What is Willful Blindness

This chapter offers a set of philosophical, historical, and critical lenses to examine the U.S. educational system. The authors show how US schools have been built on philosophies and structures dating back to the earliest days of Western Civilization, and how many of these ideas and practices have perpetuated long-standing societal and educational inequalities. They also show how a set of more modern philosophies and pedagogical models can be used in schools to dramatically shift power relations and deepen student engagement. They discuss how the convergence of new thinking, new purposes, and the use of new twenty-first century educational technologies can help educational institutions and schools make the jump from traditional, inequitable educational systems, to more modern, empowering, and equitable institutions. The chapter concludes with a set of specific instructional strategies that can help schools and teachers effectively apply new learning technologies to amplify student voice and provide student-centered learning opportunities.