I took action is signing the petition of the National Bullying Prevention Center. After I signed this petition for bullying it made me feel good. I want to make a difference and I want to stop bullying. After reading all of the sad stories on this national website, it made me think about why and how someone could be so cruel. Some of the stories young children in their early teens are sharing are just heart breaking stories. In reading these stories it really made me want to do even more than just signing a petition to prevent the bullying, it made me want to help each individual that is suffering. This action connects with democratic values in all different ways. This is a step in the right direction in preventing bullying in school systems. This is a place where people can talk about it and get things off their chest. I believe social justice should be taught in the classroom. Even if the children are young, they may not have to be introduced to really dramatic topics but other subjects are completely appropriate. I think if children learn about social justice they will understand the world better and really have a sense of reality. Like I said before, when students are young teaching social justice in classrooms does not have to be covering cruel topics. Subjects such as food and hunger to an extent, I think is appropriate for even the young students. It is not too harsh for them to handle. "Struggle for social justice is central to our nations history... Concerns about the common good and the rights of the individual, no matter how humble in social standing, transcends politics and holds a definitive place in the realms of morality, ethics and federal law, and therefore in the world of teaching social studies". I think social justice is quite important to address in school systems. It is important for students to understand the way the world works. There are so many ways to approach the topics of this quote and I think each grade has a certain approach. Each age level should not be addressed in the same way of course. A first grader will not completely understand what a fifth grader will.
Meagan's Bullying Petition:
I went on the National Bullying Prevention Center’s website and I took action by signing the petition to end bullying. It made me feel good and bad at the same time. All I was doing was signing a piece of paper instead of actually taking an action. I think that it would be more beneficial and self rewarding to have discussion groups with children where they can vent and talk about anything revolving around the issues of bullying. I feel that my name is just one name on a list that is trying to voice an opinion but instead it is just a signature. I feel that I could get a better response with voicing my opinion rather than signing a piece of paper. Signing the petition made me realize that it is the first step towards anti-bullying. Taking this action allows you to represent your own individual opinion on the issue which is beneficial in connecting democratic values. I believe that social justice should be taught in every grade level to every student in order to promote a more accurate world. The falsified and glamorous information that we learn as child is learned to be all false hopes and ambitions. It is beneficial to discuss social justices geared towards the appropriate age level in order for children to properly understand the world around us. You are embracing the child for the real world when you start introducing certain topics at appropriate ages. For example, you can start with hunger, homelessness, or child labor law issues in the younger grades in order to start the awareness of the social justices that surround us in our everyday lives. Overall, I think social justice is an extremely important concept to teach/integrate into the classroom. It is important for the children to know and understand what actually happens in the real world. It is important to approach these issues gradually in the early grade levels and then more in depth in the later years.
Kristin's Bullying Petition:
I took action against bullying by signing the National Bullying Prevention Center’s petition to end bullying. Even though I just filled out my information and signed the petition I still feel as though I have contributed to the efforts to stop bullying. Even something as simple as signing a petition can help support others and help save others from being bullied. I know that bullying is wrong and children need help and need to understand that bullying in wrong too for real change to happen. I watched a video that children created on the Pacer’s National Bullying Prevention Center website where children described there feelings about bullying. Numerous children said they wanted to help stop bullying, but they don’t know how or they’re afraid to get involved. If children are taught and understand how to speak up and how to help others that are being bullied, then bullying will be reduced greatly. Also if bullies understand that it is not “cool” to bully and they do not receive the attention they want, then they will stop bullying and children can be saved before anything else spirals out of control. I am glad that children know that bullying is a serious issue that needs to be addressed sooner rather than later.
I believe that education is an
instrument for the public good. School is where children learn their academics,
but they also learn social skills that will take them through life, so why
shouldn’t they learn about social justice issues? Children need learn about
what is going on in the world and be the generation to help fix these barriers
and issues to create a more equal society. School is where children learn
information, and make sense of it so they are able to apply it to their lives
outside of the classroom. Teachers should be teaching students about social
justice issues so that children can make more informed decisions in their lives
about crucial issues.
I think that the quote about social
justice is accurate in that teaching social studies needs to discuss the common
good for people, peoples rights, morality, ethics and the law. All of those
concepts steam from what social studies is all about, our society how and what
affects us as human beings living in the world today. Our nations history
clearly shows that social justice is an issue forever. In teaching social
studies students should learn about our nations history with social justice
issues so we can learn from the past and prevent any backtracking in the
improvement of society.
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