SERVICE LEARNING: SERVING TO LEARN, LEARNING TO SERVE
Incorporating School into Community Needs
Melinda Griffin & Tony Vladu
“I HEAR AND I FORGET, I SEE AND I REMEMBER, I DO AND I UNDERSTAND”
Introduction
and Definitions
Topics
Education and Service Learning
Transmit ways of doing, thinking, and feeling (Dewey, 1916)
Transmission of content, attitudes, beliefs, and dispositions = Society
Natural disconnect between Learning in the school context and it’s real-world application
Student Disengagement: “How is this going to help me in the real-world”
Service Learning Defined
Is organized in relation to an academic course or
curriculum
Has clearly stated learning objectives
Addresses real community needs Assists students in
drawing lessons from service
“curriculum-based community service that
integrates classroom instruction with
community service activities” (NCES, 1999)
Some National Statistics (NCES, 1999)
64% of 79,750 Public
Schools Participate
83% of High Schools
32% of Public
Schools Include Service
Learning as part of the
Formal Curriculum
83 % of Service
Learning Schools provide
formal Staff Development to Teachers
Participating schools cite strengthenin
g relationships
among school and
the community
The West and Central US are twice as likely to participate in Service-Learning over the East and
Southeast regions
Students on Free and Reduced Lunch are
three times less likely to participate in Service-Learning Activities
Non-minority
students are four times more likely
to participate in Service Learning Activities
Schools participate because……..Help students become more
active members of the community
Increase student knowledge and
understanding of community issues
Meet real needs and foster
relationships between and surrounding community
Encourage student altruism and caring for
others
Improve student personal and
social development
Increase problem solving skills
Increase career awareness
Improve student achievement and
reduce at-risk behaviors
Background
Before Public Schools
New Deal: Civilian
Conservation Corps
2001 NCLB
1983 Nation at Risk
1990 National Community Service Act
60/70’s Social Movements
Literature ReviewService learning does not yield statistically significant gains, but (Billig, Root, & Jesse, 2005)
•Students are significantly more engaged academically, •enjoyed school more, •were more attached to the school community, and•were more likely to be engaged in the community).
Service Learning reduces high school drop-outs (Bridgeland, DiIulio, & Wulsin, 2008)•Drop-outs claim that real-world learning would improve their chances of staying in school•Daily attendance rates improve•Students were more willing to persevere when involved in service learning projects)
Service Learning leads to (Hartmann, Maluk, & Riffer, 2007):•Positive preceptions of teachers•Greater sense of belonging in the classroom•Greater sense of civic participation
Service Learning has shown significant academic gains for Gifted students (Seon-Young, Olszewski-Kubilius, & Weimholt, 2007)
Social Studies Standards Alignment
• (a) trustworthiness and honesty
• (b) courtesy and respect for the rights of others
• (c) responsibility, accountability and self-reliance
• (d) respect for the law • (e) patriotism • (f) decision making• (g) service to school
and/or the local community.
Civics and Economics
Standards of Learning (SOL)
CE.4 demonstrate knowledge of
personal character traits that facilitate
thoughtful and effective
participation in civic life as it
relates to:
Project DescriptionUSO Coin Drive: An 8th Grade Social Studies
Unit
Military Community (Langley AFB, Fort
Eustis, Fort Monroe, Norfolk NB, Ft. Story)
Overseas Deployments
Connection to the 8th Grade Math and Social Studies
Curriculum
Research School Division Fund Raising Policies, Raise Coins
(Parents, School-community,
community, local businesses)
Research school-division policies
related to handling funds
Coordinate with USO Care Package
Program
Write letters
Conduct interviews
Develop spread sheets and handle
funds
Develop brochures
Apply mathematics concepts as per the 8th grade math SOL
USO Care Packages Include:
personalized messages, phone
cards, playing cards, reading materials, toiletries, snacks,
and other requested items
Social Studies AssessmentExit Cards
RubricsSurvey
Peer ReviewSelf Assessment
Online Parent, Student Survey
Content and Cognitively Aligned
EOC Style Test
Formativ
e
SUM
MATIV
E
Mathematics Standards Alignment
Standards of Learning
MathematicsScience
Across grade levels (4-12)
Beyond the standards…
•Learn & practice content skills•Research skills•Generate and analyze data•Communicate findings•Design systems•Create a business plan
Mathematics Project Description
Community Garden: An Integrated Mathematics Approach
4th and 5th Grade
•Measurement•Statistics•Life Cycle of Plants•Weather and Climate
Middle School
•Problem Solving•Measurement•Consumer Math•Statistics•Life Science•Engineering
High School
•Consumer Math•Business applications•Engineering•Media production
Mathematics Assessment
Formati
ve
SUM
MATIV
E
Journaling & mediaComputations Graphs, tables & diagramsRubrics (self & group)
Rubrics (self & group)Online surveys of students and communityAccounting
Caveats and Considerations
Costs Benefits
Policy ReviewNational and Community Service Act 1990• Bridge school-community gap• Address Real Community Needs• Provide Grants to Service Learning Schools• Work across gender, race, age, disability, income, and education levels• Support existing service-learning programs• Learn and Serve America Website
VDOE Superintended of Public Instruction Memo No. 174• Integrate service learning projects into curricular activities• State recognition is awarded to best practitioners
Questions, Insights, and Discussion
References
Bhaerman, R., Kordell, K., & Gomez, B. (1998). The role of service learning in educational reform. Simon and Schuster.
Billig, S., Root, S., & Jesse, D. (2005, May). The impact of participation in service-learning on high school students’ civic engagement (RMC Research Corporation, Ed.). Denver, CO: The Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning & Engagement.
Bridgeland, J. M., DiIulio, J. J., Jr., & Wulsin, S. C. (2008). Engaged for success (Civic Enterprises & Peter D. Hart Research Associates for National Conference on Citizenship, Eds.). Washington DC.
Chapman, C., & Skinner-Westat, R. (1999, September). Service learning and community service in k-12 public schools. Washington DC: U.S. Department of Education Office of Educational Research and Improvement.
Dewey, J. (Originally published in 1916, reprinted 2008). Democracy and education. Filquarian. Fiske, E. B. (2001, January). Learning in deed: The power of service-learning for American schools (Kellog
Foundation, Ohio State University, & John Glenn Institute, Eds.) (Rep. No. UD 035 033). Michigan: Kellog Foundation. Habitat for Humanity, & Youth Programs. (2009). Service learning guide (Monograph). Retrieved from
http://habitatyouthprograms.org Hartmann, T., Maluk, H. P., & Riffer, M. (2007, September). Teachers and students learning through service: A report
on need in deed’s developing work with teachers (Research for Action, Ed.). Madden, S. J. (2000). Service learning across the curriculum: Case applications in higher education. Lanham, New
York: University Press of America. Pritchard, F. F., & White, G. I., III. (2004). Serve and learn: Implementing and evaluating service-learning in middle
and high schools. Mahawah, New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Seon-Young, L., Olszewski-Kubilius, P., Weimholt, K., & Northwestern University. (2007). Service-learning for gifted
students. Journal for the Education of the Gifted, 31(2), 165-197. Stanton, T. K., Giles, D. E., Jr., & Cruz, N. I. (1999). Service learning: A movement’s pioneers reflect on its origins,
practice, and future. Jossey-Bass. Waterman, A. S. (1997). Service learning: Applications from research. Lawrence Earlbaum. Weglarz, S. G. (2000, November). Johnson community college service-learning student survey (Johnson Community
College, Ed.) (Rep. No. JC 010 487). Overland, Kansas: Office of Institutional Research.