| Should young people be encouraged to engage in social justice/action projects (through learning activities in the classroom)? |
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Asked 2 years ago
by dogtrax  United States |
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About
I am a teacher, writer and musician.
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12 Points
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Absolutely. We have got to stop preparing students to fill in the blanks and start preparing them for being responsible, civic-minded agents of change. We just have to be careful not to impose our values on young people--they should be able to choose what they think requires their "social action" according to their own morals and ideas.
Do you think that "change" should be encouraged if the current situation is the best thing available?
Note: I'm not saying that it is, just asking a hypothetical question.
I think we should stop settling for the best thing available. One of the comments on some of my education questions are that schools are way behind the curve in preparing students for 21st century skills, which are really very innovation-based. Social activism (the scope and focus of which should be determined by the students) is nothing if not an opportunity to think and act outside of the box. It doesn't have to be earth-shattering: adding produce to school vending machines, etc., but it should provide students with an opportunity to make a tangible, visible change. These are the kids of lessons that no one forgets. Learning and education should be more about empowering people to be the best versions of themselves, and then develop those skills that they'll need to take on that role.
And what would one learn in social action class?I don't think we should be taking time away from the basics in school to teach are kids how to "think out side the box" something I remember high school kids not having a problem with.We need to stop taking the focus away from the basics,and start emphasizing how important they are.so that they can go to college get on the career path and create change that way.And a child's empowerment starts at home with the support from their family,its not invested in them threw the government's education system.Everyone needs to step up and stop making excuses for the education system.The education system will fail when we start relying on it to empower change threw social action classes.
I'm shocked at the amount of yes votes.Are people not thinking about what type of class this would actually be.This idea scares me.If anything this should just be an after school project with only student's involved and no teachers.And in no way take away from school time.
Good teachers will build the basic skills that they are trying to teach into the projects. I'm not suggesting we create some kind of class specifically for these type of activities, but that we build them into our already-rigorous curriculum. Research shows that student-centered, project-based and hands-on learning opportunities are most effective in building skills, retaining information, and giving students a connection to the material that we are learning.
Schools don't replace parents. They don't transmit values. But what is education if not the opportunity to test your own knowledge with real-life situations? And what great career-preparation and resume-building opportunities--to say: I built a house for a needy family using chemistry, physics, geometry, algebra and a variety of building trades. Or, I planned a healthy menu that a nursing home implemented. Or, I researched the detention camps at Guantanamo Bay and wrote and published an editorial about my suggestions for how to handle the trials. What's scary to me is training a generation of circle filler-inners and sentence completers. How are these skills that will benefit people today?
Sorry, I get fired up about this.
geez what school did you go to where all you had to do was fill in the blanks and circle the correct answer.
It sounds like your describing a vocational school in the end there.In which case I'm all for it,these schools need to be better funded. And have the ability to do the things you say for their communities.
the idea of a social action/justice program has a different meaning to me, sounds like something that Chavez has down there in Venezuela.
They should be encouraged to think for themselves, and not follow whatever someone else says to do.
Specifics should NOT be encouraged using public funds.
I posed this question primarily because it puts the teacher in an activist role, don't you think? No matter how much the teacher tries to keep to the middle of the political role, their decisions and their guidance shape students in their thinking. So, if I am a parent with liberal tendencies, do I want a right-leaning teacher moving my child into social activism? (and vice versa).
My answer ... yes, as long as the teacher tries to stay neutral and provides solid guidance for students to launch a query, research an issue and move into action.