Social Justice is an overarching core principle of the Sac State College of Education. The purpose of this essay is for you to explore and describe your perspective on issues specific to social justice and to actualize social justice through a proposed action plan for students with disabilities in our public school systems (Pre-K ~ 12).
Assignment Goal
Disability is of particular interest for social justice because of how it juxtaposes two basic and powerful senses of injustice: first, the treatment of some people as moral, social, or intellectual inferiors based on irrelevant characteristics, and second, the creation, perpetuation, or simple failure to correct disparities and to acknowledge our personal biases and to understand how those biases can fuel injustice and inequity.
As a new professional in education, you will soon find yourself in situations requiring you to work with students with disabilities. You must be ready to respond to those situations from an informed, caring, and just perspective. As educators engaged with students with disabilities, we must constantly reflect on whether we are contributing to dismantling ableism and the social factors that create disability while at the same time ensuring access to services and supports.
Again, the purpose of this essay is for you to explore and describe your perspective on issues specific to social justice and to actualize social justice through a proposed action plan on behalf of students who have disabilities in our public school systems.
Essay Requirements
In this essay, which is the culminating learning experience of EDUC 100A, you will demonstrate your ability to engage in reflection and analysis by combining knowledge, theories, and/or methods in order to show how you have gained a deeper understanding of social justice as it applies to students with disabilities.
General Essay Directions ~ YOU MUST INCLUDE THE HEADINGS IN YOUR ESSAY!
An essay is less restricted than a scientific ~ research-based paper. As such, you do not need to apply APA or MLA style. APA/MLA style is a set of guidelines for writing and formatting research papers. While not requiring strict adherence to APA style, the text should proceed systematically, emphasizing different entities. Your writing should be concise, clear, considerate, and correct.
- An essay is less restricted than a scientific ~ research-based paper.
- The text should proceed systematically, emphasizing different entities.
- It communicates the significance of a central idea or insight that has a deep personal meaning to the writer
- The purpose is more reflective, although the tone may sound persuasive
- Development of the piece is based upon the writer’s personal experiences or anecdotes
- It is written in first person; more conversational or entertaining in style
- It is more subjective in tone
- It is more informal in tone, language, and subject matter
An essay is outlined in sections that are headed.
Your essay must be a fully developed, grammatically correct, well-written 4-6 page paper, written in proper academic language, and separated by two different sections/headers. Be sure to answer all prompts completely. Think of it this way: If I were interviewing you for a teaching position, how would you answer the prompts/questions under each of the headings? Please provide specific examples of what you will do, no broad statements of their importance.
You may use the first person in your essay since you are writing about your own analysis of your learning experiences.
Helpful Guidelines and Requirements for Writing Your Essay
- Write an introductory paragraph that introduces to the reader the 3 Big Social Justice issues related to students with disabilities in our public school system.
- Write the body of each of the essay headings organized into paragraphs.
When addressing each social justice issue in your essay, providing evidence (cite sources) and developing your ideas is crucial. This can be accomplished through the narrative under each heading, where you present, interpret, and analyze the information and sources you have gathered to support your argument.
Paragraphs are essential for ensuring a clear and organized structure for your essay. Each paragraph should focus on one main social justice issue, with a topic sentence that connects to the previous paragraph and introduces the point to be made. You can use transition words to create clear connections between sentences.
It is important to present evidence, such as data, examples, or quotes from relevant sources, in each paragraph. Ensure that you interpret and explain the evidence and show how it supports and develops the discussed issue.
When citing your references (e.g., book, chapter, or journal article) for any statement that refers to another person’s ideas, words, or research findings, be sure to cite the original source(s) and include them in your paper.
ESSAY PROMPTS AND TEMPLATE FOR WRITING YOUR ESSAY
Copy and Paste the Headings Below (highlighted in green) into your essay.
Heading 1
Social justice, equity, and belonging are closely associated with how educators facilitate principles of equity through their treatment of the curriculum, individual achievement, and individual behavior.
- Describe at least three social justice issuesfacing students with disabilities and their families in our public school system (Pre-K ~ 12). NOTE: This first prompt MUST include at least 3 big ideas, citing at least 3 DIFFERENT outside resources,none of which reference the course text or PPT slides);
- Explain your perspective on inclusive education,such as what it looks like and the benefits (20 points)
Heading 2
Accomplished teachers/educators contribute to the effectiveness of a school in promoting social justice by promoting inclusive learning classrooms/communities as well as working collaboratively with other professionals on instructional methodology, curriculum development/modifications and accommodations, and staff development.
- Specifically describe, based on what you have learned in this course as well as your fieldwork experiences, what you will do to promote an inclusive classroom/learning environment(s) for students with disabilities or district/community if you are not intending to become a teacher ~ thus promoting social justice.
- Describe actionable steps you will take to foster collaboration and cooperation between you and other teachers, related service providers, and parents/guardians of children with disabilities (implications for your practice).
- What collaborative skills do you have that will benefit you in this type of teamwork?
- What skills do you need to improve that will benefit collaborative teamwork? (20 pts.)
Formatting Your Sources ~ References
In-text citation example:
“Lecture rooms are numerous and large, but the number of young people who genuinely thirst after truth and justice is small” (Einstein, 2007, p. 5).
Reference Page Example 1:
Your complete reference page must be included on the last page of your essay.
Einstein, A. (2007). The world as I see it. Google Books. (Original work published 1934)
Example 2:
Peterzell, J. (1990, April). Better late than never. Time, 135(17), 20–21.
Assignment Guidelines
- Minimum length – 4 pages, 12-point font, single spacing
- Maximum length – 6 pages, 12-point font, single spacing
- Accuracy in spelling, grammar, and punctuation is expected
A TEMPLATE FOR WRITING The ESSAY
INTRODUCTION:
GENERAL STATEMENT: This statement gives context to your paper and eases your reader into the subject.
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THESIS STATEMENT: This is the main focus of your essay and should be as specific as possible.
What will you be discussing?
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ORGANIZATIONAL STATEMENT: This statement introduces the points you will make to support your thesis. The order in which you write them should mirror the order they are discussed in in your body paragraphs.
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BODY:
This is the bulk of your essay. The body of an essay should be composed of the points you use to support your thesis statement. Each point (or subtopic) should be separated into separate paragraphs.
Heading 1
Social justice, equity, and belonging are closely associated with how educators facilitate principles of equity through their treatment of the curriculum, individual achievement, and individual behavior.
Make certain you answer all of the prompts in Heading 1.
Topic sentence: Introduce what your paragraphs will be about.
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Examples/research/evidence: Used to explore the idea/points. You must include references supporting the three Big Social Justice Issues.
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Concluding sentence: This should end Heading 1 by tying the points to the thesis statement.
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Heading 2
Accomplished teachers/educators contribute to the effectiveness of a school in promoting social justice by fostering inclusive learning classrooms/communities and working collaboratively with other professionals on instructional methodology, curriculum development/modifications and accommodations, and staff development.
Make certain you answer all of the prompts in Heading 2.
Topic sentence: Introduce what your paragraphs will be about.
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_____________________________________________________________________________
Separate each of the topic prompts by a new paragraph.
- Describe how you will promote an inclusive classroom/learning environment(s) for students with disabilities.
- Describe actionable steps you will take to foster collaboration and cooperation.
- Describe collaborative skills you possess that will benefit you in this type of teamwork.
- Describe the skills you need to improve that will benefit collaborative teamwork.
Concluding sentence: This should end Heading 2 by tying the points to the thesis statement.
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