Learn More - How CM Uses Technology to Enhance Learning

The Civic Mirror's web-technology allows teachers and students to take their learning to heights that would otherwise not be possible. The online program not only provides the simulated country scenario, but does three exciting things:

1. The Civic Mirror provides an infrastructure for learning that extends beyond the classroom in a variety of ways:
   
   
   • Students are given online accounts that they can use to access the simulation from home
   
   
   • The program provides a complex country scenario with a simulated economy, a natural environment, a trading system, and an online and interactive community that simply cannot be replicated in a classroom without online technology
   
   
   • The program comes with online discussion boards and wikis that allow students to talk about civic issues in their simulated country as well as the real world with each other and with others students from all over the world.
   
   
   • Instructors can use the above features to post discussion prompts that focus their students attention to particular curricular objectives related to their simulated country E.g. "Does the widening gap between the rich & poor in your simulated country also exist in your real life community?"


2. The Civic Mirror enhances the quality of education in the classroom.
   
   
   • The online program literally sets up super-charged classroom events that replicate the intended civic system. Students come to class hyped-up to participate in the political, economic, legal, and other simulated events.
   
   
   • Because the country scenario runs itself, the preparatory burden of planning fun & exciting lessons on a daily basis no less is taken off the teachers shoulders, allowing her to facilitate, mentor, and focus on the needs of the students
   
   
   • The program allows for student-led, constructivist learning because the teacher does not have to guide them through traditional, text-driven lessons
   
   
   • Ultimately, by experiencing what it's like to be a responsible citizen living in a country with all the key components, students begin to grasp how our system and society works (e.g. branches of government, the economy, the environment, a peoples culture, etc.) and what they need to do to prepare for a successful life as a citizen living in a democracy.


3. The Civic Mirror helps familiarize students and educators with cutting-edge, web 2.0 technology.
   The task of "covering" the curriculum is impossible enough, let alone design lessons that educate students on how to use internet technology. The Civic Mirror allows you to do both. While students are learning more about government, economics, and citizenship than you ever thought possible, they're also learning some great skills, such as:
   
   
   • How to use and participate in online discussion forums
   
   
   • How to use & manipulate a web-based program, keeping track of personal & financial information (albeit simulated)
   
   
   • How to use wiki technology to create web-based content

“The Civic Mirror is an amazing tool for college students. Through the simulation, our class has not only learned more about our political system, but also about ourselves as students and citizens. It’s brought our class together and got us talking about important issues in our country and in our world and what we can do to change them. I would recommend this program to colleges everywhere.”

Megan Claire, student, College of San Mateo, San Mateo, CA