Talking Points #5

Title:
“In The Service Of What? The Politics of Service Learning”
Author:
Joesph Kahne and Joel Westheimer
Author’s Argument:
Kahne and Westheimer argues that
Quote#1:
"By finding and engaging in community service activities,... students would interact with those less fortunate than themselves and would experience the excitement and joy of learning while using the community as a classroom"
I find this quote not completely true. While we do get to work with those less fortunate and use the community as a classroom, service learning is more than that. Service learning provides us with an opportunity to search deep within ourselves and find our true values and beliefs: what we really enjoy and what we think we enjoy. In my own experience with service learning, I don't think the kids are less fortunate than I. We all have one thing in common and that is bilingualism. I personally think that no matter the class, the status, the sex anyone that speaks more that one language is awesome. Anyways back to the point, I not only help these kids, they help me improve my knowledge of working with students, how to explain something in an easy to understand way, what tone to use on which students and last but not least how to react in a given circumstance. Also, I don't think I get excited over learning alone, I think I get more excited just being in an environment where I have the power to make a difference.
Quote#2
"Educators who emphasize change would clearly also value the educational benefits of this approach. To tap into full power of service activities, however... This process can transform students' understandings of both disciplinary knowledge and the particular social issues with which they are engaged."
This sort of for some reason reminds me of the McCain and Obama project. Of course everyone wants change, but there are certain methods that needs to be approached in a certain manner, not by just saying we need change and in the end because of ignorance, everything becomes worse. I actually agree with this quote tho, for the first time ever I agree with a quote...anyways the point, service learning does transform students in an unexplainable way.
Quote#3






Comments:

Who am I kidding? I do not know what is going on... I read and reread and reread and I still cannot comprehend. Hopefully all this confusion can be clarified in class. Maybe because my readings kept getting interrupted by my customers... but still. Like the whole meaning of the article is hidden behind all these complicated words that I don't know how to understand... huyy