When I first came to RIC, I was a bit skeptical of the service learning requirement in FNED 346. I felt very uncomfortable with the idea that throwing a bunch of college students -- (mostly) white college students -- into urban schools to work with (mostly) students of color who live at or below poverty would somehow "make a difference" for anyone. I worried that the experience might even reinforce some of the stereotypes about urban school in the US, and that this would be a big ol' bandaid on a broken leg.
Today, I still have those concerns, but I also know that I would not teach this course without the service requirement. I love that we can talk about real kids, real teachers, real classrooms, real issues when we have our discussions about Delpit or Rodrigues or Carlson. I think that the service learning placement makes theory (all the stuff we read and discuss) into practice. But I believe, like Kahne and Westheimer, that it can only be useful and productive if we bring critical self reflection to the project.
I know that the Kahne and Westheimer piece is a little less exciting than some of the other articles we have read so far this semester.... but be patient with it. I think that they have really important things to say about WHY we do what we do and HOW we approach the task of service learning.
I like to think of the why-and-how as my purpose, my reasons for doing things, my philosophy of teaching, my pedagogy... remember the Michel Foucault quote I have shared with you before in class:
"We know what we do. We know why we do what we do. But what we don't often know is what what we do does."
Kahne and Westheimer are all about trying to get us to consider what what we do does. Think about it...
I <3 going into the schools :D it really does help get rid of some of the stereo- typing. I know it has with me. I <3 my school!!
ReplyDeleteHey Dr. Bogad, if you take a look at my blog you'll see I'm having trouble embedding youtube videos into my post. I copy and paste like it says but it's not working properly. Any suggestions??? In the meantime I put the links in a comment to my blog. Thanks - Nessa
ReplyDeleteI remember going to an elementary school my senior year in high school for a semester. My teacher was very calm about everything so it made it an easy transitition. She was somewhat skeptical like you, but it became the best experience of my life so far.
ReplyDeleteI was happy that you said you would intervene in the case of a student not being able to work with the children in the classroom. I had this same problem in high school and it took weeks for my teacher to come to the school, only to tell her "She can do more than sort through papers." So it made me very happy that you jumped at the opportunity to help us out if we need it.