Reflection is one of the most important elements of service learning. It's not enough for students to go out and volunteer their time. They must reflect about what they are doing and how it ties into the class they are taking. For example, I teach introduction to communciations. My goal is to teach my students about group and interpersonal communication. In the beginning of the class, I put students into groups and guide them through their service learning projects. However, they are responsible for the implementation of each step. Those steps include (1) deciding what nonprofit they want to work with and for what cause, (2) making contact with the nonprofit, (3) deciding what project they will do and how it will help the community, (4) actually doing the project (i.e. going to the organization, volunteering, etc.), and (5) coming together as a cohesive group and presenting their service learning project. Throughout these steps, they are working together in a group enviornment, sharing input and listening to one another. They must learn how to get along, how to meet the goals of their group and my expectations for their project, and then present their findings and reflections to the class as a whole. All my students would argue that working in groups are incredibly difficult, and I completely concur. However, once they acknowlege each others' strengths and weaknesses, and decide to work together to achieve something great in the community, all the squabbling and arguing is forgotten. Instead, they learn about how groups work and what they can do to "make it" work. They also learn how to communicate effectively among themselves and with people in the community, whether it be the Executive Director of the nonprofit or the homeless people the organization helps.
I've known of other instructors that don't require a presentation but a reflective paper at the end, which I have done as well. I choose presentation form, because I want them to experience public speaking. I also want other students to be aware of what their peers did and how their group may be similar and different from those groups. Another form of reflection is journaling in which students journal daily or weekly regarding their service learning project. An instructor can guide them with questions if necessary. I've used blogging before, but this is more public. The point is that reflection must take place. It's a necessary element of service learning, and without it, the lack of learning will endure. We, including educators, must always reflect about what we do and how we meet the needs of the community. We are lifelong learners, and every situation and activity encourages new reflection, knowledge, and growth. This is the main reason why I choose to teach about service learning. I'm learning alongside my students. They inspire me to continue to serve and to teach.
I've known of other instructors that don't require a presentation but a reflective paper at the end, which I have done as well. I choose presentation form, because I want them to experience public speaking. I also want other students to be aware of what their peers did and how their group may be similar and different from those groups. Another form of reflection is journaling in which students journal daily or weekly regarding their service learning project. An instructor can guide them with questions if necessary. I've used blogging before, but this is more public. The point is that reflection must take place. It's a necessary element of service learning, and without it, the lack of learning will endure. We, including educators, must always reflect about what we do and how we meet the needs of the community. We are lifelong learners, and every situation and activity encourages new reflection, knowledge, and growth. This is the main reason why I choose to teach about service learning. I'm learning alongside my students. They inspire me to continue to serve and to teach.