Teaching For Socially Active Students

1. How can students represent their knowledge of social justice issues through art and language arts?

 

As shown on the lesson plan, in this website, students can represent what they have learned through written as well as visual representations.

 

In many of the English Language art outcomes throughout the grades in the Saskatchewan curriculum, they require proof that students comprehend what they are being taught. Stories are and have always been an important tool in teaching children language skills. Any stories that include social justice issues can be read in class and discussed. From there you can go anywhere. Inquiry projects can allow students to work on their language arts curriculum while researching social issues they find interesting.

 

Art can be incorporated into any subject when you ask the child to create a piece of art work representing what they are learning. They can create songs, dances, paintings, drawings, or sculptures. You can bring many different mediums into the classroom to work with. The art we used was a mural in which each student got to represent upon it the social justice issue they found interesting. They were given the choice to use words or pictures.

 

2. What tools or resources can we use to engage our students in social justice issues?

 

Any tools that you use to teach other subjects in the classroom can be used to teach social justice issues to students. Books, internet, guest speakers and the list can go on.

 

A tool that would be great for teaching this particular topic would be field trips. Get right into the community and show the ways these issues are surrounding all of us in our own communities. Have the students become socially active. Help out with a food bank, bring clothing and toy donations for shelters.

 

Stray away from traditional lessons such as boys are boys and girls are girls and the “normal” family structure. Teach and model inclusion for your students. If you are teaching in a primary grade and you have toys such as dolls, please don’t make all of your dolls white Barbie type dolls. Think about and know the students in your classroom.

 

There are many books and website you can find to create a socially just classroom.

 

3. How can we incorporate technology into developing socially active students?

 

- Computers can provide students with a research database to explore how they can become socially active and examples of being a socially active citizen.

 

- Students can create videos based on a social action project they have performed or the process they take while being socially active.

 

- Having students use a blog allows them to express their projects, ideas and opinions. A blog creates a community of learners and allows for students to receive feedback from a wider online community.

 

- iPad’s are becoming more integrated into classrooms. iPad’s provide students and teachers with a variety of apps that can be used for researching, audio and video recording, as well as taking pictures.

 

-Technology integration is best used among classrooms when it is supporting goals of the curriculum. The key components of learning it must support are active engagement, participation in groups, frequent interaction and feedback, and connection to real-world experts.

 

-Technology within the classroom allows personalized learning, collaboration and prepares students for the future. http://www.edutopia.org/technology-integration

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How do you teach to create socially active citizens? That was the question we had when we began this inquiry project. Our goal was to discover ways to incorporate activities that engage students and force them outside of their comfort zone. It starts by students asking themselves: what can I do to help make a difference in the world? 
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It is important for educators to understand that teaching for socially active students cannot be done in an hour, a class, or a week. Instead, it is a lifelong process. Teachers have the responsibility to encourage students to ask questions about society and become involved in helping to make a difference.