January 2011 Articles

Last spring, I approached an English composition instructor, Stephanie Dickey, about integrating a research component into her English 102 service-learning intensive course.  I sent Stephanie Jennifer Nutefall's article: "The relationship between service learning and research."  (see Recommended Reading for the full citation).  Jennifer had done something similar with a composition instructor at George Washington University. Stephanie…

Homework due today, 1/25:  Students viewed the Information Cycle tutorial, produced by Penn State University Libraries; Students also submitted three articles related to their research topic (reading/writing assessment for K-8 students) to a dropbox in the learning management system. Class content:  This morning, our students took their second READINESS ASSURANCE TEST(RAT).  Like the first RAT, the students took the…

During Tuesday morning's class, our students discussed the web sites they found for homework.  They each found three web sites relating to assessing reading skills for K-8 students.  They decided in groups which they would deem the "best" and discussed with the entire class what criteria they considered in choosing the best web site.  After this practice in evaluating the web sites they chose, we provided a brief introduction to the Education Research Complete database, so they were prepared to find 3 articles on the same topic for homework. We overheard great discussion among the…

I am pleased to be part of a learning community of faculty members who teach SL courses at Wright State.  In our second meeting today, we discussed the origins of SL and differences in terminology.  Many SL experts have tied the origins of SL to John Dewey and public education; however, some are making arguments now that it ties back to our forefathers, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, asserting that public education is a right.  SL is a relatively "young" pedagogy.  SL, as it is taught today, really dates back to the early 1990s when higher education institutions started placing more…

Week 1 was full of logistics and housekeeping.  An experienced SL instructor and faculty liaison to the Office of Service Learning, Dr. Sarah Twill (Social Work), presented "What's this service learning thing Cheryl and Maureen are making me do?" The students also met Becky Garvin, the interim director of Project READ, who explained to them what the agency does for our community.  She thanked them for the work they…