Learning Through Serving


Book Description

This substantially expanded new edition of this widely-used and acclaimed text maintains the objectives and tenets of the first. It is designed to help students understand and reflect on their community service experiences both as individuals and as citizens of communities in need of their compassionate expertise. It is designed to assist faculty in facilitating student development of compassionate expertise through the context of service in applying disciplinary knowledge to community issues and challenges. In sum, the book is about how to make academic sense of civic service in preparing for roles as future citizen leaders. Each chapter has been developed to be read and reviewed, in sequence, over the term of a service-learning course. Students in a semester course might read just one chapter each week, while those in a quarter-term course might need to read one to two chapters per week. The chapters are intentionally short, averaging 8 to 14 pages, so they do not interfere with other course content reading. This edition presents four new chapters on Mentoring, Leadership, Becoming a Change Agent, and Short-Term Immersive and Global Service-Learning experiences. The authors have also revised the original chapters to more fully address issues of social justice, privilege/power, diversity, intercultural communication, and technology; have added more disciplinary examples; incorporated additional academic content for understanding service-learning issues (e.g., attribution theory); and cover issues related to students with disabilities, and international students. This text is a student-friendly, self-directed guide to service-learning that: Develops the skills needed to succeed Clearly links service-learning to the learning goals of the course Combines self-study and peer-study workbook formats with activities that can be incorporated in class, to give teachers maximum flexibility in structuring their service-learning courses Promotes independent and collaborative learning Equally suitable for courses of a few weeks’ or a few months’ duration Shows students how to assess progress and communicate end-results Written for students participating in service learning as a class, but also suitable for students working individually on a project. Instructor's Manual This Instructor Manual discusses the following six key areas for aligning your course with use of Learning through Serving, whether you teach a senior-level high school class, freshman studies course, or a college capstone class: 1. Course and syllabus design 2. Community-partner collaboration 3. Creating class community 4. Strategic teaching techniques 5. Developing intercultural competence 6. Impact assessment




Learning Service


Book Description

"This year, over ten million people will go abroad, eager to find the perfect blend of adventure and altruism. Volunteer travel can help you find your place in the world--and find out what you're made of. So why do so many international volunteer programs fail to make an impact? Why do some do more harm than good? Learning Service offers a powerful new approach that invites volunteers to learn from host communities before trying to 'help' them. It's also a thoughtful critique of the sinister side of volunteer travel; a guide for turning good intentions into effective results; and essential advice on how to make the most of your experience."--Amazon.com.




Learning Through Serving


Book Description

""This substantially expanded new edition of this widely-used and acclaimed text maintains the objectives and tenets of the first. It is designed to help students understand and reflect on their community service experiences both as individuals and as citizens of communities in need of their compassionate expertise. It is designed to assist faculty in facilitating student development of compassionate expertise through the context of service in applying disciplinary knowledge to community issues and challenges. In sum, the book is about how to make academic sense of civic service in preparing for roles as future citizen leaders.""--Amazon.com."




Learning by Doing


Book Description

Like the first edition, the second edition of Learning by Doing: A Handbook for Professional Learning Communities at Work helps educators close the knowing-doing gap as they transform their schools into professional learning communities (PLCs).




Transforming Teaching and Learning Through Data-Driven Decision Making


Book Description

"Gathering data and using it to inform instruction is a requirement for many schools, yet educators are not necessarily formally trained in how to do it. This book helps bridge the gap between classroom practice and the principles of educational psychology. Teachers will find cutting-edge advances in research and theory on human learning and teaching in an easily understood and transferable format. The text's integrated model shows teachers, school leaders, and district administrators how to establish a data culture and transform quantitative and qualitative data into actionable knowledge based on: assessment; statistics; instructional and differentiated psychology; classroom management."--Publisher's description.




Leadership Development Through Service-Learning


Book Description

"Couples theoretical grounding with a wealth of applied examples. This exploration of service-learning scholarship, leadership scholarship, and the scholarship of teaching and learning demonstrates the important intersections and shared values across this literature. These intersections make leadership development through service-learning such a compelling approach. This volume provides an overview of the most up-to-date thinking on leadership development through service-learning, including: the leadership competencies linked to service-learning experiences; the processes of ethical engagement in community partnerships; approaches for fostering more critical student reflection; and applied examples, including an in-depth case study of a leadership course series, a wealth of service programs led by students, a mentoring model linking college student service with youth leadership development, and a youth leadership program with a national scope"--




Educating Teachers and Tomorrow’s Students through Service-Learning Pedagogy


Book Description

Service-learning is a powerful method of teaching and learning that has been used effectively for more than two decades. This volume contributes further to the Advances in Service-Learning Research series that focuses upon service-learning in teacher education. Research and theory indicate that knowledge of service-learning pedagogy and how to implement it in teacher candidates’ future classrooms can enhance field experiences of teacher education and the civic mission of schools. However, research also reminds us that that the practice of service-learning is nuanced and complex. No two service-learning experiences are alike, yet universal characteristics across service-learning experiences define its essence and distinction. It is through research that digs deep into these nuanced issues that we can learn more about the different characteristics of the experience that define service-learning and guide implementation. The preface provides an interview with Andy Furco, an early advocate of service-learning and noted leader who has fostered service- learning in K-12 and higher education throughout the United States and across the globe. Andy Furco’s commentary offers an historical overview of the field as well as how the field can advance, providing insights for those new to the field as well as those who have engaged in service-learning. The preface and thirteen chapters together provide empirical and conceptual support for including service-learning. Concurrently, this scholarship provides guidance for implementing service-learning in teacher preparation and in K-12 education. Interrelated themes include self efficacy, connections with communities, diversity, and program development in teacher education.




Expanding Elementary Teacher Education through Service-Learning


Book Description

Teacher education programs and colleges of education face a multilayered task of preparing teachers to teach in increasingly divergent environments where children of color encompass a significant number of urban school populations. Yet the teaching force remains predominantly white, middle-income, monolingual, and female. Compounding this complex issue, the racial and the socio-economic makeup of many teacher education faculty mirrors the teacher candidate population. The goal of this handbook is to offer teacher educators a blue print for strengthening and extending traditional literacy field experiences to include service-learning components. As literacy teacher educators, Sulentic Dowell and Meidl demonstrate how teacher education can be transformed to include more authentic, meaningful, and preparatory field experiences. Adding service-learning components expands teacher education to more adequately prepare elementary education candidates to meet children’s needs in 21st century, urban elementary classrooms. This handbook considers the need to redefine and reconfigure teacher education in regards to literacy teaching and learning.




Supporting the Elderly Through Service Learning


Book Description

Loads of learning takes place in the classroom, but it is by no means the only place for students to gain knowledge and experience. This innovative resource introduces service learning and why it can be such a helpful tool for students, the elderly, and the larger community. Successful service learning projects are described throughout the book, which highlight how they work as well as the benefits of getting to know the often overlooked senior population within our communities. Forthright discussions of the challenges and benefits highlight why service-learning projects can be a satisfying, fun, and memorable way to learn.




Working for Tolerance and Social Change Through Service Learning


Book Description

Service learning is an interdisciplinary pedagogical tool that is becoming increasing popular in schools. It involves students taking part in projects that are aimed at strengthening their communities and using tools to rigorously assess what they have learned from their experiences. This volume concentrates on service-learning projects with the goal of increasing tolerance. The author offers a look at social movements that have made our society more tolerant over time. He explains how students can establish and develop service-learning projects that address the persistent problem of intolerance and suggests which tools can best help them learn from their efforts.