📝 Course Reflection · EDUC 603A/B — Exploring Education and Society
Course Reflection
One piece of writing, read against the society it comes from
The brief
- Select one piece of educational writing and write a reflective account of what the writing may tell you about the relationship between education and society.
- Consider your own response and position on the subject — the reflection is the assignment, not a summary.
- "We encourage you to make a selection that matters and excites you."
- Read the Assignment 2 Support Module material before drafting.
- 800 words. Tight — the discipline is choosing a small enough aperture to go deep.
Selection scaffold — writings already in my orbit
| Candidate | Why it fits me | Existing thread |
|---|---|---|
| Bishop, R. (2011) Freeing Ourselves (or the Te Kotahitanga profile papers) | Educational writing ABOUT education-and-society in Aotearoa: deficit theorising vs agentic Māori students — the argument my whole CIA inquiry already stands on | Cited across CIA Parts 1–2; classroom evidence of the profile in action |
| Freire, P. (1970) Pedagogy of the Oppressed (ch. 2, the "banking model") | The classic education–society text; "Design Your Own Society" was, in retrospect, a problem-posing counter to banking pedagogy | DYT unit + Zazatown student work |
| Smith, L. T. (1999) Decolonizing Methodologies (ch. on research and imperialism) | Education as an instrument of empire AND as the site of reclaiming — pairs with the NZ Histories content I teach | Posting 2: NZ Histories; decolonised-history units |
| Bourdieu & Passeron (1977/1990) on cultural reproduction | The theory behind "who does school succeed"; connects to my Bronfenbrenner ecological reading of one learner | Eco-map assignment |
Shortlist, don't decide yet — the Support Module's guidance may shape the choice. The Bishop line has the deepest personal evidence behind it; the Freire line has the clearest classroom counter-example.
Structure & word budget — 800 words
Section budgets
- The writing and its claim — a tight, accurate account of what it actually says 180
- What it reveals about education and society — the relationship, drawn out 220
- My response — where I resist, where I'm persuaded, and why (position, not reaction) 250
- What it changes in my practice — concrete, situated in my classroom 150
⚠️ Voice rule
- EDUC 603 is a reflective course — like 614/613, this is my voice throughout; scaffolding and structure only.
- The strongest 603 result so far (Film Analysis, A+) came from close reading + personal position — same shape here, in prose.
Checklist
Workflow
- Scaffold page built (this hub)
- Read the Assignment 2 Support Module guidance
- Shortlist → select the writing (one that matters and excites)
- Re-read it properly, pen in hand; capture my actual responses as they arise
- Draft to the 800-word budget — position over summary
- My-voice revision pass
- Upload by 9 Oct 23:59
🗂️ Portfolio threads this reflection can draw on
Same course, prior success
Film Analysis — Two Cars, One Night (EDUC 603, A+) — the close-reading-plus-position pattern that worked, in prose form.
Practice evidence for the "position" sections
CIA Part 2 (Te Kotahitanga in the classroom) · Design Your Own Society (problem-posing pedagogy in practice) · Bronfenbrenner eco-map (the learner in their ecology).
Reference list (candidates, APA)
- Bishop, R. (2011). Freeing ourselves: Neoliberal Endgame or Transformation? Sense Publishers.
- Bourdieu, P., & Passeron, J.-C. (1990). Reproduction in education, society and culture (2nd ed.). Sage.
- Freire, P. (1970). Pedagogy of the oppressed. Continuum.
- Smith, L. T. (1999). Decolonizing methodologies: Research and indigenous peoples. Zed Books.