Posted on February 2, 2011 by Maureen Barry
Since our service learning experience (the book sorting activity) was cancelled yesterday, we created an alternate service project for our students. And with only 3 weeks left in the quarter, we consulted with Dr. Sarah Twill to craft an acceptable alternative. She offered the following project that she has used in her own classes. This is worth 14 points, as was the original project (book sorting).
Posted on February 2, 2011 by Maureen Barry
Flexibility is extremely important in service learning partnerships. And anyone who teaches undergraduates knows that students often lack flexibility. That is one of the challenges of service-learning courses.
Posted on February 2, 2011 by Maureen Barry
Our class didn't meet during Week 5 due to the ice storm.
Posted on January 1, 2011 by Maureen Barry
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.
Posted on January 1, 2011 by Maureen Barry
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.
Posted on January 1, 2011 by Maureen Barry
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.
Posted on January 1, 2011 by Maureen Barry
Don't miss the ACRL Instruction Section virtual discussion "Service-Learning and the Academic Librarian." This email just came across the ili-listserv yesterday: The IS current topics discussion, “Service-Learning and the Academic Librarian” will be held online Wednesday, January 26, 2011 at 1 PM ET (12 PM CT, 11 AM MT, 10 AM PT) via the Elluminate platform. Convened by Gabe Gossett of Western Washington University, this virtual discussion will be an opportunity for participants to learn how service learning is becoming an important issue for academic librarians.
Posted on January 1, 2011 by Maureen Barry
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 emphasis
Posted on January 1, 2011 by Maureen Barry
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 are about to do for Project READ and our community.
Posted on December 12, 2010 by Maureen Barry
This week, I've spent most of my time preparing for my EDT [Educational Technology] 110: Community Research Connections course. My co-teacher and I have been in conversations with our community partner, Project READ, since August. Our students will research assessment tools that reading tutors can use with their students, compile research portfolios and make recommendations to Project READ (PR) based on their findings. This is a need PR has had for some time, but they haven't had the time to do the research