The four areas of evaluation are:

1. Success in the Simulation: encourages students to earn Status Points by achieving their Hidden Agendas or by providing well for the imaginary families.
2. Involvement & Attitude: encourages students to treat the simulated learning process with respect and view it as an experience that they can learn valuable lessons from.
3. Initiative: encourages students to take action and ownership of their learning and start things that add value to simulated experience.
4. Incorporation of Learning: encourages students to incorporate course material into their Civic Mirror experience.

The Civic Mirror utilizes well-researched and highly effective assessment methods (i.e. authentic, formative, and performance-based). The Instructors Manual explains this process in great detail, providing helpful tips for teachers too.

DO YOU HAVE QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ABOUT THIS CIVIC MIRROR VIDEO TUTORIAL?
Please leave them below and join the discussion!

ARE YOU WONDERING WHAT THE CIVIC MIRROR IS?
Basically it’s a government and economics simulation that turns classrooms into countries and students into citizens. Far more than just a game, The Civic Mirror is a fully comprehensive civic education program that turns the old rules of teaching and learning on their head. Students actively assume real-world citizenship roles – both in the classroom and online – and work as individuals to provide for imaginary families and achieve hidden agendas, while working together to build a strong, democratic nation.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT CIVICMIRROR.COM.

FOR THE COMPLETE CIVIC MIRROR EVENT SUMMARY, CLICK HERE .