Aligning Purpose with Practice: Service Learning

Being an educator is likely the most exciting profession. We immerse in advancing the wellbeing of young people on a myriad of levels. We enhance their knowledge while promoting clarity of thinking, curiosity, and innovation woven together in a web of confidence and competence.

However, perhaps the time is now more than ever to ask: For what purpose?

Youth are eager to create a better environment and world for themselves and others. How do we empower youth to explore society in a multitude of contexts? How do we transform education into action?

Discover service learning!

The Dynamics of Service Learning: An interactive approach to understanding what it is, how it works, and how to make it happen

This immersive experience will give you the nuts and bolts of bringing service learning into your classroom. As we explore the five stages of service learning, you will discover how this integration strengthens students’ ability to:

• Conduct social analysis through action research—a method applicable to every research assignment
• Authenticate a community need—increase the ability to make local and global connections
• Elevate question-asking skills—a transferable ability that augments all learning
• Reflect by choice on significant moments and learning—and enjoy the process of reflection
• Demonstrate what has been learned, the process of learning, and what has been accomplished through service—resulting in a more astute and competent learner.

Together, we will gain clarity on the essential elements of service learning, and how the process advances content knowledge and reinforces transferable skills. Most importantly, we will see that service learning is built upon integrating engaging teaching methods that strengthen approaches to learning in our everyday classroom.

And more! You will find that service learning has literature connections (a booklist is provided), boosts conceptual thinking, and activates the brain synapse that strengthens retention.

Service learning is exciting! The process enables youth voice, youth choice, and leadership. Service learning emphasizes metacognition along with a deeper understanding of self as learner. Our students benefit. Our schools benefit. Our collaborating partners benefit. And we prepare young people to be engaged participants in society to actively engage in solutions that benefit the common good.

Join this workshop and be ready for action!

Target Audience: K-12, all educators and administrators

Continuum Levels: 1, 2, 3

NESA's Learning Continuum:

The Curricular Connection: Integrating Service Learning within Academics

Are you ready for an uplifting approach to curriculum development? Dive into “Planning for Dynamic Learning,” a highly engaging and highly productive method that leads to a more solidified understanding of service learning.

This unique methodology offers flexibility to match your concepts and ideas. Similar to how we aim for differentiation with students, we can apply differentiation to curriculum development.

To begin we clarify and solidify our understanding of service learning. From here we have three immersive experiences to ensure you generate actual curricular ideas that you can use.

Elements include:

• Integration of the service learning process—the five stages of investigation, preparation, action, reflection, and demonstration are all featured.
• Transdisciplinary opportunities—even for single-subject classes, being cognizant of the interdisciplinary connections assists students with learning and may lead to collaboration with other teachers.
• Versatile entry points for development—begin the process with your first idea or impulse and continue recording the ideas as they evolve.
• Collaboration—even if the curriculum will be implemented by one teacher, collaboration when planning opens up opportunities for more ideas and possibilities.
• A refreshing look at assessment—finding ways to see assessment as a means to move the learning forward.

Join like-minded educators who seek a renewed excitement and vitality when creating curriculum. And see how service learning enriches and strengthens your ability to engage, inspire and enliven a roomful of students!

Target Audience: K-12, All

Continuum Levels: 2, 3

NESA's Learning Continuum:

Save paper and effort where possible!

For your convenience, and to support our efforts in being "green", all handouts/files posted here have been notated with an A, B, C or D indicating the following:

(A) hardcopies needed at workshop
(B) electronic version on laptop is sufficient (for viewing during the workshop)
(C) required reading PRIOR to the workshop
(D) file not needed for workshop itself, but simply material of additional interest/reference

(B) The Dynamics of Service Learning

(B) The Curricular Connection