Social Justice
12 credit hours
As teachers, learners and leaders we must be willing to act as agents for social justice in our classrooms and schools. This program of courses helps professional educators acquire the dispositions, cultural knowledge and competencies to adopt curriculum and instructional skills for a culturally responsive classroom practice. Becoming more informed about the experiences of oppressed people ideally will lead to each class member’s “praxis,” a social consciousness combined with a plan for social action. When educators experience such “praxis” they become better prepared to be leaders in schools.
These courses are designed to help current educators to understand that teaching is essentially a social enterprise invested with moral responsibility and that, as teachers, they will be called to act as agents for social justice in their classrooms and in their schools. Through readings, activities and class discussions, prospective teachers will examine attitudes and behaviors, which prevent classrooms, schools and society from being fair and equitable for all students, and will commit to a personal plan of action for providing meaningful and equitable educational opportunities for all of their students.
Courses will be online with activities to be completed within the community and in classrooms to deepen understanding by applying culturally responsive instructional strategies to classroom settings. Participants will learn to supplement their current curricula with socially just content and appropriate cultural representations.
