SERVICE LEARNING OPTION Year Five Concurrent Placement IMAGINE INSPIRE TEACH DIVERSITY.

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)