COURSE TITLE:
NO. OF CREDITS:
3 QUARTER CREDITS
[semester equivalent = 2.00 credits]
| WA CLOCK HRS: OREGON PDUs: PENNSYLVANIA ACT 48: |
30 30 30 |
INSTRUCTOR:
MEGAN FREEL
meganmfreel@gmail.com
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
Writing is an invaluable skill for our students. Literacy directly correlates with better student outcomes, including higher wages and more formal education (AAFP). Unfortunately, educators are rarely taught how to make writing engaging for their diverse classrooms. As a result, teachers struggle to motivate students who have internalized failure at writing.
In this course, you will learn how to engage all students in mastering writing standards. We will examine the best practices of award-winning educators who have made writing accessible in their classrooms. We will learn how to create writing units based on social justice issues that center student voices and reflect their lived experiences. You will have the opportunity to create a usable writing unit for your class that examines current social justice issues (racism, sexism, the prison system, LGBTQIA + rights, etc.).
REQUIRED TEXT
None
LEARNING OUTCOMES: Upon completion of this course, participants will have:
COURSE REQUIREMENTS:
Completion of all specified assignments is required for issuance of hours or credit. The Heritage Institute does not award partial credit.
HOURS EARNED:
Completing the basic assignments (Section A. Information Acquisition) for this course automatically earns participants their choice of CEUs (Continuing Education Units), Washington State Clock Hours, Oregon PDUs, or Pennsylvania ACT 48 Hours. The Heritage Institute offers CEUs and is an approved provider of Washington State Clock Hours, Oregon PDUs, and Pennsylvania ACT 48 Hours.
UNIVERSITY QUARTER CREDIT INFORMATION
REQUIREMENTS FOR UNIVERSITY QUARTER CREDIT
Continuing Education Quarter credits are awarded by Antioch University Seattle (AUS). AUS requires 75% or better for credit at the 400 level and 85% or better to issue credit at the 500 level. These criteria refer both to the amount and quality of work submitted.
CREDIT/NO CREDIT (No Letter Grades or Numeric Equivalents on Transcripts)
Antioch University Seattle (AUS) Continuing Education Quarter credit is offered on a Credit/No Credit basis; neither letter grades nor numeric equivalents are on a transcript. 400 level credit is equal to a "C" or better, 500 level credit is equal to a "B" or better. This information is on the back of the transcript.
AUS Continuing Education quarter credits may or may not be accepted into degree programs. Prior to registering, determine with your district personnel, department head, or state education office the acceptability of these credits for your purpose.
ADDITIONAL COURSE INFORMATION
REQUIRED TEXT
No text is required. All readings are online.
None. All reading is online.
MATERIALS FEE
None
ASSIGNMENTS REQUIRED FOR HOURS OR UNIVERSITY QUARTER CREDIT
A. INFORMATION ACQUISITION
Assignments done in a course forum will show responses from all educators who have or are taking the course independently. Feel free to read and respond to others' comments.
Group participants can only view and respond to their group members in the Forum.
Assignment #1: Introduce Yourself
Welcome to Writing for Social Change!
Create a word cloud using the following link: https://www.freewordcloudgenerator.com/ in order to introduce yourself.
OR
Post your response in the group forum and respond to at least one participant taking this course.
Assignment #2: What Your Students Need Most
In many ways, it has never been more challenging to be an educator. Most teachers argue that their workload is unmanageable and is not reflected in their compensation. Meanwhile, our students are dealing with the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic, challenges focusing in class, and a multitude of other issues that have made school more anxiety-provoking.
Read the following article, “Six Things Students Need Today,” From the Washington Post. After reading, write a 1-2 page (1.5 spaced) response to the article. Discuss the following questions in your response:
Assignment #3: Creating a Community of Conscious
Read the following articles: “How to Teach Social Justice in Theory and Practice” by Caitrin Blake and “What is Social Justice Education” by Lee Anne Bell.
In the first three paragraphs, Blake shares a variety of examples of what social justice can look like in the classroom. She argues that classrooms, at their core, should be places where students learn the critical thinking skills needed to express their views on the world. In the second article, Bell addresses how diversity is a cornerstone of a social justice education.
Post your response to the group forum and respond to at least one participant’s definition.
Assignment #4: Speak Up: Your Students Are Listening
In 2022, almost 70% of our public school teachers in the United States identified as White (ZIPPA). At the same time, our student population continues to grow more diverse. It has become critical that all educators learn how to talk about race, identity, and social justice with their students. As you begin to create more social justice curricula for your students, you must also practice speaking to your students about moments of racial tension or violence.
Read the following article, “Don’t Say Nothing,” and write a 400-500 word reflection (1.5 spaced) discussing the following questions:
Post your response.
Assignment #5: Student Voice
Since the 1990s, student voice has become a growing initiative in our school system. Student voice is the practice of centering student input while allowing them to become more active participants in their learning. In order to incorporate social justice education into your classroom, it is often necessary to shift the roles of teacher and student. When you allow students more space to share and lead in the classroom, they learn it is a place where they can safely express their identity and speak out against oppression.
Post your response.
Assignment #6: Writing as Resistance
Writing has consistently been a tool for activism and resistance throughout the course of modern history. Writing has been particularly critical for communities of color who have historically used their words to expose oppressive systems while provoking change.
Examine the following article, “Writing(s) as Resistance…” By Morehouse professor Nathaniel Norment.
Choose one of the poems or civil rights texts listed at the end of the article and examine it closely. In a 1-2 page (1.5 spaced) paper, state which source you read and answer the following questions.
Post your response.
Assignment #7: Exemplar Lesson Plans
Review the following exemplar lesson plans that engage students in writing while teaching them about systemic injustices.
Next, specifically look at the writing prompts included at the end of each lesson plan. Based on the same lesson plans, write a new writing prompt for students that is both highly engaging and connected to the content they learned.
Post your response to the group forum and give feedback to at least one participant's response.
Assignment #8: Social Justice Frameworks
In recent years, educators have created new frameworks for teaching literacy that center on student voice and social justice education. Read the following articles on Historically Responsive Literacy, a new framework created by the genius of Dr. Gholdy Muhammad.
After reading the above articles, write a 2-3 page, 1.5 spaced reflection on this new framework. Discuss the following questions in your response:
Post your response.
Assignment #9: Exploring Sources that Confront Injustice
Examine the following free social justice resources that have lesson plans and tools for educators.
After exploring the resources above, find one lesson plan or text from each site that you could incorporate into your classroom. Paste the link to each of the three resources as well as a 1-2 sentence summary of why you chose it for your classroom.
Post your response to the group forum.
Assignment #10: Change the Audience
Far too often, teachers are the only “audience” students have the opportunity to write to. As a result, students tend to get bored with writing assignments that often feel repetitive and insignificant. One easy way to change this dynamic is by changing the target audience. Read the following article, “5 Authentic Audiences to Ramp up Students’ Interest in Writing.”
In 400-500 words, reflect on the reading. Use the following questions for guidance:
Post your response to the group forum and give feedback to at least one other participant’s response.
ADDITIONAL ASSIGNMENTS REQUIRED FOR UNIVERSITY QUARTER CREDIT
B. LEARNING APPLICATION
In this section, you will apply your learning to your professional situation. This course assumes that most participants are classroom teachers who have access to students. If you do not have a classroom available to you, please contact the instructor for course modifications. Assignments done in a course forum will show responses from all educators who have or are taking the course independently. Feel free to read and respond to others' comments. Group participants can only view and respond to their group members in the Forum.
Assignment #11: Social Justice in Your Classroom
Learning for Justice created these social justice standards for K-12 students. These transformational standards focus on identity, diversity, justice, and action. Read through each set of anchor standards and choose which ones you would like to include in your classroom.
In a short slideshow (4-8 slides), explain the social justice standards you chose for your classroom. Include at least 2 standards chosen from each of the four domains. Be sure to make the slideshow student-friendly. Add elements for student voice by including reflection questions on the slide, such as, “Which diversity standard do you think is the most important in our classroom? Why?”
Post your slideshow.
Assignment #12: Lesson Plan
Complete one of the following:
Option A)
Adapt/create a unit consisting of at least two lessons reflecting what you’ve learned in this course, with appropriate discussion strategies.
OR
Option B)
Use this option if you do not have a classroom or students available.
Adapt/create an article of at least three lessons to reflect what you’ve learned in this course. (Do not implement it.)
Post your lesson plan.
Assignment #13: Create Your Own Writing Prompts
In addition to the 400-level assignments, complete two of the following:
Option A)
Create two writing assignments for your students based on a social justice topic that pertains to your class. Complete the following document describing the writing assignment you will create: Writing Assignments Doc. Read this article from XQ Institute for great topic ideas (high school level).
AND/OR
Option B)
Create a mini social justice unit for your students based on your learning in this course. Create an outline for the daily learning targets and content.
AND/OR
Option C)
Choose one of the following books to read and summarize. Include the author's background and the key concepts and recommendations from the work in 3-4 pages (500-800 words).
Textured Teaching by Lorena Escoto Germán (168 pages)
Literacy is Liberation: Working Towards Justice Through Culturally Relevant Teaching by Kimberly N. Parker (165 pages)
The Anti-Racist Writing Workshop: How to Decolonize the Creative Classroom by Felicia Rose Chavez (216 pages)
C. INTEGRATION PAPER
Assignment #14: (Required for 400 and 500 level)
SELF REFLECTION & INTEGRATION PAPER
(Please do not write this paper until you've completed all of your other assignments)
Write a 400-500 word Integration Paper answering these 5 questions:
INSTRUCTOR COMMENTS ON YOUR WORK:
Instructors will comment on each assignment. If you do not hear from the instructor within a few days of posting your assignment, please get in touch with them immediately.
QUALIFICATIONS FOR TEACHING THIS COURSE:
Megan Freel, M.Ed., received her Master’s in Education from Johns Hopkins University while teaching in Baltimore City through Teach For America. She has taught in various title 1 schools across the country and worked primarily with disadvantaged communities. Megan specializes in developing anti-racist instruction for diverse students. She has created multiple curriculums for middle and high school students that use a social justice lens to confront history. She has been trained in Restorative Practices, Trauma-informed Teaching, and student-centered learning. Currently, Megan is teaching at Cesar Chavez k-8, a DLI school in North Portland.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
WRITING FOR SOCIAL CHANGE: Engaging Students In Literacy
CommonLit
www.commonlit.org
CommonLit is one of the sites I use the most in my own classroom. Their materials are all free and offer hundreds of reading lessons for students on engaging topics. Their texts all include annotation tools, reading guides, and assessments.
Cult of Pedagogy
https://www.cultofpedagogy.com/
Cult of Pedagogy is a site made by former teachers who hope to offer resources and strategies to those still in the classroom.
Edutopia
https://www.edutopia.org/
Edutopia is a foundation, created by George Lucas, that is working to transform education in the United States. The site offers everything from how to videos for teachers to articles on the newest theories and practices.
Facing History & Ourselves
https://www.facinghistory.org/
Facing History & Ourselves is another resource that I use constantly when building curriculum. This site has so many different resources, but my favorite is the free lesson library. They offer American history lessons that are both highly engaging and challenging for students.
Free Word Cloud Generator
https://www.freewordcloudgenerator.com/
Word Cloud generator is a free site that allows you to make word clouds and save them to your computer. Students love using word cloud as it provides an opportunity for creative expression.
Learning for Justice
https://www.learningforjustice.org/
Learning for Justice, previously Teaching Tolerance, is an organization working to dismantle white supremacy through their educational resources. The site offers free lesson plans and texts on important social justice topics. Many of the readings discuss critical moments in U.S. history that are often omitted from other sources or textbooks.
Morehouse Faculty Blog
https://facultyblog.morehouse.edu/
Morehouse College is a prestigious historically Black college in Atlanta, Georgia. The Morehouse Faculty Blog is a space where professors at the university are able to publish articles for the public on relevant topics. Often these articles discuss important equity issues.
Resilient Educator
https://resilienteducator.com/
Resilient Educator is a site dedicated to supporting all teachers. It is made for teachers, by teachers and includes a wide variety of tools, articles, and strategies.
The Washington Post
https://www.washingtonpost.com
The Washington Post is a highly respected news organization that publishes daily articles on current events, relevant research, and thoughtful opinion pieces.
XQ Institute
https://xqsuperschool.org/
XQ Institute is working to transform high school education so that it better prepares students for college or a career.
Youtube
www.youtube.com
Youtube is a free online video sharing website that has roughly 800 million videos.
Zinn Education Project
https://www.zinnedproject.org/
The Zinn Education Project was created after the success of Howard Zinn's A People’s History of the United States. The site offers easy to use readings and lesson plans for history teachers, organized by time period and topic.