P-16+ Service Learning

Throughout the 1990s, the use of service-learning increased dramatically in both K-12 and teacher education. Educators at all levels report that well-designed and implemented service-learning activities can help address unmet community needs while simultaneously providing students the opportunity to gain academic knowledge and skills (Root, 1997). Researchers and teachers note that service-learning often increases student self-esteem, promotes personal development, and enhances a sense of social responsibility and personal competence (Council of Chief State School Officers, 1995).

What Is Service-Learning ?

Service-learning may be described as both a philosophy of education and an instructional method. As a philosophy of education, service-learning reflects the belief that education should develop social responsibility and prepare students to be involved citizens in democratic life. As an instructional method, service- learning involves a blending of service activities with the academic curriculum in order to address real community needs while students learn through active engagement. A growing body of research indicates that carefully planned and implemented service-learning projects can contribute to both K-12 students' and preservice teachers' learning and growth (Conrad & Hedin, 1991; Root, 1997).

Rationale for Service-Learning in Teacher Education

Teacher educators cite the following reasons for integrating service-learning into their courses:

• To prepare new teachers to use service-learning as a teaching method with their K- 12 students;
• To help socialize teachers in the essential moral and civic obligations of teaching, including teaching with "care," fostering life-long civic engagement, adapting to the needs of learners with diverse and special needs, and having a commitment to advocate for social justice for children and families;
• To enhance preservice teachers' ability to reflect critically on current educational practices and their own teaching;
• To develop in preservice teachers the dispositions and abilities needed to easily and fully adopt other educational reforms such as authentic assessment, teaching with integrated thematic units, focusing on higher order thinking skills, and making improvements in school schedules and climate;
• To accelerate the process of learning how to perform a variety of roles needed to meet the needs of students such as counselor, community liaison, advocate, and moral leader; and
• To develop human service oriented teachers who can work effectively in schools with integrated services or other social service settings.

Distinguishing Community Service, Service-Learning, and Other Forms of Experiential Education

Service-learning, community service, internships, and other types of field education such as student teaching are all forms of experiential education. They do differ, however, as to their primary focus and beneficiaries. Community service involves students providing assistance to individuals, organizations, or the community. The assistance can be direct (pre- paring meals in a shelter for the homeless or picking up trash in a park) or indirect (organizing a food drive or doing clerical work for a social service agency). In all cases, the primary focus is on providing a service recipient. Internships focus primarily on the student's learning and the primary beneficiary is the service provider. Service-learning involves blending the key elements of community service and intern- ships so both the service providers and the service recipients benefit. These benefits result from a dual focus on the service being provided and the learning that will occur (Furco, 1996).

Conclusion

Service-learning appears to have considerable potential as a method to achieve important goals of both K-12 education and teacher preparation. Initial research results, teacher educators, and preservice teachers all suggest that service-learning can be a worthwhile and powerful teaching experience. But there are many challenges to its successful use in teacher education, including the already overcrowded curriculum, the difficulties of arranging successful K-12 and community service-learning sites, and linking service-learning to state and national teacher education accreditation standards. As more teacher educators take on these challenges, innovative and successful approaches may emerge. Jeffrey Anderson is an Associate Professor of Education at Seattle University. For the past ten years he has taught a service-learning course for preservice teachers. He is currently the Associate Director of the American Association of Colleges of Teacher Education National Service Learning in Teacher Education Partnership.

References

• Conrad, D. & Hedin D. (1991). School- based community service: What we know from research and theory. Phi Delta Kappan 72(10), 743-749
• Council of Chief State School Officers (1995) Integrating service learning into teacher education: why and how? Washington, DC: Author
• Furco, A. (1996) service-learning: A balanced approach to experiential education. Expanding Boundaries: Service and Learning. 1(1),2-6
• Root, S.C. (1997). School-based service: a review of research for teacher educators. In J. Erickson and J. Anderson (Eds.), Learning with the community: concepts and models for service learning in teacher education. Washington, DC: AAHE

Service Learning and Future Teachers

Future Teachers from North Central College have hands on experiences in their first semester through the Introduction to Education course. A key part of the course is a service-learning field experience that pairs them with elementary and high school students in the Junior/Senior Scholars, a tutoring program for children at risk of school failure. The program involves first to twelfth graders and offers a wide range of activities year round, including tutoring, study groups, weekend retreats, work internships, camps, sports, and family events for more than 200 children. The foundation of the program is college students who are involved with service learning activities.

P-16+ Partners: North Central College, Johnson Elementary and Oak Park School, Aurora Contact; Jan Fitzsimmons, 630-637-5100

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