Do Your Rules Lead to Student Engagement and Meaningful Learning? Nine guidelines…
I was just reading an article from an ASCD Smartbrief called “What Your Rules Say About You.” Rules such as sit at your desk, or don’t fall asleep are rules for classes that are teacher centered. This article discusses “What are the attributes of tasks that result in meaningful learning and high(er) levels of student engagement?” It goes on to say that tasks resulting in higher levels of student engagement consist of these attributes:
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New National Report on Civic Learning and Engagement
Are you a service-learning and civic engagement advocate in your school or community?
Looking for new evidence and support to make your case about the importance of civic learning strategies?
We highly recommend checking out two new reports – one by the U.S. Department of Education and the second by a national coalition of experts: (more…)
STEM Resources: One Stop Shopping Guide for Programs and Organizations Dedicated to Supporting STEM
The 2012 AuthenticSTEM Guide was published yesterday. It is a wide ranging collection of STEM resources organized by Diana Laboy-Rush’s Eight Keys to Education Reform Through STEM. The Eight Keys: investigate, focus, collaborate, inspire enrich engage design, integrate.
The guide contains brief descriptions of programs and organizations from all over the U.S. that support youth in STEM. Some you will recognize as they have been around for several decades–others will probably be unknown to you. So do some browsing. You may find a program or an organization whose materials and approach will be a great fit for the youth with whom you work. 
KIDS Consortium and the Maine Math and Science Alliance are in the Collaborate section of the guide as organizations that can help educators to combine high quality service-learning with high quality STEM instruction. See examples of projects from the partnership.
Debriefing MLK Day Events: Tapping the Power of the Experience
Enjoy the MLK Day service projects and events you have planned! (If you are looking for one, visit to locate one using your zip code.) 
This post is just a quick reminder to take a page out of your service-learning facilitation book and to take advantage of the MLK Day experience to help the people in your group connect their actions of the day to thoughts and feelings they’ll have during the day.
Make some time to gather your group in a circle before wrapping it up and lead a meaningful debriefing and reflection on the day’s activities. You can do this in a thousand different ways (see reflection lessons suggested on the MLK Day site.), but it seems that including Dr. King’s words and deeds is an appropriate way to prompt the individuals in your group to connect their day’s efforts with their thoughts and feelings.
Consider creating an opportunity for people to share their reflections—hearing from others will increase the power of the experience for everyone.
The MLK Day site has a concise list of nine things to remember to help everyone have a wonderful experience. Take a look at it before you set off tomorrow morning.
A Crucible Moment: a Report, a Conversation, a Recommitment to Civic Learning and Engagement
This afternoon in Washington D.C. an event, “For Democracy’s Future: Education Reclaims Our Civic Mission,” kicked-off a national conversation on the importance of informed and engaged citizens.
The event marked the release of the U.S. Department of Education’s own report, “Civic Learning and Engagement in Democracy: A Road Map and Call to Action,” and highlights the American Commonwealth Partnership, which brings together schools, colleges and other civic partners to promote civic learning and civic identity throughout American education.
Individuals representing many groups from campuses and communities dedicated to reinvigorating democratic engagement gathered for the afternoon’s kick-off. (more…)
A Few More STEM Links Worth a Look
KIDS Consortium and the Maine Math and Science Alliance are collaborating on another two-part workshop in a couple of weeks for a group of out-of-school teachers and in-school teachers in Massachusetts called, Prepare and Inspire! Strategies for Blending Research-Based STEM Instruction with High Quality Service-Learning. The collaboration between KIDS and MMSA had yielded some great work over the last couple of years. You can learn more by visiting the Youth as Citizen Scientists: Data, Insight and Action through Service-Learning. While doing some prep for the workshop over the last couple of days I came across a few new links to STEM related information—all the links are relevant to integrating STEM and service-learning.
Links to get your STEM fix: (more…)
Sure, Absolute Power Corrupts, but Empowering Others…Absolutely Different Results: Try Service-Learning to Cultivate a Commitment To Learning by Youth and Adults
The seventh 21st Century Skill supported by service-learning:
“Cultivate an ongoing commitment to learning.”
Cultivate—I appreciate the verb in this context and what it connotes. There is a metaphor for gardening suggested—for nurturing and growing and stewardship—that I think is appropriate.
So how and why does service-learning cultivate that commitment? As usual, lots of answers to a question like that. (more…)
Saving Service: H.R. 2055 Approved…What Does it Mean for Service?
I am sure that many of you have engaged youth in service and service-learning with assistance—directly and indirectly—from public funding. I will not wade into the funding debate now (I agree that it is an important conversation, and I invite you to add your thoughts in the comments area below, but right now I have some holiday cooking to do or else I will be in trouble). This is pretty much a “just the facts” update. (more…)
Resources for Days of Service: Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Global Youth Service Day
Looking for a win, win, win situation? How about a day of service?
Two celebrated days of service are approaching, and there are resources to help increase the meaning of the engagement.
January 16th marks Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Although there are not many days left to plan an action:
1) I encourage you to register your planned action so that others will know of and perhaps assist your group. Registered actions are searchable by zip code;
2) Check out the weekly Nation Service Briefing’s special update on MLK Day.
3) To help prepare students for MLK Day, the Corp. for National and Community Service has a toolkit of resources, and Scholastic will be releasing materials targeted for grades three to five.
Some groups use MLK Day as a kick-off for a service effort, and then celebrate the culmination of the effort on Global Youth Service Day (GYSD), which is April 20-22 in 2012. Here is one group using that approach.
GYSD, coordinated by Youth Service America, is massive. Quoting the YSA web site, “On Global Youth Service Day 2011, over 550,000 young people strengthened their communities through more than 3,500 service or service-learning projects reported to YSA in 102 countries on 6 continents.” See what I mean? A very big deal.
Not yet planning something for GYSD? It is not too late.
While many grants have been awarded, there are still grants available to support actions as a part of GYSD, as well as other resources.
Civic Engagement Through Service Learning and 21st Century Skills: Not Preparation for Life, but Life Itself
“Participate in civic life and democratic decision-making.” This is the sixth on the list of seven 21st Century Skills that students demonstrate and develop through service learning. You can read the discussion of the first of five skills on the list (1, 2, 3, 4, 5 ) by using the links in the parentheses or by scrolling down through this blog.
I’m reminded of John Dewey when I read, “Participate in civic life and democratic decision-making.” Dewey told us that, “Education is not preparation for life but is life itself.” (This quote, which is how I usually see it in print, is truncated—here is the whole thing.) (more…)
To Ensure Civic Engagement When Working With Youth, Don’t Mention These Words Until…
Last week I posted a blog about a few breakthroughs for civic education…this week…the picture is less rosy.
After reading a few articles over the last couple of days (I’m not linking to them), I’m a bit frustrated with a couple of refrains in civic education I hear, so while this post needs some work, I want to get it off my chest–here is the essence and I’ll overhaul it later.
Here is a breakthrough I’d really like to see… (more…)
Making News and Making a Difference in Civic Education
A couple of recent items–a piece of legislation and a new study regarding civic education:
- one to follow as it dances through the halls of Congress;
- one to read and discuss with everyone you know who interacts with youth, young adults, middle-aged adults or older adults–yeah, I mean discuss it with everyone–the findings are surprising. (more…)
Top Reasons Service-Learning Promotes Being Creative and Entrepreneurial: 21st Century Skills In Action
Primarily, it’s because the answers are not in the back of the book.
There. That is why service learning develops the 21st Century Skills of being creative and entrepreneurial. (click for the list of seven 21st Century Skills students develop and demonstrate through service learning.) Giving students the freedom to dream of new solutions encourages them to be creative and entrepreneurial.
For example, when a class of middle school students started to investigate the amount of waste generated in their cafeteria by sorting and weighing the contents of the trash bags—don’t worry, everyone wore gloves—they had no idea, and neither did their teacher, that by the next school year their efforts would eliminate foam lunch trays and replace them with compostable trays. They didn’t know that compostable trays were even available. Check the link and see the path they paved to make it happen.
So there. One example of service learning promoting creativity and entrepreneurship…
But there is something nagging at you…you’re thinking that there is more, right?
I agree. (more…)
Catching Up on the Civic Mission of School with the Guardian of Democracy: Inspiration for Civic Education and Engagement
Guardian of Democracy. Doesn’t that sound as if it could be a movie? Who would you place in the lead roles of such a film? Who would direct it? Well, never mind. It is not a movie. It is a report on civic education and civic engagement. Fade cut to the next scene…
Admit it. You have watched your favorite movie at least five times, haven’t you? So don’t start thinking that I am in left field for suggesting that you go back a reread one of your favorite reports on civic education from the last decade…I know, it is not the same as watching the Wizard of Oz in its original format. But I don’t think that we are in Kansas anymore (apologies to those of you in Kansas). (more…)
Youth as Citizen Scientists: STEM and Civic Engagement
I continue to be energized by the broad base of educators using STEM topics to engage youth in learning about their world, their community and themselves.
At KIDS, we are working with teachers to apply the best practices in civic engagement through our model of service learning with the best practices in science instruction. The initiative started as a grant funded by Learn and Serve America called Youth as Citizen Scientists. Use the link to read more about it. I’m giving you the abbreviated version here.
In 2009-10, a “Design Team” of experienced middle level STEM service-learning practitioners collaborated with KIDS and the Maine Math and Science Alliance to use Curriculum Topic Studies to integrate innovative, research-based instructional strategies into their students service-learning projects. One focus was to explore how middle level students collect, analyze and apply data to authentic problems in their schools and communities. This focus really helped students with data!
In 2010-11 “Expansion Sites” were added, allowing more teachers and more students to build on the knowledge and experience of the “Design Team.” Check out the projects!
This year teachers are disseminating what they have learned by presenting at conferences and through a soon to be published STEM and service-learning supplement (STEM S-L Guide) to KIDS as Planners: a Guide to Strengthening Students, Schools and Communities through Service-Learning. More about the STEM S-L Guide in the coming weeks.
Love to hear about your STEM related efforts…
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