Advancing Democracy Through Education: A Discussion with the Honourable Elizabeth Dowdeswell
Kelsey McCallum,
Teach Magazine,
2026/05/26
It's just coincidence (probably) that this article comes out at the same time as the SSIR article I also posted about today on the link between education and democracy. Here's how it's phrased here, in this interview with Elizabeth Dowdeswell, the 29th Lieutenant Governor of Ontario: "A well-functioning democracy is built upon foundational and strong institutions: the government and its supportive public service; a respected and independent judiciary; a dynamic media; and a vibrant, informed, and involved civil society. At the core is education, because education is empowerment." Most of what is said here is well thought-out and reasonable. I find myself asking, though, where in education do we find democracy? Dowdeswell talks about ethical responsibility, learned behaviour, respect and civility. All fine things, but there is a danger that education presses too hard to instill these social virtues, at the expense of the autonomy and agency of the individual learner.
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Educating as if Democracy Depends on It
Catherine E. Lhamon,
SSIR,
2026/05/26
This article is very U.S.-focused, though of course there are many other democracies in the world. In all of them, education is seen as central to democracy, and the reasoning runs something like this: "science teachers who teach scientific inquiry must be conscious, while teaching the periodic table of elements, that they are also teaching students how to challenge, test, and dispute; to be open to proof and to findings that are counterintuitive; and to act on evidence-based conclusions - all of which are essential skills for democratic participation." Now I won't dispute the utility of that approach, but on reflection after reading this article, it occurs to me: if democracy depends on education, then democracy (as a form of government) has been designed with a serious, and possibly fatal, flaw. All it takes to eliminate democracy is to eliminate education, and in a society governed by (say) billionaires and corporations, that could be very easy to do. I think we should be very wary of this argument - and to educate as though it brings numerous and diverse benefits, and to strengthen democracy so it does not depend so critically on the political will of the day.
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The Legacy & History of Open Education
Jennryn Wetzler, Cable Green, Kathryn Kure, Angela DeBarger,
Creative Commons, YouTube,
2026/05/26
This video presents the history and legacy of open education from the perspective of Creative Commons. The panelists all address topics like localization, open educational practises, and the impact of AI. They also tie it directly to the political dimension - Angela DeBarger says "open education comes down to paying attention to power. To me, open education is about making explicit who has voice and choice in decisions about what and how learning happens." The focus is thus on leaders, networks, money and policy, but (as Cable Green notes) this is an effort that never ends; "you're constantly keeping an eye on it." I've always felt this divide between my perspective and that of Creative Commons. To me, it's less about movements, lobbying and money and power, and more about creating and putting practical tools into the hands of people who need them.
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From Levy to Liability: Why Canada Risks Facing Hundreds of Millions in Retaliatory Tariffs Due to the CRTC's Online Streaming Act Ruling
Michael Geist,
2026/05/26
Michael Geist argues "the CRTC's Online Streaming Act ruling, which triples the mandated payments for large Internet streaming services, has attracted widespread criticism given fears the approach could result in higher consumer fees and a trade backlash from the United States" (like a good journalist he has placed what is essentially the whole story in the first pragraph - I like that). My own take on this issue is a bit different (and more in line with Cory Doctorow's) - Canada has already face an unprovoked 'trade backlash' and measures like this respond to the U.S. with the greatest impact: presventing them from asserting what is basically a monopoly in digital goods and services, including streaming, software and AI. And this is about more than just tariffs. We have different (more social and communitarian) values here in Canada, and we should resist seeing them overwhelmed by the culture being broadcast from the south.
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Walking Through the Future in the Present: Teaching Practices in Postdigital Learning Spaces
Postdigital Science and Education,
2026/05/26
For background, per Florian Cramer, "the 'post-digital' describes an approach to digital media that no longer seeks technical innovation or improvement, but considers digitization as something that has already happened and thus might be further reconfigured." This current article uses the mechanism of the social imaginary - "a narrative about our experience of the world" - to reflect on what postdigital learning spaces might look like, and then "explores how the attributes of a refurbished classroom were experienced by the first cohort of teachers to use it." The resulting class was bigger and multifunctional (it reminded me of the 'open concept' classes teachers experimented with in the 1970s). "Working in teams, teachers develop fluid practices balancing physical movement with stationary digital orchestration whilst responding to spatial layout and the placement of digital tools."
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