Service Learning Connections

In the Service of What?-The Politics of Service Learning

By: Joseph Kahne and Joel Westheimer

Asa Messer Elementary School. This is where my Service  Learning Placement is. 

In the Service of What? talks about students learning in the environment of a school to learn how to teach appropriately in a school setting.

“Educators and legislators alike maintain that service learning can improve the community and invigorate the classroom, providing rich educational experiences for students at all levels of schooling. Service learning makes students active participants in service projects that aim to respond to the needs of the community while furthering the academic goals of students.”

This point and quote I feel relates to what we read by Lisa Delpit. Delpit writes about teaching students the rules and codes of power clearly as to give all students the same knowledge of the culture of power. I find that this article and this experience are similar and have a similar purpose. I think that part of the purpose of service learning is to learn the rules and codes of the classroom from the teacher perspective even before we are teachers. To learn the culture of power in a classroom to make sure that is a place where we want to be and work. Which is part of what Kahne and Westheimer in the quote above that it beneficial for all involved, partly because it helps teach the perspective teachers the dynamic of a classroom.

Another quote that really resonated with me was this one;

“The experiential and interpersonal components of service learning activities can achieve the first crucial step toward diminishing the sense of"otherness" that often separates students-particularly privileged students-from those in need. In so doing, the potential to develop caring relationships is created.”

I felt that I could relate to this personally coming from a rather privileged town being in Providence Elementary schools is very different from being in schools in my hometown, I also think this relates to Aria though. Aria’s main point was that he had to abandon his culture to take on the culture of power. While he didn’t think there was any middle ground I think this piece does not say that but rather to find common ground by giving potential teachers a different perspective, it will help them be more aware and accommodating of all students. As Aria said even if his teachers had said his name correctly he would have felt more comfortable in school.

Points to Share:

I think that Service Learning is for the purpose of exposing potential teachers to a classroom setting and the culture of power there, as well as students who may have grown up in a different culture.