C&I faculty, educators, and teachers take action in response to school shootings

Photo courtesy of Education Minnesota

Educators and students across Minnesota are mobilizing in response to the recent school shootings. As a community of educators, the Department of Curriculum and Instruction at the University of Minnesota is responding with ways students, faculty, and staff can get involved to protect students and teachers, and keep schools safe.

Department chair, Cynthia Lewis affirms support for our students, “We also want to honor the important work of being a teacher and teacher educator and the strength of all students/youth — from Black Lives Matter and all of the long histories of youth of color speaking out against gun violence to the youth of Stoneman Douglas High School working hard to change minds about gun control.”

The department is extending an open invitation to take action, for students, faculty, and staff to join and take action against gun violence with the following action steps with the goal to show their support for students in a quest for change.

  • A structured Flipgrid response to use in your classrooms as you and your students wish to participate.https://flipgrid.com/0b8526
  • #EnoughisEnough Syllabus: Responding to School Violence in the Classroom.  This ongoing google doc is awaiting your contributions and is meant to eventually serve as a resource for individual readings or creating units for your courses.
  • A Teach-In (date in April TBA) with a focus on information (gun control policy and action; responses to school drills, etc.), critical pedagogy approaches, masculinities and violence, and responses from educators and students. Please send a note to CIinfo@umn.edu if you are interested in being a member of the planning group.

In addition, you can join the student chapter of Education Minnesota for upcoming marches against gun violence in schools. Contact edmn@umn.edu to find out how you can take part in the Minnesota March for Our Lives on March 24 at 10:00 a.m. at the Minnesota State Capitol. Stop by on Friday, March 23, for  a “cookies and conversion” meeting for CEHD students to talk about the impact of recent events and to make signs for the march. Visit their Facebook or Twitter pages for more information.