Talking Points # 5

"In the Service of What "
Joseph Kahne and Joel Westheimer

1. "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."

This first quote really hit me because it relates to other authors like Johnson. To diminish our privileges we can help those in need. By doing this students can get to know and learn from people who are not privileged. By caring for students one can have a meaningful relationship with different students.

2. "This experience and others like it, quite common in the literature of service learning, emphasize charity more than change. The experience was structured to promote giving rather than to provide the kind of understanding needed for the development of caring relationships. As a result, the student's description of the event lacked the perspective and input of those she was helping."

This quote is very important to what we are doing in class. We are all forming relationships with the students and schools we are volunteering at now. If a person is just giving their time without analyzing certain students situations, then they are not learning or bettering anyone. To be the change we need in this world one has to do more than just giver their time.

3. "In the service of what?" is a question that inevitably merits the attention ofteachers, policy makers, and academicians who take seriously the idea that learning and service reinforce each other and should come together in America's schools."

This conclusion to the article coincides with my own beliefs. I never had to do any service learning in my high school and I surely could have benefited from it. Giving back to people in need will make the learning experience of high school students all over the country better.

I really enjoyed this article. It made perfect sense to me. I liked the table with the breakdown of service learning goals. The change section is obviously what we are striving for. Caring, Social reconstruction, and transformation Experience are most important. If you just stay on the surface you will never truly get what you are supposed to out of the service learning. Digging deeper and forming relationships will give the volunteer and the student better education.

I never did any service learning in high school. I was curious if anyone of you ever had to do this? Do you guys think service learning should be mandatory across the country? And do you think the students would really benefit from this?