Two-Column Notes

Date:
9/20/16
Page #

Name:
Class/Subject:
Ben Smith
EDTL 2760
MR Title(s): Nancy Patterson; Education, Citizenship, and Social Justice
MR Source(s):Education, Citizenship, and Social Justice
The Text Says
I Say
Notes (key concepts, direct quotes, etc.)
My notes, commentary

197

About one-fourth of the teachers (39/155 or 25.2

percent) were categorized as participatory,
with such typical responses as: A love and pride for
their country that encourages them to be participating
citizens who share in the decision-making, operation,
and well-being of the United States, stays informed,
contributes positively to community, votes, accepting
of people, works to make world a better place and
understand their responsibilities as a citizen. Also to
show the importance of being an active participant in
society.

The participatory category seems to emphasize

the importance of a love and patriotism for
their country, being their patriotism that makes
them want to become an active citizen and play
a role in the government. It also highlights the
importance of being informed, saying how it will
lead to a positive contribution.

198

Four of the teachers in the interview

sample were coded as personally
responsible. Defining elements of the
personally responsible citizen are service
through voting, respect for and service to
the local community, knowledge of the
past for the sake of knowledge with an
emphasis on learning from it, and
transmitting information to students.

The one part of this quote that stuck out to me

the most was knowledge of the past for the
sake of knowledge with an emphasis on
learning from it. I feel like this element was
worded perfectly, I wholly agree to this
statement. In high school, I feel like this lesson
more than any other was pushed on us, for us
to understand the past and learn from it, so we
do not repeat our mistakes.

199

The two personally responsible teachers

who were originally coded as participatory
Elsie and
Marcus included key words in their survey
definitions of citizenship that signaled the
participatory category, that is, service to
community beyond the local.

I dont fully agree with the categorizing a

teacher or a teaching method into a single
category. I believe that a teacher can teach in
different methods and isnt just defined to one
way of thinking.

202

For example, You can be both a

productive member of society who adds
something,
you know, by volunteering or just cleaning
your lawn so that your neighbors can
appreciate you,
you know, having a job so that you
contribute to the tax base. You can be
productive in that way
and still protest good citizens do so with
an understanding that they fit into a larger
picture, and that they try to work within
that.

This quote highlights that you dont always

need to be a huge part of your community or
local government, as even the smaller things
that help improve your life or that of your
neighborhood can make you an positive and
active citizen.

Connections to previous MR:

Last weeks MR talked heavily on the fact that America is not the greatest country in the world, as
opposed to this weeks focusing on the importance of how teachers view the importance of social
studies and how they view being a good citizen. I believe that you can take what weve learned of how
to be a good and active citizen and apply it to the failures of Americans today and help to fix the

Worst. Period. Generation. Period. Ever. Period.