Talking Points #5

Joseph Kahne and Joel Westheimer: "In the Service of What? The Politics of Service Learning"


Premise:

~ America's schools
~ service learning
~ education
~ educators
~ volunteer
~ policies
~ values
~ promotion
~ ideological goals
~ political goals
~ social goals
~ activities
~ privilege
~ issues
~ voice
~ experience
~ compassion
~ moral
~ political
~ intellectual
~ orientation
~ culture
~ effort

Argument:

Kahne and Westheimer argue that service learning should be included in every child's life and every school's curriculum not only as a charity, but as a life-altering experience for them.

Evidence:

1. "This experience and others like it, quite common in the literature of service learning, emphasize charity, not change." (7)

2. "Similarly, many contemporary scholars focus on change over charity and argue that the lack of connection between individual rights and communal obligations within our culture has left us with a bankrupt sense of citizenship." (9)

3. "They stress the importance of compassion of those in need, and they encourage children and young adults to find ways to help." (3)

4. "...the underlying goals and the impact of a given service learning activity can embody commitments to both change and charity and can have relevance for any of the three domains." (6)

5. "The idea that educators should foster a volunteer ethic and encourage youths to give something back to their school or community currently receives widespread support." (7)

6. "However, there are numerous ways in which a curriculum focused on giving provides opportunities for students to develop caring relationships, especially when compared to a traditional academic curruculum." (7)

7. "In addition to helping those they serve, such service learning activities seek to promote students' self-esteem, to develop higher-order thinking skills, to make use of multiple abilities, and to provide authentic learning experiences - all goals of current curriculum reform efforts." (2)

Other Stuff:

I didn't like this article at all. I couldn't seem to stay focused while reading this. I think it was a very difficult read. I do agree, though, with the authors and their arguement. I think that everyone should experience service learning at least once in their lifetime. Personally, I absolutly love my service learning project. It is a great way for me to step out of my box, and to step into a new one that i never thought i would encounter. In my opinion, it is an awesome experience.