From Principal Leadership magazine: Six Myths About Service Learning by Scott Richardson and Michael Josephson.
Service learning is the Rodney Dangerfield of education. Students say that it’s an “annoying requirement.” Parents say, “My kid will learn more in the classroom than in the community.” Teachers say, “It won’t improve test scores.” Principals say, “It’s a feel-good mandate that kids aren’t capable of understanding.”
Read this article to find out about the six myths and the real facts about service learning. Done right, service learning benefits students both academically and socially, creates opportunities for learning citizenship, empowers youth, and benefits schools and communities. And that’s no myth!
Sylvia
My high school special ed class completed several service learning projects andI truly believe they learned more because their learning became relevant. It also involved interacting with others which improved social skills in addition to learning content area information. Also, for once, they were on the giving side instead of the receiving side, which helped put their disabilities in perspective. I highly recommend service learning for all students!