Alexus Cornejo

Introduction to Special Education 203

Social Reconstructionism

8 December 2021
 There is a plethora of personal philosophies in special and general education that many

teachers fall under. I find that I resonate most with social reconstructionism. It can be described

by ford as “... a philosophical approach that questions essentialism and other rigid and dogmatic

standpoints. It questions the existing standards in order to provide new perspectives to the social,

political, economical and other related issues.” Social reconstructionism is the key to making

changes in schooling, it takes old standards and finds ways to fix them to fit this ever-changing

world.

In the teaching profession there are many teachers with outdated views of what a

classroom should be like in both special and general education. Schools are growing to be more

diverse all the time. Schools need a way to keep up with these changes and social

reconstructionism is a great way to do so. School is much more than just a place where students

go to learn about academics, it's also where students learn to become themselves and how to

interact with others. It's important to instill in students from a young age how much they can do

and that they can make a change in society. There are many people in the teaching profession

that solely care about teaching what is required and do the bare minimum for their students.

According to Biznewske social reconstructionism “provide students with learning requisite for

altering social, economic, and political realities.” With these requisites learned in school it can

make way for students to help make a difference in society.

When teaching there are so many ways to incorporate social reconstructionism in the

classroom. Students now in many classrooms learn in a very straight forward and what seems to

follow a bias way of teaching set in place by the education system. This can be very dangerous

for the students to not know the whole truth and can create harmful views on issues. For

example, when learning about slavery and the start of the United States it is always extremely

sugarcoated. Students need to know the whole truth in order to learn from these past injustices.
With social reconstructionism it focuses on the advocation of different academic topics and

history to show how they affect people. It is critical that students learn in school how they can

help better society.

To instruct others on how to follow social reconstructionism is not always simple to

begin with, especially if it's not what others are used to. The person will need to take time to

learn about topics taught in education from outside and non-bias sources as to avoid influencing

the students' view. In school, teachers are required to follow a tight curriculum which is harmful

to the students and the teacher. I do believe that there should be some regulation on what is

taught but teachers should have more freedom to teach what and how they want. With social

reconstructionism it would allow teachers to teach more freely. It would allow teachers and

students to look at the world from a new perspective if able to instruct how they choose.

In the future I think students and the education system will benefit greatly from the use of

social reconstructionism. As of right now the world and education system still need much

improvement. There is still so much negativity and reconstruction that needs to be taught to the

older and new generation and there is no better place to learn about it than the classroom. The

goal of social reconstructionism according to Biznewske is “… is to eliminate any form of

oppression within the educational system this includes racism, sexism, homophobic, classism

and more.” Being able to eliminate these things in the classroom will in turn help create a better

future. Learning these injustices in the classroom will set the foundation that it is not acceptable

outside either. I believe that the education system and world in the future would benefit

tremendously if more teachers followed social reconstructionism, it is something I will

implement in my class.
 As I grow closer to becoming a teacher social reconstructionism stands out to me. There

are so many benefits to teaching with this philosophy and I see so much potential in solving

many issues in our education system through the uses of it. It will teach students to look at the

world in a new light and see the world with more empathy and compassion. In knowing the truth

and how the world works it will allow for change and reform in the world and in schooling.
 Work Cited

“Definition of Reconstructionism in Education Philosophy & Examples.” Reconstructionism in

Education Philosophy, 13 Mar. 2021, https://biznewske.com/reconstructionism-in-

education-philosophy/. Accessed 5 December 2021.

Ford, Joe. “What Is the Purpose of Social Reconstructionism in Education?” AnswersToAll, 22

Jan. 2021, answerstoall.com/users-questions/what-is-the-purpose-of-social-

reconstructionism-in-education/#What_is_meant_by_Reconstructionism. Accessed 5

December 2021.