2/14/15
Teaching Social Justice and
Multicultural Issues: Knowing
Oneself, Students, and
Strategies
Antoinette Halsell Miranda, The Ohio State University
David Shriberg, Loyola University Chicago
Samuel Song, Seattle University
Social Justice and Multiculturalisim
Today’s Agenda
!   Introduction and overview of SJ and Diversity
!   Best Practice in teaching diversity and social justice
!   Three different “looks” on incorporating diversity and SJ in school
psychology programs
!   Recommendation and tips for infusion into courses
!   Knowing yourself as instructor
!   Suggested resources
Placing Social Justice in Historical Context
  Different concepts that are often used interchangeably
  The mission of social justice takes a broader stance than that
of multiculturalism and the goals of social justice cannot be
addressed by multiculturalism alone (Bulhan, 1985)
  Although not always explicit, social justice has been the aim
Acceptance of
Multiculturalism as
a Legitimate Topic
Field Develops
Multicultural
Competencies
Field Moves
Towards Social
Justice Orientation
and Action Steps
of those working to promote and develop multicultural
competencies (Arredono & Perez, 2003)
Example of Social Justice Orientation
!   Overrepresentation of ELL students in requests for
cognitive evaluation
!   Can work with each student in a “culturally competent”
way, but if do not question high referral rate, status quo/
disproportionality continues
What is This Thing Called Social
Justice?
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Most Common Definition
Shriberg,
Song,
Miranda, &
Radliff, 2013
Shriberg, Song, Miranda, & Radliff, 2013
!   “..full and equal participation of all groups in a society that is
mutually shaped to meet their needs” (Bell, 2013, p.21)
Defining Social Justice: Three Spheres
(North, 2010)
!   Vision for what society can/should look like
Redistribution/
Recognition
!   Mindset: the “goggles” we wear when we examine
practice, research, ethical issues in field
!   Skillset: commitment to advocacy, the ability both to
support justice and to be a “constructive irritant” when it
comes to injustice
What do school psychologists have to say about social justice?
(Shriberg, Bonner, Sarr, Marks, Hyland, & Chester, 2008)
Definition Question: The term “social justice” has
multiple definitions across many disciplines. One of
the goals of this survey is to generate ideas for a
definition of social justices as it applies specifically to
the practice of school psychology. Given this goal,
how would you define social justice as it applies to
the practice of school psychology?
Micro/
Macro level
processes
Knowledge/
Action
Definition Question- Results
Final Categories
Ensuring the Protection of Rights/Privileges for All
!   Example: “Engaging in best practice (assessment, intervention, counseling,
consultation) that seeks to help students who are marginalized in our education
system to enable them to learn and participate effectively in schools.”
Personal Responsibility
!   Example: “Incorporation of social change orientation across the practice of
school psychology such that school psychologists develop identity as social
change agents and promoters of social justice”
Advocacy for Others
!   Example: “Advocating for the needs of children and families who are alienated
and disenfranchised from the system.”
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Definition Question- Results
Nondiscriminatory/Inclusive
!   Example: “Social justice in school psychology is the practice of providing
school psych services in a way that serves all students/families fairly
regardless of their ethnic, gender, SES, etc. status.”
Undefined
!   Example: “Interesting question since it is very difficult to find much related to
social justice in school psychology.”
Ecological/Systemic View
!   Example: “Beyond being non-discriminatory I'd say that the practice of social
justice in school psychology would work to correct the injustices of our
society- poverty, lack of access to mental health and health care services,
etc.”
Shriberg, Wynne, Bartucci, Briggs, & Lombardo (2011)
!   Group project from NASP Social Justice Interest Group,
supported by NASP
!   1,000 randomly selected NASP members surveyed
regarding how they might define, teach, and apply social
justice, with an emphasis on what’s realistic as well as
what’s important
Moy, Briggs, Shriberg, Jackson, Smith, & Tompkins,
2014
!   Study of school psychology graduate students across five cohorts
!   Central components of social justice definition: fairness/equity,
awareness, and advocacy
Definition- What’s Most Critical?
!   Ensuring the Protection of Rights and Opportunities
for All- 70.6%
!   Ecological/Systemic View- 11.8%
!   Nondiscriminatory/Inclusive- 5.9%
!   Advocacy for Others- 5.9%
!   Personal Responsibility- 5.9%
!   Undefined- 0%
NASP Members’ Definition of Social Justice
(Shriberg et al., 2011)
Respondents’ Mean Ratings Regarding Possible Components of the Definition of Social
Justice
Item
Ensuring the protection of educational rights and
opportunities for all students*
Promoting nondiscriminatory practice*
Advocating for individuals or groups of students
who may not be able to advocate for themselves
Being culturally responsive in service delivery
Preventing the over identification of minority
groups for special education
Working to eliminate the achievement gap
Connecting students and families to community resources
M
6.70
6.67
6.47
5.98
5.50
6.36
5.66
1= unimportant to the dimension, 7= critical to the definition
*Items rated significantly higher than all others (except each other), p<.001
Components of Social Justice Definition in Examination of School
Psychology Literature (Graybill, Cloth, Baker, Fisher, Nastasi, Miranda,
Power, Shriberg, Prilleltensky, Friday morning)
!   Ensuring the protection of educational rights and opportunities for
all children
!   Culturally responsive practice
!   Promoting non-discriminatory practice
!   Advocating for/with individuals or groups of students who may not
be able to advocate for themselves
!   Engagement and promotion of equity at systems level
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Prior to Course/Learning Experience: Things to
Consider in Teaching for Social Justice (Shriberg,
2013)
!   Context in which training takes place: (e.g,. infusion versus
single class/one week topic)
Teaching for social justice
!   Assumptions/Biases of instructor
!   Opportunities afforded instructor: I am in the privileged category
in almost every dimension except religion and ableism. Different for
me teaching as a white male than it would be for Antoinette or Sam
Ohio State Approach to Integrating Social Justice
into Program (Miranda, Radliff, Cooper, &
Eschenbrenner, 2014)
Northeastern’s Approach to Teaching for
Social Justice (Li, Kruger, et al., 2009)
!   Mission statement
!   Integrating social justice into courses
!   Student body
!   Engaging students in social justice scholarship and research
!   Program courses and experiences
!   Faculty and students acting in concert with their core values and
!   Community partnering
ethical standards for the purpose of improving the lives of others in
real-world settings
!   Community-based projects
Recommendations for Teaching for Social Justice in School
Psychology Graduate Programs (Shriberg, 2013)
Best Practices
!   Engage in dialogue related to why this content is important
!   Be intentional
!   Develop a mission statement/core training goals related to social
!   Go beyond Assessment
justice
!   Embed meaningful experiences that help make ‘social justice’ a
real thing, not simply a theoretical construct or aspiration
!   Provide a safe and supportive forum for eliciting voice and
constructive dialogue
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Permeates all aspects of the
program
!   Mission Statement
!   Program Philosophy
!   Commitment to recruit and retain a diverse student cohort
!   Stand alone courses: Diversity and Urban Issues
The Ohio State University
School Psychology Program
Urban and Social Justice Focus
!   Diversity issues infused throughout most courses
!   Second year practicum in Columbus City Schools, large urban school
district
!   Research that has a diversity focus
Diversity Course
Cultural Diversity: Developing a Multicultural
Awareness
!   When hired, asked to develop a diversity course
!   Service course for the college and university
!   How it has evolved over the years
!   Class participation guidelines
!   Assignments
!   Instructor’s role
Class discussions should
encourage an inclusive environment:
Guidelines should be set
“My first diversity course, four years ago, didn’t present the
environment for open discussions and productive growth for a number
of reasons. The mixture of students turned out to be a powder keg of
emotion and opinion, and as a result, many students felt shut down
and chose not to engage in discussion. A handful of students
dominated the conversation and were aggressive toward those with
whom they disagreed. The course explored critical race theory, and it
was a huge leap for me and for others in the class who had never
taken a diversity course.”
!   Textbook: Race, Class, and Gender in the United States by Paula
Rothenberg, 8th edition
Cultural heritage or How I was
Socialized
“Exploring my own cultural heritage was an activity that was ultimately more
rewarding than I would have expected. As a White male, it can be easy to view
oneself as void of culture, and by looking in the mirror and thinking hard about my
own background, I was able to reflect on the cultural factors that played a role in my
upbringing and helped shape who I am today. It also made me think about my
childhood friends, my parents’ friends, and other people in my town who may have
experienced life in a very different way than I did. “
“From my personal experience, I found the Cultural Heritage paper to be the most
helpful assignment in understanding my role as a school psychologist. After doing
City Year, I felt fairly confident addressing issues of diversity, specifically related to
race. However, researching and reflecting on how my views were established and
perpetuated was eye opening. The paper allowed me to pinpoint exactly when I
began to differentiate my views compared to my family and how those views got me
to where I am today. “
Your lens will change
“What I was not prepared for was a class in which the material actually
resonated with me for the rest of the week, or even for several weeks. I found
myself reaching out to friends and family, excited to share my newly learned
information. I also found myself wrestling with intense diversity issues that
are currently at the core of our society. Sometimes, class left my mind
running in a million different directions. I began to question concepts and
ideas that had once been a regular part of life (for example, my reliance on the
media).”
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Self Awareness: the most critical
component
“Overall, I really enjoyed the course and I believe I gained very valuable
information about others cultural groups, but most importantly, of myself. I
was constantly challenged to re-think why I felt the way I felt or believed what
I believed. The cultural reflection paper was one of the most important
assignments I completed of this entire semester, because it allowed me to
understand myself better. I do not believe that I could have gained as much
from this course, or through the discussions, had I not had a better
understanding of myself. “
““In all honesty, I did not even know that there was an entire semester’s worth
of knowledge to obtain regarding diversity….. Although my awareness was
limited, I came into this class with an open mind and I was ready to learn
something new.”
Can we talk about race? And be
ok with that?
“Lastly I was very happy that I got to experience this class with my
cohort. Since a part of the class revolved around discussion the class
would have been almost unbearable if no one talked or did not have
interesting and unique perspectives. Even though I am friends with a
lot of people of different cultures if I were to casually ask them about
racism I can imagine that it could be potentially awkward as people
normally do not like to focus on negative things.”
Diversity from different angles
“The flow of the class seemed to be set up in a meaningful way. The
idea of figuring out what culture means first and then viewing diversity
through different perspectives made it easy for me to appreciate what
was being discussed. Even though not every person who is black, gay,
or Asian may have culture impact their lives in the same way, themes
of how they are viewed from the “white” middle class lens bring to the
forefront trends that normally go unnoticed as average day to day
interactions.”
Confronting our biases and
stereotypes
“At a more personal level, this course helped me become more aware
of my own biases and stereotyped views of others. One article that
resonates with me is that of Tatum (2013) who stated that everyone
has subconscious biases because of the inevitable socialization
experiences that help create stereotypes. I have found this to be very
true in my case because when I reflect on my own stereotyped views, I
realize they are mainly due to what others have told me or what I see
in the media. My views are not a result of my own experiences with a
particular group of people. Thus, it is important to be aware of other
people’s opinions and actions that impact our own biases and
prejudices.”
Discomfort comes with the
territory
Use of short videos to enhance
learning
“Discomfort is often associated with topics surrounding diversity and
our small class setting was not immune. I have found that my greatest
gains have come from experiences that have involved some level of
discomfort. Moreover, I have appreciated the discussion that have
prompted discomfort and have thus cultivated awareness. I am
incredibly excited to continue taking courses specifically focusing on
urban education and topics around diversity.”
“I also gained cultural knowledge from the videos presented in class. I
was fascinated by the video about the achievement gap in education
and how the gap persists despite attendance of “good” schools versus
“poor” schools. This finding challenges the belief that improving our
schools will improve all students’ achievement, a belief that people
running for office use to get elected. “
“Although in the beginning it was challenging to express my thoughts
without feeling like I was offending anyone, I was able to slowly feel
comfortable.”
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Diversity in the class is important
“I have taken away so much from this course, but another of the most
important things is the realization that our cohort is…well, pretty much
perfect. As I mentioned this evening, it is rare and exciting to meet a
group of people with whom we can have these “hard conversations.”
We are such a diverse group, and we are all so open and willing to
share our backgrounds and experiences with each other. I am
incredibly grateful to be surrounded by these ten (and sometimes
eleven) people who have already expanded my worldview and
motivated me to learn more. I can only hope that I have something to
give to them in return.”
SAMPLE ASSIGNMENT FROM
LOYOLA COURSE ON SOCIAL
JUSTICE FOR SCHOOL
PSYCHOLOGISTS
PHOTOELICITATION ASSIGNMENT
Assignments
!   Culture Heritage paper
!   Reflection papers
!   Interviews
!   Cultural Immersion Experience
Assignment Basics
!  
University has a social justice mission
!  
Part of an “Introduction to Social Justice for School Psychologists” course
!  
Course taught in fall, all students first year Ed.S. or Ph.D. students
!  
Photos depicting their personal view of social justice to be turned in at week 3 and at last class
of semester
!  
I do not define social justice for them and make clear that I am not looking for their photos to
reflect my personal views of the views of the course TA
!  
Quote from syllabus “At each juncture, you should turn in a set of photos with at least a 1-2
paragraph description of each photo and its particular significance, along with a summary
narrative describing how the photos fit together as an integrated whole. It is crucial that these
photographs are tied in a clear way to your personal experiences and viewpoints.”
Desired Learning Outcomes (indicated
on syllabus)
!   An increased understanding of conceptual foundations associated
with social justice;
!   An enhanced understanding of how one’s personal worldview
informs one’s understanding of privilege, power, oppression and
social justice;
Evaluation Criteria
!   Creativity
!   Depth of critical thought
!   Appropriate organization and grammar
!   Overall achievement of learning outcomes
!   The ability to activate a personal philosophy that integrates
personal experiences and academic knowledge
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Sample assignments
Reflections on Social
Justice & Equal Access
Keeshawna Brooks
Photoelicitation-Part II
ELPS 432-Social Justice in Higher Education
December 5, 2013
Social Justice & Equal Access
Access to Resources:
Transportation
!   “As Gutkin and Song (2013) emphasize in their chapter in School
Psychology and Social Justice, the existence of social justice hinges greatly
upon the “access to necessary and appropriate resources” and discusses
social justice as an “advocacy-related construct”. From transportation to
cultural expression, I have framed the concept of social justice using the
lens of access; highlighting places and things that represent how socially
constructed lines of segregation and barriers can be eliminated in order to
create what our Pledge of Allegiance states as…one nation, under God,
indivisible with liberty and justice for all.”
New interpretation: I have added new interpretations to the pictures included here that reflect my growth in understanding
social justice and how various social categories intersect and influence the lives of people. I have also added new photos at
the end that reflect some of the key ideas I have taken away from participating in this class about encourage social justice
in our own lives.
“The Southwest Service line of the Metra, a
commuter train that services the Chicagoland
area and, in the case of this specific Metra
line, the southwest Chicago area and suburbs.
It reflects the concept of equal access to
resources as this train connects commuters to
resources in the downtown area. It’s a
privately owed system that tends to be
considered as a cleaner, safer, wellmaintained option to rail transportation when
compared to the Chicago Transit Authority trail
lines. While this is my anecdotal opinion, the
private versus public dichotomy is also apart
of the access to resources discussion that
frames the concept of social justice.”
New interpretation: This picture was initially a representation of the difference between private and public resources like
local transportation. As I look at this now, I think about what that means for those that are differently abled and how
transportation access relates to self-agency and how it can be a different experience for those that are disabled.
Access to Resources:
Health
“Planet Fitness is a gym that caters to a more casual
gym client versus one focused on body-building and
the sometimes intimidating, exclusionary culture
associated with it. This gym chain is also known for it’s
low membership costs and their “Judgment Free Zone”
which implies an equalizing environment where patrons
come to focus on the basic human need of physical
activity.”
Access to Resources:
Sports & Recreation
New interpretation: My initial focus for this picture was the economics involved with access to healthy environments. Now
looking at this picture, I realize that this gym is also fairly gender neutral in its design. This brings to mind how gender and
body image interact in our society. To add to the feeling of acceptance and equal access, the gym may have purposefully
implemented a gender neutral yet still colorful design.
New interpretation: This picture represented a moment of
mentoring, health promotion and access to resources. Now, it also
brings to mind the added layer of difficulty for events like this to
persist during the colder seasons. The weather, particularly in
Chicago, changes the level of access for many people who struggle
with homelessness, disability and those who live in area with
regularly infrequent community events and health promotion
opportunities.
“In August, I attended the 24th Annual African Festival in of the
Arts in Chicago’s Washington Park . It’s a festival that attracts
patrons coming to listen to musicians, participate in free health
screening and to shop for goods and foods from the many
different local and international vendors that attend the festival.
The festival also had a free tennis workshop for children shown
here. The banner hanging on the back fence of the the tennis
court reflects equal access to the sport as states “USA Tennis
Free For All”. This workshop was attended by African American
children who may have access to tennis courts in some of the
park districts in the city but not necessarily access to instruction
and the presence of adults who are ensuring a safe space to
learn about the sport.”
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Access to CULTURAL EXPRESSION: THE
BLUES
New interpretation: This picture initially represented the
ways music can transcend color lines and the varying
levels of access different groups have to cultural
expression. Now, this picture reflects music that some
associate with an older age group. With some of the
negative images in modern, popular music this picture
makes me think of how some of popular music is ageist
and seems to divide the youth’s values from the values of
adults.
“This cap was worn by an African American man that explained that he
wore it to symbolize how music can transcend color lines. I interpreted
this as a statement related to the social justice as it underlies equal
access to spaces where groups of people come together to enjoy
musical expression regardless of race. Historically, the blues grew from
the raw emotion that came out of segregation and racism in the United
States in 19th century. African American gathered in segregated places
to enjoy this form of music that was born out of a time where not
everyone had access to entertainment and cultural expression.”
ACCESS TO
RESOURCES:
ADVOCACY
New interpretation: When I first saw this plaque during a
trip this fall, it was a moving experience. This plaque
represents leadership and giving a voice to those that are
not empowered. Reflecting more on this picture, it also
highlights how important it is to support advocacy in the
students we will interact with as clinicians. Support that
“This picture is of the plaque that stands at the site in Memphis, Tennessee
agency in students may end up creating leaders in the
where Martin Luther King was assassinated. The plaque’s statement relates to community that can effect long term growth and progress.
the key social justice concept of advocacy and equal access to fair
representation and participation in one’s society. For me, Martin Luther King
was a voice of the disenfranchised and even came to be in Memphis on this
fateful day to speak at a union event for striking workers.”
ACCESS TO RESOURCES: HOPE
This sign hangs in my service learning site, The Bridge Teen Center. It was an art project done by a group of teens at the
center. They wrote words that give hope to others and reminders that we should value ourselves and progress with phrases
like “There is U in Value” and “Grow”. I thought this was a great representation of giving children an outlet to express
themselves and give other encouragement. Projects like this convey and sense of purpose, agency and positive support
and are good examples of how to impart social justice and self-advocacy.
ACCESS TO RESOURCES: VOTING
“This is a ballot receipt that I received for voting in the 2012 Presidential election. This receipt represents how social justice involves
ensuring people have an equal opportunity to take part in the process of choosing who represents their interest in a political setting
where those that are disenfranchised do not historically have social power or voice.”
New interpretation: This picture reflected an opportunity to have a political voice but it now makes me think of what sense of
political agency that I and others in my area have. While voter turnout in my area is great, I do not sense that residents in my
ward are politically engaged or feel empowered to do much advocating for the community. I live in a very diverse area that could
likely benefit from cross-culturally responsive, community engagement activities.
ACCESS TO RESOURCES: TRANSPORATION
This newly added picture is a bike lane on a southside street in Chicago. I took this as it reflects an observation that these lanes
and the push for public bike sharing is a good effort with varying levels of perceived usefulness across different communities. I
hope to see these lanes being used more and equally all over the city. It may be that those that are using bikes as transportation
do not have to travel far to their destination such as work. If grocery stores, banks or work establishments are not in the area,
would a resident be likely to need to use a bike lane or will the bus or car, also pictured, be the more useful mode of
transportation? This picture makes we reflect on resource allocation and meeting communities where they are in terms of their
needs and for community stakeholders being present to voice how citizens in these community actually function to handle their
daily responsibilities.
ACCESS TO RESOURCES:
COMMUNITY + PURPOSE + FAITH
This also hangs at my service learning site. The words “community”, “purpose”, “faith” and “excellence” connect to
concepts of social justice for me. Having a sense of community and purpose can help people see the need for social justice
and their own purpose in making a more fair, equal world. Faith in some higher power or bigger calling outside of your own
self-interest can keep people motivated and invested in helping others even when it is difficult. Finally, the word
“excellence” brings to mind the need to have high expectation for others, specifically in our role as school psychologists as
we include social justice in our assessment and consultation tasks.
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Challenge Your Biases
Some other photos with
explanations
White privilege
I pass these two building every time I drive to and from campus. These are
the buildings my mom used to clean when we first moved to America and
she was working towards a second degree. I remember these building from
my childhood. They have become a symbol of oppression for me
because my mom was forced to work to clean these buildings even
though she had earned a degree in agricultural engineering in
Romania. Due to the fact that she was not able to speak the language when
we first moved here and had no proof of her degree, she was forced to earn
a living in whatever way she could. This reminds me of what I have
experienced at the POC because many of those individuals are highly
educated and very intelligent, yet they are unable to find jobs that
correspond to their level of education because they are not able to
speak the primary language. Many believe these individuals are
unintelligent simply because they are not capable of verbalizing their
intelligence. However, this is not the case whatsoever.
White privilege description
!   White Privilege is another component that I did not realize that I held
until this class. I was always aware that I was not targeted for racism
but I didn’t attribute this to white privilege.
!   This class has allowed me to see that race is out of my control and
it is out of the control of those that are being oppressed. After
sharing stories in class, I realized that I myself will stereotype
someone due to their race. This is extremely unfair to that
individual. This discussion has made me rethink the way I categorize
people and encouraged me to be less judgmental and treat everyone the
same and start out with a blank slate.
!   Everyone should be treated as an individual and they should not be
judged based on other people of the same race’s actions.
Data Tells the Tale
This is a photo of data from a PBIS meeting I attended at a suburban
high school in September. Discipline incidences are broken down by
category with the racial make-up of the students committing the
infractions. The Black/African-American students are
disproportionally represented in all categories. We are not a
member of this group. However, we recognize an opportunity to
be social justice agents. Where do we start? Some suggestions
were about perception of the students from the adults in the building,
who is writing the students up, and empowering the students to assist
on the PBIS committee to provide insight in their experiences in the
building.
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!   Through this course, I have learned so much about social justice, and the
injustices that so many individuals still face. This particular photograph
is meant to represent the new individuals in the school psychology
field who are willing to actively advocate for social justice
awareness and change. With that in mind, I feel that working
towards social justice is a never-ending process. I do not envision
a particular point in time throughout my career that social justice
will be “complete”. This is not necessarily a negative connotation
however. Becoming more aware and culturally competent is extremely
important in creating everlasting social change. We have the opportunity
to become these change agents in Chicago by promoting social justice
advocacy. We are also in a position to empower others to learn about
and work towards social justice in our schools to benefit all children’s full
potential and success.
Workin
g
toward
s social
justice
Social Justice Mission -- University,
College, Department, and Program
Seattle University School
Psychology Program
!   Academic Service Learning infused in university with much support
!   Stand alone required courses
!   Social Justice in Professional Practice (Education)
!   Multicultural and multi-lingual Issues in Learning (SPED)
!   Advanced Counseling for Diverse School Populations
!   Family School Collaboration
“Leaders for a just and humane world”
“Ethical and reflective professionals for high-quality service
in diverse communities”
63
Roles & Functions of School
Psychology (Intro to School Psych)
!   Asked to teach this course twice across two
!   Infused throughout program
!   Roles and Functions of School Psychology
!   Counseling Theories and Skills for School Psychologists
!   School Consultation and Intervention
!   Advanced Behavioral Intervention
Traditional Professional Identity (Song, 2011)
School Psychology
programs!
!   Improved over time especially in diversity and
Roles
social justice
!   Social justice professional identity framework to
Traditional
Progressive
infuse diversity and social justice via academic
service learning (ASL)
Social Justice?
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Psychological Identity Constellation &
Social Justice (Song, 2011)
Social Justice Professional Identity
(SJPI)
Social
Justice PI
Personal Identity
Ethics
National
Racial
Ethnic
Gender
Social
Justice/
Professional
Roles
(Song, Rowland, & Thompson,
2010; Song, 2011)
(e.g., Beijaard, Meijer, & Verloop, 2002; Tajfel & Turner, 1979; Klaczynski & Lavallee, 2005)
Figure 4: Formation of a Social
Justice Professional Identity
(Song, 2011)
School
Psychology
Professional
Education &
Social
Justice
Knowledge
Course Activities for Social Justice
!   Supplemental Text: Paul Tough’s “Whatever it Takes”
!   Social justice articles & book
Social
Justice
Action
SJPI
Formation
!   Instruction on Seattle University’s Mission, College,
Reflection &
Relevance
Program
!   Various instructor led discussion-lectures and reflections
!   Service Learning Project (CBR)
Expression
of
Personally
Relevant
Knowledge
!   Shadowing a practitioner assignment & reflection
!   Philosophy of School Psychology Paper
(Beijaard, Meijer, & Verloop, 2004; Korth,
2008; Song, 2011)
Benefits of Service Learning
Academic Service Learning
•  Improves personal, social, and
critical thinking skills
•  Improves retention
•  Enhances educational experience
•  Increases academic performance
•  Aids in the development of
meaningful connections, both
interpersonally and academically
•  Develops strong civic responsibility
!   6 - 8 hrs at an urban head start program
assist with observations & screenings
!   Two written reflections (various in-class
reflections)
!   Needs assessment project
!   Feedback to community & from
community
•  Positive gains in self-esteem,
empathetic understanding, problem
solving, and moral reasoning
•  Builds confidence
•  Positively influences understanding
of and attitudes around diverse
groups
•  Imparts practical experience
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(Astin & Sax, 1998; Batchelder & Root, 1994; Billig, 2000; Simonet, 2008; Stukas, Clary, & Snyder, 1999)
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Something Useful Products based
on community need
Needs Assessment Project
!   Identified Need: How can head start teachers best support
!  
Pamphlet to help TAs learn English
!   Community Based Resources
their children?
!   Who is their community?
!   What is their community?
!   Who are their teachers?
!   What is their organization (NHHS, resources,
challenges)?
!   Web-Based Resources
!   Seattle Central Community College (SCCC)
!   Intern in TESOL to work
!  
Literacy Resource Kit
!  
!  
!  
!   Research Need (CBR)
!   “Something Useful”
Library resources in community
Parent education resources on promoting early literacy
Donated books for classroom
!  
Academic Service Learning resources for community colleges in area
!  
Somali culture brochure for teacher training
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B. Positive Emotional Response
This is everybody’s first quarter in the program, and for me it was my
first experience being in a classroom with this program it was very
powerful for me because it allowed me to start to imagine what my
career will be like, it was very, very powerful for me. It felt like the
beginning of something.
I think school psychology is really sort of like social justice in practice,
cause that’s basically our job as school psychologists, to make sure
that all kids have equal access to a good education, which, I think
is a huge part of social justice, so, there’s a really strong
relationship between the two.
A. Awareness of School Psychology(ists) role and functions related to Social
Justice
And it really lights your fire, it was so important. For me, it got me- I
was also made very passionate about this, my career. Not like I
wasn’t before, but even more so.
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C. Knowledge Gained
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C. Knowledge Gained cont
Yeah, it really drives things home; I know, one thing that it really drove
home for me is we were talking about implementing change and
having to do it, you know, taking small steps, and this really drove
that home for me. You know you couldn’t just go and change the
[community partner site] and make it better by making these giant
system changes, you know, you have to do little things like a little
literacy program or helping the teacher’s aids learn, a, learn
English better. Changing really little things like that and eventually
improving the entire system instead of just trying to tackle, a, huge
issues at the time.
It’s a first hand experience of systematic change over time, to kind of
introduce you to the field, and, just, a, it’ll make the course easier
because the first hand experience makes you understand it on a
totally different level. I think all the papers were easier to write,
probably, having that experience.
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Social Justice Identity Framework (Song,
Did it Matter in Real Life?
2010)
!   Community Response
!   Community partner using all products – intern, new teacher
orientation, books
!   SU asking for replication
Social
Justice
Advocacy
!   Student Response
!   Voluntarily presenting at SU conference, transformative experience,
(Clare, 2009; Shriberg, 2009;
Song, Rowland, & Thompson,
2010)
SJ
Identity
consistent volunteering to support this assignment
!   Instructor Response
!   Teaching evaluations
Diversity
Best
Practices
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!  
TIPS: Infusion of Content into
Courses
Choose texts, supplemental books, or articles that address diversity
!   Incorporate case studies that highlight diversity
!   Avoid having one class topic in the course on diversity
Small Group Discussion
!   Let’s share ideas and strategies to try out when
we return to the university
!   When presenting diverse issues, be careful not to come from a deficit model,
or reinforce stereotypes (explicitly address this concern)
!   Be willing to have difficult conversations
!   Promote self reflection/self awareness of values/biases/attitudes activities
throughout course
!   Integrate diversity component in graded assignments and final
!   Role model the journey of professional/personal growth in this area
Suggested resources
!   International School Psychology Curriculum:
Thank you & Contact us!
!   Antoinette Miranda, [email protected]
http://www.cred-pro.org/group/
internationalschoolpsychologycurriculum
!   American Counselor Association Advocacy Competency Domains:
!   David Shriberg, [email protected] Twitter: @DrDaveShriberg
http://www.counseling.org/Resources/Competencies/
Advocacy_Competencies.pdf
!   NASP Culturally Competent Practices Resources:
!   Sam Song, [email protected]
http://www.nasponline.org/resources/culturalcompetence/
index.aspx
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