Another cool Web 2.0 site I discovered recently is Standpedia. On their FAQ, they call it a “wiki-style encyclopedia of controversy” where “tough questions are answered from a variety of perspectives, instead of a single ‘neutral point of view.’” What I like about the site is that they encourage users to problematize ideas, rather than answer them easily, thoughtlessly, or impetuously. For my purposes, it’s essentially a way that new college writers can begin visually and critically thinking about ideas.

Since I have been teaching critical thinking implicitly all semester, and now explicitly with Barnet and Badau’s book, Standpedia has great potential for me as an educator. I have come up with an initial assignment that my students are beginning today. We’ll see how they do soon enough.