Discussion Question #1
Service learning is an integrative experience that enables students to understand how education can be used as a tool for serving communities. As a result, this approach to learning seeks to promote academic and civic engagement, which implies that the latter is a major area of focus in service learning. According to Strait & Nordyke (2015), the major goal of civic engagement is to generate meaningful service and experience for the involved parties. Therefore, teaching civic engagement is critical to the achievement of service learning outcomes. The process of integrating civic engagement into service learning requires incorporating all the elements listed by Strait & Nordyke (2015).
Personally, I would first focus on developing campus-community partnerships in effort to ensure successful outcomes are achieved in service learning. Such partnerships would help enhance the achievement of learning outcomes by providing students with field experience. I believe that campus-community partnerships give students numerous opportunities to engage in field experience and learn how to collaborate with community members. In addition, such partnerships serve as platforms through which students can apply approaches that make sense to them when carrying out service learning activities. This implies that such partnerships are avenues for experiential education that enables students to develop practical skills relating to service learning.
Secondly, I would encourage students to engage in extensive research to enhance their understanding of theoretical approaches to service learning and civic engagement. The enhanced understanding of theoretical approaches would enable them to improve their knowledge and competencies in service learning. Through this, they will identify meaningful concepts and approaches that reflect their own beliefs and values relating to service learning.
Discussion Question #2
Strait & Nordyke (2015) seemingly contend that powerful pedagogical tools...
…teachers,
parents, community members, and
youth from marginalized communities.
As part of the collaboration, parents, community members, and the youth should be involved in educational leadership. The involvement of these stakeholders in educational leadership will help school administrators and teachers identify ways in which school policies, practices, and interactions oppress marginalized students. These stakeholders would then play a critical role in decision-making processes to change oppressive policies, practices, and interactions in the school. Through their involvement in educational leadership, these stakeholders will help school administrators and teachers to understand the perspectives of marginalized persons resulting in better decision-making.
Secondly, school administrators and teachers should design initiatives for school leaders and students to participate in civic engagement. Civic engagement provides an opportunity through which school administrators and teachers can understand the perspectives of marginalized persons. Insights obtained from civic engagement initiatives should then be used…
