Title: “What Happened to Service Learning?”
by Larry Cuban
Larry Cuban’s article, published on January 30, 2024, takes educators on a historic journey and examines the enduring concept of service learning in K-12 education. Available on https://larrycuban.wordpress.com/the article reflects on the evolution, challenges, and continued importance of service learning as a means to promote community engagement and bridge the gap between classroom learning and real-world experiences.
The article begins by recognizing the cyclical nature of education fads and distinguishes between service learning and merely a trend. It defines service learning broadly as K-12 students providing community service, highlighting its presence in both public and private schools for more than a century. Cuban acknowledges that while service learning has been a consistent feature, it has also had erratic moments, especially in the 1980s and 1990s.
The key questions explored include the definition of service learning, its origins, and its varied objectives – ranging from students learning about community institutions through direct experience to solving local problems or providing unpaid labor to organizations. The article highlights the challenge of establishing a single definition due to the varied ways in which it has been implemented in schools since its introduction in the 1970s.
Cuban outlines examples of service learning and illustrates its integration into the regular curriculum and the importance of students reflecting on their experiences. These examples include a high school student assisting a shelter for homeless families and a high school project honoring local heroes through interviews and a published book.
The problems that service learning seeks to address, according to the article, include narrowing the gap between learning in the classroom and the world outside it, providing an action-oriented alternative to traditional academic routines, and fulfilling the historic mission of public schools to prepare engaged citizens.
The author acknowledges that definitional variance complicates assessing the effectiveness of service learning. While early research often focused on correlations with improved attendance and test scores, recent analyzes suggest significant gains in attitudes toward self, school, community involvement, social skills, and academic achievement.
Despite its nuanced history and changing perceptions, service learning is portrayed as a concept with staying power. Cuban notes a decline in the number of actual school-based service learning programs since the 1990s, citing a drop from 32 percent in 1999 to 24 percent in 2008. However, the article highlights that service learning is still evident in many schools in across the country, highlighting its lasting impact.
Finally, “What Happened to Service Learning?” serves as a reflective resource for educators, providing insight into the historical trajectory of service learning, its challenges, and its continued relevance in promoting social responsibility and bridging the gap between education and community engagement.
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This summary was created with the help of AI software.
