Changing Socially Constructed Concepts

Changing Socially Constructed Concepts 

During the course of this semester, we have talked about how many, if not all, of the major concepts we have discussed in class – intellect, race, language, and even schooling itself – are socially constructed concepts defined by people at specific moments in history and that these concepts’ meanings can and do change. In this paper, please critically reflect upon the core beliefs of (a) disabilities studies, (b) trauma pedagogy, and (c) languaging/translanguaguaging, focusing on the differences and similarities between these perspectives and the dominant perspectives about special education, students from marginalized backgrounds, and languages that exist in our schools today. Please discuss these concepts in terms of the micro (classroom level), meso (school level), and macro (larger context – social conditions, economic patterns, political philosophies, etc.) systems in which you are situated, drawing on class readings to support your ideas. When discussing your personal micro system, please specifically reflect on your ideologies surrounding language and address how they might affect teaching and learning. Please wrap up your paper with a section that talks about changes that you believe you implement to positively impact the students with which you work, considering all the aforementioned topics and issues. When referencing class readings, you should provide in-text citations. If you choose to cite arguments or evidence published in works other than those that appear in the course syllabus, please provide complete bibliographical references at the end of your paper. Your response should be 5-7 pages (not including references), written in 12-point Times New Roman font, and double-spaced.