Using Service Learning in the Foreign Language Classroom Global Service DIANA Medina downtown doral chárter elementary school Miami, florida

Background Education Work Experience Professional Memberships

Overview of Presentation Fundamentals of Service Learning What are its key components? Building Connections Creating an Action Plan Q & A

The Fundamentals

Let’s Brainstorm… What is a Service Learning Project?

Research Says…  The National Service Learning Clearinghouse describes it as “a teaching and learning strategy that integrates meaningful community service with instruction and reflection to enrich the learning experience, teach civic responsibility, and strengthen communities.” In other words, service learning encourages students to apply academic knowledge and skills to address the needs of their community. The level of impact may vary, depending on the scope of the project. Research has shown that service-learning is a promising strategy for dropout prevention (Billig, 2000; Billig, Root, & Jesse, 2005; Bridgeland, DiIulio, & Wulsin, 2008). Service-learning activities address various components or strategies identified as important to dropout prevention such as engaging teaching and curricula, connections between school and work, adult and student relationships, communication skills, and community engagement.

Key Components

Students need some background before their main interaction with the selected community. Planning can take many forms. Can you think of any? The developmental level of students must be taken into consideration. Identify the scope of your project. Assessment of assets and needs: What are the community’s assets and needs? What are a particular agency’s assets and needs? What are your assets and needs as a teacher? What are your students’ assets and needs? To plan: readings, discussion, journal writing, classroom visits, and so on.  Planning

Action Action is the actual interaction/service performed by the students. It can be brief or ongoing. What will be the focus? The time spent is typically out-of-class time. Teacher set up? Same agency List of possibilities Student initiative? Power of student choice To plan: readings, discussion, journal writing, classroom visits, and so on. 

This is what primarily separates service-learning from community service or other types of volunteer projects. Students MUST reflect critically on their attitudes and experiences. Bill Grace of Seattle, Washington, suggests the acronym S.O.W. for prompting reflection. Self Other World Should be continuous, contextualized, connected and challenging. To plan: readings, discussion, journal writing, classroom visits, and so on.  Reflection

Assessment Asessment is “the process of gathering information in order to make an evaluation. An evaluation is a decision or judgment about whether an effor is successful and to what extent that effort has or has not met a goal. In service-learning, it falls into two broad categories: Assessment of Assets and Needs (before service) Assessment of Impact (after service) Did you and the agency meet the goals for the project? Did you learn what you set out to learn? Did your attitudes, beliefs, or values shift in any way? Don’t forget to assess during!! To plan: readings, discussion, journal writing, classroom visits, and so on. 

Building Connections

Service Learning Helps Build Connections… With the broader community With industry careers outside of education Service learning allows students to learn more about the selected community and its needs and assets. Students are able to apply academic skills and knowledge to address real-life issues. Community partners share the perspective of the community’s constituencies and expand the students’ world view. Service learning allows students to work with different agencies in the selected community and learn more about how they address the community’s needs. Through participation in service-learning, students can develop important skills, such as: self-awareness, teamwork, critical- thinking, problema-solving, communication and leadership. Students can use the experience to seek clarity about their career choice.

Creating an Action plan (*Let us explore our planning tool)