Service Learning



Spanish 101 Service-Learning Lab Plummer Fall 2005/Spring 2006

In this one-credit course, students will spend 40 hours with the children in Farmway Village, (a farm worker housing community in Caldwell), tutoring young bi-lingual Latino children in reading and writing or math. Students will meet with the instructor every other week to reflect on the service and relate it the course material in SPAN 101.

The goal of the Service-Learning aspect of this Spanish course is to allow students the opportunity to use their Spanish language skills in performing necessary services within the Spanish-speaking community in and around Boise. In this process, it is hoped the participating students experience an increase in their level of Spanish proficiency while developing an awareness, understanding and an appreciation of this culture as well as the very obvious and more subtle inequalities the community endures and what (more) can be done to at least reduce them. It is also hoped that the students will not only realize some things that could be done to diminish these inequities and act to do so during the course of the semester, but also that the students choose to continue providing necessary service in the community once the class has ended.

Pre-requisites:

- Minimum of 1 recent semester/class of Spanish or equivalent

- Current enrollment in SPAN 101.

- A background check may need to be administered by a third party after the semester begins. Costs to be covered by service partner (no cost to participating students)

Service Partner:

- Caldwell Housing Authority (Farmway Village)

Description of Service-Learning Experience:

- Assist bi-lingual children ages 6 – 13 with English reading, writing and any other

language-related projects with which they may need help in after-school program

- Demonstrate the use of online Spanish-English/English-Spanish dictionary so that kids may make use of this tool independently as necessary in the future

- Other duties Maria (Director of after-school program) deem necessary and appropriate

Service-Learning Objectives:

It is the goal of the S-L portion of this class that students:

- develop an awareness, an understanding and an appreciation of the necessities and inequalities prevalent in the Spanish-speaking communities in and around Boise

- reflect upon these differences with instructor and other S-L participants at bi-weekly reflection sessions

- Assist the Spanish-speaking communities with necessary services in order to reduce (some of these) inequities

Course Requirements:

- 30 hours of community service (100 points), during the course of the semester. Ten (10) points will be deducted for each instance in which you fail to show up for S-L service without sufficient prior notice.

- Bi-weekly reflection sessions with instructor and all participating students in attendance (7 sessions X 5 pts @ = 35 points). The sessions will be approximately 45 minutes and will be held [at the BSU West camps, the main BSU campus].

- You may be asked to share your thoughts and experiences with the rest of the class in Spanish. Not to worry – you can make it short and sweet.

Bi-weekly check of journals. (Journals will be two typed, double-spaced pages and include information about the times you assisted the kids, the tasks you performed, how well the kids did on the given assignment/task, and your thoughts on all of the aforementioned aspects of your service) (7 7 7777journals X 10 points @ = 70 points).

- Each participating student will complete an evaluation of their S-L experience at the end of the semester The instructor will distribute this form in class at the end of the semester.

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- Each participating student will present a written summary (three-five typed, double-spaced pages) of what s/he has gained from the S-L experience, including things learned; perspectives or beliefs that changed during the course of the semester; suggestions for improvements in the S-L portion of the class, generally and specific on-site aspects; progress of the kids involved in service assignments; etc. (55 points)

Grading:

Grading will be based on the straight scale (100-91% - A; 90-81 – B; etc.) based on the total possible points (260). Minimum 70% needed to earn (1) credit.. Remember,ten (10) points will be deducted for each instance in which a participating student fails to show up for S-L service without sufficient prior notice.

“Service-Learning is a course-based, credit-bearing educational experience by which students participate in an organized service activity that meets identified community needs and reflect on the service activity in such a way as to gain further understanding of course content, a broader appreciation of the discipline, and an enhanced sense of civic responsibility.”

National and Community Service Trust Act

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