Welcome to this blog and to our new unit of study: 

Change Agents –

A Finding Voice Unit on Agency, Voice, & Action

This semester we are going to explore a variety of issues and look at the people who are working to address those issues through their words and their actions.  We are often talking about making the world a better place, but how do we actually do that?  Hopefully, through this unit, we will all come to some deeper understandings of what it means to have agency, to find and use one's voice, and to take action.  I hope you will walk away from this unit of study with many skills and insights, chief among them being the understanding that individual agency is a powerful force and desired change comes about through individual action.  As Margaret Mead (a leading Anthropologist in the U.S. during the 20th century) put it: "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has."  Or, as Jack Johnson (contemporary singer) has said: "An individual action, multiplied by millions, creates global change."  Mahatma Ghandi has also addressed this topic with the now quite famous and popular quote: "You must be the change you wish to see in the world."

The goals for this unit are many, including many language and writing goals but also including goals that are much broader. By the end of the unit, you should be able to answer the following questions:

• Why write? What power does writing have in our society?  What meaning does it hold outside of school and exams?  
• Why is purpose and audience important in writing?  
• Why revise and edit?  What is pay-off for making thoughtful and complete use of the writing process, developing an extensive English language vocabulary, and mastering English language conventions?  
• How do the visual arts (and perhaps other artistic forms) both enhance written text and engage a public audience?  Why don’t we “just” write?  
• Why share your voice?  What impact can sharing one’s perspective/opinion/voice have on society?  
• What does it mean to be a member of a community or society? What does it mean to be a global citizen?  What does it mean to think globally & act locally?  
• What is individual agency? What power, agency, ability do you have to affect social change?  
• In what context(s) does change happen?  What are the internal and external factors that influence and impact change leaders and change movements?

You should also be more skilled in your use of the English language and be able to show mastery of Arizona State ELP Writing Standards: 

• Standard 1 (Writing Applications): The student will express his or her thinking and ideas in a variety of writing genres. 
• Standard 2 (Standard English Conventions): The student will identify and apply conventions of Standard English in his/her communications.
• Standard 3 (Writing Process): The student will use the steps of the writing process as a writing piece moves toward completion.
• Standard 4 (Writing Elements): The student will integrate elements of effective writing to develop engaging and focused text.
• Standard 5 (Research): The student will demonstrate research skills by using a variety of reference materials to complete a variety of writing tasks.

I look forward to working with you to learn about agency, voice, and action, and to help you to develop your own personal awareness of agency, your own personal voice, and your own action plan(s).