Talking Points #5

"In The Service Of What?
The Politics of Service Learning"
By Joseph Kahne and Joel Westheimer

In this article Kahne and Westheimer argue that service learning helps all aspects of the idea. It helps the student as well as the person or people or place that they are helping.

1.) "Service learning makes students active participants in service projects that aim to respond to the needs of the community while furthering the academic goals of students."

This quote supports the authors' argument. Service learning doesn't even have a negative to it. It is positive all the way around.

2.) "For Thanksgiving this year my stepmother and I helped serve the seniors their Thanksgiving dinner. This was a very rewarding experience helping others in need. It seemed that the dinner was something special to them; it was a chance for them to get together with their peers. Many don't have fumilies in the area and are all alone for the holidays."

And for most of us, this is why we have chosen this career path. I personally am willing to give up some of the salary just to see the smile on someone's face when I have tagutht them something valuable. It makes you feel good.

3.) "Efforts to integrate service learning activities into the curriculum have great potential and deserve the support they are now receiving. To date. however, little attention has been given to sorting out the goals and motivations that underlie the spectrum of service learning projects emerging in schools throughout the country. Is it beneficial to point out such differences and risk creating some opposition to service learning? We think so. Clarifying different goals provides educators with an opportunity to consider systematically a range of possible priorities (including some they might otherwise not consider) and the relation of these to their practice. "

Service learning is like any other goal in life. You haveto get to your goal the right way. Do not try to take shortcuts, because it will catch up to you in the end. For example if I went to VIPS every Friday and just tried to stay quiet and get through it each day, it would get me through the day, but in the end I would fail. I haveto stay focussed on my goal of teaching the kids I work with something everytime I go there.

This is a different piece, but a good change in pace. It was easy to read, and it gives me some ideas for the next time that I go to VIPS. It does not directly relate to what we have been reading as far as subject matter, but just as teaching strategies go with diversity, this has some teaching strategies to use at your individual student learning.

Question: What specific strategies can we use to succeed in our individual student learning projects, and give Service Learning projects across the country a good reputation?