Posted: February 1st, 2023

Reflective Self in Community: Week2

For this first discussion board post you want to consider what it means to be a member of a community and what makes Service-Learning unique. Cress does a good job of making clear what’s unique about Service-Learning and how it differs from volunteering and community service. These might seem like just interesting or even academic differences, but they are actually important. If for no other reason than knowing what this class is about which is Service-Learning!

When I write or type Service-Learning I use an uppercase “S” and “L” to indicate that both words are important. So often when we serve the community the focus is only on the service. What might be problematic about that? Service-Learning implies that we are reflecting prior to, during and after we serve. Think about why when entering a community it would be important to focus on capital “S” Service and capital “L” Learning. As you think about that consider this:

When I do service in the community it would seem like the best thing would be to solely focus on providing good service, right? However, if I am not open to reflecting and learning then what if my service is causing harm in some way? Perhaps I am tutoring kids and teaching them something that contradicts what they have been taught in their community. This could place the children in a difficult position. Or what if I am serving at a nursing home and doing what I think is right but is inadvertently violating a policy that might be putting patients in harm’s way.

Openness to learning allows me to provide better service which opens me up to learning more. Service-Learning, though should also connect to the academic curriculum. For instance, if I am working with kids I should be connecting that to education, child psychology, sociology, art, music or several other topics. That will allow me to provide even better service because I’ll be bringing to bear the remarkable liberal arts curriculum at Mary Baldwin to my service. How amazing to bring all this knowledge to the service I am providing. Plus, I will be able to test out what I am learning in my classes in my service environment which is an unparalleled learning opportunity.

Do you see why the “S” and “L” are uppercase and there is a hyphen in between the two words?

All this work (Service and Learning) happens within community. It is therefore important to ponder what community means. Are people living in the same geographical area an example of community? Is it a community if the people that share a geography do not share beliefs or values? Can you be a member of more than one community? Can you be a member of multiple communities, but perhaps your memberships make you feel conflicted?

Lastly I want you to think about what it means to make an impact in a community. We differentiate Service-Learning from other types of service because of the learning component but also because we attend to the needs expressed in the community. Service-Learning does not insist that a community needs a service that it has not asked for. Here’s an example of Service-Learning:
~ Picking-up trash on a river bank is service;
~ Collecting water samples and then analyzing them under a microscope to test for water quality is learning;
~ Being invited by the community surrounding the river bank to help clean the river and assess the water quality is Service (uppercase S);
~ Being invited by the community surrounding the river bank to help clean the river and assess the water quality and then:
1. Presenting the findings on how much trash was gathered and the quality of the water to City Council,
2. Reflecting on what was learned from the project, and
3. Asking for feedback from the community…
is Service-Learning (uppercase S and L and hyphen between them).

Here are the instructions for discussion board one:

Respond to all three of the questions below by integrating your reflections on the Cress reading and your community involvement. Use examples from your community involvement experience to illustrate your post:
1.    What is community and what does it mean to be a member of one?
2.    How does Service-Learning differ from community service?
3.    How do you know you have made a positive impact on a community?

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