Fundamentals of Service Learning in Education and Social Action

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Fundamentals of Service Learning in Education and
Social Action

• Dr. Ronald L. Burr

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Goals

• At the end of this session, participants will
  have had an opportunity to
• Reflect on a distinction between community
  development and education or social action, and a
  distinction between social service and social
  service learning (S-L)
• Examine the crucial role of review in S-L and how
  Agendas drive Reviews
• Practice Agenda-Drafting, Educational Module
  Design and Reviewing

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Teaching, Training and S-L Education

• Most Teachers present theory while students
  listen
• Most trainers give instructions and participants
  carry them out
• S-L educators provide a balance between good
  theory and participant-driven development of best
  practices applying those theories
• Drivers Teaching, Training or Education?

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• The steps to achieve them are a lot alike.
• But the difference between Community
• Development and Social Action or Education
• is whether you have an Agenda.

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Examples of Agendas

• Prevent the abuse of alcohol and other drugs
• Apply civic virtues in practical circumstances
• Increase appreciation of mathematics by using it
  in community action
• Increase the likelihood of peaceful responses to
  conflict among diverse populations
• For this Conference Institutionalizing a Culture
  of Heart in Society

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PracticeWhat is your Conference Agenda in
Relation to S-L?Instructions

• Think about Institutionalizing a Culture of Heart
  in Society in a S-L project you are doing, or
  could do. How would you state the agenda for that
  project?
• Learn my Signal
• Discuss your agenda with one person beside you or
  on each side of you. Not more than 3 people are
  talking.
• Watch for my signal. When you see it get quiet
  and choose one thing you learned that you would
  share

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Share

• with one person beside you or on both sides
• of you. Not more than 3 people are talking

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Review

• Jot down what you have learned so far
• about Drafting an Agenda-Statement
• for Social Action or Education

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Developing Educational Modules

• Educational Modules will Actualize some
  Expression of our Agenda
• Educational or Social Action Agendas
• Are Expressed in Vision, Mission and Core Values
• That Inspire
• More Specific Expressions in Goals and Objectives

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Religious Youth Service

• As an Example of Educational Module
• Development

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Agenda Increase the likelihood of peaceful
responses to conflict among diverse
populations Vision Young Leaders of All Faiths
Serving Together for Peace Mission Our mission
is to provide an environment wherein youth can
rise above doctrinal differences, unite in
activities of service and learning, and develop
leadership abilities that enable them to help
create a culture of peace
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Core Values

• Faith in Action
• People Centered, Participant Driven
• Growth and Development
• Friendship and Collaboration
• Maximum Diversity

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Goals 

• Provide youth from diverse cultures and faiths
  with alternatives to violence.
• Offer service opportunities which allow the
  breakdown of barriers, foster altruism,
  friendship and build community.
• Develop and apply best practice models of
  leadership, human cooperation and relationship.
• Increase effective leadership abilities, learned
  by experience.
• Create settings wherein intercultural experiences
  can occur.
• Give opportunities to express and share
  spirituality and/or religious traditions with
  others.
• Provide occasions to hear from community and
  religious leaders, and explore the peace building
  characteristics of their cultures.
• Encourage meaningful interaction, allowing
  insights from interaction immediately to be
  applied to promoting peace.
• Cultivate learning by reflection.
• Assure succession, replication and expansion of
  RYS human capital through education and training

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Example Educational Module

• For Actualizing this Goal Develop and apply best
  practice models of leadership, human cooperation
  and relationship
• We start with Brainstorming
• We use these Review Questions
• What did you learn about Brainstorming
• How can you apply what you learned to team
  leadership in RYS

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PracticeWhat is an Educational Module that would
help actualize your Agenda?
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Instructions

• Think about the Agenda you drafted and shared
  earlier for Institutionalizing a Culture of Heart
  in Society in an S-L project.
• What is an Educational Module you could use to
  help Actualize a goal toward that agenda?
• Remember my Signal
• Discuss your Module with one person beside you or
  on both sides of you. Not more than 3 people are
  talking.
• Watch for my signal. When I signal, please get
  quiet and start thinking of one thing you learned
  you would share. Write it down

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Share

• with one person beside you or on both sides
• of you. Not more than 3 people are talking

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When do we Review in RYS?

• Often and in Writing
• After Key Leadership Activities in Orientation
• In Learning Sessions during the Work
  Project-Phase
• Intensively During Reflection and Closing

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When will you Review?

• As often as practical
• at least
• After every theory discussion
• After every service opportunity
• At the end of the Project or Course

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Practice Review of this Session

• Look back over the Goals of this Session
• Reflect on a distinction between community
  development and education or social action, and a
  distinction between social service and social
  service learning (S-L)
• Understand the crucial role of review in S-L and
  how Agendas drive Reviews
• Practice Agenda-Drafting, Educational Module
  Design and Reviewing

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Review Questions

• What is the most important thing you learned in
  regard to these goals?
• How can you apply what you learned to actualize
  an agenda of Institutionalizing a Culture of
  Heart in Society in a future S-L project?

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Share

• with one person beside you or on both sides of
  you. Not more than 3 people are talking

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Evaluation

• Evaluate about each of the goals right after the
  last review
• What participants wrote about the goals will be
  fresh in their mind
• You will receive meaningful evaluations one way
  or the other.

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Practice Evaluationof this Session

• On a scale of 1 10, 10 high, to what extent
  were you able to meet each of the goals of this
  session?
• Note how this wording supports responsibility of
  participants for their own learning.