TTT #291 What we talk about when we talk about Trayvon Martin with Ashleigh Dennis, Al Elliott and Kiseem - 04.04.12

Post-Show description: 

On this episode of Teachers Teaching Teachers we talk about what we talk about when we talk about Trayvon Martin #trayvonmartin. What have you been talking to your students about this? 

Here are some of the things that have been going up on Youth Voices the past few weeks: http://youthvoices.net/taxonomy/term/33223 And follow this link to find some of the the articles we have been reading and annotating together. (Once in the "Mission," click on each individual title to see students' comments.) http://youthvoices.net/node/36643

Recently, when I (Paul Allison) walked into my teachers room, it took about 4 seconds of talking about what my students were doing for three African-American colleagues to talk in wide-ranging ways about violence and protecting children and dress and racism, and more. I just listened as carefully as I could, trying to learn what their questions were.

We made an open invitation to teachers to come talkttt291bout Trayvon Martin at EdTechTalk http://edtechtalk.com. Paul Allison, Chris Sloan and Monika Hardy hosted this conversation with Ashleigh Dennis , Al Elliott and Kiseem, one of Paul's students.

We agree with what Dan Cantor wrote recently on the Working Families blogs: "What is new and welcome is that more and more white people are reminded or learning for the first time what the persistent existence of the color line means to millions of our fellow Americans." http://www.workingfamiliesparty.org/2012/04/my-son-doesnt-look-like-trayvon/

We think this episode of TTT will add to the conversations you might be having with students and colleagues -- or you wish your were having. Let us know your thoughts by commenting below.