Tips for Successful Service-Learning

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Tips for Successful Service-Learning

• Dr. Alice W. Terry
• Kennesaw State University

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Tip 1 Give Students Choice and Voice
Choice and Voice...

• help to insure commitment
• shows the students that their input is respected,
  meaningful, and valued.
• encourages development of leadership planning
  skills, and personal responsibility.

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Tip 2 Take an Awareness Walk
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Tip 3 Organize with Group Plan Books
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Tip 4 Pick a Name

• Acronym Anyone?
• Group identity and unity is furthered by
  encouraging students to choose an acronym for the
  group and/or the project
• RIPPLES, SWaMP Kids, Backstage Crew

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Tip 5 Design T-shirts

• A team T-shirt is fun for the students to create
• It can unify the students as well as advertise
  the service-learning project
• Wear the t-shirt on any project outing or
  presentation
• The design should be connected to the project
• topic and/or the project goals

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Tip 6 Wear your T-Shirts
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Tip 7 Design Logos for T-shirts using
computer technology
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Tip 8 Design Logos for Stationary
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Tip 9 Get Help from Experts
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Tip 10 Got a dime? Make a call!
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Tip 11 Attend Community Meetings

• Have a student call ahead for the group to be put
  on the agenda
• Select a spokesperson to represent the class
• Prepare a complete, concise, and creative
  presentation
• Let the spokesperson present the ideas with
  others providing support

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Tip 12 Find Support
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Tip 13 Design Programs
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Tip 14 Brochures Work!
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Tip 15 Write a Grant!
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Tip 16 Be Creative!
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Tip 17 Use Star Charts to motivate and
celebrate!
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Tip 18 Seek Out Celebratory Activities
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Tip 19 Be Creative in Fund Raising
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Tip 20 Blab about Your Success!
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Tip 21 Artifacts are Fun!
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Tip 22 Press Releases Work!
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Tip 23 Write the articles, send the pictures
and SIT BACK!
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Tip 24 Stay in the News
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Tip 25 Have a Press Conference!
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Tip 26 Aim High! Syndicated Columnists Love
Good News
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Tip 27 Take Photographs Videos
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Tip 28 Seek out organizations that support
your efforts and notify them of your activities
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Tip 29 Employ the Cognitive Apprenticeship
Model (Brown, Collins,
Duguid, 1989)

• Four elements that lead to learning
• Scaffolding
• Modeling
• Coaching
• Fading
• Teachers role facilitator
• Student-run, student-focused class

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Tip 30 Use Cooperative Learning Strategies

• Cooperative Groups and Jobs
• Project Facilitators - elected
• Press Secretaries
• Video Coordinators
• Photographers
• File Clerks
• Journalists
• Scrapbook Coordinators

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Tip 31 Use the Creative Problem Solving
Process (Osborn, 1963
Parnes, 1967)

• Identifying problems challenges
• Recognizing and stating the important
• problem
• Producing alternative solutions
• Evaluating alternative solutions
• Planning to put solutions into use
  (Torrance, 1995)

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Tip 32 Use Brainstorming

• Have students brainstorm possible problems on a
  Jot Board
• problems discovered during fact-finding
• problems the students may encounter while trying
  to effect change in the community.
• Narrow the brainstormed challenge ideas to five
  or six. From among this list, select an
  Underlying Challenge by identifying the most
  significant issuethe problem on which that the
  class feels it can have the most impact and
  influence.

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Tip 33 Just Do it!

• The RIPPLES Gang beginning restoration work on a
  dilapidated building in their decaying downtown
  in 1984.

The building now houses a thriving clothing
store.
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TIPS for Successful Service-Learning

• Seek Out Celebratory Activities
• Be Creative in Fund Raising
• Blab about Your Success!
• Artifacts are Fun!
• Take Photos Videos of project
• Press Releases Work!
• Write the articles
• Stay in the News
• Have a Press Conference!
• Aim High! Syndicated Columnists Love Good News
• Seek out organizations that support your efforts
  and notify them of your activities
• Employ the Cognitive Apprenticeship Model
• Use Cooperative Learning Strategies
• Use the Creative Problem Solving Process
• Use Brainstorming
• Just Do it!

• Give Students Choice and Voice
• Take an Awareness Walk
• Organize with Group Plan Books
• Pick a Name (Acronym)
• Design T-shirts
• Wear your T-Shirts
• Design Logos for shirts, stationary, fund raisers
• Get Help from Experts
• Attend Community Meetings
• Find Support
• Design Programs for Presentations
• Brochures Work!
• Write a Grant!
• Be Creative!
• Use Star Charts