SOCIAL JUSTICE ACTION PLANS
Marina Skendzic
Dr. Annette Daoud
EDSS 555: Multicultural Education
17 November 2013
TPE 15 – Action Plan Reflective Statement
I. Issue
There are some EL students double-blocked for English & Math, leaving no room for electives. For these students, school is dissolved to a never-ending chore. Any affinity students develop in English in Math, which are arguably the core subjects of K-12 education, is broken by beating the subject into the ground and leaving no extra room for creativity. If it is not already bad enough that creative writing has been virtually eliminated from the curriculum, now the students who are double-blocked in English/Math will literally never get the chance to explore their creativity—at least through elective courses. Unfortunately, double-blocking students can lead to students harboring misconceptions about education in general. They may decide that education is, all in all, not something they like and therefore not something they want to pursue. This breeds apathy, which is a cancer to the student’s future learning.
II. Critical Reflection
Misconceptions about what it means to be educated are detrimental to the future quality of life for students who are faced with the issue of being double-blocked. To associate being educated with having the willpower to do something one does not want to do often steers students away from more education, not towards it. These students, because of their misconceptions, never actually realize the power of creative and critical thinking and the influence it has on the quality of their current and future disposition in life. Because it is not possible to change the situation double-blocked students are in, another solution must be manifested.
III. Action
Students who are doubled-blocked have no room in their schedules throughout the school day to explore via electives of their choice—so one solution to the lack of creativity that this situation impresses upon these students is to provide an opportunity outside of their academic classes. My idea is to fund an exploratory club. This club could actually be open to any students, double-blocked or otherwise. In this club I imagine constructing education and creative field trips that occur either after school or on weekends. I know I would need to do a lot of research on how to make this happen legally and logistically, but I think it is a really outside-of-the-box idea! Imagine a club that travels to the Natural History Museum, or the Ruben H. Fleet Science Center, or to a historical tour of Old Town San Diego. There are so many opportunities to do creative learning in Southern California, and I think traveling around is really missing from out curriculum in recent years. There is even San Diego Ink, which offers creative writing sessions. I myself regularly attend the Agitprop Gallery in North Park, which holds live poetry and prose readings from recognized authors (James Meetze, a professor at CSUSM, helps to curate this reading series). By showing these students a different picture of what it means and feels like to be educated in a creative way, I think I could help break down any negative misconceptions they harbor about their education. It would help them to become meta-cognizant of their own education.
As I already mentioned, I am sure there is a lot of red tape in creating a club like this. But, I would be totally willing and excited to take the lead role in doing the work to make it a possibility!
IV. Reflection
My social justice action plan satisfies TPE 15 by proposing an outline of a plan to remedy a major social justice issue that across many districts, including my school. While there is much research to be done on how to implement the plan, the plan does offer a way to enrich the lives of those students who (unfortunately) do not receive the same variety of education as students who are not dou
Dr. Annette Daoud
EDSS 555: Multicultural Education
17 November 2013
TPE 15 – Action Plan Reflective Statement
I. Issue
There are some EL students double-blocked for English & Math, leaving no room for electives. For these students, school is dissolved to a never-ending chore. Any affinity students develop in English in Math, which are arguably the core subjects of K-12 education, is broken by beating the subject into the ground and leaving no extra room for creativity. If it is not already bad enough that creative writing has been virtually eliminated from the curriculum, now the students who are double-blocked in English/Math will literally never get the chance to explore their creativity—at least through elective courses. Unfortunately, double-blocking students can lead to students harboring misconceptions about education in general. They may decide that education is, all in all, not something they like and therefore not something they want to pursue. This breeds apathy, which is a cancer to the student’s future learning.
II. Critical Reflection
Misconceptions about what it means to be educated are detrimental to the future quality of life for students who are faced with the issue of being double-blocked. To associate being educated with having the willpower to do something one does not want to do often steers students away from more education, not towards it. These students, because of their misconceptions, never actually realize the power of creative and critical thinking and the influence it has on the quality of their current and future disposition in life. Because it is not possible to change the situation double-blocked students are in, another solution must be manifested.
III. Action
Students who are doubled-blocked have no room in their schedules throughout the school day to explore via electives of their choice—so one solution to the lack of creativity that this situation impresses upon these students is to provide an opportunity outside of their academic classes. My idea is to fund an exploratory club. This club could actually be open to any students, double-blocked or otherwise. In this club I imagine constructing education and creative field trips that occur either after school or on weekends. I know I would need to do a lot of research on how to make this happen legally and logistically, but I think it is a really outside-of-the-box idea! Imagine a club that travels to the Natural History Museum, or the Ruben H. Fleet Science Center, or to a historical tour of Old Town San Diego. There are so many opportunities to do creative learning in Southern California, and I think traveling around is really missing from out curriculum in recent years. There is even San Diego Ink, which offers creative writing sessions. I myself regularly attend the Agitprop Gallery in North Park, which holds live poetry and prose readings from recognized authors (James Meetze, a professor at CSUSM, helps to curate this reading series). By showing these students a different picture of what it means and feels like to be educated in a creative way, I think I could help break down any negative misconceptions they harbor about their education. It would help them to become meta-cognizant of their own education.
As I already mentioned, I am sure there is a lot of red tape in creating a club like this. But, I would be totally willing and excited to take the lead role in doing the work to make it a possibility!
IV. Reflection
My social justice action plan satisfies TPE 15 by proposing an outline of a plan to remedy a major social justice issue that across many districts, including my school. While there is much research to be done on how to implement the plan, the plan does offer a way to enrich the lives of those students who (unfortunately) do not receive the same variety of education as students who are not dou