'Reflection"In The Service Of What? The Politics of Service Learning, By Joseph Kahne and Joel Westheimer

 

     The article by Kahne and Westtheimer made me really think about the classrooms that I have worked in, and the class that I am working in at the present time. This article is about service learning, how we go about doing it, who's responsible for the education that is taught, and different ways that we can go about teaching the process.  While reading the example that is given by this article about Mr. Johnson's class, I related to the students, and the parents. They explain that the school that the students are going to be working in are in a poor neighborhood. The students that are doing this service learning project are from a middle-class area.Some of the parents were upset, and worried for their child's safety. The students were beginning this project, with stereotypes already at play in their minds.
     I related to the parents for a number of reasons. Myself, as a parent, worry about my child in all that he is doing, daily. If he told me that he was involved in this assignment, would I be upset and concerned, I say probably yes! I think that the parents that were really against this should have done their research on the school and the area before coming to a conclusion. I feel that the phrase, "You shouldn't judge a book by it's cover", relates to this topic. They could have even visited the school to check it out, and then make a decision.
      I can relate to the students in the same sense that I felt when I began my VIPS assignment. It is in an urban, low income neighborhood. I was not quite sue what to expect. I worried that some of the children would not want to give me a chance and try to expand their knowledge in Music, because they may not care about school at all. I also worried about their behavior, and how that would affect my interaction with them during class time. The students from this article came to a realization that they were wrong about their assumption on the School, and the children they were working with. They found the pupils to be very polite and interested in them and the learning that the student teachers had planned to teach them. There pre-notion of the environment was entirely wrong, and they realized that. I found this to be true in the VIPS, service learning program that I have been working in. The children are sweet, well mannered, and love having me come to their class. I came to the conclusion that for now on, I will try my best not to stereotype a situation, before I have the 'hard facts' to which I would be dealing with. Diversity is not a problem, it is a just a different environment that I was not use to. It has been a great experience for me this far, and I have become much more open mind to new adventures.
    This is a great example of the article in the discussing of 'Charity vs Change'. We need to realize that we have to be open minded, and not pity the youth that we work with, but try to help and understand were they are coming from.We need to help in the 'change' of their lives, and realize the positive things we can do to help improve and fulfill their lives. Sometimes change is a great thing in our lives, or that's what my Grandmother always tell me. some people have a difficult time with change, in any form of the word, myself included. How can we move forward and better ourselves if we do not evolve. I think that is what the authors of this article are trying to express.
     Which is a better way to provide service learning in a meaningful way? In the examples given in this article, I feel that each student took some form of knowledge with them after the project, just in different ways. They discuss  "Serving Those In Need", which the student worked in a community service project. This project was for a government class, and they state that it was surrounding democracy and citizenship. They help out in different areas of the community, to provide a 'service' that would help people.
     The other example was a form of service learning program 'Homeless Here and Elsewhere", which the authors describe the form of social, legal, and political standpoint. These students did a great amount of research while in fact helping those who are in need. They actually investigated, write articles, and really try do understand the cause, not just use a "band-aid', as we read about in Jon Kozol Article. I really feel that this is a wonderful form of helping out the community. I also feel that any act in any form that a person provides to help and care about others is spectacular! I found myself wanting to volunteer and help an organization, to better them , and better myself. I have helped out in the cause for the fight for leukemia for children in the past years. Did I visually see an impact, no, but I knew that I was a 'dent in the glass of the foundation.

    I found this article that has a teacher discussing  how she feels about the service learning student that she has to encounter. I found it interesting to think about it from a Teachers standpoint, because I will have to do the same in the future.

    

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/03/education/edlife/03service-t.html