1. 21st Century Skills in Teaching Social Studies Academic Service Learning: a Core Teaching and Learning Strategy Nicole Dietrich Hamilton County ESC 513-674-4233 nicole.dietrich@hcesc.org
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3. “Everybody can be great, because everybody can serve”~Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. How can the combined communities of national service, civic education, youth development, and progressive education join together to make service-learning central to teaching and learning…advocating for a different kind of school, a new way of teaching, and a new breed of teacher who can embrace service learning and how it can help students and communities prosper?
4. What is academic service learning? and how does it differ from community service? *Service-Learning isa teaching and learning strategy that integrates meaningful community service with instruction and reflection to enrich the learning experience, teach civic responsibility, and strengthen communities. Service-learning is an exciting, hands-on approach to education. The core concept driving this educational strategy is that by combining service objectives and learning objectives, along with the intent to show measurable change in both the recipient and the provider of the service, the result is a radically-effective transformative method of teaching students.
5. How does it differ from community service? Service learning is often mistakenly perceived as being identical to volunteer or community service because both involve service projects that impact the welfare of others. However, unlike general volunteerism or community service, service learning is a method of teaching, not an end in itself, and thus focuses on educating students… different from traditional community service projects such as visiting hospitals or nursing homes or cleaning up the local creek, service learning also may stimulate social and political change.
9. Benefits of Service Learning Improved Academic Achievement Real Life Experience Fosters civic involvement Improves Social Skills
10. Types of Learning Citizenship: civic responsibility, individuals’ role in community, government systems Social Skills: team work, leadership, communication, diversity awareness Intellectual : critical thinking skills, problem solving, decision making, knowledge about social issues, academic subjects, organizing and planning Personal: values clarification, personal ability to contribute to community, self-esteem Work/Career Exposure: work ethic, job skills, exposure to career possibilities
11. What Are the 21st Century Skills and Competencies? Many definitions but most have the following in common: Learning and innovation skills/inventive thinking Effective communication Digital-age literacy/technology skills Productivity Critical thinking/reasoning Academic knowledge and skills Contextual skills and awareness Teamwork/collaboration
12. Think Pair Share There is great promise in examining service-learning as an approach to helping students acquire 21st Century skills ACTIVITY: What is the difference between service-learning and community service? How does service-learning relate to 21st Century skill acquisition?
13. Sample Indicators (21stcenturyskills.org) Learning and Innovation Uses a wide range of idea creation techniques (such as brainstorming) Creates new and worthwhile ideas (both incremental and “radical” concepts) Elaborates, refines, analyzes and evaluates own ideas to improve and maximize creative efforts
14. Sample indicators (21stcenturyskills.org) Works creatively with others Develops, implements, and communicates new ideas to others effectively Is open and responsive to new and diverse perspectives; incorporates group input and feedback into the work Demonstrates originality and inventiveness in work and understands the real world limits to adopting new ideas Views failure as an opportunity to learn; understands that creativity and innovation is a long-term, cyclical process of small successes and frequent mistakes
15. Sample indicators (21stcenturyskills.org) Critical thinking and problem solving Reasons effectively using various types of reasoning appropriate to the situation (inductive, deductive, etc.) Uses systems thinking, analyzing parts of the whole and their interactions Makes judgments and decisions based on the best analysis and reflects critically on learning processes Solves problems, including nonfamiliar problems, in conventional and non-conventional ways Identifies and asks significant questions that clarify various points of view and lead to better solutions
16. Developing Intentional Learning Objectives Develop a Balance between service and learning Examples: 1. service-LEARNING 2. SERVICE-learning 3. service learning 4. SERVICE-LEARNING
17. The Best Service Learning Programs Are bound directly to the academic curriculum. Meet a real community need. Provide for structured group reflection time. Engage students in group decision making and problem solving. Find ways to match the skills and talents of students with the needs of the community. Provide a wide variety of options for students. Provide recognition for services rendered.
26. The Need for New Measures If it is so good, why doesn’t everyone implement it? One Core Knowledge rep on project-based learning: “… such methods … are difficult for teachers to put into place …. There’s a reason teachers have been taught for 75 years to do projects and they don’t do them.”
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28. 21st century skillsFor either of these to be effectively addressed, many big changes have to take place in our schools.
29. Discussion:How Do We Create Political Will? How do we create the political will to promote the idea that all schools should adopt service-learning and change their orientation to 21st Century skills and their assessment?
31. Work Time: Using The National Curriculum Standards for Social Studies and What You’ve Learned About 21st Century Skills and Service Learning: Create a Mind Map or Begin to Design a Potential Service Learning Project For Your Classroom
