Context:
In the summer of 2008, I completed this service learning project for CI 3110 under the guidance of Dr. Eric Groce. This project was also completed with the assistance of my cohort Beverley Pittman and other teachers and leadership at Startown Elementary school in Newton, NC.
Impact:
Students, parents, and teachers all worked together on this project to help students in need at our elementary school. This project helped students to develop good character traits and citizenship while incorporating a plethora of cultural aspects, which helped students develop appreciation for others. Students created and helped design portions of a cook book, and parents and staff donated recipes. These were combined to create a cook book that was sold for profits going toward the cause of students at our school who needed money for medical procedures and expenses. The students made dishes from their recipes and shared them in an international sort of dinner. Students gained an appreciation for others while helping children less fortunate than themselves.
Alignment: Standard 4: Elementary teachers have a broad knowledge and understanding of the major concepts in Social Studies. Indicator 7: Teachers understand basic economic concepts, including: Detail: Limited resources, resource allocation Detail: Opportunity cost Detail: Economic Systems (Free enterprise/market economy, planned/command economy, mixed economy)
Indicator7 and 11 were met because throughout the creation, development, and completion of this project our students were able to understand all of the points of character development. They learned responsibility in meeting deadlines, integrity by allocating funds to the appropriate places, self-discipline by carrying out promises, caring by thinking of others’ needs, respect for self by realizing they can make a difference, perseverance by completing the task, courage by understanding that sometimes we have to go through difficult things, and citizenship by helping others in the community.
Indicator 7: Teachers develop and use a variety of formal and alternative assessment strategies as an integral part of instruction and learning appropriate for assessing individual, peer, team, and collaborative skills.
Informal assessment was used during the discussion portion of our project. The children demonstrated an ability to understand why it is important to be good citizens. Formative assessments were given throughout the process to determine how the students were developing knowledge in all of the various subjects incorporated in this project.
Standard 11: Elementary teachers connect social studies with the broad curriculum.
Indicator 1: Teachers incorporate communication in their lessons.
Indicator 2: Teachers enhance students of understanding of the humanities.
Indicator 4: Teachers incorporate mathematics in their social studies lessons.
Indicator 1 was met through the mass communication to teachers and parents who are involved with our school. Indicator 2 was met when we talked about what the proceeds would go toward. Standard 4 was met because the students had to come up with a good price and figure out how much to charge. We also had to develop ways to distribute and market our product so that the sale of it would raise funds for our project.
Standard 16: Elementary teachers develop as leaders in their schools and communities by staying informed about educational policy issues and supporting professional development. Elementary teachers participate in co-curricular activities, provide leadership in student and curriculum involvement, and connect these activities to the development of citizenship ideals in their students.
Indicator 1: When developing as leaders in their schools and communities, elementary teachers involve students in activities outside the classroom.
Indicator 2: Teachers participate in meetings that establish policy.
Indicator 3: Teachers communicate with parents, guardians, and caretakers to build partnerships between home and school.
Indicator 5: Teachers communicate with administrators concerning their needs including funds for field trips and guest speakers, materials unique to specific subjects and special projects, and professional development study and travel.
Indicator 7: Teachers encourage participation in civic and volunteer activities.
Indicator 10: Teachers advocate for the rights and welfare of their students by involving appropriate school and community human resources in meeting the individual needs of each students.
Indicators 1, 2, 3, 5, 7 and 10 were met during this project. As a member of the committee I was involved in every aspect of the project. We had to get permission from the administrator, come up with a plan on how to get recipes, decide the different assignments, talk to the students about the project and how it was going to help their community, design a flyer to go home, and collect and deliver the books. I was the person in charge of typing every recipe that came in so I was the busiest person. The students saw me as a leader in the project. The students were involved in everything. They knew that the funds were going back to their community and drawings for the books, had their parents and grandparents send in recipes and bought books. They learned how to be good citizens.
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