service learning teacher academy

Nicole Dietrich

Hamilton County ESC

513-674-4233

nicole.dietrich@hcesc.org

“Everybody can be great, because everybody can

serve”~Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

How can the combined communities of national

service, civic education, youth development, and

progressive education join together to make service-

learning central to teaching and learning…advocating

for a different kind of school, a new way of teaching,

and a new breed of teacher who can embrace service

learning and how it can help students and communities

prosper?

What is academic service learning? and

how does it differ from community

service?

*Service-Learning is 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.

Service-learning is an exciting, hands-on approach to

education. The core concept driving this educational strategy is

that by combining service objectives and learning objectives,

along with the intent to show measurable change in both the

recipient and the provider of the service, the result is a radically-

effective transformative method of teaching students.

How does it differ from community

service?

Service learning is often mistakenly perceived as being

identical to volunteer or community service because both

involve service projects that impact the welfare of others.

However, unlike general volunteerism or community service,

service learning is a method of teaching, not an end in itself,

and thus focuses on educating students… different from

traditional community service projects such as visiting

hospitals or nursing homes or cleaning up the local creek,

service learning also may stimulate social and political

change.

Service learning

•is

•is a form of

•is part of

project-based learning

The Need for New Measures

Improved Academic Achievement

Real Life Experience

Fosters civic involvement

Improves Social Skills

Benefits of Service

Learning

Citizenship: civic responsibility, individuals’ role in community, government systems

Social Skills: team work, leadership, communication, diversity awareness

Intellectual : critical thinking skills, problem solving, decision making, knowledgeabout social issues, academic subjects, organizing and planning

Personal: values clarification, personal ability to contribute to community, self-esteem

Work/Career Exposure: work ethic, job skills, exposure to career possibilities

Types of Learning

What Are the 21st Century Skills and

Competencies?

Many definitions but most have the following in

common:

Learning and innovation skills/inventive thinking

Effective communication

Digital-age literacy/technology skills

Productivity

Critical thinking/reasoning

Academic knowledge and skills

Contextual skills and awareness

Teamwork/collaboration

There is great promise in examining service-learning as an

approach to helping students acquire 21st Century skills

ACTIVITY:

What is the difference between service-learning and

community service?

How does service-learning relate to 21st Century skill

acquisition?

Develop a Balance between service and

learning

Examples:

1. service-LEARNING

2. SERVICE-learning

3. service learning

4. SERVICE-LEARNING

Developing Intentional

Learning Objectives

1. Are bound directly to the academic curriculum.

2. Meet a real community need.

3. Provide for structured group reflection time.

4. Engage students in group decision making

and problem solving.

5. Find ways to match the skills and talents of

students with the needs of the community.

6. Provide a wide variety of options for students.

7. Provide recognition for services rendered.

The Best Service Learning

Programs

Reciprocity Reflection Development: enabling to empowering; from observation, to experience; from following to leadership.

Meaningful Service Diversity

Service Learning:

Essential Elements

Service Activity(Experience)

Reflection/Observation(What?)

Interpreting(So What?)

Planning/Applying(Now What?)

Kolb’s Experiential Learning Cycle

Discussion:

How Do We

Create

Political

Will?

How do we create the political will to promote the idea that all schools should adopt service-learning and change their orientation to 21st

Century skills and their assessment?