Graduate course at Temple University

Posted by on August 16, 2002

TEMPLE UNIVERSITY
INTERDISCIPLINARY URBAN EDUCATION PROGRAM

Urban Education 554, Service Learning and Community Development
Fall 2002, Mondays 4:30-7:10
Instructor: Dr. Novella Keith
Office: Ritter Hall 242, tel. 215-204-6940
e-mail: keithnov@astro.temple.edu

Course Description
Service learning is growing in use among faculty at all levels and in all disciplines and is now a graduation requirement in many school districts, colleges, and states (including Philadelphia and Temple’s Teacher Preparation program). This growth is accompanied by a healthy debate about the purposes of service learning, the ways it should be linked to a curriculum, how and what participants learn from it, how it should relate to the "community," who benefits from it, and how.

In this course, we will explore these issues and relate them to the practice, research, and theory of service learning in the urban context. The course involves hands-on experience, readings, discussion, and reflection. Each of you will select a particular focus and develop and carry out a service learning project that will be an important source of personal and class reflection throughout the term and will be presented orally, visually, and in writing at the end of term.

Service learning projects will be linked to service sites/communities with whom you are already involved or with new communities, selected with my assistance. These may include working with the undergraduate Service Learning course (Education 224) in the Teacher Education Program.

Education 554 is one of four courses comprising a new Graduate Certificate in Urban Education. Consult with me for more information on the certificate.