What Is Service Learning?
Service Learning is a flexible teaching strategy that is useful in most disciplines and grade levels. This strategy brings service into students’ lives, enabling them to apply their classroom knowledge to real life situations.
There are many elements to high-quality service learning, as defined in the ASLER standards.
What Service Learning
Is Not
Common misconceptions of service learning are that service learning is a separate program that requires starting from scratch and working outside of school hours, that service learning is an organized volunteer effort, or that service learning is community service.
Because you are using your own curriculum instead of producing something completely new, and you are incorporating the project into regular classwork, service learning is not a separate program. The reflection activities and the application of your curriculum distinguish service learning from community service and volunteer work.
Notable Service
Learning Organizations
Corporation for
National Service
National Service Learning
Clearinghouse (NSLC)
Points of Light
Foundation
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Curriculum Infusion
You already have your curriculum. Service learning is not a separate curriculum; it is not an "add-on." It is a strategy intended to enrich your existing curriculum. It is not necessary to design new curriculum -- you can use much of what you already have in place.
Meeting Community Needs
Now you have one element of quality service learning. You understand the need to apply classroom content. Why have students serve the community? Couldn’t they learn just as much from other experiential teaching strategies? Students who address real problems acquire additional insights and skills.
Reflection
Now that you’ve connected a service project to your existing curriculum how do you help your students make the connection(s)? You design reflection activities. Reflection involves scheduled, structured time to review, think about, and analyze an experience to gain deeper understanding.
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