1. Composition and Its Scope

2. Me and Service Learning  Reflect on a service experience in your life and jot down a few thoughts  What was it, how did it shape your thinking or feeling about you and your society

3. How Could Students Write About This?  What kinds of writing assignments could service learning students complete that would help them think critically about these experiences (while moving, of course, toward completion of course outcomes)?

4. Our Brainstormed List  Proposals  Blog posts  Research assignments (attach service to a specific issue: why….?  Ethnographic research – service learning can provide some insider status  Reading about approaches to an issue (homelessness) and then combine with service trip (Br. Beno’s)  Attitude assessments / self-reflection based on community observation  (disabled students serving others as an example)  adult literacy programs --- methodology to address issue  biography of person affected by service project  biography of famous person in past who did service  marketing materials for the non-profit  zine on a service learning agency and an experience in general  legislation—argument for change  letters to editor / opinions  letters to legislators  contrast US vs elsewhere  web site design or other media projects  writing and media support to different community groups  history of a service organization  writing for an organization  evidence – primary sources – service learning as a source for this  literacy narratives  questionnaires –critical questions about service related social issues  oral history  articles for non-profit newsletters  pen pals with a local school

5. Obstacles  What are the obstacles or challenges to integrating service learning into our classes?  What can instructors, the department, or the service learning office do to help us overcome these obstacles and offer more service

6. Our Brainstorm Obstacles  FEAR OF FAILURE  TIME MANAGEMENT  MANDATORY OR OPTIONAL  INTEGRATING EXPERIENCE INTO THE CLASS – MAKING IT FEEL CONNECTED  SOME OF OUR STUDENTS NEED SERVICE RATHER THAN PROVIDING  BUILDING GENUINE RELATIONSHIPS / HOURS AND LOCATION?  MORE HARM THAN GOOD  BUSY STUDENT LIVES  TRANSPORTATION  APATHY –EVERYONE!  UNEVEN PARTICIPATION  MANDATORY VOLUNTEERISM  COMMUNITY BASED LEARNING? FIELD PRACTICUM?  CLASS RETENTION /ENROLLMENT  (DATA SHOWS HIGHER RETENTION!)  INITIAL ENROLLMENT Strategies  Integrate Service Learning  Part of key assignments  Not extra or add on work  Align service learning with SLO’s—how can students develop these skills via service learning experiences?  Research nationally and at MiraCosta demonstrates that service learning increases retention.