Respond to at least two of your colleagues by offering feedback on their Day of Service projects and additional thoughts for how it would support social change in their programs and/or fields, and any additional features of social change you see as reflected in their project. Provide references to the Learning Resources, research, and/or prior professional experiences when appropriate.
As an institution, Walden has long supported days of service and encouraged students, faculty, and staff to give back to their communities. In the companion Assignment for this module, you are developing a plan for a proposed Global Day of Service project. For this Discussion, you will explain the Global Day of Service project you are proposing for your Assignment and offer feedback and support for your colleagues’ projects.
Important Note: You will share your ideas regarding your Module 5 Assignment in this Discussion. Be sure to read through the instructions for this Discussion and the Module 5 Assignment prior to beginning work this week.
To prepare:
- Review the instructions for the Module 5 Course Project assignment.
- Review the Walden University sites regarding social change and Walden’s Global Days of Service. Consider the many meaningful opportunities found in early childhood programs, K–12 schools, and communities for enacting social change. How will the Walden Global Day of Service project you are proposing in this module’s Assignment support social change in your program and field?
- Review the Callahan et al. (2012) paper in the Learning Resources. Which of the eight features of social change will be reflected the most in your Day of Service project?
Post an explanation of the following:
- The Day of Service project you are proposing for this module’s Assignment
- How your proposed project would support social change in your program and field
- Which of the eight features of social change are integrated the most in your Day of Service project
For this Discussion, and all scholarly writing in this course and throughout your program, you will be required to use APA style and provide reference citations.
MODULE 5: LEARNING RESOURCES
Required Readings
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Fullan, M. (2016). The new meaning of educational change (5th ed.). New York, NY: Teachers College Press.
- Chapter 13, “The Future of Educational Change” (pp. 258–265)
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Callahan, D., Wilson, E., Birdsall, I., Estabrook-Fishinghawk, B., Carson, G., Ford, S., . . . Yob, I. (2012). Expanding our understanding of social change: A report from the definition task force of the HLC Special Emphasis Project Download Expanding our understanding of social change: A report from the definition task force of the HLC Special Emphasis Project[White paper]. Minneapolis, MN: Walden University.
Social Change Web Maps [Diagrams]. Adapted from Expanding our understanding of social change, by Callahan, D., Wilson, E., Birdsall, I., Estabrook-Fishinghawk, B., Carson, G., Ford, S., Ouzts, K., & Yob, I., 2008. Baltimore, MD: Walden University. Adapted with permission of Walden University.
- Cooper, K. S., Stanulis, R. N., Brondyk, S. K. Hamilton, E. R., Macaluso, M., & Meier, J. A. (2016). The teacher leadership process: Attempting change within embedded systems.Links to an external site. Journal of Educational Change, 17(1), 85–113. doi:10.1007/s10833-015-9262-4
- Walden University. (2016). Global days of serviceLinks to an external site.. Retrieved from https://academicguides.waldenu.edu/social-change/global-days-service
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Walden University. (2017b). About.Links to an external site. Retrieved from https://www.waldenu.edu/about/who-we-are
Review this site for information on Walden University’s mission and vision and its focus on social change.
The ability to read empowers and frees the community. Far exceeding its importance as a component of education, literacy advances existence by enriching skills that reduce hardships, increase the community’s workforce, and improve well-being and continual improvement. A book fair is an exceptional way to construct a scholar’s household libraries, promote reading and comprehension abilities, and frame expertise and vocabulary essential for comprehending the latest content. In celebrating reading, the school communicates a message that reading is important and can be exciting. To advance struggling readers at Memphis College Prep, it may seem daunting to get those students to buy into the book fair but there are a few things to consider promoting literacy for all students. Ensure the books are culturally sensitive and the students can identify with the content. Mirror books reflect different parts of our identities such as gender, race, ethnicity, religion, culture, family, language, geography, socioeconomic status, immigration status, and more (WGVU Public Media, 2022). Those types of books build a foundation for students to feel seen and know their existence is important. Mirror books open students’ perspectives to see the many possibilities life has to offer. Literacy is essential for self-improvement and progress in society, and it can advance scholarly learning, and healthy social-emotional capabilities, influence the community in which people live, and reduce the number of negative behaviors in school.
Ethics is established on justifiable beliefs of morality that define what society should do, especially in terms of civil rights, commitments, benefits of the community, and equity. While personal codes of ethics differ, an underlying, common code of human ethics is characterized by tenderness, compassion, sympathy for people and animals, especially the suffering or distressed, and concern for the health of the environment in which we live (Callahan et al., 2012) Ethics and teaching are partnerships that allow teachers to do things for students, they cannot do alone. Educators acknowledge the significance of the responsibility innate in the learning process and the devotion to deference and tenacity of one’s scholars supply the motivation to achieve and maintain the highest extent of ethical conduct. Also building partnerships with Scholastic with the school is needed to successfully impact change in the community. Partnerships can unite the skills, knowledge, and energies needed to make a difference (Callahan, 2012). Collbaborating with community businesses aids in closing gaps between academy learning and functional application. When businesses build partnerships with schools it inspires career options that will benefit companies and assist their hiring process. Collaboration will deliver economic and human resources to the institution that advances the school’s capacity to supply standard education.
WGVU Public Media. (2022, July 7). Books as mirrors and windows. WGVU. Retrieved April 22, 2024, from https://www.wgvu.org/blogs/education-blog/books-as-mirrors-and-windows/#:~:text=Mirror%20books%20reflect%20different%20parts,affirming%20to%20a%20child’s%20identity.Links to an external site.
Callahan, D., Wilson, E., Birdsall, I., Fishinghawk, B. E., Carson, G., Ford, S., Ouzts, K., & Yob, I. (2012). Walden canvas. Retrieved April 20, 2024, from https://waldenu.instructure.com/courses/105989/pages/module-5-learning-resources
Colleague 2 Gwendolyn Martin, Initial Post
The Day of Service project proposed for the Global Day of Service project.
The Walden community has the chance to acknowledge and celebrate its dedication to the university’s objective of bringing about good social change via service during Global Days of Service (Walden University, 2016). I propose organizing a food drive as part of this endeavor. Walden welcomes and encourages all forms of social change activities, as indicated by the broad definition of social change in terms of process and product (Callahan et al., 2012). In comparison to the national average, Wilcox County, Alabama, has historically had higher rates of poverty, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey. The percentage of people living below the poverty level in Wilcox County was around 29.7% in 2022, according to data from the Census Bureau. This is a far higher percentage than the national poverty rate.
How my proposed project would support social change.
Within the framework of my project and the primary school context, the Day of Service initiative, which involves a community food drive, has the potential to impact social change in multiple ways: Giving food that is needed to people and families experiencing a lack of food is one of the main ways this food drive addresses the needs of the community. This food drive will focus on vulnerable groups in the community, including low-income families, older people, and children. People in need can receive wholesome meals to help reduce hunger and food insecurity by organizing and distributing food donations through a food drive.
The food drive fosters a sense of community and solidarity. It also supports social change by giving those in need meaningful aid. Collaborating to provide food, volunteering, or participating in food distribution initiatives fosters a strong sense of camaraderie and concern for one another among individuals and groups.
A food drive can not only offer immediate assistance but also increase community awareness of the problem of food insecurity. A food drive can spark talks and activities aimed at addressing the underlying causes of food insecurity by drawing attention to the frequency of hunger and the difficulties experienced by individuals and families without access to a sufficient food supply. Efforts to provide long-term solutions to hunger and poverty can stem from this heightened awareness through community initiatives, policy changes, and activism.
Which of the eight features of social change are integrated the most into my Day of Service project?
The Day of Service initiative incorporates civic engagement elements in terms of the eight features of social transformation. Students who participate in the food drive gain a sense of civic participation and responsibility. They discover that they can improve their neighborhood and address social concerns by participating. This fosters civic engagement and social consciousness that go beyond the classroom.
Because the success of the Day of Service project depends on collaboration between students, teachers, administrators, and community members, collaboration would be highly rated on the Web presented by Callahan et al. (2012). By working together to achieve a common goal, participants understand the importance of cooperation, teamwork, and communication in accomplishing shared goals. Leadership would also be considered important because the project will give students the chance to hone their leadership abilities as they take on responsibilities like planning the food drive, handling logistics, and inspiring others to become involved. Students who participate in social change initiatives learn how to set an example for others and motivate them to do the same.
Another feature that would be highly valued in the food drive effort is knowledge. Through the Day of Service project, students can gain important knowledge about empathy, social responsibility, and the value of helping those in need. Students can also gain a greater grasp of issues pertaining to food insecurity and poverty and the ability of both individual and group action to bring about good change by taking part in the food drive.
References
Callahan, D., Wilson, E., Birdsall, I., Estabrook-Fishinghawk, B., Carson, G., Ford, S., and Yob, I. (2012). Expanding our understanding of social change: A report from the definition task force of the HLC Special Emphasis Project Download Expanding our understanding of social change: A report from the definition task force of the HLC Special Emphasis Project [White paper]. Minneapolis, MN: Walden University
U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, Wilcox County quick facts. https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/wilcoxcountyalabama/IPE120222#IPE120222
Walden University. (2016). Global days of service. Retrieved from https://academicguides.waldenu.edu/social-change/global-days-service.