Providing a Continuum of Service Learning Experiences

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Providing a Continuum of Service Learning
Experiences

• Diane Martin, PT, BS
• Department of Physical Therapist Assistant
  Studies
• Andrew Prall, PhD
• Department of English and Foreign Languages
• Ann Hernandez, EdD
• Department of Education
• Mary Kay Solon, MS, PT
• Department of Physical Therapist Assistant
  Studies

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University of Saint Francis Fort Wayne,
Indiana
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Mission Statement

• Rooted in the Catholic and Franciscan traditions
  of Faith and Reason, the University of Saint
  Francis engages a diverse community in learning,
  leadership and service.

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President Sr. Elise Kriss, OSF
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Values Statement

• Committed to the mission of Catholic Education
  and our Franciscan tradition, we will
• Reverence the unique dignity of each person.
• Encourage a trustful, prayerful community
• of learners.
• Serve one another, society and the Church.
• Foster peace and justice.
• Respect creation.

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Part One of the Continuum

• Teaching a Foundational Service-Learning Course
• Diane Martin, PT, BS
• Department of Physical Therapist Assistant
  Studies

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Course Background

• Clinical vs. Service Learning vs. volunteerism
• Establishment of 1-2 credit Service Learning
  (foundational) class through School of Health
  Sciences
• Expansion into 2-3 credit course, including
  social justice and leadership

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Syllabus

• Course objectives tied to values of USF
• Academic component
• Service hours required
• Service sites selected in community based on
  moving beyond your fears
• Assignments to tie together learning from
  classroom and service site or life experiences

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Academic Component

• Who Moved My Cheese? Spencer Johnson video
• Communication
• Cultural awareness
• Conflict Management use of passive, assertive
  and aggressive styles
• Tuesdays with Morrie book by Mitch Albom

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Service Hours

• 12 24 based on credits
• Student covenant completed
• Time log
• Student performance evaluation rating them on 10
  areas completed by service site
• Reflective journal for each day of service

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Assessment of Student Progress

• Class participation / attendance
• Environmental crisis
• Rubrics available before each assignment to
  enable adherence to guidelines
• Final paper / presentation
• Create awareness of service site to others
• Highlight new learning related to coursework and
  future classes / values
• Quotes from Tuesdays with Morrie
• Thank you note

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Examples of value-added service

• I have had the opportunity to review my own
  beliefs and values and really look at what I hold
  as important in life. As a graduating nurse, I
  will work at becoming more of an assertive person
  as opposed to my usual passive self.
• I found out what it really takes to interact
  with elders who are sick. And all it takes is
  love. I have realized that a career is only worth
  keeping if I work with love and care. I got a
  chance to sit down and listen to them talk about
  their faith, which is the most important part of
  life.

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Quotes from Tuesdays

• So many people walk around with a meaningless
  life. They seem half-asleep, even when theyre
  busy doing things they think are important. This
  is because they are chasing the wrong things.
  The way you get meaning into your life is to
  devote yourself to loving others, devote yourself
  to your community around you, and devote yourself
  to creating something that gives you purpose and
  meaning.
• Be compassionate. And take responsibility for
  each other. If we only learned those lessons,
  this world would be a much better place.

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Thank you for the experience

• . I really feel like I stepped out of my
  comfort zone in the beginning and as a result I
  learned a lot about myself. I also feel that I
  developed some good social and leadership skills
  that will help me in my profession. Your staff
  created an atmosphere of love, and the
  conversations with many helped to strengthen me
  spiritually.

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Part Two of the Continuum

• Considering Issues of Cognitive and Emotional
  Development in an English Composition
  Service-Learning Course
• Andrew Prall, PhD
• Department of English and Foreign Languages

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ENG 101 Composition with Service Learning

• 3 sections, 60 students (many non-service
  learning sections are also offered)
• 10 partner agencies (student-driven matching
  process)
• Curricular connection
• Thomas Deans, Writing and Community Action
• Four Essays (narrative/biographical, community
  analysis, research, reflection)

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Levels of Cognitive Development

• Jean Piagets theory of cognitive development
• Erik Eriksons theory of psychosocial development
• Kathleen Berger there is great diversity in
  cognitive development . . . many adolescents
  are as egocentric in some respects as preschool
  children, while others reach the stage of
  abstract thinking that Piaget regards as the
  highest form of cognition (319).

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Formal Operational Thought
These students can

• Use dialectical reasoning
• Connect specific situations to general issues or
  principles
• Question pre-conceived notions on social issues
• Consider service experience as part of complex
  conversation involving scholars, citizens,
  policymakers

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Formal Operational Thought
Student Example Rhonda

• In my first essay, I mostly talked about myself
  and my transformation into a better person.
  Then, I learned to shift my focus by writing
  about the residents at Vincent House. In my
  third essay, I was able to write about the even
  bigger homeless community . . . I once was that
  solitary self who never wanted to take risks or
  try new things. I secluded myself from the
  community and allowed myself to pass up unique
  opportunities. Now, I am an engaged citizen who
  realizes the importance of community service and
  the positive effects it has on the whole
  communitynot just myself. (Rhonda 5)

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Adolescent Egocentrism
Characteristics

• No one understands me--including community
  members
• Inability to get beyond initial stereotype or
  pre- conceived notion
• Personal fable Im saving the world!
• Imaginary audience

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Adolescent Egocentrism
Student Example Brianna

• The teacher and I did not get along at all. She
  acted very unfriendly and rude to me while I was
  there. I learned that no matter what happens in
  life you will always run into those people that
  are very judgmental and pretty much want you to
  fail (Brianna 3).

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Path of Least Resistance
Characteristics

• Minimum amount of thought and energy into service
  learning project and/or course
• Inability to get beyond initial stereotype or
  pre- conceived notion
• Passive receivers of social context Freires
  semi-transitive stage
• Polemics instead of dialogue

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Path of Least Resistance
Student Example Eric

• In my case, I dont think about what Im doing
  before I do it. I am not saying that I do
  everything without considering what might or
  might not happen, I am saying that I do many
  things in life because I have no reason not to.
  I am not motivated to do community service, but I
  am also not motivated not to do community service
  . . . After being made to think about what it
  is that I am doing, I find that I consider the
  why factor more than I ever did (Eric 3).

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Challenges
Working with Students at the Adolescent
Egocentric Stage of Development in a Service
Learning Course

• Students may reinforce a harmful stereotype
• The instructor may not be aware of a potential
  problem
• Contact from agency
• Contact from student (trust)
• Students may be doing enough to get by
• Is that enough?

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Strategies for Engagement
Radical Acceptance and Other Ideas and Conjectures

• Radical Acceptance
• Accepting students at their initial level of
  development
• Registration Process
• Clearly identify service learning courses
• Plan B--be prepared
• Understanding with agency
• Possibility of instant student removal
• Institutional Vision
• Learning Communities within the university
• Long-term partnerships and projects in the
  community

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Part Three of the Continuum

• Reinforcing Service Service Learning throughout
  the Education Curriculum
• Ann Hernandez, EdD
• Department of Education

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Volunteer Opportunities

• Acting on the Dream A Day On Not A Day Off
• Blooming Readers (Stellar Story Tellers)
• Christmas Gifts for the Needy
• Christmas in the Castle
• Fame Festival

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Volunteer Opportunities, Cont.

• Judging Science Fairs
• Judging Young Authors Books
• Santas Little Village
• Collecting Product Labels, Eye Glasses, and
  Gently Used Clothing
• Packed Full of Love (Backpacks)

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Service Learning
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Service Learning, Cont.
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Service Learning, Cont.
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Service Learning, Cont.
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Part Four of the Continuum

• Developing and Piloting a Three-Credit General
  Education Service-Learning Course
• Mary Kay Solon, MS, PT
• Department of Physical Therapist Assistant
  Studies

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Three Credit Service Learning Course

• Background
• Statement
• General Education Goals
• General Education outcomes

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• General Education at the University of Saint
  Francis is a common undergraduate curriculum
  which includes a series of experiences shared by
  all undergraduate students. Permeated by the
  Franciscan values, it involves the cultivation of
  knowledge, intellectual skills, and attitudes
  designed to integrate liberal arts into the
  personal and professional lives of students
  culminating in a commitment to life-long learning.

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Graduates of the University of Saint Francis will

• II. Goal Demonstrate leadership, service, and
  social responsibility (3 cr hrs)
• Develop a critical understanding of human
  behavior within various contexts in order to
  address issues of social justice.
• Demonstrate an awareness of and compassionate
  response to human needs and struggles.
• Understand how to serve local, national, and
  global communities in order to foster a just,
  peaceful, and sustainable world.
• Exercise leadership in fostering and promoting
  peace and justice in personal and professional
  interactions.

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Additional Requirements for 3 Credit Course

• Second text
• Independent selection of service site
• Two additional research/reflection papers
• one related to social issues
• one related to leadership
• 40 hours of service at one site

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Beta Group

• Spring 2008
• Four USF nursing students
• Service Site was Haiti medical missions trip

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Social Issues

• Poverty
• Prostitution
• HIV
• Poor infrastructure
• Corruption
• Diminishing Christianity

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Leadership

• Characteristics
• Leaders
• Servant first

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• As I reflect on the week, I realize that
  through serving the Haitians I became a leader.
  I was no longer afraid to touch someone that I
  had never met before, and I was able to get
  across to people without saying a word. I stepped
  out of my comfort zone and was not afraid to give
  an opinion or show leadership. Service helped me
  lead.

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• An effective leader has a vision in mind,
  shares it with his or her fellow team members,
  and works with the team to plan and develop a
  course of action that will help them to turn
  their vision into actuality. This is a key notion
  of what the entire Outreach Team at The Chapel
  does. They work together, diligently, to produce
  an outcome of bringing glory to God.

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• I think it is so incredibly important for any
  type of leadership to be value-based.

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• I felt the want and need to serve, not only
  the Haitian people but God. I felt as if it was
  God bringing me back to him and opening my eyes
  to the love of the Haitian people. . Ive never
  seen myself as a leader, but when I was in Haiti
  I felt like I could do anything, even lead. I
  was able to lead, and become a role model and
  caring figure for the children, giving them
  someone to look up to.

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Future Directions of Service at USF

• Building a Service-Engagement Infrastructure
  Indiana Campus Compact Grant