Course Assignment- Reflection 6

Service learning is described as a method to connect learned classroom content knowledge and skills to meeting the needs of the community. It is an all age-group, all content opportunity to process integrate and apply knowledge to improve he community in various ways (Kaye, 2004, p.9).  By involving the community in to the learning process, an authentic learning experience is created, providing relevance and meaning to course content and engaging the students more in depth than artificial and generic scenarios could (p.9) as well as add the dimension of introducing students to various types of people and careers (p.13). Other benefits of using service learning to connect and engage students include developing youth leadership skills and encourages students to stay in school by addressing issues in the community of importance to them (p.12).

The article takes the time to define the terms “community” and “service” as well as describing the general classifications of service. The definition of community is loosely defined as the being variable ranging from the immediate school campus and surrounding population to entire neighborhoods, cities, and/or regions. The scope of the project would determine the definition of community under this loose description (p.10). However, “service” is defined as meeting some sort of need, whether it be a direct, indirect, advocacy, or research service:

• Direct: students have direct interaction with recipients of the service(s); they learn about caring, develop problem-solving skills, follow a sequence (process); and are involved in social justice issues
• Indirect: students activities benefit the community or environment as a whole; they learn about cooperation and collaboration, fulfill various roles on the teams and learn to organize, prioritize, and gain apply content specific knowledge and skills
• Advocacy: students create/ promote awareness and /or action on an issue of public interest; they learn about perseverance, rules, systems and processes as well as civic engagement and working with adults
• Research: students find, gather, and report information in the public interest; they learn to gather information, make judgments based on data and literature, and systematic organization, assessment, and evaluation of results and findings

(p.11)

In this regard, the intent of the project or activity would determine the type of service that is being provided. It is important to note, that no definition of community and/ or classification of service is “better” or “worse” than the other.

However, such variation in service learning opportunities means that certain criteria should be addressed if the projects and/ or activities are to qualify as service learning versus volunteer work. For example, it must be meaningful and meet some need within the chosen definition of community with an intensity and duration that is long enough to meet the needs of the service learning goals. It should also provide opportunities for students reflect on the connection between their learning and their action as well as monitor their own progress. Students need the opportunity to allow express their individual and collective voices while working in various types of partnerships that expose them to the concepts of diversity (pp. 14-15).  This is achieved through the development of a proper service learning activity or project.

The article describes successful service learning as having five essential and independent stages: investigation, preparation and planning, action, reflection, and demonstration (p.15). Students begin by identifying the problems in the community they will address as well as the community resources available to meet the needs of their service learning goals. Students then determine what knowledge, skills and talents they have that will be used in the project. Students then carry out their plans of action to apply learned knowledge and skills to address the chosen issue of public interest; this is followed by reflecting on their experiences and how they relate their learning, lives, and community. Students are then called to demonstrate what they have learned through presentations, exhibits, etc. which allows them to teach others about what they have learned. The article ends with providing various example of service learning activities.

In order for service learning to be appropriately implemented in the classroom, it is important that teachers receive ongoing professional development on service learning. Teachers should regularly meet and discuss and share ideas for upcoming activities for feedback and critique in order to make sure the projects are meeting the goals of the curriculum and the needs of the community effectively and appropriately. A possible research proposal can be how can professional learning communities be developed to coordinate the implementation of service learning at the school level? Can a rubric be developed to make sure that the criteria and processes of service learning are met or will creating one limit the creativity and possibilities afforded through designing around community needs?

My concern is that teacher will see this as another imperative or fad instructional method, overused and improperly implemented and then discarded. I think this is where professional development must step in to ensure that service learning is a benefit to the classroom and not a burden. In addition, I think that this article, while providing an overview, is simply that, an overview. To get the full picture of what service learning can do, more research into the literature (or maybe just reading the book) could alleviate many of the concerns teachers would have about using service learning as an authentic learning tool in the classroom.

Kaye, C. B. (2004). The complete guide to service learning: Proven, practical ways to engage students in civic responsibility, academic curriculum, & social action. Free Spirit Publishing.