Arming Teachers?

The topic of arming or not arming teachers has been raging on since the rate of school related threats has escalated in the previous years. News reporters capturing the shocking scenes of teenagers and school staff running from buildings amidst the screams and terror has become the news’s top stories far too often in America. However, the ongoing argument of "How do we keep our children safe" only seems to surface after a major event such as Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (with 32 victims), Sandy Hook Elementary School (26 victims), and Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School (with 17 victims) cover the news feed for days on end. After the uproar dies down, so does the conversation on what needs to happen for schools to be able to avoid this problem. While searching for information I ran into a lot of websites and writers stating a he said she said situation or citing schools that both have and have not armed their teachers. I learned that many states contain counties or laws of their own that allow teachers to arm themselves during school hours, however, a larger amount has yet to make a decision on the same topic.

My website does not take a stance on the issue, nor do I. Because of the lack of conversation surrounding this issue there is no way to argue over the topic unless people use their personal beliefs. Now, personal beliefs lead to great stands, but they are often not enough to convince government bodies or the great public of an issue’s “solution.” My website titled Arming Teachers contains information that both supports and does not support the movement to arm teachers in the classroom and school grounds. Instead, my website was created to jump start the conversation and work toward finding a workable and viable solution to keep schools safe from threats. My website contains links to articles, videos on the each side, and a selection of images and memes that newspapers or artists have drawn up for the public. It was extremely stressful to find videos that did not repeat themselves, or to read through the numerous articles and then divide them into what side of the argument they are a part of. A lot of writers refuse to take a stance on the topic, and their writing reflects this. Many times the articles simply state facts about both sides, similar to my website in a way, but they do not allow access to other’s writing like I do.

It was incredibly fun to create the website. I realize that since I have created and maintained a website for three years now that my skills in difference modules is not being tested, however with the use of a website I can reach many more platforms and engage in more conversations. Also, this website’s style is different than My Education Talk’s layout and presented more challenges and ways to express new designs. Designs such as the one continuous page format that I chose to present to the audience with Arming Teachers. My website also draws in many different forms of literacies from the internet. Literacy such as visual, alphabetical, auditory, and media literacies are all incorporated into my website for the benefit of those who hold a preference.

When it comes to my audience I feel as though, with a website, I can reach more people through the use of more media platforms. For example, I can use Twitter and tweet my website link with the hashtag “Arm Me With” or I can specifically tweet at a government official. I can also use Facebook and incorporate the older audience who have been involved in political matters and seen the government work more often than the younger generation. By searching anything along the lines of arming teachers on Google, my website will be a visual result for the people to see and hopefully gather the information they desire. Even by linking Arming Teacher to My Education Talk, I increase the chance of viewers clicking around both websites.

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