service-learning learning today that helps to create a brighter future!
DESCRIPTION
Combining Service and Learning Donating food to a food bank is service Learning about hunger is learning Students who study hunger, conduct a survey in their community, and help pass laws or work at a food bank to assist people in need is service- learning. DePaola, T. (2008).TRANSCRIPT
Service-learning
Learning today that helps to create a brighter future!
What is service-learning? Involves studying a topic
related to school or interests & using what you’ve learned to improve the community/world (Wade, 2000)
U.S. Senator & astronaut John Glenn described it as “academics in action” (Institute for Global Education & Service-Learning)
Different from community service
Combining Service and Learning
Donating food to a food bank is service Learning about hunger is learning Students who study hunger, conduct a survey
in their community, and help pass laws or work at a food bank to assist people in need is service-learning.
DePaola, T. (2008). http://www.frac.org/html/ctech/ctech_index.html
Examples of Past Projects
Local: Cross-age tutoring, helmet safety
State: Boarder Babies, Abused Animals
National: Patients with Leukemia
Global: Orbis International, Help Haiti Now
Looking at Service-learning
Planting and Water Quality Testing at Memorial Middle School, Albany, OR (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X61RsTdnzGY )
Who’s Involved?Community of
Need: The person, object, or group who needs assistance & will benefit from others’ help
Community of Response: The person or group who will serve the community of need
Adult Supervisors!
What’s involved?Preparation/planning
– ID community of need and research the issue (mid-February)
– ID community of response (mid-February)– Creating an action plan & getting approval
(late February/early March) Execution of service activities (March-
May)Reflection (on-going)Celebration & Evaluation (June 1st)
Where?School:
– Research & writing of action plans– Reflection activities– Preparing culminating project– Presentations at “Day of Sharing” on June 1st
Home/Community: – Ongoing service activities– Reflection Activities– Finishing culminating project
Why Service Learning? It is every U.S. citizen’s civic responsibility (Davis,
Fernlund, & Wohl, 2005)
Developmentally appropriate and effective component of middle school curriculum (Jackson & Davis, 2000)
Research shows it can improve test scores and work quality (Wheelock, 1998); People learn best by doing (National Training Laboratories, as cited in Flynn, 2008)
To better integrate school and the “real world”; merge academic skills with life skills (Beane, 1997)
Guidelines for Safety and Success
Please refer to introductory letter you received for more detailed guidelines
All service activities must be chaperoned by an adult!
Students may not begin service learning activities until action plan has been approved by both teacher and parent/guardian
Parents/guardians should assist children in identifying reputable organizations
Guidelines for Safety and Success (Cont’d.)
Keep in mind: Service is NOT necessarily about donating money. Think outside the box!
Students may NOT collect money at school or outside of stores
Parents/guardians must supervise any out-of-school money collection and mailing donations
OK, So Can I Work With My Friends?
You may work by yourself We STRONGLY encourage
you to work with a group (maximum size = 4, including yourself)
Group members MUST be on same team
Group members do not all need to be in the same social studies class
ReferencesBeane, J. (1997). Curriculum integration: designing the core of democratic education. New York,
NY: Teachers College Press.Davis, J. E., Fernlund, P., & Woll, P. (2005). Civics: Government and economics in action. Upper
Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.Flynn, M. (2008). The challenge of change in high school mathematics. Eisenhower National
Clearinghouse. Retrieved January 13, 2008, from http://web.archive.org/web/20030123234806/http://www.enc.org/professional/learn/change/practice/cases/document.shtm?input=CDS-000376-376
Institute for Global Education & Service Learning. (2006). Understanding service-learning: An introduction. [PowerPoint presentation]. Retrieved January 7, 2008, from www.igesl.org
Jackson, A. W. & Davis, G. A. (2000). Turning points 2000: Educating adolescents in the 21st century. New York, NY: Teachers College Press.
Organizing for America. (2008). Service. Barack Obama. Retrieved February 27, 2009, from http://www.barackobama.com/issues/service/
Wade, R. C. (Ed.). (2000). Building bridges: Connecting classroom and community through service-learning in social studies. Washington, D. C.: National Council for the Social Studies.
Wheelock, A. (1998). Safe to be smart: Building a culture for standards-based reform in the middle grades. Westerville, OH: National Middle School Association.