IMHO
Civic Discourse, Schools, and Technology
IMHO. Internet speak for “in my humble opinion,” the acronym ironically has become the subject of debate as to what it means. Maybe, according to some, it means “in my honest opinion” (Madrigal, 2018). That is a nifty little factoid, but it offers some questions for educators, for teachers who struggle every day with the complexities of helping students in PK-6 to think with a level of digital literacy and critical thinking that promotes the public good and the well-being of the student and the others within the student’s sphere. That is why the debate over what IMHO means is important. We have seen the definitive answer to questions raised as a result of internet inquiries, research online, and composing (written text, oral compositions, visual creations, etc.) become, “That’s my humble opinion” and the subtext to that is “you can’t change my mind.”
We can call this the IMHO phenomenon, an opinion of certainty that may or may not be grounded in fact, in context, or with consideration for the public good. To that end, I propose some questions and explore some options that may answer those questions, in our humble opinions, of course. Thomas began writing this chapter on the one-year anniversary of the insurrection at the Capitol of the United States Congress, so it seemed appropriate to begin with the idea that civil discourse has become less than civil. This event…
