Tuesday, January 25, 2005

Educational Advocacy

One unexpected result of this program, for me, has been my interest in educational advocacy. I think my interest has always been there, but I have not had the motivation or the understanding to follow through on it. So far, my advocacy has been mostly limited to my own school building. I have gained confidence to be speak up for what I believe is best for the students, the families, and the faculty.
However, I would like to go further with this. I have seen other students in this program who are involved in a broader manner in educational advocacy. That has been a major plus to this program. The range of people in the classes is wider than I would ever have dreamed. I expected to take classes with K-12 teachers. And while many of us are that, there are people involved in higher education, governmental educational agencies, lobby groups, and more. In this way, I have had the opportunity to be exposed to a wide variety of opportunities to advocate for educational issues. Before this program, I did not have the first clue as to how to go about getting involved in this area. Now, I at least have some roadmaps to guide me.
So, the social foundations program has opened my eyes to educational advocacy opportunities, helped me gain confidence that I have something to say, and encouraged me to question the traditional ways of doing things and find better methods.

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