There is a growing movement in both K-12 and higher education towards integrating classroom studies with real-world experience. One thing more and more teachers are looking at are academic learning services. This is when you combine teaching about a subject with related community service to make both more meaningful.
When you add ample opportunity for self-reflection, you can get a well-balanced learning program that benefits both the student and the community.
Academic learning services can take many forms. It can range from elementary school students combining classroom learning about the environment with cleaning up a local park to university students who volunteer at a local school's special education program to supplement study in early childhood education. Accounting students may volunteer at a job training center to teach operating systems and practical software like Quickbooks or Office 2000 to adults looking to upgrade their skills. In all cases, the student goes beyond simple textbook learning to gain meaningful experience.
These service-learning programs connect both student and teacher to the community and for this reason they are becoming more and more popular with educators. These days, more universities are making service-learning classes a graduation requirement and according to the National Center for Education Statistics, over 13 million students participated in community service and academic learning services in the 2000-2001 school year. Soon, programs like these may be coming to your school or university!
If you're interested in this kind of educational experience, talk to your school's counselor in charge of community service. There are also many articles written just for teachers and personal tutors to show how service-learning can work in your classroom.
If you are a teacher looking to see how academic learning services can help your classroom, check with your school and other schools in your area to see if they offer workshops for teachers and private tutors on this subject. Service-learning is an effective teaching strategy that can motivate your students to become more active learners and participants in their communities. It is also a good opportunity for university students to gain professional real-world experience.
Anyone can benefit from the experience provided by academic learning services. Although it is a relatively new concept, it's rapidly gaining popularity. Don't be left behind! Whether you are a student, teacher or a parent, talk to your school's counselor today about how you can incorporate academic learning services into your classroom. Take a look at how other tutoring services can help you as well.
