Service Learning: An Application of Constructivism

In the chapter on constructivism, one idea that really stood out to me was authentic activities. These are activities that are integrated into a classroom and represent similar activities students are likely to encounter in their day-to-day world. I found this to be interesting because I want my students to be able to apply what they learn in the classroom to their daily lives; I feel this is a perfect way to help my students do so! A type of authentic activity that I could picture using in my future classroom is service learning. Ormrod (2011) describes service learning as, "Projects that directly or indirectly enhance the quality of life in the outside community" (p. 232).

An example of a service learning project I could engage an elementary classroom in would be recycling. We could begin by having discussions on what recycling is, what exactly can you recycle, and how recycling is beneficial to our environment. As a class, we could then begin to brainstorm ways in which we could incorporate recycling into our classroom. After the students have ample time collecting recycled goods, a trip could be planned to visit a local recycling center. Here, the students will be able to see what happens next to the things we recycle, as well as would provide a chance for students to turn in all of their recycled goods.

I believe that the students would respond in a very positive manner, as they may be very excited to help the environment! I also feel that when students have some control in the planning process, they become more engaged and interested in what they are doing. For instance, as the students are the ones coming up with the ways to incorporate recycling into the classroom, they may have more motivation to participate than if the teacher was just to assign the student's roles.

One of the obstacles I feel that I could encounter with this project would be fitting it in with the state standards. If it does not align with any of the standards, could I find time in the schedule to incorporate it? Would my administration be okay with a project that does not align with the standards? These are questions I would have to address. Further, scheduling a field trip to visit a recycling center may be a great obstacle in itself, with getting approval, costs of transportation, and finding chaperones.

However, the rewards of a service project like this would be so great as, "we help students discover the reasons that they are learning academic subject matter" (Ormrod, 2011, p. 232), as well as the students will be contributing to the quality of their community.

The following video clip I found is an introduction to an outdoor preschool in Norway. I feel that this is a great example for authentic activities, as the children are learning to do things such as use real tools and create their own boats - activities they are likely to encounter in their real lives outside of school.

References: 

Ormrod, J.E. (2011). Educational Psychology: Developing Learners. Boston, MA: Pearson.

"Arctic Outdoor Preschool - Intro." Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mIi1WkFhGvc