Running head: EMBRACING THE NEED TO DO
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Embracing the need to do:
A fusion of literature, conversation, and curriculum that showcases the reasoning and best
path to implementing service learning in elementary schools
Alyson Saccoccia
Vanderbilt University
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Abstract
This paper presents a discussion of service learning, its benefits and struggles, its place
amongst students in urban schools, and how to transition the common practice of service
learning in high school to elementary schools. The paper takes a critical eye at peer reviewed
journal articles, developed curriculums, and an interview with an individual embedded in service
learning projects. As there is a huge gap of research for elementary school service learning,
adaptions were made with necessity and appropriateness.
The term service learning relates to the notions of a teaching tool to support and foster
stronger learning, civic development, and community. The discussion begins with the benefits
and struggles of service learning as showcased from the student, faculty, and community levels.
This allows for comparison amongst those involved but also to see what those involved
experience on different levels. Some key points made were that students can grow
collaboratively, teachers face pressure but push through for the students’ benefits, and that the
community can thrive with the support of the youth. From there, the discussion stems into
students in urban schools and why service learning is so beneficial to them. These notions
include bridging gaps, fostering social development, and providing a more culturally responsive
approach to learning. These notions are of course true for all students but especially for students
of urban schools who face schooling that is often times not equitable.
The fusion then shifts into how to enact service learning in elementary schools with the
most effective components. To do this, the paper examines Dewey’s four tenets of service
learning, which promote meaningful, thought out service learning experiences that allow for
student voice to be heard. Within these four tenets, the ideas of promoting youth voice and
empowerment, skill development, and development of citizenship traits were also highlighted.
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Embracing the need to do:
A fusion of literature, conversation, and curriculum that showcases the reasoning and best
path to implementing service learning in elementary schools
Society consistently reshapes, redefines, and adapts more than a chameleon disguising
itself from an enemy. While there are trends that come and go, there are movements that pave the
way for more of a transformation and a new society to emerge. Education is no stranger to this
idea of evolution and as the twenty-first century tries to develop its idea of appropriate education,
one aspect has come into call more so than ever. Service learning is appearing in more
curriculums and in more programs in today’s society, leading to conversations of its definition,
meaning, value, and implementation. To help clarify and guide my research on this topic, I
focused in answering the following question: “What are the effective components of service
learning, particularly for students of urban schools, that should exist when developing service
learning programs for elementary schools?” To answer this question, I explored what exactly
service learning is, its benefits for those involved, and its transition from high schools to
elementary schools, a goal most appropriate for the twenty-first century.
Before one can truly delve into the core of this fusion, a few key components must be
addressed and defined. The first of these is this term of service learning. The definition for this
fusion is set in Cipolle’s (2004) work, which laid out a clear, concise view of service learning.
Cipolle states and references many definitions but the one of focus comes from the National
Commission on Service Learning, which states that service learning is, “a teaching and learning
approach that integrates community service with academic study to enrich learning, teach civic
responsibility, and strengthen communities” (p.13). An additional component, as introduced by
Howard (1998) describes service learning as a “pedagogical tool” (p.22). The merging of these
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two definitions is how service learning can be thought of throughout this paper.
In correlation, an additional framework can also be kept in mind. While this fusion works
through the ideas of service learning, it does so through a framework of situated learning brought
about by Leve and Wenger (1991). In their work, their discussion of situated activity (or
learning) hits upon the notion that every activity can have a purpose more framed in relevant and
relatable knowledge. To elaborate on this notion, Leve and Wenger state:
Emphasis on comprehensive understanding involving the whole person rather than
‘receiving’ a body of factual knowledge about the world; on activity in and with the
world; and on the view that agent, activity, and the world mutually constitute each
other. (p.33)
This idea of situated learning is the backbone to the fusion and allowed for a constant theme to
remain present and focused. The various components of the lens appear throughout the literature,
conversation, and review of materials, further combining both of these elements.
Reviewing the Literature
Why Service Learning?
When it comes to examining service learning with a closer eye, the benefits and struggles
can be sorted into three groups: student, faculty, and community. Most of these descriptors
reflect back on the definition of service learning and propel further the notion of situated learning
as a backbone to the entire philosophy. This appears in literature from McKay and Rozee (2004)
as well as from a report from the St. Paul Public Schools (2001), which delve into the
components of why service learning is beneficial and the struggles those involved could face.
The positive side of service learning. From the student’s experience, as expressed by
McKay and Rozee, they are able to grow and flourish as an individual student. They can begin to
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explore careers in a way that is not just reading about them in the guidance office but meeting
those individuals in the career field. In conjunction, students learn and are exposed to the critical
skills needed to work towards and maintain a career, whether or not that includes a traditional
college experience or not. Students are also presented with real life situations that allow them to
link what they have learned in the classroom to the real work in a space that allows for trial and
error. The St. Paul report also offered a lot of response from student’s perspective on
collaboration with each other, which has positive results to building teamwork skills and
developing relationships.
In McKay and Rozee’s discussion on community impact, there seemed to be a lot of
positive workspace. The most obvious was the tenet that communities can benefit from the extra
hands and minds. This area can become tricky as the goal of service learning, especially in this
situated learning framework, is not for communities to get jobs done faster because they have
more people but to create meaningful experiences. In correlation, McKay and Rozee did balance
out their argument with the notion that communities were able to create opportunities for those
students from their own community, which could theoretically strengthen this bond of unity and
feed back into a prospering neighborhood. There was also an interesting piece of learning from
what the students “bring”, which is never addressed in any other section. This notion correlates
to a tenet of Culturally Responsive Pedagogy, which is discussed in more detail later.
The final component, the faculty, was the main focus of the article. McKay and Rozee
spent considerable time on what the faculty worked through, positively and negatively, in an
effort to help students have the best service learning experiences possible. Faculty claimed they
were able to step back and see elements of service learning within their teaching, which gave
them encouragement that they would be able to better work through this new form of learning.
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Networking was a strong component, both within the school and with those outside of the
school. In association with this idea, faculty was also pleased with the prospect of their work
inspiring others who may not be enacting a service learning curriculum. This is of course a
concerning piece for the reason that if faculty feels this way, not everyone in the school must be
engaged in a service learning approach, which can be hugely problematic. This will be discussed
further later.
The areas of struggle for service learning. The only negative effect of service learning
on the student’s end that was reflected in both works was that of time management issues. The
St. Paul report took a positive spin and viewed this as opportunity for student development.
While this is valid, there are more obstacles that could come about. For example, what if the
students were exposed to careers that they may like and respect but if they are not their ideal
professions? The thought behind this is what if students are shown a path because the school
“thinks” it is what the student’s can achieve. Perhaps the student showed interest in a medical
career and is shown the role of Certified Nursing Assistant as their highest aspiration. While
there is nothing wrong with this role or it being an individual’s highest goal, to assume and set
such an expectation for students is a disservice. The goal of any educator, especially a Culturally
Responsive urban educator should be to push your students to achieve beyond where their minds
have already taken them.
The only negative pieces of discussion in reflection of the community were again of
management and more importantly of creating appropriate opportunities. There could become a
fine line between useful experiences and those that perpetuate what the situational learning
framework hints at in terms of the banking model of education. If there is not a learning
mentality from both sides of the arrangement, banking (Freire 1970) can occur, which would
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lead to a less meaningful experience for all involved.
There were a lot of negative features discussed by McKay and Rozee in reflection of the
faculty. A general statement would be that faculty were concerned for most of the same reasons
that faculty normally become concerned when trying a new pedagogical style. They were
concerned over the reviews, both from students and administration. They were also concerned
over the validity and accountability as state tests still loomed over their heads. There was also a
strong notion of fear that students would not complete their assignments in their service learning
placements for whatever combination of reasons. This could closely mirror the fear of teacher’s
reviews tying to their student’s standardized test score; if the students do not perform, the teacher
can be put under review as to no strong accord of their own teaching. Finally, per all school
reforms and their kin, faculty was concerned over the time and effectiveness (for new adopters)
of the program as so many reforms are tossed around only to land on the teacher’s room floor.
How does this all relate? While a separated analysis was helpful to be critical of the three
main groups involved, a moment should be taken to reflect back upon what this means when the
groups come together. The St. Paul report discusses the reciprocation of schools in communities
and communities in schools in a positive light. This furthered to the points of different
individuals engaging in the act of educating; from volunteers, to peers, to community helpers.
This helps perpetuate the goal of service learning in terms of development of citizenship as well
as embody the teaching and learning piece. By allowing these roles to become blurred,
individuals are no long as prescribed to only think in one particular set of mannerisms.
Conversely, an example of this can be seen in the discussion that McKay and Rozee
present regarding students becoming aware, through service learning, of their own biases and
stereotypes. While this is certainly true, they do not spend as much or any time exploring how
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this would also be reflected for others. Individuals continue to learn for a lifetime and stereotypes
can easily be shaped. This could become especially true if the service learning experiences take
the students slightly out of their own community in any capacity. This notion should have been
discussed more throughout all three branches of service learning as if they are not cohesive; the
entire idea of service learning could backfire. To stem back to situated learning as well, there
would no longer be a comprehensive view of a student or situation. While this is not something
that can be completed with 100% accuracy, a conscious effort should be made to counteract as
much as possible. Overall, more time on the fluidity and connection of these groups could have
been presented not only by these scholars but also throughout all the research to provide those
seeking unity basis to build upon.
Why Urban Schools?
Though service learning is beneficial for all students, this fusion takes a special focus to the
application of service learning in urban schools. To clarify, urban schools here is the notion of
traditional public, average to low performing schools in highly populated metropolitan areas that
tend to be racially comprised of students of color who are from an average to low socioeconomic
class. It is a goal of service learning to entice the students through a more relevant and engaging
curriculum to achieve higher and become more invested in their schooling; this goal is needed
more in the aforementioned urban schools.
Opportunity Gap. In correlation, students of urban schools often face many gaps, among
them the opportunity gap. As Milner (2010) defines, “...opportunity is multifaceted, complicated,
process-oriented, and much more nuanced than achievement” (p. 7-8). Not all students are
afforded the same opportunities and while large assumptions can be made about opportunities for
groups of people, there are always exceptions within those groups. By providing the opportunity
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for students of urban schools to participate in service learning programs, one is shaping
education to become more equitable. It does not become the notion of all students having service
learning but rather ensuring they all have the opportunity to do so.
Development of Social Capital. In addition, by providing the opportunity for service
learning, students can increase their social capital. Social capital here is used in reference to
Bourdieu’s (1986) discussion of the topic in which he discusses the idea of connections and
opportunities that lead to a higher social capital or sense of belonging to a group. Bourdieu also
states that:
the volume of the capital possessed by a given agent thus depends on the size of the
network of connections he can effectively mobilize and on the volume of the capital
possessed in his own right by each of those to whom he is connected. (p. 51)
The increase and development of an individual’s social capital directly correlates to the situated
learning framework as it propels a student to better link academic, socialization, and community
to all contribute to one another. This is so important for students of urban settings as many often
credit these students knowledge as useless because it does not appear on a standardized test.
Soslau & Yost (2007) offered a thought on this by stating, “While it may be true that some urban
students have low socioeconomic backgrounds, it is offensive to insinuate that these youth and
their adult counterparts have nothing to offer their communities” (p. 40).
Culturally Responsive. In direct relation to the development of social capital, service
learning and especially the framework of situated learning, directly propel the idea of taking
what the students have, respecting it and treating it as valuable, and growing from there. This
notion can be seen as relational to scaffolding but the culturally responsive framework takes it an
additional step further as it connects into holistic individual education and not just one piece of
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the child (Gay 2010, Howard 2010, Ladson-Billings 1994). Soslau & Yost (2007) exemplify this
in their work when the student discusses the relational math they are learning in their class to his
real life. Conversely, students can also bring math in or provide examples to answer a teacher’s
question once their starting points have been acknowledged and validated.
It is noted that this should be in effect for all students as Culturally Responsive Pedagogy
and not just for certain students however it is a highly beneficial pedagogical practice for
students in urban settings, as showcased by the scholars mentioned previously. In correlation,
students in urban settings are often taught through the pedagogy of poverty (Haberman 1991).
This notion ties in several “traditional” schooling factors (i.e. rote memorization, independent
work, textbook driven education) that become the life of a student in an urban setting. By
engaging service learning through an idea of situated learning for a student in an urban setting,
the pedagogy becomes more culturally responsive and less of a reflection of Friere’s (1970)
banking model.
Rationale & Methods
From the research presented, it would seem that service learning is an effective tool and
has developed greatly over the past twenty years. However, there are major gaps I found when
researching this topic, which led to a different path. First, there is a huge lack of research and
correspondingly implementation of research for elementary age service learning. While the
reasons why could be vast, the most prominent assumed reason was the age discrepancy. As
service learning points towards high school students historically and still to the present day, it
could be inferred that students of the elementary age perhaps are not appropriately “ready” for
service learning projects. The goal of this fusion is to show that elementary school age children
are more than capable to participate in service learning projects and that the adjustments, if any,
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are minor and attainable.
More to the point, Billig (2000) spends considerable time discussing K-12 service learning
implementation. While she leads her argument with the notion that K-12 service learning came
to be through the idea of youth and school reform, one can gather that the increased use of
service learning leads to more positive school effects for students as they progress (p. 658-661).
For example, Billig mentions that test scores improve in elementary school students who are
participating in service learning. With a K-12 implementation, test scores would continue to
remain stable and increase as the consistency and effective pedagogical tool of service learning
perpetuates the students’ high academic achievement.
When it came time to craft this fusion, I therefore looked beyond just the research and
expanded my research pool. I looked into discussion with Anthony Johnson of Alignment
Nashville, who works with a service learning based committee as well as a contributing member
to the service learning field. Johnson was able to bring in a perspective that was not inhibited by
school politics and provide refreshing hope for the situation. In conjunction, I examined two
service learning curriculums both geared towards or specifically focusing on K-12 service
learning components. Finally, I also spent time examining the Big Picture High School
foundational beliefs and tools as to grasp examples of practical application, like assessment in
service learning based curriculums. While conversation and access to a school practicing service
learning would have provided an additional perspective, it was difficult to obtain due to full
school days and lack of communication. However, like any true educator, I molded and used
what could be obtained to develop this fusion.
Creating the “Do”
To this point, there has been a lengthy discussion presented that compiles the positive and
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negative effects of the defined service learning term. There was also considerable time spent
unpacking the notion of applying service learning benefit students in urban settings. With the
foundational groundwork displayed, the fusion will move into the discussion of the most
successful traits of service learning and the suggested habits of a service learning curriculum.
Most importantly, the components will then be related to the elementary grades.
Back to Basics: Approaching service learning from Dewey
Giles & Eyler (1994) take a theoretical look at service learning, focusing in mainly on
Dewey (1933) and the four tenets he laid out. Dewey (1933) argued, as stated in Giles & Eyler,
that in order for service learning to be as effective as it should be, projects:
1. Must generate interest
2. Must be worthwhile intrinsically
3. Must present problems that awaken new curiosity and create a demand for information
4. Must cover a considerable time span and be capable of fostering development over
time (p 80)
These four tenets can and do overshadow the effective components and design of service
learning and will be presented with further support in this paper.
Must generate interest. In a conversation with Anthony Johnson, he was describing what
has been proven to lead to more effective service learning projects. One of the first things he said
was the idea of implementing student voice into the projects. He was reflecting on a situation
that was not as successful and he summarized the lack of success by saying “students were not
allowed to explore” (A. Johnson, personal communication, May 23, 2012). By prohibiting
student exploration, projects can become forced and detached from students.
The Mesa Public Schools (2007) also laid out, in their standards adopted by the National
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Youth Leadership Council, the incorporation of youth voice into their programs. They state that
“Service-learning provides youth with a strong voice in planning, implementing, and evaluating
service-learning experiences with guidance” (p. 53). By providing students the opportunity to
have their voice heard will not only make the project more meaningful, but also make the
students more engaged and eager to work on the project.
Must be worthwhile intrinsically. While intrinsic motivation cannot be taught, mastered,
and in any form duplicated from individual to individual, there are more effective pedagogical
techniques to help foster the intrinsic value. A main component of this would be Culturally
Responsive Pedagogy. When content is more relevant to an individual, they are more likely to
learn, be interested, and simply want to be participating. This is showcased in many scholars who
discuss culturally relevant pedagogy, such as Ladson-Billings (1994) and Milner (2010) who
showed that when a teacher became more engaged in the holistic student, the student was more
likely to succeed and become more engaged in school. The same theory applies for service
learning projects. Assigning projects blindly and not asking for students’ voice seems like a
direct path for students to not value their service learning intrinsically.
Must present problems that awaken new curiosity and create a demand for
information. Human nature is explorative; it would be a disservice to students and the purpose
of education to not engage students in projects that would awaken new curiosities. In fact,
service learning can bring about all sorts of types of education that would foster the awakening
of new curiosities, lend itself to learning, and also look a student holistically.
The types of education that service learning perpetuates, stemmed in Cipolle’s (2004)
work, come as a blend of multicultural and social action based. The five types of education are
radical education, empowering education, multicultural education, civic education, and social
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justice education. However, the ones of interest are empowering education and social justice
education. The other forms are covered in other tenets, such as culturally responsive pedagogy
and citizenship.
Empowering education is so key as it perpetuates this curiosity of students once they have
achieved one goal or engaged in one project. To feel this empowerment as opened the doors for
students to show them what their mental capacity. Empowering education also directly correlated
to situated learning, as their goals were both stemmed in multi faceted meaningful experiences.
This notion has been a huge developmental factor in determining what is successful for service
learning throughout this paper. In correlation to empowering education comes social justice
education, which advocates not just for the learning but for the action. These two combined help
work towards the role of active and effective citizenship, which is part of the definition and goal
of service learning.
Must cover a considerable time span and be capable of fostering development over
time. This appeared to be the largest critique amongst service learning programs. Kahne &
Westheimer (1996) stated, “The distance between the one caring and the one cared for
diminishes. Unfortunately, in many service activities, students view those they serve as clients
rather than as resources” (p. 7). This was in reflection of a service learning program that worked
more with suburban students but the notion can happen in any community, especially if
expectations are not made clear and if there is a lack of communication. In conjunction, the St.
Paul report has a common theme of ensuring meaningful and effective service learning
programs. It is here as well that individuals like Billig (2000) express the need for high quality
programs, which directly correlates to help preventing the notion that Kahne & Westheimer were
describing.
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Something new: Performance assessment
To compliment the historic view of Dewey is newer, more innovative thinking of varying
assessment. Teacher preparation programs enforce varying instruction in order to accommodate
different learners but do not spend as much time on varying assessment to round off instruction.
While there are politics involved (i.e. No Child Left Behind) that may make different types of
assessment difficult, students will progress through school with little acquisition of knowledge if
appropriate assessments are not given (Eisner 1999). A major piece that sets service learning
apart is the assessment style, which can be a performance assessment. Eisner (1999) discusses
the idea of a performance assessment, stating that “Performance assessment is a closer measure
of our children’s ability to achieve the aspirations we hold for them than are conventional forms
of standardized testing” (p. 658). He elaborates on this idea in that changing times and employers
are more concerned with gaining employees who are ill prepared because their line of work and
previous assessments do not correlate in any way, leaving these new employees to try to decipher
expectations and consequences.
There is however the notion of complexity to keep in mind. Standardized testing is a huge
discussion topic in the United States education system and the attempt to implement performance
assessments could face huge push back. There are two choices here. One option is to attempt to
blend traditional standardized testing and performance assessment. However, this option will not
work unless the notion of everyone engaging in these assessments occurs, which is the second
option. The idea of standardized looks at uniform and consistency, otherwise the notion of
standardized does not exist. For traditional public schools to adopt performance assessment
would mean a shift in political educational thought in allowing such assessments to be
incorporated into the system. However, like all innovative policies, ways around these
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roadblocks and slow and steady progress is what is needed for performance assessment work its
way into schools.
That’s nice but how does this look in elementary school?
Youth Voice & Empowerment. The incorporation of youth voice is huge for elementary
school students, who do not often have their voices heard. These individuals have so much to
provide and can be such innovate teachers it is a necessity to include their voice. Elementary
school students, in correlation with the notion of intrinsic value and a demand for new
information, have such passion for ideas. Often time elementary school students are so eager to
share their thoughts and perspectives in situations but do not get their voices heard or are not
treated with an equal amount of respect. Jarrett and Stenhouse (2011) share and discuss how
teachers responded to their students once they had engaged in service learning programs. They
responded that their students felt more empowered and more engaged in society because their
youth voice was heard (p. 1482-1483).
Anthony Johnson also reflected on this notion, which was interesting to hear as he worked
primarily with high school students. Johnson’s concise perspective was that if teachers and more
so schools were able to let the students “be”, they would be amazed at the result. The students
are, as Johnson expressed “oppressed in their thinking” by the “isms” that surround their lives. If
they were able to take a step back and allowed to work and think out problems, not only would
they be more successful in schools but also provide perspective on problems that most adults do
not see as their minds have become too tainted by society (A. Johnson, personal communication,
May 23, 2012).
In correlation and to touch upon social justice and social action education, another piece
here is the idea of demonstration. Demonstration was discussed in the Mesa Public Schools’
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curriculum as well as the Nashville YMCA curriculum. Students are not simply engaging in
these projects and never sharing out their experiences but rather allowing others to learn from
their experiences. This touches upon social justice and action by empowering and promoting
change. Students could go into classrooms, present in workshop form, or any number of
promotional displays to show to their classmates what they have learned. This will allow for
varying perspectives to come across and for the youth voice to be heard as adults would also hear
and view the demonstration portion of the students’ service learning projects and assessment.
Skill Development & Citizenship. There is a lot to be said of foundational groundwork in
the elementary school. As mentioned earlier, the idea of scaffolding is huge in education and an
effective tool as to further the education of students. Therefore, when it comes to elementary
school students, a strong set of skills can be fostered while still in an environment where it is safe
to try and not be as successful as intended. Both Anthony Johnson and Billig (2000) discussed
the importance of skill development at this age when children’s minds are more receptive and
open.
In relation, there is a skill development for fostering stronger citizens and individuals that
can begin to be developed in elementary school through service learning. The notion of attitude
that Cipolle (2004) discusses corresponds to Kahne & Westheimer in that those engaging in
service learning should work towards learning from each other and not just helping one
individual out in a situation. In relation, one should recognize their own cultural identity and
stance on the community they will be involved. For example, as a White female from a middle
class family, I had to own and understand the privileges afforded to me before going into a
community different than mine as to better approach the differences in an responsive way. This
needs to be done for students of all groups who engage in service learning as we all have
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something to learn. In addition, as Dewey stated (as seen in Giles & Eyler 1994), schools model
the life that students are going into and therefore citizenship and strong skill development need
to be developed so students are more prepared for what they face (such as the rules and codes of
power, Delpit 1995) (p. 82). This works to counteract the banking model of community service
and instead truly engage students in an interactive, multi perspective service learning experience.
Performance Assessment. At Big Picture High Schools across America, performance
assessment is a key component of their program. They discuss how their assessments are
embedded in real world or context appropriate situations, which is easily adaptable to elementary
school settings. Students at this age level are, more often than not, jumping out of their chairs
wanting to move about the classroom and learn more through doing as they are still developing.
Their creative minds would allow for performance assessment to truly gauge where the students
are academically, socially, in the service learning project, and developmentally. The benefits
here extend far more than just providing a student with a more relevant assessment but providing
data that can be used across the curriculum and show students that assessments can be engaging,
not intimidating, and successful. This is huge at the foundational elementary level as well as for
students of urban settings so that as assessments become harder and standardized testing does
come into their education, they will have more confidence after successful performance
assessments.
The goal of this fusion was to take a journey through service learning while sitting in a
situated learning seat. While the information can be overwhelming, service learning is
showcased as a beneficial pedagogical tool. It allows for students to showcase their true talents
and abilities in a form that they will enjoy. A move to service learning allows for students to
experience the real world in a way that paper and pencil note taking does not. That is not to say
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that varied types of instruction are not valuable but it is to say that all students, particularly those
in urban and oppressed settings, are more likely to value and succeed in education with the
service learning opportunity (Soslau & Yost 2007). While service learning can be beneficial for
all students, it is students in those communities upon which education is supposed to be, as
Horace Mann (1848) stated, “the great equalizer”, that service learning provides an opportunity
for a successful education. In the present day and with all of our mediocre policies we, as a
society, have put in place to help those students, the least we can do is provide and acknowledge
this ideal opportunity when it is staring at us.
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Appendix: Example of service learning opportunity in elementary schools
(developed by author, based on structures discussed & two curriculum guides mentioned).
A general note: Before what is listed below would occur, students would participate in a
discussion with their teacher to learn about service learning, the expectations, etc. This chart
assumes this conversation (which would happen before the start and at the beginning of the
school year) would have already taken place.
Phase
Preparation
Goal/Why
Goal
To plan a service learning project(s)
that best reflect a student interest
Why student interest? Students will be
more engaged in a project if it is
centered around something they
inspired and believe in
How It Can Be Done
-Discuss, expose, and survey students at the start
of service learning projects (one a quarter, new
focus & similar theme to show growth) to
determine where their interests lie.
-Project will most likely be whole class based so
a broader interest is desired as to try to later
incorporate more specific interests. Whole class
for elementary seems easier to manage,
particularly for a first project of the year
(i.e. Sports as a specific interest, leads to
improved community activity as broader goal)
Action
Goal
To facilitate student discussion on
what their service learning project is
going to accomplish, including
realistic time frame and goals &
ultimately carry out this plan
Why student driven?
The goals will be more organic and
meaningful as well as ownership and a
true project, not an adult led
volunteering action
-Students can be broken up into groups to each
take a part of this project, along the idea of
committees, which turns this volunteering into a
project with meaning
-Students will engage in a project, which (to
keep with the theme above about mobility) could
be the planning and action of going into their
community and organizing a community
movement day (sort of like a field day with
varied activities for families to participate in).
The teacher’s role here is to help with
administrative duties, the “paperwork.”
Reflection/
Critique
Goal
To debrief & problem solve! Did the
plan work? Did it accomplish the
goal? What worked & what could use
revision? Was this a project or just a
day spent volunteering?
Why critical thinking?
Students will have learned through
research, planning, and doing and now
-Students can independently record their
thoughts and the teacher can then lead the class
to organize the thoughts on a Venn Diagram like
activity. This way, students can see the positives,
the areas for improvements, and the thoughts
behinds the project.
-It would also be helpful if the participants of the
day could provide feedback (which would be
solicited on the day of the activity) to see if the
EMBRACING THE NEED TO DO
Celebration
should reflect back to see what
worked and what did not so they can
make more informed decisions for
future projects. This is also a time to
realize what sets service learning apart
from community service
Goal
To show the school what the class has
done & educate others on the process
Why?
A large piece of social justice
education is the final component of
showing others and to have peers
educate peers on such a topic as
effective service learning would be a
huge educational opportunity. Also,
celebrating the students
accomplishments places value in what
they have done and shows that the
idea of performance assessment is
valid, that they are learning, and that
you as an educator hold them to the
highest of expectations.
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community felt it was beneficial or a singular,
non-purposeful event.
-Students would break into heterogeneous
groups and go off into classrooms to better
educate others on their service learning
opportunity. This would be a time for students to
speak to their strengths/roles as well as become
leaders and work on explaining concepts they
understand to others who are not on the same
mental level as them with that concept.