Social Responsibility

    Educators have such a huge role when it comes to their part in social responsibility. Educators work with students when they are at their most impressionable ages until they are considered adults. Educators work with students to learn and develop skills in academia, however, they also work on building moral and ethical values from a young age that some students will carry with them forever. Teachers are role models not only for good values and morals but they are role models for showing kindness, inclusivity of students, and integrity. 

    Teachers and those who work in the education field are responsible for far more than just teaching students how to be kind when playing a math game or showing them how to be honest when taking a test - they have a critical role in ensuring that students are shaped into well-rounded, ethical, and informed future citizens (Asatryan, 2023). Teachers can not only teach students skills to become ethical citizens but they can also model this in their day-to-day actions. Teachers can and should show inclusivity in the classroom and ensure that all students are treated equally regardless of their background, culture, ability, or race. This also includes ensuring that students feel heard and safe. When an inclusive environment is created, students are encouraged to use critical thinking skills to ask questions about the world around them, analyze what could be changed, and ultimately make decisions that are ethical and inclusive for all. In the article, "Educators and Social Responsibility: What This Means to Informed Citizenry" it states, "Educators must implement thorough practices that create safe, thoughtful, and equitable classrooms to ensure young people succeed in school and life. From there, they can use the tools we equip them with to help shape a more democratic, just, and inclusive world." (Gangone, 2019). This promotes the idea that teaching and modeling inclusivity shows our young children that being equitable and inclusive towards all is something that should be fostered throughout all aspects of life. This is something that children are more likely to do as they get older, creating a more inclusive world. This also goes hand-in-hand with encouraging ethical and appropriate behavior when using technology or on the internet. Teachers must ensure that students are aware of the dangers, as well as, the positive aspects of using technology both inside and outside of school. Teaching students how to act appropriately and ethically on the internet can help shape students into safe internet users. Additionally, teachers can encourage students to partake in the community around them in ways such as volunteering and various service learning projects. This promotes the importance of being actively engaged in your community and being an all-around global citizen.

    The idea of teachers teaching about the importance of being a good digital citizen leads to the idea of what social responsibility will look like in the future. As the world continues to become more and more centered on technology, I would anticipate that the social responsibility of teachers will also be more centered on the teaching of safe technology usage. One example would be the ethical use of AI and technology, teaching students to balance technology use and when/how to use AI features. Additionally, as long as the world continues to be focused on technology, there will be a continued push for digital citizenship and ensuring that students are prepared and able to function in a world that is connected through technology in terms of socially, environmentally, and economically. Teachers will need to continue to alter their instruction and teaching as learning approaches evolve to combat additional challenges that may present themselves in the future. Ultimately, teachers should be encouraged to continue to teach students in the most effective way that allows them to feel connected and represented in their learning approaches' to foster a love of lifelong learning, preparing them for their future endeavors. However, it is important to note that as the stakes get higher for state testing and prioritizing curricula, there may be less emphasis on building students to be well-rounded citizens and more emphasis placed on curriculum (Chandler et al., 2011). 

References: 

Asatryan, S. (2023). Development of the Learners’ Social Responsibility Skills in the English Teaching  Context. Pixel - Online. https://conference.pixel-online.net/files/ict4ll/ed0016/FP/2592-TST6164- FP-ICT4LL16.pdf

Chandler, P., Buck, K., & Ferguson, D. (2011). Reclaiming the Common Good in Education: Teaching Social Responsibility Through Service Learning. Current Issues in Middle-Level Education. 

Gangone, L. (2019, August 16). Educators and social responsibility: What this means to informed citizenry. American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education.                https://aacte.org/2019/08/educators-and-social-responsibility-what-this-means-to-informed-citizenry/