How to Facilitate Successful Service Learning in the Social Studies Classroom Dr. Alice W. Terry Kennesaw State University

What is Service Learning?

1) Preparation 2) Action 3) Reflection 4) Celebration/Demonstration

Preparation  What will you do?  Who will you need to help you?  How will you make contacts?  How will you begin?  How will you incorporate this experiential design into your content curriculum?  How will you incorporate this experiential design into your classroom?

JUST DO IT!!

ß…the process of gaining meaning and understanding from experience ß…helps students identify their own values, develop empathy for others, and compare their assumptions to real world experience ß…the key to successful experienced-based programs

Celebration... Multiple methods designed to acknowledge, recognize and further validate student’s service work (Toole, Conrad & Nelson, 1998)

In order to gain the most from their service experience, students need exposure to the 3 R’s of Celebration: Recognition, Respect, and Reward. (Bohnenberger and Terry, 2002) (Bohnenberger and Terry, 2002)

Community Service level… Students Volunteer as a docent at an historical museum in your community

Reflection is informal Reflection is informal  students observe without giving insights into the reasons behind the observation Task is one dimensional Task is one dimensional  reflections are conventional or repetitions of what students have heard from others Bradley’s Bradley’sObservation Bradley’s Level 1 corresponds to Community Service Community Service :

Community Exploration level… Students Research your town history. Investigate and write a report on historical buildings, sculptures, or activities in your community Research your town history. Investigate and write a report on historical buildings, sculptures, or activities in your community

Reflections are more thorough Reflections are more thorough  But do not allude to broader system in which the aspect is embedded Students demonstrate a beginning ability to interpret evidence Students demonstrate a beginning ability to interpret evidence Bradley’s Bradley’sAnalysis Bradley’s Level 2 corresponds to Community Exploration Community Exploration :

Community Action level…  Students Brainstorm ways to publicize and/or preserve your community's heritage. Then design and implement a plan of action to increase interest in your town and tourism Brainstorm ways to publicize and/or preserve your community's heritage. Then design and implement a plan of action to increase interest in your town and tourism

Students view things from multiple perspectives view things from multiple perspectives make appropriate judgments based on reasoning and evidence make appropriate judgments based on reasoning and evidence perceive conflicting goals within the situation perceive conflicting goals within the situation recognize that the differences can be assessed recognize that the differences can be assessed Bradley’s Bradley’sSynthesis Bradley’s Level 3 corresponds to Community Action Community Action :

How can you integrate service learning into the curriculum?  Will it be part of an elective class or a content class?  Will it be tied to the content and/or skill objectives?  Can it help meet school objectives?  Can it be continued throughout the semester or year?

Choice and Voice in Service Learning  Give the students a choice and voice in deciding the focus for the activity  This insures more interest in and commitment to the activity

Let students select the project Allow students to conduct their own research around their interests Design working groups based on different intelligences and interests, i.e, Media Facilitators Public Relations Art Technology Communications Choice and Voice

voice  Giving students a voice in how they relate their reflections can lead to higher levels of reflection. Journaling Writing poetry Singing a song they wrote Role-playing Creating a slide show Using Choice and Voice in Reflection

How can I find the time?  Try an interdisciplinary approach effective when the same service learning theme is explored in multiple classes  Compact the curriculum/differentiation Cover required curriculum in 4 days in a week; use the 5th day for service learning, etc.  Reschedule the school day so that a block of time is available for service learning

Decide on the type of service…

Cooperative Learning Strategies Cooperative Groups and Jobs Project Facilitators - elected Project Facilitators - elected Press Secretaries Press Secretaries Video Coordinators Video Coordinators Photographers Photographers File Clerks File Clerks Journalists Journalists Scrapbook Coordinators Scrapbook Coordinators

Cognitive Apprenticeship Model (Brown, Collins, & Duguid, 1989)  Four elements that lead to learning: Scaffolding Scaffolding Modeling Modeling Coaching Coaching Fading Fading  Teacher’s role: facilitator  Student-run, student-focused class

Creative Problem Solving Process (Osborn, 1963; Parnes, 1967)  Identifying problems & challenges  Recognizing and stating the important problem problem  Producing alternative solutions  Evaluating alternative solutions  Planning to put solutions into use (Torrance, 1995)

Brainstorms anyone?  Have students brainstorm possible problems on a Jot Board problems discovered during fact-finding problems the students may encounter while trying to effect change in the community.  Narrow the brainstormed challenge ideas to five or six. From among this list, select an Underlying Challenge by identifying the most significant issue—the problem on which that the class feels it can have the most impact and influence.

Tips & Techniques What’s in a name?  A group identity and unity is often established within a group or class by encouraging the service learning students to choose an acronym, a name, for the group and/or the project  RIPPLES, SWaMP Kids, Backstage Crew

Tips & Techniques A team T-shirt is fun for the students to create It can unify the students as well as advertise the service learning project The T-shirt can be worn on any project outing or presentation The design should be connected to the project topic and/or the project goals

Tips & Techniques for Community Meetings  Students get the group on the agenda of the meeting—call at least a week in advance  Select a spokesperson to represent the class  Prepare a complete, concise, and creative presentation  The spokesperson presents the ideas your class has with others providing support

Identify Areas of Concern in the Community Conduct Extensive Research Generate Challenges and Select Underlying Challenge Select Underlying Challenge Generate and Evaluate and Evaluate Action Ideas Action Ideas Fly Fly ! * * Create and Implement Plan of Action Plan of Action