Written by Emily Schubel, Media Specialist
TroubledTeens…a topic that is more and more
prevalent amongst today’s youth.
Some of
the students at Saint Bartholomew School did something about it and decided to make a
difference in the lives' of others. As a private school, helping
others in the community [KW1] is a major part of the school mission. Why would a school include service learning in the curriculum other than the obvious reason of "doing the right thing"? When students complete a service project, they typically say that they learned more from the experience than they do in class learning from a textbook. The learning is more hands-on and means more to them. It is real. Another reason why schools are incorporating service learning into the curriculum is because it provides every student the chance to be successful. Studies have shown that academic achievement also benefits from service learning, even on standardized tests. Service learning can help develop important personal and social skills for young people. It can also aid in the development of stronger ties to the school, community, and society. Schools that utilize service learning projects have stronger community support. Given this evidence, I cannot think of a reason not to incorporate service learning into the school curriculum.
A few years back, when service learning became the new buzz in the school, the eighth grade teachers came to me with questions about what organizations and/or what actions could make a difference through the use of the students. We worked together [KW2][P3] and came up with some organizations that would benefit from students doing a service project with them. We also developed guidelines for the project as a whole [P4]. It was important for us to remember when planning the task that service projects don’t necessarily mean giving money to an organization, but can be in the form of volunteering time and talent or spreading awareness about the cause, among other possibilities. Together, the eighth grade teachers and I presented to the students the idea of integrating a service project within their curriculum and what organizations would benefit from their efforts [P1][KW3].
The first step in the project was to gain student interest
by allowing them to research each organization or cause. To do so, the students formed groups, based
on individual interest with teachers making sure all organizations were covered
[P8]. Information came from a variety of
resources, such as interviews, the internet, books, and pamphlets [P2][P5][KW4]. The students were encouraged to take notes [KW5]
about their chosen organization so they could present their findings to the
rest of the class. Once the information was presented by each group, the
students showed they were informed voters by choosing the organization or cause
that had the greatest connection to their lives[KW6]. The organization that was chosen is a group
home for troubled preteen and teenage girls called Youth Hope.
The students chose this organization because they could
relate to some of the issues and problems that these teenage girls have
experienced.Youth Hope is a privately
funded organization, yet relies on donations from the community, which makes it
the valid reason for a service learning opportunity. I arranged for the administrative coordinator
to speak with the eighth grade about the mission of Youth Hope and what they
could do to help the organization [P10].The aim of the project was to provide Christmas presents for all of the
girls who were living in the group home.The motive for this particular endeavor was heartfelt and the students
did not want anyone to go without presents for the holidays[KW6].
Now that the goal of the project was set, the students determined how to proceed.They had the option either to collect money and then go shopping in small groups for items or to bring in items from wish lists provided by Youth Hope.The first option was decided upon because the students wanted a more collaborative effort in the project.
Throughout the process of the project, students reflected [KW7] upon the experience by using an electronic blog [KW8][P9].Within the blog postings, the students wrote about topics such as their feelings regarding the project, how their project impacted the lives of others, and whether or not they would participate in such an endeavor on their own [KW9].
The assessment [KW10] for the project were done in a variety of formats, such as a powerpoint presentation, video, skit, poster, website, and song among other teacher approved options [P7].The assessment included what they learned from the project, their feelings, reactions, and feedback.The groups shared their presentations with their class, as well as the entire school when all service project presentations are made at the end of the year [P6].
Keywords
[KW1] Service learning – 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 (www.servicelearning.org).
[KW2] Collaboration – “People working together.”By collaborating, teachers and teacher librarians provide learning experiences that respond to learning needs, provide resources at point of need, give teachers a working partner, and provide academic achievement (Stripling, 200-01).
[KW3] Authentic learning – Authentic learning means exploring the world around us, asking questions, identifying information resources, discovering connections, examining multiple perspectives, discussing ideas, and making informed decisions that have a real impact.An authentic learning environment is engaging for students because the content and context of learning are accepted by the student as relevant to his or her needs and deemed by the teacher as stimulating life beyond the classroom (Callison, 292).
[KW4] Interview – The interview can be a valuable tool used in the inquiry process to gain primary information that will help to clarify and add meaning.The information literate student who has gained a mature sense for seeking evidence will use the personal interview in order to verify evidence from written sources, add color and story, and extend a line of inquiry (Callison, 407).
[KW5] Note-taking – One strategy of note-taking is for the exploration phase of research.Notes are best taken in journals or notebooks during this phase.However, select pages can be printed from the Internet or print reference tools that can later be highlighted.Another note-taking strategy is for collecting information, such as from media or a live presentation.Notes taken in this manner require concentration and the note-taker should use a form of shorthand.At this point, the note-taking becomes more focused. (Callison, 548-49).
[KW6] Motivation – An important task for the teacher of information literacy is not so much to teach students how to learn, but to motivate them to learn at times that may not seem immediately rewarding to the student.Motivation helps to increase the chances that students will learn what is needed even when they may initially classify the activity as being overly demanding or of no interest (Callison, 437).
[KW7] Reflection – Reflection is key to both the student process for learning effective use of information and for the teacher who wants to evaluate his or her own techniques for instruction in information literacy.To be reflective is to consider options and to make judgments intended to improve future performance.
[KW8] Blogs and blogging – Blogs can be used as a metacognitive tool to help people think about their life or learning.These reflections may be intended for themselves, their classmates, or the world (Callison, 311).
[KW9] Critical thinking – Critical thinking enables humans to identify and accept the problem.When they evaluate the various alternatives and select one or more to pursue, humans are thinking critically (Callison, 363).
[KW10] Authentic assessment – Authentic assessment values both the processes and products involved in learning.Authentic assessment is used to evaluate student work as well as provide feedback for improvement (Callison, 297).
Learning and Teaching Principles of School Library Media Programs
[P1] The library media program is essential to learning and teaching and must be fully integrated into the curriculum to promote students’ achievement of learning goals.
The eighth grade
teachers came to me because they knew that I would know where to find the
needed information and would have some ideas about how to integrate a service
project into an inquiry opportunity using a variety of resources.
[P2] The information literacy standards for student learning are integral to the content and objectives of the school’s curriculum.
I implemented the
Information Literacy Standards during various stages of the project.One such standard that was implemented was
standard 1: The student who is information literate accesses information
efficiently and effectively.Another
standard that was implemented was standard 4: The student who is an independent
learner is information literate and pursues information related to personal
interests.
[P3] The library media program models and promotes collaborative planning and curriculum development.
I worked together with
the eighth grade teachers to plan this service learning opportunity.
[P4] The library media program models and promotes creative, effective, and collaborative teaching.
I collaborated with
the eighth grade teachers to develop a service learning opportunity for the
students.We developed a plan that would
involve research with a variety of media, reflection through the use of
blogging, and different assessment formats for various learning styles.
[P5] Access to the full range of information resources and services through the library media program is fundamental to learning.
I provided the
students with access to all types of media, including the internet, pamphlets,
people to interview, etc.
[P6] The library media program encourages and engages students in reading, viewing, and listening for understanding and enjoyment.
Students used their
listening and viewing skills during the presentations of the assessments.
[P7] The library media program supports the learning of all students and other members of the learning community who have diverse learning abilities, styles, and needs.
Through the authentic
assessment, the students are creating cumulative products based on their
reactions, feelings, and evaluations of the service learning opportunity.
[P8] The library media program fosters individual and collaborative inquiry.
Students worked
together in groups to form research questions about each organization.
[P9] The library media program integrates the uses of technology for learning and teaching.
The students
incorporate technology by reflecting upon the experience through the use of a
blog.
[P10] The library media program is an essential link to the larger learning community.
I arranged for the
administrative coordinator to speak with the eighth grade students about
mission of the organization and what they could do to help.
Works Cited
American Association of School Librarians. (1998). Information Power: Building Partnerships for Learning. American Library Association:
Callison, Daniel. (2006).The Blue Book on Information Age
Inquiry, Instruction and Literacy.
Libraries Unlimited:
Houghton Mifflin Company. (1997). “What is Authentic Assessment?”. http://www.eduplace.com/rdg/res/litass/auth.html
"Service Learning is..." Learn and Serve
Stripling, Barbara. (2003). Curriculum connections through the library. LibrariesUnlimited: