Andrew Cook
W240- 28253
Positioning Essay
2.3.2011
Understanding Aspects: Outside of the Classroom
Service-Learning exists and succeeds throughout collegiate programs because of the
significant differences they have over classroom style learning and the immense benefits they
have to their communities. While a large number of people believe that sitting in a classroom can
bring students great education, many do not fully respect and acknowledge the capabilities that
come from embracing the community that surrounds them.
After reading “Service-Learning: Help for Higher Education in a New Millennium?” by
Lillian Bridwell-Bowles and “Reading and Writing the World: Charity, Civic Engagement and
Social Action in Service-Learning” by Betty Franklin, the question of whether or not education
would be more beneficial if it was structured similarly to service-learning should be asked.
Service-learning by definition is the incorporation of community service within an educational
system but in more depth it is a method of teaching, learning and reflecting throughout the
community (“Service”).
Too many students are becoming stagnant in their education due to what I believe is a
lack of involvement. This lack of involvement could be changed immediately if more students
and universities had the service-learning mindset. The president of Furman University, in South
Carolina, agrees: “We have found that undergraduates who are involved in real-world
experiences like internships take more responsibility for their own education and develop greater
self-confidence and sharper communication skills” (Bridwell-Bowles).
Not only does service-learning benefit our communities but in return it helps our
education system. The use of service-learning can be used as a completely different form of
teaching. In most traditional education systems, students are being engaged with a learning style
that encourages reading a book, memorizing the details and taking a test. Even though the
learning style that is developed by testing is important, guiding students outside of the book and
interacting with their communities with hands on experience could be much more rewarding for
both the student and the school.
In Betty Franklins’ essay, she said, “we model a faith in the potential of students both to
take in received knowledge from authorities and to use their range of abilities to work out
multiple ways of reading the world.” 1 Reading the world is exactly what service-learning tries to
exemplify when used appropriately. And reading the world is something that students might not
get an opportunity to do if it were not for programs like service-learning.
Getting out of the classroom and into the community allows students to get involved first
hand. It allows them to have civic engagement which is defined as a morally and civically
responsible individual that recognizes himself or herself as a member of a larger social fabric and
therefore considers social problems to be at least partially his or her own.2 In return, once
students gain experience and knowledge, they take those skills back into the classroom, back
onto college campuses, helping Higher Education programs become stronger and more
impactful.
Another benefit that comes from service-learning opportunities is the ability to reflect
both positively and negatively on emotions in a healthy manner. There are too many cases where
someone has gone through a bad situation and in response a teacher or mentor sees this as an
1
2
Reading and Writing the World: Charity, Civic Engagement and Social Action in Service-Learning
New York Times- definition of Civic Engagement
interruption and implicitly ignores the situation so they can move on. But when handled
differently, service-learning teachers or mentors may respond in the same situation by opening
the problem up for discussion and examination. Betty Franklin says that responding to conflict
and/or contradiction with the help of your community rather than interacting privately
strengthens the interaction allowing for better relationships.3
Even though they do not blatantly say it, Franklin and Bridwell-Bowles’ discussions lead
me to think that, when service-learning has been thought of as the issue, that very issue becomes
resolved by using service-learning techniques. Regardless of background, race or age, servicelearning is far more inclusive than any sit-down program that you will find in the classroom. As
one of the goals, service-learning helps students develop more elaborate, multifaceted analysis of
society and their roles as educated citizens within it.
Bridwell-Bowles shared that service-learning, “is an ongoing effort to break down the
barriers and build bridges- to create a lasting connection between the constantly changing needs
of the community and the educational effort to address them.” 4 As barriers are being broken
down and bridges are being built, who do you think is building these connections within their
communities? Who is giving back to higher education? It becomes a circular rotation when done
properly. Working hand in hand, the same students that are getting a better education through
significant programs like service-learning are the same students that know about the problems
within their communities and the same ones fixing those problems. Is there a question of whether
or not this surprises anyone?
3
Reading and Writing the World: Charity, Civic Engagement and Social Action in Service-Learning
4
Service-learning: Help for Higher Education in a New Millennium?
Through hands on experience and not just book experience, students are proving every
day why service-learning is so valuable. Service-Learning exists and succeeds throughout
collegiate programs because of the significant differences they have over classroom style
learning and the immense benefits they have to their communities through charity, civic
engagement, and even social action.
Works Cited
Bridwell-Bowles, Lillian. “Service-Learning: Help for Higher Education in a New Millennium?”
Writing the Community: Concepts and Models for Service-Learning in Composition. Eds. Linda
Adler-Kassner, Robert Crooks, and Ann Watters. Urbana, IL: NCTE, 1997. 19-27
Franklin, Betty. “Reading and Writing the World: Charity, Civic Engagement, and Social
Action.” Reflections 1.2 (Fall 2000): 24-29
"Service-learning." Dictionary.com | Find the Meanings and Definitions of Words at
Dictionary.com. Web. 30 Jan. 2011. <http://dictionary.reference.com/>.
"The Definition of Civic Engagement - New York Times." The New York Times - Breaking
News, World News & Multimedia. Jan. 2000. Web. 30 Jan. 2011.
<http://www.nytimes.com/ref/college/collegespecial2/coll_aascu_defi.html>.