Empowering Women through Education

Introduction

You are a part of a global effort to increase access to education and empower students through “open pedagogy.”  Open pedagogy is a “free access” educational practice that places you – the student – at the center of your own learning process in a more engaging, collaborative learning environment.  The ultimate purpose of this effort is to achieve greater social justice in our community in which the work can be freely shared with the broader community.  This is a renewable assignment that is designed to enable you to become an agent of change in your community through the framework of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).  For this work, you will integrate the disciplines of Business and English/Reading to achieve SDG #5: Gender Equality.   

Learning Objectives

This interdisciplinary assignment has two steps. The first part will require you to develop a portfolio using Facebook, Instagram, or any other form of social media. Deeply reflect on the stories that the imagery may be telling you and discuss what can be done to empower other women or what you would like to do to empower other women.

Purpose/Rationale

This active learning practice is designed to improve your academic skills, increase community connections, and improve social justice for our community.

Instructions

This interdisciplinary assignment has two steps. The first part will require you to develop a portfolio using Facebook, Instagram, or any other form of social media. This portfolio will be created using imagery (videos, photographs, television or youtube clips) to develop an essay showing how education has enabled or facilitated the empowerment of women. Be as creative as you can be in telling this story and displaying your imagery. It is essential that the portfolio has the great potential to be impactful on those who view it. Any photographs, video clips or imagery, in general, should have the permission of those photographed or the photographer to be used in your portfolio.

This visual essay for your Introduction to Business course (BSAD 101) or your Critical Reading, Writing, and Research at Work (ENGL 103) course will document women from Montgomery County and or around the world.If you are an international student, you can also focus on your home country. Your imagery should tell the story of how education (either formal or informal) enabled the women selected to be empowered and to achieve the goals they established for themselves. The women can be involved in any professional career, business, not for profit, a non-profit organization, or local movement.

Deeply reflect on the stories that the imagery may be telling you. Once you have done that, write a 2-4 page reflection paper on the impact that these women and their work and achievements have had on the lives of others or more specifically your life. Discuss what can be done to empower other women or what you would like to do to empower other women.