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The "learning" part of service learning means that the service learning process easily and effectively connects to curricular goals already established by the school, district or IEP. Service learning should not be "one more thing" that teachers have to do but, rather, a meaningful, authentic way for students to meet the standards they must already meet. The service learning project can connect to national, state, or district content standards, or to the IEP of a student with disabilities. As with all stages of the service learning process, students should and can play a role in connecting their service learning plan to their curricular goals.
This section gives practitioners concrete examples of how service learning programs can connect to curricular goals, as well as resources for learning more.
It also includes the standards of quality for school-based and community-based service learning developed by the Alliance for Service Learning in Education Reform. These standards are not a list of absolutes. They are designed to be broad-reaching, but concrete enough to be translated into action.
Connecting Service Learning to Content Standards
The goals and objectives found in middle school curricula across the nation reflect the need to have students improve in written and oral communication, develop problem solving strategies, conduct research, increase critical and creative thinking skills, understand principles of democracy and economics, and enhance mathematical conceptual and computational knowledge (Carnegie Council on Adolescent Development). What better way to do all of this than service learning?
According to the Middle School Journal (March 2001), "we work from a belief that children learn best when there are meaningful connections between the content, ideas, and information they are learning. Children are instructed in such a way as to see that the various disciplines and language uses are different ways of knowing. When instruction is integrated, children have opportunities to learn �through and about' concepts and processes at the same time. Service learning provides another dimension for integrating instruction."
Consider this example:
Community Problem: A local nursing home is understaffed, leaving seniors to feel isolated and in need of attention.
Action Plan: Students will organize activities and do them with seniors each week.
Curricular Connections:
Math: Investigate staff-to-senior ratio in other nursing homes, analyze survey of seniors' interests, and use math skills to determine supply needs.
Social Studies: Research trends and causes of adults in senior centers, learn about generational and cultural differences, learn about the environment inside a nursing home, examine how society views the elderly, and explore the economics behind hiring additional staff.
Language Arts: Conduct interviews of staff and seniors to learn about needs and goals, write and read books to seniors, create a schedule so that all residents receive visits each week, develop communication skills to work with diverse populations.
Science: Learn how science and technology have increased the average lifespan and how this impacts society, learn about nutritional needs of seniors.
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- Effective service learning efforts strengthen service and academic learning.
- Model service learning provides concrete opportunities for youth to learn new skills, to think critically, and to test new roles in an environment that encourages risk-taking and rewards competence.
- Preparation and reflection are essential elements in service learning.
- Youths' efforts are recognized by those served, including their peers, the school, and the community.
- Youth are involved in the planning.
- The service students perform makes a meaningful contribution to the community.
- Effective service learning integrates systematic formative and summative evaluation.
- Service learning connects the school or sponsoring organization and its community in new and positive ways.
- Service learning is understood and supported as an integral element in the life of a school or sponsoring organization and its community.
- Skilled adult guidance and supervision are essential to the success of service learning.
- Pre-service training, orientation, and staff development that include the philosophy and methodology of service learning best ensure that program quality and continuity are maintained.
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