"There are roughly three New Yorks. There is, first, the New York of the man or woman who was born there, who takes the city for granted and accepts its size, its turbulence as natural and inevitable. Second, there is the New York of the commuter--the city that is devoured by locusts each day and spat out each night. Third, there is New York of the person who was born somewhere else and came to New York in quest of something. Of these trembling cities the greatest is the last--the city of final destination, the city that is a goal. It is this third city that accounts for New York’s high strung disposition, its poetical deportment, its dedication to the arts, and its incomparable achievements. Commuters give the city its tidal restlessness, natives give it solidity and continuity, but the settlers give it passion" - EB White.

Monday, October 6, 2008

Assignment D- Model Service Learning Projects

The service learning program that best fits with my educational philosophy is the Fredrick County Youth Service League. This program teaches students two important lessons; local government is more active in their life than the federal government, and at the same time that it is more accessible. The program helps students develop important skills such as public speaking, facilitating meetings, conducting research, canvassing communities and designing surveys. These skills are applied in a real-world project, a presentation to the County Board of Supervisors. After the presentation students realize that they have the ability and the necessary skills to actively participate in civic affairs. The program shows that the local government can be a positive force for creating change in the community. After participating in the Fredrick County Youth Service League students become more aware of the functions of government and understand that they have the ability to make an impact. The program provides students with the opportunity to both learn about the issues and to do something about them.

The teacher that has an experience that I hope to mirror is Jeffrey. Jeffrey encouraged his students become involved in local issues that affected their lives. Jeffrey allowed his students to choose the cause that they would become involved with and allowed them to form their own opinions about the issues. Jeffrey was able to help inform his students about the issues using multiple perspectives, he facilitated having speakers from both sides of an issue come in to talk directly to the students. The students then started a letter writing campaign to the local newspaper advocating their chosen cause. I like Jeffrey's approach because it was student driven. Jeffrey did not dictate the cause or the course of action to his students. At no time did he indoctrinate his students by pushing his perspective on the issues. The potential flaw that I see with Jeffrey’s service learning project is that it does not necessarily explore the root causes of the issues.

Articles Cited:
Stagg, Allison. "Service-Learning in K-12 Public Education." CIRCLE: The Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning & Engagement (2004).

Kahne, Joseph and Joel Westheimer. "Teaching Democracy: What Schools Need to Do." Phi Delta Kappan (2003) 85 no. 1. pp 34.

Wade, Rahima. "Service-Learning for Social Justice in the Elementary Classroom: Can We Get There from Here?" Equity & Excellence in Education (2007) vol. 40. pp 156-165
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