Service Learning: A Guide to Planning, Implementing, and Assessing Student Projects

"There is no better way to improve student attitudes and outcomes than to blend both meaningful community and global service with improved academic achievement. Sally Berman invites her readers to do just that." -Bob Koehs, Service Learning Coordinator Marquette-Alger Regional Educational Service Agency "This book is full of practical tips for the classroom teacher, including strategies for assessing student learning." -Jeanine Yard, Learn and Serve Program Officer Michigan Community Service Commission Provide authentic, lasting learning opportunities for students in their own community Service learning offers students the unique opportunity to learn both in the classroom and in the real world. This exciting teaching strategy, detailed in Berman's second edition of Service Learning, motivates students to learn content information, processes, and skills while making authentic connections to their surrounding community. This valuable resource explains the benefits of service learning and provides a step-by-step guide for using the instructional model. It features nine service-learning projects that are broken down into basic, intermediate, and advanced levels. Each project features: Strategies for aligning service and curricular goals Tips for involving students in decision-making Guidelines for managing different phases of the project Activities that foster reflection and self-evaluation Tips for differentiating by tapping into multiple intelligences In this single resource, teachers will find everything they need to successfully implement service learning projects, helping students gain deeper understandings of content while positively impacting their communities.

Table of Contents:
Sidebar Directory Preface Acknowledgments About the Author Introduction 1. The Fundamentals of Service Learning as a Curriculum Model Part I. Basic Service Learning Projects 2. Clean Streets, Green Streets: A Social Studies and Science Service Learning Project 3. The Lending Locker: A Health and Physical Education Service Learning Project 4. The Hygiene Tree: A Consumer Education and Health Service Learning Project Part II. Intermediate Service Learning Projects 5. Reading Pals: A Language Arts and Life Skills Service Learning Project 6. The Soup Troop: A Health and Family Education Service Learning Project 7. Computer Tutors: An Instructional Technology and Language Arts Service Learning Project Part III. Advanced Service Learning Projects 8. Voice of the People: A Social Studies and Library Technology Service Learning Project 9. Community Vision: A Visual Arts and Library Technology Service Learning Project 10. Main Street Gardens: A Science and Visual Arts Service Learning Project Reproducible Masters Bibliography Index

About the Author :
Sally Berman specializes in teaching educators how to use practical strategies that expand student teamwork, cognition, metacognition, and self-evaluation skills. She developed and tested many of her ideas during her 30 years of teaching science in a large Chicago-area high school. Berman regularly presents at workshops and conferences and has taught graduate courses for SkyLight Professional Development in conjunction with St. Xavier University and Cumberland University.

Review :
"This book is full of practical tips for the classroom teacher, including strategies for assessing student learning. In my work with teachers, they often ask for a checklist for planning service-learning projects. This book offers tips on some of the most critical aspects of project planning. Particularly useful are the sections in each chapter titled Assessing Risks and Tapping Into Multiple Intelligences." "There is no better way to improve student attitudes and outcomes than to blend both meaningful community and global service with improved academic achievement. Sally Berman invites her readers to do just that." "Berman′s book on service learning is an excellent how-to manual for creating structured, well-managed service learning projects for elementary through college-level students. The introduction and first chapter describe the principles of service learning while the remaining chapters present nine service learning projects that teachers can implement as is or adapt as needed. A must-have resource."