Report #5
FIPP Activity Report
Funded by the Basic Skills Initiative
Name Juli Soden
Date 12/17/09
FIPP Partner Dr. Chris Gold
Section #2656
Activity /Strategy Service Learning
Category Designing Out-of-Classroom Learning Experiences
Briefly describe the activity/strategy.
1. Introduction Service-Learning is a teaching and learning method that integrates
community service with academic coursework. Through participation in service
related to current social problems and critical reflection of their experiences,
students will gain a deeper and practical understanding of the course content,
as well as a broader appreciation of social issues.
2. Set up & Supplies Students get into groups of 4. They will complete their service
together. Each student must then submit a reflection paper and each group will
give a presentation about their experience.
Supplies: Service Learning assignment and nonprofit/site list, supervisor
evaluation form, group presentation and written assignment guidelines.
3. Directions : Students must identify a nonprofit where they will complete their
Service Learning hours. After completing their service hours, they will begin the
written assignment and group presentation.
There are a number of objectives that I have for students engaging in service
learning, however, there are two fundamental learning goals. One is that students
develop a deeper understanding of the Human Development course themes
(personal responsibility, self-management, motivation, etc.). The second learning
goal is that they learn more about social inequality and social problems. This
requires they reflect on the meaning and practice of citizenship in today's society
and for themselves, personally. In three-four double-spaced typed pages,
students must address the issues outlined below. They are not required to read
any articles or reference books, but instead to take sufficient time to reflect and
answer the following questions honestly and directly.
1. Describe what the term "community" means to you.
2. Describe what the term "citizenship" means to you.
3. Tell me what the term "service" means to you.
4. Describe what the term "self-esteem" means to you.
5. Do you feel that membership (citizenship) in a community necessarily includes
an obligation to serve others through volunteer work? If so, why is service a
necessary aspect of citizenship, and how much service is appropriately expected
of community members? If not, why isn't service a necessary component of
membership (citizenship) in a community?
6. How did your service learning experience create a deeper understanding of
course themes? Address at least 3 course themes.
The second part of the Service Learning assignment is a group presentation. In
the presentation, students should address the questions below.
What did you personally hope to get out of volunteering with a nonprofit agency?
Why did you select the agency that you did? What did you learn by working
there? Were there any "aha" moments for you?
In general, what are the most important things that you have learned through your
experiences at the community organization? How did your experiences as a
volunteer affect the way you think about the issues and/or clients that the
organization deals with? What have you learned about social inequality through
your volunteer work? What have you personally learned about yourself from your
service learning this semester?
4. Conclusion Any time remaining in the class after presentations can be used for
students to report what they learned and discuss their experiences.
What worked well? Service Learning is a great way to actively engage students in
learning about Human Development course themes and critical social issues. Students
enjoyed their experiences and reported that it created a deeper understanding of the
course themes. It also contributed to their awareness of social issues and what it means
to be an engaged, productive citizen and community member.
What would you change? Next time, I will require that students create group contracts. I
think this will create a greater sense of engagement, focus and commitment to the
project.
Would you use the activity/strategy again? Why or why not? I will use it again. It is an
assignment that requires that students apply what they have learned about all 8 of the
course themes in one assignment.
Please describe any student learning outcomes/changes that you observed after the
implementation of the activity/strategy. Students demonstrated social growth and
development. At the conclusion of the project, they felt a greater sense of social
responsibility and concern for others. Students also demonstrated an increased sense
of self-esteem, empowerment to create positive change in the world and motivation to
stay in school and achieve their goals.