service learning: putting the learning back in service learning

SERVICE LEARNING PUTTING THE LEARNING

BACK IN SERVICE LEARNING

Adam CarterCEESA Conference, Sofia, March 2017

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presentation later

Who am I?Social Studies Teacher, Non-profit founder and

Activist

My specialties:● Service Learning

● Mindfulness● Global Citizenship

What is the old model of school

charity projects?

● Canned food drive● Mindless fund-

raising● Teacher-directed

● Bake sale

Who do you see here?

Here’s our service learning model.

SEE A DIFFERENCE?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7hiUzjGxZMY

What is service learning?

A teaching and learning strategy that integrates meaningful community service with instruction and reflection to enrich the learning experience, teach civic responsibility, and strengthen communities.

Goals of service learning:

The service-learning project should, whenever possible, integrate the topics being covered in the class curriculum

The project students complete should benefit the community and the student

The project needs clearly identified learning objectivesThe students should be required to reflect on and evaluate

their experience

Where does it take place? Effective service-learning takes place both in the classroom and in the community.

Effective service learning benefits everyone involved.

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Syrian Refugee Project

Learn Background Information into the conflict and the reasons people are fleeing their homes. How? Start by using accessible, multi-media resources

Engaging andAge-appropriateBackground Information

Symbolia Magazine

Drone Footage to Provide visual and visceral connection

Diagrams tounderstand thegeo-politicalsituation

Personal Accounts

Eye-witness Journalism

Live Skype call with the Journalist

Study development organization assisting refugees

United Nations Development Project in Syria

Listen to testimony from UNDP Syria Director

Let students create questions and then interview UNDP Director via live Skype call

Learn about UNHCR (UN Refugee Agency) work in Syria, aided by testimony from my

internship in Washington

Host UNHCR representative to explain their work assisting Syrian refugees in

Egypt

Host two Syrian refugees to discuss their personal experiences

Student-led toy drive for Syrian refugee children in Alexandria

Student reflection: Refugee Journals

Students put themselves in the position of Syrian refugees and describe what they may have experienced losing family members, packing their belongings to flee, braving months of arduous travel, risking their lives and then arriving in a foreign land in an attempt to rebuild their lives.

100% Guaranteed Empathy Builder!

Example of my easily-replicable and non-copyrighted “9 Step

Process”

Egyptian Poverty &Blanket Distribution Project

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STEP ONE: BUILD INTEREST AMONGST STUDENTSTalk about the cold weather in our city! Or, use personal stories or visualization techniques to pique their interest and spark their empathy.In this case, have students close their eyes and imagine going to sleep feeling very cold. How does it feel?

STEP TWO: STUDY THE ISSUEStart by studying the underlying issue.Pose questions to the students.In this case, why do these people need blankets in the first place?What does it mean “to be poor”?What is poverty? How do we define it? How do we measure it?

STEP THREE: SEEK A SOLUTIONHow can we, as a class, improve this situation?Research local non-profits that are doing effective work in the region. Speak to the people themselves to know:- What are your needs?- Are there any organizations you have worked

with before?

STEP FOUR: BECOME AN ADVOCATE

Once students learn about the issue, they need to find a way to tell others about this reality.Become a mouthpiece, raise awareness!Students create a poster which has important statistics and facts explaining their service learning project.Help students become reporters/activists!

STEP FIVE: FIND A LOCAL PARTNER

When you find a local organization or community leader to work with, be very clear to lay out:

The educational goals you wish to achieve

The amount of money (if any) your school is able to contribute (be clear here that you are not a limitless source of money)

The kind of experience you want for your students (such as being a hands-on experience where students actually meet the recipients)

STEP SIX: RAISE FUNDSLet students provide ideas for fundraisingWhen applicable, make it competitive Make sure donation goals are measurable. How much

does one blanket cost? How many families can you support is better than how much money can you raise?

Keep your results posted in school as you collect moneyCelebrate those students that are raising money to

encourage othersAsk students on a daily basis what they have done to

improve the lives of your recipients

STEP SEVEN: HANDS-ON SERVICE COMPONENTDo not simply pass along the money to your local partner.Take your students to visit the people and interact with them.Give them the satisfaction of personally handing out the supplies to the people in need. This is what they have worked for!Encourage them to go beyond simply saying, “Here, this is for you.” Foster deeper conversations: What do you have in common? What are some misconceptions we may have about each other?

STEP EIGHT: STUDENT FEEDBACK

How did it feel to help these people? Has your impression of their situation changed after meeting them? How would you feel if the roles were reversed and you were the one being helped? What are some other ways you can make a difference?

When students actively reflect on what they have done, they understand it much more. This can start on the bus ride home or the next day in school or as a homework assignment. It’s good to record their responses on video right after the service. Writing about it also helps them reflect on it in a big picture way.

STEP EIGHT, continuedMulti-media Reflection Piece● Encourage students to create a multi-media

“report” to document the experience; this is an excellent way to keep them engaged in the project.

● Giving them a role in the production allows them to provide input (what will the multi-media project look like, what is important to include in it, etc) throughout the entire process.

● Examples: YouTube video, Padlet, blog post, Voicethread

STEP NINE: CELEBRATE YOUR SUCCESSDon’t be afraid to let kids feel great about what they did. If they feel a real sense of achievement, they will feel great about what they were able to do.

This can be done in an assembly where they can share their feedback or in class where they can each say how this impacted them.

The class can look back at photos or video of the service and discuss.

Teachers need to let students bask in their success. They improved people’s lives!

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Example: Our “Back-to-school Backpack Buddy Program”

ttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FBBbHeqyuUM

STEP 9.5: LOOK FOR WAYS TO EXPAND OR REPLICATE PROJECT

.Feel free to use this slideshow yourself; I am here to help anyone adopt this process. Adam’s Contact information: email: acarter@schutzamericanschool.org.egtwitter: @AsacollectiveOnline: Cause & Affect Foundation: website www.causeandaffectfoundation.org blog: www.causeandaffectfoundation.blogspotAcademic Social Action Collective website www.asacollective.org blog: acacollectiveblog.wordpress.com

Now it’s your turn.What can you do?