CourseAssignment-Reflection 6

This week’s reading focused on service learning. This was the first chapter of Cathryn Berger Kaye’s The Complete Guide to Service Learning: Proven, Practical Ways to Engage Students in Civic Responsibility. It begins with definition of service learning stating that service learning is a way to connect the classroom with its content, literature and skills to aid in community’s needs. The definition continues with six more points stating that students will:

·         apply academic, social, and personal skills to improve the community.

·         Make decisions that have real, not hypothetical, results.

·         Grow as individuals, gain respect for peers, and increase civic participation.

·         Experience success no matter what their of ability level.

·         Gain a deeper understanding of themselves, their community, and society (Kaye, 2010, p.9).

The next part of the chapter contains a series of questions and answers which deals with different aspects of service learning. This section is very informational as well as containing bits of humor as in response to the question “what do I do if I’ve been assigned to coordinate service learning for my grade/school/organization” (Kaye, 2010, p.12)? The first part of the answer says to celebrate; I found that to be humorous.

This is followed by a section which describes the ingredients for making successful service learning. Here it is conveyed the importance of all members, the facilitator, the students, and the community partners being familiar with service learning strategies. Also, it is stated that the teacher or other adults are responsible for infusing the standards while it is the responsibility of the students to focus on progressing through the different stages in service to.

The next section gives us these standards which are meaningful service, link to curriculum, reflection, diversity, youth voice, partnership, progress mentoring and in need with, duration and intensity. In this section each one of these standards for quality practices is clearly described. This provides a sturdy framework for developing service learning.

The next section provides an overview of the five stages involved in service learning. These stages are investigation, preparation and planning, action, reflection and demonstration. This section also provides a clear explanation of each of these stages. This again provides a clear blueprint for developing a service learning project.

The next section of the chapter provides different examples demonstrating the different service learning projects for different grade levels. The first example explains how they can food drive which can provide needed food to food banks was transformed into a service learning project where students actually provided meals for needy. This idea was expanded with first-graders after reading Uncle Willie and the Soup Kitchen then prepared sack lunches for an agency that delivered meals to needy. Fourth graders learned about the Irish potato famine and how the Choctaw tribe raised money in 1847 to help out. The students learned to draw a parallel between Native Americans loss of tribal land and people today who lose their homes due to poverty. Middle school students learned about increasing unemployment in the region and the strain on social service agencies. This led to students learning important lessons about everything from water food staples to nutrition information and food groups. Freshman learned about malnutrition and childhood hunger which led to the promotion of canned food drives as well as creating a coloring book about fruits and vegetables to give to needy children. In history a class students read Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America and were inspired to investigate poverty in their community through a student design project. A drama class created a theatrical adaptation of The Can-Do Thanksgiving for elementary students which launched a citywide canned food drive. Photography students captured photos depicting the need for food donation. Choral groups song about homeless and provided handouts with information. A computer class created a template promoting can food drives posting it to a website to be viewed by local schools and agencies.

Overall this chapter provided a very clear and precise description of what a service learning project should look like and provided a clear outline on how to create one. I found one of the most inspiring aspects of this chapter where the sprinkling of inspirational quotes which gave meaning and credibility. I felt this gave the chapter and extra dimension.

I feel that a meaningful service learning project for this community which elementary students could be involved in could be in befriending senior citizens in a local senior community center. Students could write short stories that they could share with the individuals in the community center. They can also be involved in a clothing drive to get lightly used sweaters and jackets donated that they can also give to needy seniors. I think however one of the most important parts to ineffective service learning project would be to provide direction and have the students decide the actual details and how they wish to carry out the project.

References

Kaye, C. B. (2010). The complete guide to service learning: Proven, practical ways to engage students in civic responsibility. Minneapolis, MN: free Spirit Publishing Inc.