(On left: Dr. Thelen, me. On right: Dr. Cameron, Ms. Ritz)
At the beginning of October I had the
privilege to attend and present at the Intercultural Strategies in Civic
Engagement conference. A few months before the conference I spoke with Dr.
Peggy Thelen of Alma College* about her plans to speak at this conference about
the work she has done promoting service learning at Alma College (both on and
off campus) with two of her colleagues. After chatting, I asked if I could go
along and present with them. I was interested in presenting because I had
participated in a service learning experience at Alma College while studying
for my bachelor’s degree at the University of Michigan. My role would be to
present about service learning from the perspective of a student and its impact
on my learning and career.
I was also looking forward to attending
other sessions, as I have become interested in finding ways to incorporate
volunteerism into the courses that I am teaching at the English Language
Institute at Central Michigan University. I am also the
Conversation Partners Program coordinator, so I am also looking for
opportunities for international students and their conversation buddies to get
involved in the community together. At this conference I hoped to learn more
about how service learning can help students, and how I can implement effective
service learning opportunities into my courses and in the CMU ELI
Conversation Partner Program. And
just as importantly, this was my first international conference and
presentation. Previously, I had only attended and presented at events in
Michigan, so I was excited to meet people from around the country and discuss
with them what they have implemented in their programs and universities.
(Below: Times Square)
We arrived on Wednesday evening so that we
could get checked into our hotel ad check out the location before the
conference started on Thursday. Our hotel was near Times Square; the lights
were an awesome welcome to Manhattan. On Thursday morning we got up and went to
the SUNY Global Center, which is deceptively large! From the outside it looks
like a small venue, but the inside is expansive and modern. We presented in the
afternoon, so we got to spend the morning attending other sessions, including
the keynote address.
(Below: Dr. Cameron, me, Ms. Ritz
in front of the SUNY Global Center)
The keynote speaker, Kwame
Anthony Appiah of Princeton
University, spoke first. He discussed honor and the honor code. I attended a
few sessions given by community college and university instructors who
integrated service learning into their curricula both at home and abroad. One
presenter took her students to Kenya and another had her students act as
volunteers yielding immigration questions for members of the local community.
Another speaker was a coordinator and English teacher for an international
program in rural, mono-cultural Utah, a community that seems similar to Mt.
Pleasant. He discussed the importance of integrating international students
with the local community for mutual benefit. This resounded with me because the
CMU Conversation Partner Program also strives to integrate our international
students with the American students and surrounding community. I believe this helps
students better understand not only the target language but also the target
culture. All three presenters discussed the importance of reflection through
journals, discussion, and blogs to promote, monitor, and evaluate learning.
Finally, after lunch we presented. A lot of
people strolled into the session late, which I think this made me even more
nervous than I had been! First, the Alma College Service Learning Coordinator,
Anne Ritz, introduced the college’s commitment to service learning through
curriculum, integrating courses with volunteer opportunities, as well as
month-long courses devoted to service learning. Next, Dr. Elizabeth Cameron, a
professor of business and law, presented how she integrates service learning
with her business classes. Her focus is getting students actual experience and
encouraging community engagement. Then Dr. Thelen discussed the different ways
she has required her students of education to learn through service. She has
also taken students abroad to Argentina, to teach elementary classes. Both Drs.
Cameron and Thelen talked about the importance of reflection for student
learning.
One
interesting point that came up was how to evaluate learning. The consensus was
that it can be challenging to evaluate learning based on service, especially
because learning from service is often delayed. Dr. Cameron mentioned an
instance where a student didn’t fully appreciate the value in what he had
done until years later when finding a job. Both professors
stressed the importance of using reflection, observation by a
supervisor, and outcome of project as a basis of evaluation. Dr.
Thelen said, with a laugh, “They still have to do the work!” This is a strong
point because so often (in my experience) students don’t do the work, or they
only do the bare minimum. To prove how effective service learning can be, Dr.
Cameron provided an excellent example. She had two sections of the same
class, and only one section took part in the service-learning component. The
students in the service learning section had higher overall grades on the
tests, quizzes, and papers because they had the actual experience of using the
concepts from class. Dr. Cameron also mentioned a student who found their
career path because of a service learning opportunity. Although there are
challenges, I learned from the ladies that I presented with that the benefits
abound.
I was last to present. I discussed my
experience as an undergraduate when I traveled to Quito, Ecuador to volunteer
at an after school program. During the two months I was there, I learned how to
speak Spanish, communicate with few words, and adapt to any situation. Because
of this opportunity, I decided to become an English language teacher. My
experience as a student in a service-learning course helped shape my career
path. Without that, I don’t know if I would ever have known how much I would
enjoy working with diverse populations. Furthermore, that experience has helped
me stand out from other students. When I was applying to student teach at local
high schools in Ann Arbor, I was chosen by a well-respected teacher in a
prominent high school because of my service-learning experience. Finally, I
discussed my experience with conversation partner programs, both at the
University of Michigan and a Central Michigan University. I believe that all
four of us had such unique experiences, which centered on service learning that
we were able to provide a distinctive look at service learning in Mid-Michigan
colleges and universities.
(Mid-town Manhattan from the roof of the Metropolitan Museum of Art)
I am excited to get a chance to teach a course
in which I can implement service learning. I am planning to require
volunteer hours and reflection in the next integrated skills (speaking and
listening) course that I teach. After attending this conference, I now realize
how valuable it is for students to get out of the classroom and apply what they
are learning in it.
Be on the lookout for more posts pertaining
to service learning and volunteering. If you’re affiliated with CMU, check out
the CMU Volunteer Center;
they do great things!
*Dr. Thelen is my mom, if you couldn't tell
from the photo
(All photos taken by me)
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