Learning through Serving: Student Guidebook for SL (College level)

Posted by on July 8, 2005

[posted from Higher Ed Service-Learning]

A wonderful and important new resource has just been published by Stylus Publishers. This book is intended as a self-directed guide FOR COLLEGE-LEVEL STUDENTS who are engaged in service-learning. Though addressed principally to students participating in service-learning as a class, it is also suitable for students working individually. This text is very appropriate for college classrooms that incorporate service-learning into the curriculum — it includes dozens of classroom exercises. Faculty may request a “teacher exam copy” via the web, see below.

The authors? goals are to enable the reader to derive the greatest benefit from the experience ? in terms of providing meaningful service to the community partner, developing his or her skills and knowledge, and connecting back what she or he learns to course objectives and the framework of their discipline.

To ORDER:
http://www.styluspub.com/Books/BookDetail.aspx?productID=94561
** Faculty can REQUEST A “TEACHER EXAM COPY” via the website.
Or CALL the toll free number (9:00 – 5:00 Eastern time): 1-800-232-0223

Learning through Serving
A Student Guidebook for Service-Learning across the Disciplines

Christine M. Cress is Associate Professor of Postsecondary, Adult, and Continuing Education at Portland State University.

Peter J. Collier is Associate Professor of Sociology at Portland State University.

Vicki L. Reitenauer is an instructor in the senior Capstone service-learning program at Portland State University.

Contents
Introduction: Why a Book about Learning-through-Serving?
Chapter 1: What Is Service-Learning?
Chapter 2: Building and Maintaining Community Partnerships
Chapter 3: Becoming Community ? Moving from I to We
Chapter 4: Groups are Fun, Groups are Not Fun ? Teamwork for the Common Good
Chapter 5: Creating Cultural Connections ? Navigating Difference, Investigating Power, Unpacking Privilege
Chapter 6: Reflection in Action — The Learning-Doing Relationship
Chapter 7: Failure with the Best of Intentions — When Things Go Wrong
Chapter 8: Expanding Horizons — New Views of Course Concepts
Chapter 9: Beyond a Grade — Are We Making a Difference? The Benefits and Challenges of Evaluating Learning-through-Serving
Chapter 10: Looking Back, Looking Forward — Where Do You Go from Here?

ADVANCE PRAISE FOR THIS BOOK:

“Although the number of service-learning publications directed at faculty has increased dramatically over the last few years, publications aimed at students have been relatively rare. Learning through Serving represents an important, highly useful student-oriented resource. Not only does it cover a range of topics, from key definitions and distinctions, to team-building, intercultural sensitivity, and typical mistakes, but it also provides practical exercises for all the topics it discusses.”
? Edward A. Zlotkowski, Fellow at the National Campus Compact, and Professor of English at Bentley College

?Finally, a companion reader for students in service-learning courses! It is filled with meaningful exercises to help students make sense of their service experiences and relate it to the course content. This is an important contribution to the field of service learning and faculty should utilize this book to help students understand and make the most of their service-learning experiences.?
? Elaine K. Ikeda, Executive Director, California Campus Compact