In The Service Of What? The Politics of Service Learning

In The Service of What?
Joseph Kahne and Joel Westheimer

Argument

In The Service of What? The author argues that "Educators and legislators alike maintain that service learning can improve the community and invigorate the classroom, providing rich educational experiences for students at all levels of schooling. " The question remains to what degree. In this article, the author describes two clearly different cases of service learning. Mr. Johnson's students had a choice of "Serving those in Need." From working in a hospital, or providing survival kits for the homeless. The author describes these as one type of service learning. Ms. Adams students chose one issue to focus on, which was homelessness. Focusing on the one subject, but how it affects local communities and around the world. The two projects had a lot in common, stating that both provide a learning experience for the students. However, the article goes on to describe the differences between the two cases based on what the students actually learned from the projects. Mr. Johnson's students can reflect and developed more of a sense of "altruism", Kahne states. They worked more directly with the actual people in need. Where Ms. Adams students had much more planned work and strategies with the topic of homelessness. Here is a great article describing how important service learning is, and what students can learn from it. http://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/curriculum-development/what-makes-service-learning-unique-reflection-and-reciprocity/
Kahne and Westheimer continue to describe the different ways students can learn from service learning. Using three domains, moral, political and intellectual, the students learn about citizenship in the political aspect, where they learn more about caring and giving on the moral side. On the intellectual stand point, service learning the author states is the "Trojan horse of school reform." Creating strong learning experiences, the three domains "moral, political, and intellectual goals, are intertwined." Here is an example of elementary students participating in a service learning project with various photos showing what they did.  http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20120311/news/703119898/

Points to discuss in class... On a more local, personal note, why are the requirements for Service Learning different from school to school? My son graduated from MHS only having to do 20 hours of service. While Tiverton high, just 20 minutes away, in the same state, has to do 80 hours. I feel the 80 hours makes more sense. 20 hours per year of each year in high school. I feel my son would've had a greater experience, with much more to learn in 80 hours.