Recently, a good friend of mine wrote an opinion piece for my school's newspaper. (If you're interested in his thoughts on using technology in the classroom, click here) This was a big step for him because he's not as openly aggressive as I am about sharing his opinions, so I thought it was really cool to see his personal thoughts out there for the whole campus - and anyone else - to see. The newspaper circulated through the student body and faculty until, apparently, one professor got a hold of my friend's article and was none too happy. As my friend explained, the professor displayed the article on the projector and asked his students to identify the writer (my friend). Apparently, and I'll put it lightly, this professor thought my friend was wrong and stupid.
Luckily, this didn't phase my friend. As he spoke about the situation, he said it didn't matter because the whole point of an opinion piece was to spark conversation. I think he's partially right, but here's the thing: the professor's actions do matter. This isn't necessarily an issue about technology in the classroom - the issue here is that diverse opinions are becoming more and more divisive. But aren't we all different on a deeply personal level? Isn't it natural to have different views and opinions than others? The sharing of opinions and thoughts should be seen as helpful, not harmful.
We hate being uncomfortable, that's something we can agree on. Since we strive every day to lead lives that make us super comfy, we oppose anything that might make us question ourselves and our beliefs. Let's take a super trivial example: My mom really loves football and I really couldn't care less about the sport. The other day she visited me here on campus and I was all excited to see her, it was the first time we had gotten to spend together since the start of the semester. I gave her a hug, we got coffee from the coffee shop, and then she wanted to sit in the lounge nearby. Why? Because the Buffalo Bills game was on the big television. I was annoyed and felt like she'd driven an hour and a half just to watch the game. Now, I wish this was the point of the story where one of us gave up our personal desires to spend quality time with one another, but that didn't happen. I drew back and just sat on my phone while she watched over my shoulder; sometimes I'd be talking to her and she'd interrupt to tell me what happened on the TV. I felt disconnected and hurt, and from a message I got from her the following evening, I could tell she thought she was "cramping my style" or invading my space. It's not fair to me for her to waste her limited time with me by watching the football game. But it's also not fair for me to expect her to give up her love for the sport.
It was uncomfortable, as silly as it may sound. The thing is, though, our opinions on the sport aren't going to change. She will continue to love it and I will continue to not. This difference is teaching me to understand that nobody is going to be the same as I am, and that's okay. I love seeing my mom get happy and excited when she watches the sport, but I'm not going to watch with her and (I hope that) she respects that. In the same sense, the professor didn't need to agree with my friend at all, but it's important to remember to respect one another's opinions. The professor may think that written works and books are more important than new technology, but that doesn't give him the right at all to throw a fit when my friend says that he thinks tech is the way to go.
You don't have to change your mind every time someone states an opinion different than yours. As much as I need to learn this, we all need to remember to stop and listen when people speak. It's going to be uncomfortable, and it may even hurt a little, but we need to show more respect in the face of diverse opinions. Furthermore, diverse opinions should start conversation, but a conversation that is healthy and productive. Yelling and screaming and name-calling (I don't need to link the President's Twitter page, do I?) aren't correct responses. We, as people, need to learn to step back and take some deep breaths, and learn to treat others - and others' opinions - with decency.
