By Marilyn Swierk, CFCS, CFLE
Information on "A Guide to Service Learning," a how-to guide, and training on service learning, may be obtained from Marilyn Swierk, msinnovate@aol.com, phone: 727-729-6779.
Using the acronym PARCA is an easy way to remember the five main steps of service learning - preparation, action, reflection, assessment and celebration. Leaving out or cutting a step short can often mean the difference between the success and failure of your work.
Preparation
Readiness. Attempting to engage in service learning
without laying the groundwork in the community can be the
kiss of death for an initiative. Potential partners who may
be interested in working with the school need to be identified.
An advisory board (15 people maximum) of stakeholders - parents,
students, teachers and administrators and intended partners
such as civic groups, businesses, nonprofits, etc. - is a
wise idea. Teachers need to be shown that service learning
is not an "add on" but can be integrated into any
subject area or it can be a separate class. It can be an
individual student's independent study or a group class,
school or community project. And it is an effective vehicle
for interdisciplinary or club work.
Students need to complete self-assessments. They must understand
their own needs, feel8ings and work styles in order to work
together and relate to the needs of others. Self-report tests
and activities in communication and team-building help students
gain self-awareness.
Community Needs Assessment. Students can investigate community
needs through questionnaires and surveys, media research
or brainstorming. This will usually lead to a partnership
with one or more local agencies who needs assistance with
a particular issue or population. A formal partnership should
be developed between the school and various agencies at this
time to provide information on participant rights, advocacy
issues, orientation/training and observation opportunities
necessary for work with a particular agency. Having the students
study the group or issue they are to work with makes the
service-learning experience more meaningful. To worth with
the visually impaired, for example, students must be familiar
with the social, emotional, physical, mental, ethical, legal
and safety issues confronting this population, as well as
applicable licensing laws and regulations.
During the community needs assessment phase, students should
become familiar with partner contact information, directions,
hours of operation, population served and their major needs
and issues, volunteer requirements, scheduling parameters
and career opportunities. All this information should be
recorded in templates - one for every agency. The templates
are filed in numerical order in the "Preparation and
Training" section of their portfolios. (See Portfolio
Pointers.)
Planning. The next step is to have students use critical
thinking skills to determine the needs they wish to address,
the types of activities best suited to address these needs
and the available resources. It is essential that students
be a part of the planning process to gain ownership in the
projects or activities. Working with the community partner
ensures the congruence of goals and objective of the school
and the partner.
Program Management. Once the activities are chosen,
a system must be put in place to determine how the program
will be managed. Typical questions will arise: What will
be done? What are the desired outcomes? How does the activity
relate to what is being taught? What are the responsibilities
of the school and the partners? What is the timeline? Where
will it be done? Has parental permission been obtained? Is
transportation required? Who will provide it? What insurance
issues need to addressed? What supplies and materials are
required and who will provide them? Will necessary training
be provided? Will additional funding sources by required?
What activities might be planned for the future as a result
of this project?
It is particularly important to investigate insurance, liability
and transportation issues when students work at sites off
the school campus. The school's legal department should review
the wording of any written permission form you prepare for
students. Requiring a notarized parental signature also strengthens
such a document. If students are driving, be sure vehicles
are insured and that you have photocopies of their insurance
forms.
Action
If given the opportunity, students will surprise everyone
- especially themselves - by the exciting things they can
do. Even those labeled "at risk" seem to come
alive in the right situation. There are three ways to engage
in service learning:
- Direct action with a particular population is the ideal. Students develop skills in applied learning situations such as internships, demonstrations through student organization events and other classroom activities. For example, students might assist with the recreational activities in a nursing home, thereby demonstrating their understanding of the rules, regulations, policies and technology affecting the home, its clients and their families. Students also would learn to work collaboratively with other students, support staff, the residents and their families. Students must be monitored closely with the help of field-site personnel.
- Indirect action is appropriate when it is not possible to being the students in contact with those they wish to help. One example would be for students to create educational games for children with special needs. This would help educate the students about the needs and capabilities of this population. In another situation students might create an informational booklet on health-care services in the community. Booklets could then be reproduced for distribution throughout the community. Partners can contribute in-house facilities or financial resources for printing.
- Advocacy is a third type of action. For example, a student might research an issue, such as substance abuse. Using what then have learned they could prepare presentations to legislators and civic groups. Another example: After hearing a presentation on the importance of the early years in the formation of the brain, students might become advocates for quality nurturing. Childcare dos and don'ts might be illustrated through role-playing or puppet shows. Teachers should keep activity records in their grade books in order to document each student's hours of service.
Reflection
In this step, students think about the work they have done,
what it means to them, how it made them fell, how t hey
applied classroom skills, how might it help them in making
a career decision and what new skills have been learned.
Journals, essays, displays, presentation and skits are
some effective reflection tools. Oral discussions also
help to deepen the meaning of the service experience. Reflection
should be required after all activities and documented
in student's portfolios.
Students' work should be evaluated throughout the program
(formative) and at the completion of the work (summative).
A national set of measurement standards developed by the
Alliance for Service Learning in Education Reform (ASLER
Standards) is useful. The effectiveness of existing community
partnerships also should be evaluated. It is also good experience
for students to work with teachers on this process.
Teacher, field-site, peer and self-evaluation can be used
to access student effectiveness in serve learning. It is
important for students to assess their work and that of their
peers so that they can work toward improving their performance
in the future. The portfolios, attendance, field-site preparation
and work, journals, logs, guest-speaker reports and research
papers are but a few of the items a teacher may use to asses
students. These tools also may prove helpful in providing
the required documentation to a school system, funding source
and community partner.
One of the most important outcomes of the assessment process
should be determining the next step. What do we do next?
How can we expand and enhance our work? Are we ready to further "step
out of the box?"
Finally, it's important to give students, partners and recipients
of service the opportunity to recognize one another. Some
ways of doing this are recognition ceremonies, thank-you
notes, certificates, awards, T-shits, varsity letters and
press release. Some students also enjoy serving as emcees
of recognition events.
Portfolio Pointers
Portfolios detailing the PARCA steps are useful. For teachers,
individual portfolios can help answer the question "How
do I grade service learning?" For students, portfolios
are useful in college and job interviews. How to get started:
- Divide the portfolio into sections: Preparation, Action, Reflection, Celebration and Assessment.
- Have a table of contents at the beginning of each section and number each entry consecutively.
- Have students work on the entries at
home, submit them for grading and then place the graded
work in the portfolios. Keep all portfolios in the classroom
to prevent loss and wear-and-tear.
Suggested entries: - Preparation - resumes, training records, field-site information including brochures or flyers, research papers, questionnaires, surveys and self-assessments.
- Action - activity plans, photos, videos, project samples and any other items, which would illustrate the work completed.
- Reflection - journal pages, reflection sheets, essays and anecdotes.
- Celebration - certificates, thank-you notes, awards, proclamations, news clippings and videos.
- Assessment - student, teacher and field-site evaluations, letters of recommendation, work reviews or performance appraisals.
This article is reprinted with the permission of Volunteer Leadership, a quarterly publication of The Points of Light Foundation, 1400 I St., NW, Washington, DC, 20005. www.pointsoflight telephone: 202.729.8000 Subscription information: gparks@pointsoflight.org.