Service Learning for Education Majors FALL 2014 INFORMATION SESSION OCTOBER 2, 2014 SANDY MOUA, TEACHER EDUCATION RECRUITER/ADVISOR

UWEC Service Learning Requirement  All students at UW-Eau Claire must complete 30 hours of approved service learning activity prior to graduation.  The purpose of this requirement is to:  Provide students with the opportunity to serve in the community  Apply the knowledge students have gained from the classroom into the community  Enhance students’ critical thinking skills and become informed, active, responsible, and ethical citizens

Requirements for Education Majors  Half of the service learning hours (15) will be met through a required course titled ES 385 Social Foundations: Human Relations.  You will need 15 hours completed prior to the start of ES 385  Your 15 hours on your own and the 15 hours you get in the course will meet your university service learning requirement for graduation.

SPED Requirements  SPED majors/minors can apply the 15 independent hours toward program application if with children or persons with disabilities.  15 hours for ES 385 cannot be used toward application since hours are part of a course.  A “validation form” will need to be filled out at time of application.  Gate 1 Gate 1

When to enroll in ES 385  Junior or Senior year, but if space is available, sophomores may enroll.  Recommend you to complete pre-program courses (ES 203, ES 212, SPED 205) before enrolling in the class.  Highly recommend you to complete ES 385 prior to your block (pre-student teaching) semester.

When is ES 385 offered?  Course is offered fall, spring, winterim, and summer term  An immersion experience may be offered during the winterim and spring terms.  1 week of the term will be spent volunteering in an urban classroom  Winterim sections travel to a Washington, D.C. school  Spring term will travel during spring break and will vary, but have traveled to schools in Texas, South Carolina, and Milwaukee.

Criteria for Independent Hours  15 independent hours needed prior to taking ES 385.  Recommend to complete your independent hours working with children  Experience may not be with an organization that is overtly affiliated with religion (YMCA is acceptable).  Paid experiences cannot be used to meet the requirement  Hours completed for another course such as ES 203, ES 212, or SPED 205 cannot be used unless the hours are above and beyond the requirement for the course.  High school volunteer experiences will count only if it was completed after your admission to the university.

Documentation of Independent Hours  You will complete a document to verify the 15 hours completed when enrolled in ES 385.  Education majors are not required to submit these hours through the Service Learning Office because the credit is received via the ES 385 course.  Information needed on the documentation form include:  Total number of hours of the service learning experience  Name of the agency, institution, or program  Supervisor’s name, address, phone number and  A description of your responsibilities

Documentation of Hours in ES 385  You will need to provide the following to your instructor to meet the objectives of the course:  Describe the specific services you contributed and the kind of interaction you had with the group and/or person.  What did you learn about the individual’s or group’s history, background, and culture that you didn’t know before?  How will these experiences affect your practice with regard to:  Curriculum and lesson planning  Teaching or therapy methods  Interpersonal relationships/understanding of your students, colleagues, and parents