Topic & Research Question will guide the group to conduct research and design an action plan specific to students’ particular concerns about the issue. Think about…
Turn your responses into a question that is relatively specific with regard to your topic. You might also consider framing the question around service or action. The question can be more than one sentence as needed!
Investigation includes both the inventory of student interest, skills and talents, and the social analysis of the issue being addressed. For this analysis, students gather brief preliminary information about the issue through pre-search that includes varied approaches: media, interviews of experts, surveys of varied populations, and direct observation and personal experiences (MISO). The pre-search typically reveals the authentic need that students will address.
Preparation: Students continue to acquire content knowledge and raise and resolve questions regarding the authentic need. They identify community partners, organize a plan with clarification of roles, responsibilities and timelines, and develop skills needed to successfully carry out the plan. Modification: Students must develop the plan of action with remote/online learning in mind. Students will choose TWO actions MAXIMUM to carry out in the next stage.
Action: Students implement their plan through direct service, indirect service, advocacy, and/or research. Modification: Students will be implementing their plan through a remote/online learning approach.
Demonstration: Student demonstration captures the entire service learning experience, beginning with investigation, and includes what has been learned, the process of learning, and the service or contribution accomplished. Sharing this with an audience (in this case your class) educates and informs others. Students draw upon their skills and talents in the manner of demonstration, often integrating technology. Modification: Students must develop a demonstration that can be shared digitally or remotely.
Reflection: Reflection is ongoing and occurs as a considered summation of thoughts and feelings regarding essential questions and varied experiences to inform content knowledge, increase self-awareness, and assist in ongoing planning. When students have space for reflection, they grow to identify their preferred ways to reflect and value the reflective process. This leads to students becoming reflective by choice.
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