Foundations of Education

For the second of the three assignments in EDUC 1F95: Foundations of Education you will write a traditional academic essay in which you identify a controversial topic related to K-12 education and then summarize two or more competing perspectives about the topic. You will conclude the essay by sharing your own perspective(s) on the topic. At the end of the assignment, you will also write a one paragraph reflection.

Your academic essay should be written using scholarly language. Use in-text citations to credit all sources of information. End the essay with a reference list.

Note: For this EDUC 1F95 assignment only, you are permitted to use artificial intelligence tools (e.g., ChatGPT), although you must acknowledge having done so in your end-of-assignment reflection paragraph. You can also choose not to use artificial intelligence tools.

For this formal essay assignment:

1. Choose a controversial topic related to K-12 education for which there are multiple competing perspectives. If you need help choosing a topic:

• search the Web for ideas
• browse education related articles at The Globe and Mail, The National Post, The Toronto Star, or other Canadian (or international) newspapers
• browse the archives of the Ontario College of Teachers' Professionally Speaking magazine
• search education-related blogs and websites
• review the list of controversial topics on the previous topic page
• use artificial intelligence tools (e.g., ChatGPT)
• reach out to your TA for advice

2. Research the topic you have chosen. Search the resources in the Brock Library or other online sources of information. Your goals should be to: 1) develop an understanding of the controversial topic you have chosen; 2) delineate two (or more) competing perspectives that relate to the topic; and 3) articulate your own perspective(s) about the topic.

3. Write a 1400 - 1500 word academic essay in which you:

• clearly identify the controversial topic
• articulate two (or more) competing perspectives about the topic, citing sources of information to support your writing
• conclude the paper by briefly describing your own perspective(s) on the topic
• write a one paragraph reflection that discusses how two of the following contributed to your research and/or writing of the assignment: Brock's BU101 course, the Brock Library's Research Fundamentals course, and/or your choice to use (or not to use) artificial intelligence tool(s). (Note: For the BU101 course, you can choose to complete any of the BU101 courses that are listed.)
• list the 5 - 10 references you have used at the end of the essay

4. Upload your academic essay to the LMS Assignments portal in MS Word format.

Note: For this assignment only, you are permitted to use artificial intelligence tools (e.g., ChatGPT), to assist you with Steps 1 to 3, although you must acknowledge having done so in your end-of-assignment reflection paragraph. You can also choose not to use artificial intelligence tools.

In writing your essay, follow the structure below:

• Introduction: Identify and briefly summarize the controversial topic you have chosen. Briefly list the arguments in favour and in opposition that your essay will cover.
• Arguments in Favour: Summarize the arguments in favour of the controversial topic you have chosen. Be sure to cite all sources of information.
• Arguments in Opposition: Summarize the arguments in opposition to the controversial topic you have chosen. Be sure to cite all sources of information.
• Conclusion: Conclude the essay by articulating your own perspective(s) on the issue.
• Reflection: Follow the directions provided in #3 above.
• References: List the sources of information you have referenced in the essay following APA guidelines.

You can optionally choose to follow the template below. The template uses filler text in order to demonstrate how in-text citations work:

Introduction

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.

Arguments in Favour

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua (Foxman, 2021). Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat (Government of Canada, 2020). Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa "qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum" (Robson, 2019, p. 143).

Arguments in Opposition

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua (Foxman, 2021). Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat (Government of Canada, 2020). Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa "qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum" (Robson, 2019, p. 143).

Conclusion

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum (Homework Help Global, 2022).

Reflection

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.

References

Foxman, S. (2021, June). Safety first. Professionally Speaking. Retrieved August 28, 2021 from https://professionallyspeaking.oct.ca/publications/professionally_speaking/2021-06/2021-06-Table-of-Contents-PS.asp

Government of Canada. (2020). Education in Canada. Retrieved August 14, 2020 from https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/new-immigrants/new-life-canada/enrol-school.html

Homework Help Global. (2022). Is homework beneficial? 10 reasons why it is. Homework Help Canada. August 31. URL: https://www.homeworkhelpglobal.com/ca/blog/is-homework-beneficial/

Robson, K. L. (2019). Sociology of Education in Canada. Open Library Press Books.

Here are a few writing suggestions:

1. Optionally use headings to organize your essay (e.g., Arguments in Favour; Arguments in Opposition).

2. Divide the essay into paragraphs. Normally, a single paragraph expresses a single idea.

3. Read the essay out loud to yourself to ensure that it is well organized and reads well.

4. Consider having a friend read your essay to provide feedback.

5. Spell check your essay.

A rubric for this assignment can be found in the course outline which is available on the LMS.