Members Meeting – Minnesota Local Alliance Meeting: Controversial Ideas in Education

Restricted Attendance: Current BA member, has attended at least one skills workshop
Local Focus: Minnesota members only

BA Minnesota Local Alliances Discuss Controversial Ideas in Education

Students attend school for many reasons, including to learn about the world, to develop critical thinking, and to hone employable skills. In recent years, schools have struggled to determine how to include or if they can include a variety of ideas that challenge students’ understanding of charged issues in their curriculum and in the academic environment. Students, faculty and administrators naturally bring their own experience and perspectives to the classroom. The purpose of this conversation is to share experiences that create greater understanding of what helps or hinders the free exchange of diverse ideas in the higher education learning environment.

Discussion Questions

1. What is your expectation for students’ learning in education? What role, if any, has education had in exposing you to controversial ideas? How do you find and consider controversial ideas in other contexts?
2. Think about an education experience of encountering a stance, opinion or belief differing from your own. What about the learning environment was productive for you in this situation? What was not productive?
3. Has there been a time when you didn’t feel comfortable sharing your perspective or asking a question that was on your mind in a learning setting? What did you do?
What steps have you taken to maximize the benefits of encountering challenging/controversial ideas, while minimizing the risks of doing so?

** This event is open to the media upon approval. Media contact: Ciaran O’Connor, ciaran@braverangels.org