Motivation to Teach Social Action:
I am interested in participating in this course development program because it provides an opportunity to intentionally strengthen my teaching practices while creating more meaningful, engaging, and equitable learning experiences for my students. I am especially committed to designing courses that connect academic content to real-world issues, promote critical thinking, and empower students to see themselves as agents of social change.
This program would allow me to collaborate with colleagues, learn new strategies, and explore innovative approaches to curriculum design that support diverse learners. I am particularly interested in integrating inclusive, culturally responsive, and high-impact teaching practices that foster student engagement, belonging, and success. I also hope to deepen my understanding of assessment, course alignment, and the use of technology to enhance learning.
Ultimately, I see this opportunity as a way to continue growing as an educator while strengthening my courses so they better prepare students for both their professional and civic lives. I am excited about the chance to reflect on my current teaching, refine my course materials, and develop sustainable practices that will have a lasting impact on student learning.
Course Description:
Theories of Justice: This course is an introduction to selected classical and contemporary theories of justice, with an emphasis on alternative conceptions of social and criminal justice, and on the origin, nature, and causes of crime. This course will examine the social, cultural, and political forces that influence society's perceptions of the characteristics of criminals in the society. The course will also examine various conceptions of inequality and of the crucial role it plays in a society's understanding of crime and its response to criminal behavior.
Drugs, Crime, and Justice: This course is an overview of the nexus between drugs and crime in the United States and how it affects the criminal justice system. Included is a comprehensive examination of the nature of the drug problem from a historic, social, political, economic, and psychological and physical addiction perspective; general knowledge of the impact of legal and illegal drugs on society and the justice system; the contribution of illicit drugs to crime and criminal behavior; drug production and distribution organizations and systems; drug prevention and treatment programs; and the debate over the decriminalization of drugs.
Taught By:
Radscheda Nobles
Associate Professor
History, Politics and Social Justice
Winston Salem State University
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