The WHAT Model of Structured Reflection: What? So what and now what?
Taking time to volunteer at schools, childcare facilities, non-profit organizations, and various other local community services is not always a top priority of young people while navigating through their college or university experiences. Service learning, however, is “a work-based learning experience through which students learn, develop, and apply academic and vocational skills to address the real life needs of their local communities” (Bettina Lankard Brown). It offers an atmosphere in which students can obtain problem-solving, leadership, teamwork, and other skills necessary for their future employment.
What?
What happened? Include descriptive facts, what happened, with whom; the substance of the interaction.
Over the past few months, I have been assisting a teacher of a, split, grade 1 – 2 class at Pioneer Park Elementary School for my service learning placement. Every Wednesday morning I arrive at the school between 8:30 and 9:00 am. My first duty includes helping the teacher hang up student`s artwork, from the previous day, in the hallway near their classroom. The bell then rings promptly at 9:00 am and, at this time, I hold the door open for the grade 1 and 2 children to come barreling into the school. After removing their coats, backpacks, and boots or outdoor shoes, the students settle down and stand in a straight line before the teacher allows them to go into the classroom. Once inside
It was playtime for the class. My first real experience with classroom management was when a little boy by the name of Tranell did not want to share the toy phone with his classmate who was a girl. I went up to Tranell and ask him “Can she have a turn with the phone?”. He nodded his head and let her have the phone for a little while. But as soon as my back was turned he snatched the phone back from her and she began crying. During this time, I told his teacher about and she told him to give it back to her. Tranell gave it to her, but sudden he began crying. He loved the toy phone so much that he literally would take it and keep in his pocket. When play time was over, I informed Mrs. Gain, Mrs. Pace classroom helper of what Tranell had done. She told me that he takes and keeps the toy phone in his pocket all the time and she will let Mrs. Pace know about it. After playtime it was time for them to go the
In the assigned article entitled “Why Service Learning” by Bruce W. Speck, it provides great insight as to why we need to engage in service learning. This article focused on the questions that were like the reasoning behind service learning and how does it benefit the student. One definition in the article that stood out to me was service learning being defined as a pedagogy that fosters the development of skills and knowledge needed for participation in public life. This was prevalent because it allows the student to network with others outside of the community while giving back. Service learning was created to get away from the traditional way of learning while implementing a new learning system.
Tangible learning can be an excellent method of learning. Students who are able to take information from the classroom and apply in it the field can understand the how and why things are done the way they are. Moreover, Sax and Astin stated that service learning requires students to go out into their field and then return to relate their experiences via writings, discussions, or class presentations (Sax & Astin, 1997). I related to Sax and Astin with their characteristics of service participants. The authors claimed that a student who has longevity in volunteering, leadership and strong family commitment to their community are strong candidates to volunteering. My biggest inspiration for service comes from my father who spent 25 years as a volunteer fireman in our community. My childhood idolization of my father corroborated the authors claim that service participates are not to be motivated by materialistic values (Sax & Astin, 1997). Ultimately, Sax and Astin stated “during college, service participants exhibit greater increases in social self-confidence and leadership ability than do nonparticipants” (Sax & Astin, 1997). In relation to Sax and Astin I feel I have enhanced my interpersonal skills, confidence in dealing with people, and working in a profession that is not common for
During the week on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays I volunteer at pine meadow elementary. I get to spend some of my time with kindergarteners that range from an age 5-6. I leave Sartell high school at 10:05 ish by walking and get to pine meadow elementary around 10:25 the time I begin. When I walk in the front doors I go straight to the office and sign in on the sheet and on my time card while grabbing a number card to clip to my clothing. Right before I begin to walk to my designated classroom, I blow my nose and sanitize my hands just to be safe. It only takes about five minutes to walk from the main office to my classroom. I go straight to the locker Mrs. Drais gave me with a special magnet on it that says volunteer; I open it up and put my
After spending the day observing a fourth grade inclusive class and attending a fourth grade PLC meeting focused on testing, I began my community service at the after school program. I was quite curious to see what the after school program is like as I work as a supervisor at an after school program in Sussex County. At dismissal, all the students came to the cafeteria and began their homework. They were very talkative and sitting in close proximity as there were only a few tables left down for the students. Once everyone had arrived, the teachers called out that all students were to quietly work on homework.
Service Learning is an educational strategy set in place to enlighten students with instruction and experience, in addition to improve learning , teach responsibility, and support the community. Service learning is vital to the development of the student, given that it intertwines academic and personal development together. It is aimed to enhance a student’s learning in all aspects of life.
The teacher next door to my CT has been teaching for a long time and says her class is one of the most difficult she has ever had. There are two students inarticulate who she thinks have real unaddressed medical issues. These students are constantly a disruption to her class. During my visit the teachers were celebrating Halloween with their classrooms. The teacher next door provided her students with Oreos for snack. One of the boys shoved both of his Oreos in his mouth and began screaming and crying that he was still hungry. She was out of Oreos and tried to offer him something else but he refused, still screaming and crying that he was hungry. The student was pushing his desk and trying to trip other students while doing so. It was time
Service learning has given me the new opportunity experience helping others and including myself. I enjoy volunteer work because It’s a way of giving back to the community, but also I’ve become confident in public speaking. In addition, volunteer work is a great rewarding experience, and it 's also helped me develop social skills, by supporting others. The contribute can make a positive impact in many ways, Barack Obama said, “ the best way to not feel hopeless is to get up and do something. Don’t wait for good things to happen to you. If you go out and make some good things happen, you will fill the work with hope, you will fill yourself with hope.” There are element that could promise will succeed in life, however, I believe to learn and discover. I will continue volunteering work whenever I can, and I strongly encourage people to join volunteer work because the meaningful impact the lives of their and help thousands of the students confront in reading. It was a great pleasure for me to contribute to the organization to the development of the community through Political Science class volunteering work. The impact that was able to make our community better future.
The benefit of service learning for the student and community is again a better inform civic minded individual who may use his experience from service learning as a launching pad for career opportunities to better serve within that community. In an article published in the College Student Journal its author noted that with service learning “students gain further understanding of course content, a broader appreciation of the discipline, and an enhanced sense of civic responsibility" (Strange,
As I read through the article, “Service Learning: The Process of Doing and Becoming an Occupational Therapist”, one of the things that stood out to me when reading the student’s reflections, was how service learning fosters greater civic awareness that one would not otherwise know about. For instance, a couple of days ago, I was speaking to a friend who participated in a Health Occupations for Positive Emotions (HOPE) program where she helped pregnant teens continue their education. My friend being raised in a loving; protective family was not aware of the high percentage of teen
For first-generation students, Yeh (2010) found that service-learning provided significant opportunities to connect personal values with academics, which enabled participants to find greater meaning in their education and increased their motivation to complete their bachelor’s degrees. Additionally, Hendel (2008) concluded that first-generation students’ experiences in a service-learning class allowed them to expand their self-awareness and ability to develop personal identities by reflecting on shared characteristics with those they collaborated with. Furthermore, McKay and Estrella (2008) examined the impact of service-learning courses on the social and academic integration of 43 first-generation college students and found correlational support
According to Kathleen Flecky and Lynn Gitlow, service-learning is defined as, “learning that occurs in experiences, reflection, and civic engagement” (Flecky & Gitlow, 2011). In recent years more universities are implementing service learning into their curriculum. A key concept of service learning is civic responsibility. Civic responsibility can simply be defined as your responsibilities as a citizen. As will be shown later in this paper, service learning can have many benefits not only to a student, but also to the community members
Taking time to volunteer at the many nonprofit organizations, homeless shelters, advocacy centers, philanthropic fundraisers, local schools and child care facilities in the inner city is not always at the forefront of young people’s minds while navigating through their college experiences. But, with a little push from student organizations, local nonprofits and passionate individuals, volunteerism and community change can start to take a front seat and become not just an opportunity, but also a priority in the lives of young people.
The Society for Experiential Education defines service learning as, “any carefully monitored service experience in which a student has intentional learning goals and reflects actively on what he or she is learning throughout the experience” (Staton 1). Service learning is a great opportunity to get extra learning experiences while also experiencing the community around the universities campus. “Service learning allows students to apply what they are learning from their instructors, peers, and readings to genuine tasks that occur outside the four walls of the classroom while simultaneously helping others” (Staton 1). Universities are using service learning to expand beyond the classroom and provide students with experiences that will
The term ‘‘service-learning’’ means a method (A) under which students or participants learn and develop through active participation in thoughtfully organized service that (i) is conducted in and meets the needs of a community; (ii) is coordinated with an elementary school, secondary school, institution of higher education, or community service program, and with the community; and (iii) helps foster civic responsibility; and (B) that (i) is integrated into and enhances the academic curriculum of the students, or the educational components of the community service program in which the