Last week we tried an experiment with the Future Trends Forum videoconference discussion. Instead of having a guest anchor the session, as we normally do, we devoted that Wednesday’s hour to discussing events at Charlottesville.
It was a risk, and the result was a good hour.
We covered a lot of ground, and somehow managed to balance powerful emotions, thoughtful reflections, and tact.
Participants included people from Virginia (especially one from UVa) and members of impacted communities.
Topics addressed inclusion versus diversity, the role of social media, the role of educational technology, media and digital literacy, the nature of history, how campuses can respond to such events, changes in American society, and more.
Participants also shared a great deal of resources during the Forum, such as:
- Twenty tabs on Diigo
- The Charlottesville Syllabus
- “A Common Sense Approach to Talking to Students About Charlottesville” (thanks to Lisa Nielsen)
- and the Wikipedia page about the event (titled “Unite the Right rally”)
In addition, in a comment on the blog post announcing the session Kate Herzog recommended Daniel Braunfeld’s How to Foster Humanity as Teachers in the Wake of Charlottesville.
You can view the entire session here, or watch the embed below:
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w4dQopxAp5A]
I’m proud of the Forum community for their generosity, maturity, thoughtfulness, and passion, even while I’m heartbroken at the event’s occasion.
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