Discussion strategiesThe past month or so we have seen a variety of events unfold before our eyes. There has been the tragedy of Las Vegas; the hurricanes that devastated Puerto Rico, Florida and Texas; the NFL protests, the standoff with North Korea, and many more. Each of these have received a Twitter response for President Trump. With many of these events there has been controversy and conversation that followed. This is about the third post I have started about how to discuss the multitude of current events that have taken place in the last few months. I first want to take a moment to remember those who were injured or killed by the terrorist in Las Vegas. I am deeply saddened that we continue to see these types of violent events unfold in our country. My dilemma this week is how do we talk about these events in our classes? I know I can engage in conversation in my personal life. I can share my thoughts with friends and colleagues and family, but how do we create a platform to discuss important issues in our classrooms? I can share my thoughts after the Las Vegas terrorist attack that I think it was a terrorist attack even though the media and our government doesn't call it as such. I wonder what makes this act of violence different than those that have been called terrorist attacks? Does the color of skin of the perpetrator change the definition? Another issue is our political response to this. Now is not the time to talk about gun control. Stephen Colbert aired a segment last night shining light on the rhetoric of politicians following every mass shooting in America. "Now is not the time to talk about gun control." Whether you favor gun control or freedom to bear arms, if the days following another senseless tragedy isn't the time to discuss how to make our country safer, then please tell me when is a good time. And when I say make America safer that doesn't automatically mean take away guns, but rather a call for action to step out of this loop of insanity. Insanity is doing that same thing and expecting different results. I think in regard to these mass shootings we are in a loop of insanity. While I am not in the classroom everyday, I think the topic of classroom discussion of current events is one that impacts all of us. So how do we engage in dialogue about controversial issues and teach our students the skills to discuss, share, and disagree with the ideas of others in a civil, respectful manner?
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