Our textbook is Sadovnik, A. & Coughlan, R. W. (2015) The Sociology of Educatio

Our textbook is
Sadovnik, A. & Coughlan, R. W. (2015) The Sociology of Education: A Critical Reader. New York: Routledge.
CRITICAL MEMO 3
Students are assigned a series of 4 critical memos, each of which should be 3-5 double-spaced pages in length (not including references). Please post a copy of each memo to the corresponding assignment section of BBL on the assignment’s due date by the time at which it is due. Please use Microsoft Word software to create your memos and post them as an attachment so that I can comment on them using track changes Please cite all of your sources in APA, Chicago, or MLA styles at the end of your memo. Each memo should consist of an introduction and 3 key parts: summary, application of concepts or theories from class and course readings, and your critical evaluation.
Because you are conducting analysis and reaching your own original conclusions, I ask that you include a thesis statement in your paper’s introduction paragraph (I paragraph).
Then, I ask that you summarize the source materials (whether an author’s argument, a policy or practice, depending on the assignment and the material you are using), that you discuss in your memo. Please summarize your source material briefly, describing its main argument(s), central point(s), and/or issues that directly pertain to your memo. This summary should concisely orient the reader to the material you are considering in this paper. It should be a minor part of your paper compared to the other components (from 2 paragraphs to 1 page at the very most).
Once you have clearly and succinctly summarized the materials to which you refer in this memo, please apply your selected concepts, theories or perspectives from class and course readings to the material you have already introduced. How do these help you to interpret and understand this material? What can you see in this material through the lens that these concepts, theories, or perspectives provide? Interesting issues or opportunities? Obvious contradictions or problems? A good or poor fit? An opportunity to extend or challenge the concept or theory? A hidden solution?
Third, and most important, is your critical analysis of the written material that you cite. This part of your memo builds upon the application of concepts and theories as discussed above. Please provide your own analysis of and reaction to the work. It is fine to say that you liked or disliked whatever you are analyzing (the point of view, policy, document, etc.), but that is not sufficient for these assignments. Please offer your own thoughtful analysis of what you have read based on the perspectives you have gained through steps 1 and 2 of this assignment. This analysis will ideally be reflected in your paper’s thesis paragraph (at the beginning of the paper).
I will grade your memos according to the presence and quality of the three components discussed above (summary: 20%; application of perspectives, concepts or theories: 30%; and critical analysis, 30%). In addition, I will also evaluate the strength of your writing, including organization, clarity and conventions of writing (e.g., spelling, grammar, sentence and paragraph structure, punctuation), worth 20% of each memo’s grade. The rubric I will use for evaluating your assignments follows below.
Tensions within and about schools. This course introduces a number of tensions that take place within and about P-16 education—structure vs. agency, different functions of capital, over how identity is understood to “work,” different rationales for and approaches to “socialization,” and liberty vs. security. Please analyze case material of your choice, using the material we have considered (and other materials you find relevant). When selecting your case material, please identify a case about P-16 education that brings up intellectual, social, professional, organizational or instructional tensions (please don’t write about all of these, I am just suggesting you consider them as you gather sufficient material for writing your paper). In your analysis, please address how your case reflects, resolves and/or challenges the tension (as listed above) you are considering, and what you feel this means for the ongoing operation of the policy, practice, school etc. Do you feel that it should change? Be left as is? Be used as a positive or negative example? Something else?
Critical memo grading rubric
Summary of content texts: Author provides a clear, concise summary of any source material or content (as opposed to theoretical or conceptual) texts that are discussed in the memo, so that the reader can understand any content that is analyzed in the paper. 20%
Application of perspectives, concepts and/or theories: Author clearly describes perspectives, concepts and/or theories used in paper, and applies them accurately, explicitly and thoroughly to the content text. 30%
Critical analysis of material: Evidence of original analysis. Evidence is present of author’s original analysis of materials read. Critical evaluation is connected to author’s application of perspectives, concepts and/or theories. 10%
Critical analysis of material: Quality of argument. Author’s argument coherently flows from the paper’s introduction (most pointedly represented by a thesis statement) to the end of paper in a fashion that is cumulative, well-developed and easy to follow. (Memos submitted without a thesis statement will receive half of the possible points for this area; in other words, please provide a thesis statement!). All arguments are substantiated with credible evidence. 20%
Writing is clear, and easy to understand, even if concepts communicated are complex; Author follows conventions of writing (spelling, grammar, sentence and paragraph structure, punctuation, APA or other style followed consistently). 20%

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Sadovnik, A. & Coughlan, R. W. (2015) The Sociology of Educatio appeared first on Skilled Papers.