Most recent public comments by Nicholas Wright https://nowcomment.com/users/136508 https://nowcomment.com/documents/349842?scroll_to=3090837 https://nowcomment.com/documents/349842?scroll_to=3090837 Wed, 19 Jul 2023 05:17:20 -0400 https://nowcomment.com/documents/350952?scroll_to=3090300 https://nowcomment.com/documents/350952?scroll_to=3090300 Tue, 18 Jul 2023 08:28:42 -0400 https://nowcomment.com/documents/350952?scroll_to=3090297 https://nowcomment.com/documents/350952?scroll_to=3090297 Tue, 18 Jul 2023 08:28:00 -0400 https://nowcomment.com/documents/350952?scroll_to=3090294 https://nowcomment.com/documents/350952?scroll_to=3090294 Tue, 18 Jul 2023 08:26:08 -0400 https://nowcomment.com/documents/350952?scroll_to=3090292 https://nowcomment.com/documents/350952?scroll_to=3090292 One of the "Wicked Problems" in this text is the politicization of book banning. This matters because it has the potential to limit the freedom of educators to choose materials best suited for their students and to deprive them of the opportunity to explore different perspectives on a variety of issues. The quote, “It’s being driven by legislation, it’s being driven by politicians aligning with one side or the other. And in the end, the librarian, teacher or educator is getting caught in the middle,” shows the challenge of having political interests dictate these decisions. Another "Wicked Problem" is that those making the decisions often lack the expertise in the areas that they are trying to regulate. For example, legislators may have little knowledge of the appropriate age level for certain materials. This matters because it could lead to books which are inappropriate or ill-suited for some age groups being banned. The quote, “The politicalization of the topic is what's different than what I’ve seen in the past,” shows that the decision makers may not be trained in assessing materials for education or the effects of banning certain materials. Remember, any "Wicked Problem" can have incomplete, contradictory, and changing requirements which can make it difficult to solve. Does anything else come to mind when you read this text? Tue, 18 Jul 2023 08:26:08 -0400 https://nowcomment.com/documents/350952?scroll_to=3090291 https://nowcomment.com/documents/350952?scroll_to=3090291 Another Wicked Problem identified in the text is the lack of transparency when it comes to book banning. Being able to openly discuss and debate the merits of banning books is essential to having an open dialogue, but this is often hindered by the lack of transparency in the decision-making process. Decisions about book banning are often made in secret, resulting in people being unaware of the criteria used to determine which books should be banned, or why a certain book was banned in the first place. This lack of transparency can lead to suspicion and distrust, in addition to preventing the public from being able to meaningfully engage in the decision-making process. The text states “The American Library Association said in a preliminary report that it received an 'unprecedented' 330 reports of book challenges, each of which can include multiple books, last fall.” This shows that the number of book challenges is rising, and demonstrates how difficult it is to access information about why a book has been banned and how the decision was made in the first place. This lack of transparency is an additional Wicked Problem which is seen in the text. Tue, 18 Jul 2023 08:28:42 -0400 https://nowcomment.com/documents/350952?scroll_to=3090283 https://nowcomment.com/documents/350952?scroll_to=3090283 This text identifies two Wicked Problems in regards to book banning in the United States. The first Wicked Problem is the lack of clarity in the guidelines for determining which books should be banned. There is no consensus on the criteria to assess what books should or should not be banned, resulting in conflicting standards which are often difficult to reconcile. This is a problem because without guidelines in place, it can be difficult to determine whether a book should be banned or not. As the text states, "The American Library Association said in a preliminary report that it received an 'unprecedented' 330 reports of book challenges, each of which can include multiple books, last fall.” This suggests that the criteria for book banning is often arbitrary and leaves the decision up to individual people or groups, which can lead to legal battles about whether a book should be banned or not. The second Wicked Problem is the difficulty of removing a book from circulation once it has been banned. Banning books is effectively censorship, and the act of censorship in the United States is highly contested and can lead to civil unrest. Additionally, banning books prevents them from reaching their intended readers, which can undermine the author's right to express their ideas. This is why the question of book banning is so pertinent; there is no "right" answer, but choosing to ban or not ban books has major consequences. As the text states, “Parents, activists, school board officials and lawmakers around the country are challenging books at a pace not seen in decades.” This suggests that there is no lack of disagreement when it comes to deciding which books should be challenged or not, indicating that the decision to ban books is still a hotly contested one, and as such, is a major Wicked Problem. Do you have any other Wicked Problems to add that you see in the text? Or would you like to elaborate on anything I have already brought up? Tue, 18 Jul 2023 08:28:42 -0400 https://nowcomment.com/documents/349825?scroll_to=3088678 https://nowcomment.com/documents/349825?scroll_to=3088678 Thu, 13 Jul 2023 09:23:20 -0400 https://nowcomment.com/documents/349825?scroll_to=3088677 https://nowcomment.com/documents/349825?scroll_to=3088677 Thu, 13 Jul 2023 09:22:28 -0400 https://nowcomment.com/documents/349825?scroll_to=3088675 https://nowcomment.com/documents/349825?scroll_to=3088675 Thu, 13 Jul 2023 09:21:27 -0400 https://nowcomment.com/documents/349825?scroll_to=3088674 https://nowcomment.com/documents/349825?scroll_to=3088674 Thu, 13 Jul 2023 09:20:17 -0400 https://nowcomment.com/documents/349825?scroll_to=3088658 https://nowcomment.com/documents/349825?scroll_to=3088658 Thu, 13 Jul 2023 09:10:40 -0400 https://nowcomment.com/documents/349825?scroll_to=3088656 https://nowcomment.com/documents/349825?scroll_to=3088656 Thu, 13 Jul 2023 09:09:05 -0400 https://nowcomment.com/documents/349825?scroll_to=3088654 https://nowcomment.com/documents/349825?scroll_to=3088654 Thu, 13 Jul 2023 09:08:02 -0400 https://nowcomment.com/documents/349825?scroll_to=3088653 https://nowcomment.com/documents/349825?scroll_to=3088653 Thu, 13 Jul 2023 09:06:59 -0400 https://nowcomment.com/documents/349825?scroll_to=3088652 https://nowcomment.com/documents/349825?scroll_to=3088652 Sun, 16 Jul 2023 03:10:00 -0400 https://nowcomment.com/documents/349825?scroll_to=3088650 https://nowcomment.com/documents/349825?scroll_to=3088650 Thu, 13 Jul 2023 09:03:45 -0400 https://nowcomment.com/documents/319247?scroll_to=3080515 https://nowcomment.com/documents/319247?scroll_to=3080515 Mon, 26 Jun 2023 08:43:02 -0400 https://nowcomment.com/documents/319247?scroll_to=3080514 https://nowcomment.com/documents/319247?scroll_to=3080514 Mon, 26 Jun 2023 08:37:03 -0400 https://nowcomment.com/documents/319247?scroll_to=3080512 https://nowcomment.com/documents/319247?scroll_to=3080512 Mon, 26 Jun 2023 08:31:46 -0400