Course assignment - Reflection 6

This week we read a chapter about service learning. What is service learning? A more specific definition of service learning is a research-based teaching method where guided or classroom learning is applied through action that addresses an authentic community need in a process that allows for youth participation and provides organized time for reflection on the service experience and demonstration of acquired skills and knowledge (Kaye, 2010). In other terms, service learning is a teaching method that allows students to perform community service in order to learn knowledge and acquired skills connected to the curricular objectives. Students then are involved in planning and implementing service activities. As we have read in chapter 1, these activities can range across all curriculum fields beginning from kindergarten to post-secondary education, some examples are: putting together a community canned food drive in health class to emphasize healthy eating for kids, middle school social studies students doing research on their local social service food bank agency and developing a plan to better supply and meet the needs of the community, younger students working to plant vegetables in a community garden, students developing a proposal for their school to reduce the carbon footprint, and students helping the elderly (Kaye, 2010). From a student’s point of view, they become engaged in the ecosystem and become more diverse through the practice of citizenship. Regardless of students’ strengths or weaknesses, service learning lets them be intellectually invested and motivate them to learn in and out of the classroom. Therefore, service learning allows students to carry on their learning and become fruitful. Service learning differs from community service because it allows for student ownership and reflection in an academic nature by relating to the curriculum to provide emphasis on service activities. From a teacher’s point of view, it is important to design a plan that identifies the need, considers the community and what best works in your classroom, student participation in the entire process, researching the underlying issue, the purpose of the content, and fulfilling academic standards (Kaye, 2010).

Three different types of service:

1.     Direct service – is face-to-face interactions that directly involve the recipients. Students in direct service learn about caring for others who are older or younger than them, have different experiences, or working with refugees. Students develop problem-solving skills by following a sequence from beginning to end and seeing the big picture of a social justice issue (Kaye, 2010).

2.     Indirect service – are indirect activities where students do not see the recipients however their actions benefit the environment or community as a whole (Kaye, 2010). Through indirect service students learn through cooperation by working in teams. Some examples from the reading are donating books to a preschool literacy program, stocking a food pantry, and donating clothes to families living in shelters.

3.     Advocacy – creates awareness of or promotes action on an issue of public interest. This type of learning must be authentic, meaning it must respond to genuine community needs (Kwak, Shen, & Kavanaugh 2002). Through advocacy students provide a voice for those who can’t speak for themselves. Examples of advocacy activities are public speaking, promoting a town meeting, and writing letters. Advocacy ensure student engagement in their community allowing them to participate in civic citizenship and diversity sceneries.

4.     Research – involves students finding, gathering, and reporting on information in the public interest (Kaye, 2010). Research-based service learning permits students to gather information and make discriminating judgements. An examples of research-based service learning is students gathering information to conduct a survey on water or soil contamination.

After reading this chapter, I discovered that I would want to know some things about my own community. I want to know about how to make sure safety is optimal at schools and what to do about promoting a better safety program in schools not just during “safety week” but throughout the school year. The reason I bring this up is, I have been working with a community in EPISD and parents are constantly complaining about the lack of EPISD officers patrolling around their elementary and middle school. Also, parents have witnessed adults drinking and doing drugs on the street corners by the schools and using abandon homes in the neighborhood to distribute their drugs. A proposal idea for me would be based on how to get the community involved and provide better safety and health promotions. A concern I have is, what happens when service learning grows from mixed motives and conflicting emotions between diverse populations? How can that conflict be resolved between two or more individuals that do not agree with the community?

Kaye, C. B. (2010). The complete guide to service learning: Proven, practical ways to engage students in civic responsibility, academic curriculum, & social action. Minneapolis, MN: Free Spirit Publishing.

Kwak, C., Shen, J., & Kavanaugh, A. (2002). An Overview of the Practice and Development of Service-Learning. Educational Horizons, 80(4), 190-194. Retrieved from http://0-www.jstor.org.lib.utep.edu/stable/42927127