SERVICE LEARNING OPTION
Year Five Concurrent Placement
IMAGINE
INSPIR
E TEACHDIVERSITY
What Is Service Learning?
• An opportunity to use your teaching skills in non-traditional teaching contexts.
• An opportunity to explore other employment options where your teaching skills are an advantage.
• An opportunity to make community contacts that may lead to future employment outside the classroom.
• An opportunity to learn more about addressing diversity through services within the community.
Why Service Learning?
• Helps students explore other employment options where their B.Ed. is beneficial
• Different form of teaching experience
• Adds benefit to portfolio
• Another professional contact
• Provides diversity in teaching; helps you really understand differentiation in its many forms
• Explores an area of interest not available through mainstream teaching
Non-Classroom Practicum Experiences Provide…
• Opportunities for students to recognize the range of the applicability of their developing skills as teachers.
• Opportunities to experience the range of services available in their community that provide some form of teaching support to individuals.
• Settings where students can examine and reflect on their developing skills.
• Experiences that will challenge each student’s ability to adapt and respond to changing conditions.
Why do community-partners invest time in service-learning?
• Strategy to identify potential employees
• Extra helping hands
• Have a community partnership mandate
• Appreciation for the role of universities as contributors to society
• Recognize the potential of extra support to assist with community focused initiatives
• Improved profile for their agency/business
Timing Of A Service Learning Placement
• In year five you complete thirteen weeks of placement.
• The first four weeks will be Service Learning placements which you arrange (Jan. 9 to Feb. 3).
• You may also do one other alternative placement during the thirteen week block.
• You are supported by detailed directions in an electronic Service Learning Handbook.
• Any agency that will allow you to teach, whether that be to children, youth, or adults, could be an appropriate placement.
• You can teach to a class, a small group, or one on one.
• A placement averages 6 working hours per day for a total of 120 hours over four weeks.
• It does not have to be the traditional school hours (e.g., could be 1p.m.-7p.m.).
Where can I seek placement for Service Learning?
Where Can I Do A Service Learning Placement?
• Big Brothers/Big Sisters• YMCA• FACS/CAS• Respite Care/Community Care Access• Detention Centers• Hospitals – Pediatric or Geriatric Care• Reform Schools• Alternative Schools e.g., School for the Deaf• Native Cultural Centers• Literacy Councils• Library Literacy Programs• Tutoring Services• Homeless Shelters/Outreach Programs• ROM• One Kids’ Place• Other (as approved by University supervisors)
How Do I Obtain a Service Learning Placement?
• Students may choose to do their SL Placement in North Bay or back home, or any location in Ontario where an approved placement is available; a limited number of placements may be arranged in other countries at your expense; must work with the Chair and International Office to arrange this.
• Students will find their own placement but will still require Faculty approval (via Erin Dokis /Christine Stefanizzi in SL Office).
• Students will have the assistance of Nancy Maynes and Blaine Hatt, as well as the Service Learning Office.
• Your placement must not be supervised by a family member or friend.
• Your placement MAY NOT be:
- with a family member
- with a former teacher
- in a place you have previously worked
- in a place you have previously volunteered
Service Learning Placement
A placement will be confirmed once yourplacement supervisor has been contacted to:
1. Ensure that the placement is in a safe and professionally monitored environment.
2. Ensure that your teaching skills will be valued and used.
3. Answer any questions your placement supervisor may have.
4. Establish a method of communication directly with your service learning supervisor during your placement.
Evaluating A Service Learning Placement
• There are two evaluations during your four week placement. You are responsible for ensuring that your supervisor is reminded to do these after Week 2 (on Jan. 20th) and after Week 4 (on Feb. 3rd).
• Students are to maintain a time sheet and submit it at the completion of their service learning placement.
• Paperwork:
- your four week timesheet
- your Week 2 evaluation
- your Week 4 evaluation
- your supervisor’s “Community-Partner Questionnaire”
- your “Teacher Candidate Questionnaire”
• Submit timesheets and both evaluations to Erin Dokis/Christine Stefanizzi in the SL office.
• Submit questionnaires to Nancy Maynes (as per directions on each questionnaire).
• Commitment to the Service of Others
• Potential for Leadership in this Community Agency
• Professional Learning
• Professional Knowledge
• Management and Communication Practices
Evaluation Criteria Include…
Choosing The Service Placement
• A significant teaching component.
• A supervisor who commits to completing the two evaluations, and the questionnaire.
• Must meet all of the limitations mentioned earlier so this is a new and unique learning experience for you.
• Must be known to SL Office not later than November 30, 2011 (June 30 if International).
Questions??
Contact Nancy Maynes or Erin Dokis /Christine Stefanizzi for
further information.
[email protected]@nipissingu.ca (until July 2011)
[email protected] (beginning July 2011)
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