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.