Service Learning - Essay Example

The Running Head: Service Learning     Your name:   Course name:             Professors’ name: Date: Service learning is a process that connects various communities, this involves learning activities and students are supposed to take part in these activities. Pre-service students are supposed to reflect on communities activities so that they can enrich themselves and their communities (Bringle & Hatcher, 2000). Service learning has brought fresh energy into Australian education because it has enable pre service students to pass experiences acquired through service learning into the classroom curriculum. Before we justify how service learning can help pre service students in their learning, we should consider how the Australian society is culturally sensitive to the learning situation. We should also consider the problem of racism in our schools due to existence of different cultures, such as the Indigenous cultures upheld by the natives (McConaghy, 2006). When a pre service student participates in service learning, he/she is able to acquire fundamental knowledge and skills that will enable the pre service student to build a positive teaching profession. Pre service student will get many opportunities that will help him/her to engage in community activities which the student is involved in. This will improve the life of a pre-service student through engaging in activities that will help the community to address their needs. In addition pre service student is able to gain valuable knowledge and skills that will enable him/her to relate with his/her experiences elsewhere (Schoenfeld, 2006, cited in Lavery, 2007). In service learning, pre student who takes part in the program is able to pass on what he/she has been taught in his/her institution to the community; this is a way of fostering the development in community level. For example, a pre service student should learn that when teaching an Aboriginal student, he/she will need to be explained to many times so that he/she can understand and learn effectively. The reason behind this is that in Aboriginal cultures, learning was passed through storytelling and the special aspect of the environment around them (Hek, 2005). Service learning, enable pre students to participate in community activities, and students are able to develop their learning skills through this. In addition, pre service students will act as co-ordinators between their institution and the community in places where they are having collaborations. Institutions that have integrated service learning into their educational activities are able to incorporate student’s experiences into their academic curriculum. Moreover, the student is able to reflect and analyze various experiences acquired during their practicum service (Gray and Beresford, 2008). For example, a student will better understand the culture of a particular school and the value found in that institution. It has been found that, a pre service student is able to embrace the culture of a new school. Sometimes, a pre service student may find the culture of a particular school to be parallel to what they are being taught in their respective institutions (Hambel, 2005). The people who support service learning argue that there are many benefits that can come out of service learning more especially when a pre-service student participates in activities found in the community through service learning (King, 2004), a pre service student is able to mobilize his/her time, energy and creativity. This is a vital resource to help ameliorate pressing societal problems. Also, such experiences achieved in service learning will help a pre service student in improving his/her self esteem, motivate him/her to learn, and act as an opportunity to leadership and problem solving skills (King, 2004). Pre service students taking part in service learning will be able to acquire fundamental knowledge and attributes that is needed to build a positive teaching career and practices. Pre service student will be able to address problems in the community in which the student is associating himself with. Also, the student will be able to gain valuable skills that he/she is able to connect with his/her curriculum (Pritchard, 2002). For example, a pre service student can create an English vocabulary books for Aboriginal students or Immigrant students whose English language is second, third or even fourth language. As we all know Australia as a nation has many culture and some of the students come from non-English speaking countries (Miller, Mitchell & Brown, 2005). It has been shown that 25 per cent of students in schools have language background other than English (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2002). Throughout history in most of the cultures, service learning has been an integral part of children upbringing practices. For example, Aboriginal communities passed on their culture beliefs through participation of members in various activities found among them. It has been found Indigenous students are educationally disadvantaged, and this is as a result of many complex arrays of factors. For example, learning styles for native students are different from non-indigenous students and this is due to cultural difference and different cultural contexts for learning that is in aboriginal people (Nolan & Hoover, 2004). In 1960, Australia Government discovered indigenous students were disadvantage in education. There have been some reform measures in Education sector but little has been acknowledge, this is as a result of racist assumptions that has been advanced. In the past, there were open discriminations in Australian schools, such that the aboriginal children were excluded from schools. Service learning has helped pre service students to enhance their academic achievement and to enable them impact knowledge and skills to all students that they teach, irrespective of their cultural background. As results of lack of behavior among indigenous students, most indigenous students have been suspended or excluded from schools; this has been noted to be three times more than white students. When Aboriginal student break the Law, they are punished and may be detained and this has made it difficult for indigenous students to re-connect with schools once they serve their sentences (Aveling, 2004). Many literatures suggest learning institutions in Australia creating structures of discrimination (Corrigan, 2007). The purpose of Teacher education is to help prospective teachers to gain skills that will enable them shape the future of all students. It is important for these learning institutions to teach pre service students the importance of diversity in schools. The problems that are created by Aboriginal students in learning institutions are related largely on issues of dominance and subordination. Culturally Aboriginal students portray a different behavior from other students that will make a teacher to impose punishment on them. Lack of understanding and awareness of Aboriginal culture will make a teacher to be discriminated in classroom. In many parts of Australia, Aboriginal people are hesitant to send their children to school because they are afraid their children will be lost to a bigger world. Consequently, they fear their children will lose their identities and culture. To overcome these problems, teachers ought to incorporate various indigenous values and traditions upheld by the people such as: the involvement of Aboriginal elders in school curriculum. It has been found to be an effective way of teaching Aboriginal students in class more especially concerning their history (Corrigan, 2007; Martin, 2010). Research has also shown that Aboriginal students value formal schooling that allows individual growth and their community advancement. But many educationists in Australia have found that Aboriginal students are to benefit more if existing education system will integrate Aboriginal skills and culture. Also, teachers can develop confidence in Aboriginal students through answering every question an Indigenous student asks (Heitmeyer, 2004). Teachers in schools should be able to create an atmosphere that allows students to work in team in a classroom. This will enable Aboriginal student to have an idea of the assignment ahead of class secession and at the same time enhance cohesiveness. Service learning among students helps to address their need, as the program tends to be unique and critical in assisting pre service students to succeed in teaching (Matthews, 1997). For example, many universities have a range of programs in their campuses that will help pre service students to develop professional teaching skills. A student is able to reflect on pedagogies that include metaphor analysis, exploration of narrative and various approached that are at their disposal to critical reflect (Burr, 1995). Also, many teachers in the past who were involved in service learning programs have acknowledged service learning to be helpful in preparing them in their current careers of teaching.  This is because service learning during their practicum in various schools has been known to be effective (Heitmeyer, 2004; Susan & Cindy, 2000). It has been established that service learning will help a student develop certain skills such as communication, listening, sense of civic responsibility and social interactions with people that are found in communities in the community (Barbara, 2005; Hutchinson, 1996; Lavery, 2007). In addition, through service learning, students are able to organize the community service to address the needs of that particular community. Jagla & Karlin, state that pre service students involved in community activities will experience democracy process (2006). Pre service students are able to learn through reflecting on their experiences in a constructive and critical ways. On the other hand, service learning has some limitation among pre service students. Their images- teacher’s images- are sometimes 'shattered' during the practicum in schools as they 'strive to bring their individual images of teaching- how they were taught while at the university (Harrison, 2008); in some cases student reality is at odds with them. Secondly, pre service students in many teaching institutions don't have interest or they have little interest to teach students in schools where are found in places having different culture or ethnic background from their own (Allard and Santoro, 2006). The lack of interest has been brought about when a pre service teacher fear being accused to be a racist. Lastly, some students may take service learning as less demanding program and perceive it as a way of earning good recommendations in their teaching courses (Heitmeyer, 2004). In conclusion, for a pre service student to teach and learn about culture diversity in Australia, they should be in a position to reflect on their own lives. This will enable the prospective teachers to reflect and dialogue about diversity and what they have learned in giving back to the community through service learning. Prospective student should be prepared to become concerned about their community and especially the ones they will be sent to send to teach. The student will need to start getting connected to the community and the general society in Australia. Also, it will make prospective teachers to gear toward supporting students and other teachers in schools, and the profession that involves teaching as a whole. Bibliographies Allard, A and Santoro, N. (2006). Creating Spaces for Pedagogy: Research as Learning. New York: Deakin University Publisher Australian Bureau of Statistics (2002) Australian social trends. Available online at: www.abs. gov.au (accessed 20 May 2003). Aveling, N. (2004). Disrupting the normatively of whiteness with teacher education students: challenges and Possibilities. London: Jossey-Bass Publishers. Barbara F. (2005). Service learning: a guide to selected resources. Iowa: University of Northern Iowa Bezzina, M., Butcher, J., & Moran, W. (2007). Engagement in action: University school- system partnerships for teacher development. Australian Catholic University. Retrieved March 11, 2011, from http://www.aare.edu.au/06pap/bez06674.pdf Bringle, R. and Hatcher, J. (2000). Institutionalization of Service Learning in Higher Education. Boston: Allyn & Bacon. Burr, V. (1995). An Introduction to social constructionism. London: Routledge. Corrigan, R. (2007). Race, poverty and social justice: Multidisciplinary perspectives through service learning. Virginia: Stylus Publishing, LLC. Gray, J and Beresford, Q. (2008). A formidable challenge: Australia’s quest for equity in Indigenous education. Sydney: Edith Cowan University Publisher Harrison, N. (2008). Teaching and learning in Indigenous education. Oxford University Press. Hambel, S (2005). Critical multicultural education. Beyond the constraints of policy. New York: Haringey/ Sage Publications. Heitmeyer, D. (2004). It’s not a race: aboriginality and education. NSW: South wood Press Hutchinson, E. (1996). Preservice teacher's knowledge: a contrast of beliefs and knowledge of ratio and proportion. New York: Madison Publisher. Jagla, V., & Karlin, S. (2006). Service-learning prepares teachers to meet the needs of urban learners. Information for action: A journal for service-learning with children and youth, 4(2), 1-14. King, J. (2004). Service-Learning as a site for critical pedagogy: a case of collaboration, caring, and defamiliarization across borders. The Journal of Experiential Education Lavery, S. (2007). Service-Learning: Preparing Students for Leadership. The University of Notre Dame Australia. Retrieved August 25, 2010, from http://researchonline.nd.edu.au/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1003&context=edu_conference Matthews, J.M. (1997). A Vietnamese flag and a bowl of Australian flowers: Recomposing Racism and sexism. Gender, Place and Society 4, no. 1: 5–17. Martin, D. (2010). Pre-service Teachers' Mathematical Philosophies and Methodologies: First Year, Pre-service Primary / Elementary School Teachers' Mathematical Philosophies and Methodologies. New York: LAP Lambert Acad. Publisher McConaghy, C. (2006). Schooling out of place. Discourse studies in the cultural politics of education. London: Peter Lang Publisher. Miller, Mitchell & Brown (2005). African refugees with interrupted schooling in the high school mainstream: Dilemmas for teachers. Monash University: Monash University Publisher Nolan, J, and Hoover, L.A. (2004). Teacher supervision and evaluation. London: John Wiley & Sons, Inc Publisher. Pritchard, I. (2002). Community service and service-learning in America: The state of the art. In A. Furco and S. H. Billig (Eds.) Service-learning: The essence of the pedagogy. Stamford, CT: Information Age Publishing. Susan, W and Cindy L. ( 2000). The Reflective Judgment Model:Implications for Service- learning and Reflection. New York: Wiley Publisher. Whitton, D., & Walbank, C. (2011). Service Learning Handbook. Sydney: Pearson Education. Read More