Service Learning Teaching Methodology - Research Paper Example

? The practice of ethical conduct and concern for the community are rapidly diminishing in the modern world because of the individual’s changing priority in their lives. This decline of ethical conduct and lesser concern for the greater community has resulted not only in apathy and disconnect among us but also resulted in a myriad of unscrupulous conduct among professionals in the corporate world. Time and again, our news has been repeatedly rocked by financial scandals that even slid our economy in recession. The lack of ethical conduct may be negligible in an individual level but when this unscrupulousness is done on a massive scale, this can wreck havoc. Without ethics, society’s ill-tendency will not be tempered by restraint. Such, there is a need to teach ethics among students while their minds are still formative and is still in the preparation stage of life. When students become adults and professionals, it will become extremely difficult if not impossible to teach ethics. Teaching ethics among students will not only make them better in practicing their prospective careers in the future but will also prevent similar scandals which have badly damaged our economy. To ensure that ethics will be taught properly, it has to be incorporated in our curriculum. This value has to be reflected and practiced in the school level because this is the institution where our values as individuals and citizens are being formed. The best method to teach it is through service learning. “Service-learning is an instructional method that integrates theoretical learning with real life experimentation and community service” (Farazmand et al., 2010). Teaching ethics is better learned when it becomes experiential. Unlike any theoretical concepts taught in a classroom setting, ethics is based in real world where its efficacy is measured not in understanding but more of practicing it. The most important element of service learning is that it is based on a “real world” where it will later be used (Judge, 2006). Service learning is not just a teaching methodology. It also meant practicing the sense of belongingness by actually serving the community that he or she is or part of. Only through it can a student can feel that he or she belongs to something bigger than him or herself. Only through this he or she will realize that by giving a part of himself or herself, he or she can make a difference. This idea of service learning is not about servile subservience. Doing service learning is not subjecting oneself to anybody’s whim or caprice but rather a voluntary initiative to make a difference; to be a part of something bigger than oneself. It is a learning process that by practice, a student will realize that giving a part of himself or herself to the community produces a personal satisfaction that cannot be taught in a classroom. Service-learning is an instructional method that integrates theoretical learning with real life experimentation and community service (Farazmand et al., 2010). It has to be felt to be learned. Lectures and books can only do so much. “Texts, equations or graphs on the chalkboard and assigning students readings from a standard textbooks” (Mungaray et al., 2007) is not effective. This method only underlines a reality of a teaching method that promotes an environment where the students passively listen to the teacher without any direct involvement in the process or any feedback from or exchange with the professor or other students. This passiveness is reflected in the lack of experience to look for and use data, analyze real world situations with the support of the theories and instruments learned in class and discuss issues beyond the textbook (Mungaray et al., 2007). To really learn it, the lesson has to be experienced. .After all, knowledge can only be perfected by experience and there is no better way of learning ethics than by experiencing it. Service learning does not have to be forced to the students. When it is imposed to the students, it will be seen more as a chore that they can no longer see the beauty of serving and giving to something greater than them. It has to be presented to them in an enticing manner that they would willingly involve themselves to serve. The reason that this should not be forced to the students is because there is a repercussion when it is imposed to them that will defeat its purpose. This was elaborated by Jonathan Sims, the student representative of Maryland state board of education, who stated that “students who are forced to community work may view the work as something to get out of the way and they will become clock watchers” (Morris, 1992:4). When this happens, the intent and purpose of service learning is already defeated. There are a lot of benefits that can be derived when service learning is included in the curricula and practiced by the students. Aside from teaching students the value of ethics by making them feel that they belong to something greater than themselves, the activity provided by service learning will give both the student and teacher a unique opportunity to communicate and bond. This is possible in service learning because “Faculty, staff, and students are encouraged to interact with each other on multiple levels, not just in the classroom. “This is the sort of skills that teachers want from students – such as the ability to analyze and to think critically – require extensive factual knowledge. …. Factual knowledge must precede skill (Willingham, 2009:19). This openness to involving students and encouraging their contributions to the community, coupled with an institutional dedication to active learning concepts, makes campus service-learning opportunities a welcome and viable option” (Judge, 2006:190). The activity will serve as an informal channel for the mentor to get through with the students on how to better the learning process and for the student to communicate with the teacher on how can he or she will improve. When both the teacher and student have forged a more open communication, this can be brought into the classroom where learning can significantly improve because each is already comfortable to the other that any learning barrier is no longer present. More importantly, the student will become more interested with the class because he or she is already “attached” to the teacher. Basically, the activity will also remove any learning impediment between the teacher and student. As Dr. Johnson stated, “brain research suggests that students learn best when they engage in activities that make academic subjects meaningful. Meaning is not intrinsic to a subject. We assign meaning when we are able to connect academic content with the context of our existing knowledge and experience” (2003). Service learning is one more important tool at an educator’s disposal to challenge and teach his or her students. Considering all the benefits of service learning both to the student and the teacher, it should become part of the school curricula for the program and be integrated in the learning process of the students. Doing service training is a way of preparing students in the real world as they will be exposed to the reality of the bigger community when they engage in the program. It will also serve as a unique avenue where a student can appreciate the value of theoretical concepts learned in the classroom when applied to real life. Learning becomes experiential as all the senses of the students are utilized. The learning is not also only limited on the cognitive aspect but also includes the interpersonal aspect. Student will become more responsible as he or she sees his or her place in the community. Above all, service learning has the tendency to remove the learning barrier between a student and a teacher as they will have a unique opportunity to interact where such barriers can be sorted out. Works Cited Elaine Johnson, B. (2003). Service Learning Stimulates the Brain. Online.Available at Accessed on September 25, 2011. Farazmand, Farideh A.; Green, Robert D.; Miller, Philip (2010). CREATING LIFELONG LEARNING THROUGH SERVICE-LEARNING. Business Education & Accreditation. Vol. 2 Issue 1, p1-14, 14p Judge, Therese M (2006). SERVICE LEARNING ON CAMPUS. Business Communication Quarterly. Vol. 69 Issue 2, p189-192 Morris, Christine (1992). “Mandated Volunteerism: Is it Right? Do We Want it?”. 1992. Updating school board policies. Vol 23. No.7. September 1992. Online. Available at. Accessed on September 15, 2011 Mungaray, Alejandro; Ramirez-Urquidy, Martin; Texis, Michelle; Ledezma, David; Ramirez,, Natanael (2007). PROMOTING LEARNING IN SMALL ENTREPRENEURS AND HIGHER EDUCATION STUDENTS THROUGH SERVICE LEARNING PROGRAMS. International Journal of Business Research. Vol. 7 Issue 3, p10-28, 19p, 4 Willingham, D.T. (2009). Why Don’t Students Like School?. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass Read More