the Unl cking truth

Alexander Menchtchikov

Two Carlmont teachers are training their students on the basics for finding accurate information in the world, which is hard to come by in other curricula.

Erik Migdail and Martin Turkis Jr., who teach AS and CP English III and AP English Language and Composition (AP Lang), structure their classes around logic and finding the truth, replacing what would usually be grammar instruction.

"The driving force is always what we think students are going to need," Migdail said. "One of the things we noticed is that the standards always call for critical thinking, but they don't actually articulate what that means. What does it mean to be a critical thinker? And really, when you get down to brass tacks, we're talking about logic, essentially."

In an age of misinformation, the shift to teaching logic was seen as necessary for Migdail and Turkis.

Awareness of valid and invalid forms of logic is requisite in modern society, where fallacious arguments are often normalized.

"It's a world with a lot of illogic and bad arguments out there, either by people who can't form good arguments or who can form good arguments but choose not to. So, for example, someone with a law degree is certainly familiar with logic, they have to be, and yet when policies and arguments appear on TV, they often are logically flawed," Migdail said.

Along with the logic piece, Migdail and Turkis moved their curriculum away from longer-form literature and into the direction of philosophy, involving short philosophical readings in their AS English III and AP Lang classes.

"It is a place where good reasoning happens for one thing, and it's also embedded in the quest for truth," Migdail said.

Migdail feels that finding the truth is fundamental, especially in a world where he sees people disputing whether there even is such a thing as truth. To him, the "quest for truth," as he says, ties into his goal of giving students the knowledge they need to flourish in their own lives.

It is refreshing for students to learn topics and skills related to logic and critical thinking. The philosophical aspect of the classes also makes the curriculums appealing.

"The AP Lang curriculum allows for intellectual growth with the diverse range of ideas in philosophy along with other topics ranging into politics and history," said Winston Singh, a Carlmont senior who had Turkis for two years.

In an age ruled by social media and the constant intake of information, Migdail and Turkis deemed it evercritical to incorporate elements to tackle illogical arguments. Hence, integrating these unique parts of the curriculum help students in their own lives and futures. l