Service Learning Panel: Creating Connections to Communities
In October, Katie Dutcher, Associate Director of Intensive English Programs, was fortunate to take part in a panel on service learning at the annual CATESOL conference in Santa Clara. (CATESOL represents teachers of English language learners throughout California and Nevada, promoting excellence in education and providing high-quality professional development.)
University of Shimane students helping to propagate native plants at the Watershed Institute at California State University, Monterey Bay
Katie was excited for the opportunity to learn from her fellow panelists as well as to share her experiences with service learning with students from the University of Shimane in Hamada, Japan. Every August, Intensive English Programs partners with the University of Shimane to host a four-week content-based EFL program in which the students can immerse themselves in American culture and language. Starting in 2012, the program focused on learning English through service, especially related to sustainability and the local environment. Students learn about these issues during classes and then take site visits to various organizations to volunteer and experience the topics firsthand.
Are you interested in service learning? Take a look at the short PowerPoint presentation shared in Katie’s portion of the panel:
Service Learning in a 4-Week Intensive English Program- CATESOL2014 (1)
Here is a longer version of the presentation which Katie shared with Monterey Institute students in Dr. Avineri’s Service Learning workshop:
Service Learning in a 4-Week Intensive English Program
University of Shimane students help farmer and owner, Peter Eichorn, to sift quinoa at Country Flat Farm in Big Sur
Service Learning Panel: Creating Connections to Communities
Abstract: What is service-learning and how can it be used in ESL teaching and teacher training to create connections to communities for learners and teachers? Multiple panelists will share their experiences of using service-learning in various contexts. Audience members will gain access to an extensive reference list about service-learning.
Summary: Service-learning is “a form of experiential education where learning occurs through a cycle of action and reflection” (Eyler & Giles, 1999, p. 14), with a focus on reciprocal, meaningful, ongoing community partnerships. How can service-learning be used creatively in ESL teaching and teacher training to create connections to communities for learners and teachers?
In this colloquium, the panelists will share their experiences on using service-learning in ESL teaching and language teacher training. Speakers will illustrate the ways that the service-learning model can help build communities. For language learners, service-learning provides natural opportunities for contextualized interaction, and thus it promotes conversation skills and builds confidence. It allows them to convey meanings, share information about their home cultures, and learn about the interests and needs of individuals and groups. In addition, by engaging in service-learning during their programs, teachers in training get both hands-on experience and a “meta” perspective on how the pedagogical model could be effectively used with their future students. In this way, it creates communities in the present and the future.
Specifically, the panelists will address the following issues as they relate to international university, IEP, and MA TESOL students in contexts throughout California: opportunities and challenges of creating service-learning programs; development and maintenance of mutually beneficial, ongoing, collaborative partnerships with local non-profit organizations; and the roles of service-learning in overall programs of experiential and immersive learning. There will also be time for Q. & A., and audience members will gain access to an extensive reference list about service-learning.
(Abstract and Summary by Dr. Netta Avineri, Visiting Professor at the Monterey Institute of International Studies.)
