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My co-teacher and I will teach our Information Literacy course, EDT 110, again beginning in January.  One of the questions I get most frequently about my class is about timing.  How long/far in advance should I start planning a service-learning partnership or course? Since we have worked with our community partner, Project READ, before, and there haven't been any staff changes or other issues to be concerned about, we will probably meet with them again in early November to negotiate a mutually beneficial research topic.  A topic that will be appropriate for our students, and ... Continue reading

For those of you stopping by to see more about my Information Literacy Course, the list of posts about the course can be found here.  Or, you can click on "Information Literacy Course (EDT 110)" under Categories in the right menu. Some assignments are also posted here.

My local paper, the Dayton Daily News, recently ran a story about area college students (including Wright State students, of course) and their service to the community, through service-learning and other service projects. Read the story by Christopher Magan here.

Budget cuts are threatening civic service initiatives.  See what you can do to help save service here.

I find this story fascinating!  http://ht.ly/6GcCp Franklin College has a Franklin First Scholars program for first-generation college students.  The cohort of students were brought to campus before the academic year began for a three-day service-learning intensive experience.  The result?   "Our preliminary conclusion is that the intensive service-learning experience, along with the other elements of the Franklin First program, have given participating students greater resilience than other first-generation students in the face of the academic and social ... Continue reading

This fall, I am again librarian-partner for a service-learning project in a first-year seminar (learning community) and a service-learning English composition course.  I had an initial meeting with each class last week. The first-year seminar/learning community class has a comic book/super hero theme.  We are continuing our partnership with Project READ this fall, and the students are going to find information about how comic books and graphic novels promote literacy (especially among reluctant readers - of any age!).  That's where I come in!  And then, they will use ... Continue reading

Kranich, N. C. (2010). Academic Libraries As Hubs For Deliberative Democracy.  Journal of Public Deliberation, 6(1),  n.p. http://services.bepress.com/jpd/vol6/iss1/art4 I just discovered this article, which is further proof of why librarians should be involved with service-learning.  Kranich writes:  "By repositioning themselves to advance the civic mission of higher education, academic librarians are poised to become essential partners and catalysts for preparing the next generation to participate in a flourishing 21st century democracy."  Of course ... Continue reading

My friend, colleague, and fellow service-learning enthusiast, Jennifer E. Nutefall, Associate University Librarian for Innovative User Services at Oregon State University Libraries, has a new article hot off the presses! Read Why Service-Learning is Important to Librarians in the OLA Quarterly here:  http://data.memberclicks.com/site/ola/olaq_17no3.pdf (see page 16).

Last week at Freshman Convocation, community service was highlighted several times.  Not only was the keynote speaker the founder of a non-profit (CAN-DO), but President Hopkins also challenged students to get engaged with serving others by volunteering or taking a service-learning.

As part of yesterday's student-run philanthropy/community service event, Wright Commitment, I volunteered at Crayons to Classrooms (C2C) along a few other WSU students and staff members.  Crayons to Classrooms provides school supplies for teachers of children in need.  We helped teachers bag their supplies and get them to their cars.  C2C has served about 34 schools and more than 1,000 teachers in the Dayton area.  They celebrated the landmark of distributing $1 million dollars worth of materials back in February, 2011. C2C was not the only beneficiary of ... Continue reading