Re: Teacher Education in Service Learning

Teresa,
I work with preservice interns at the University of
South Florida. I would say that most practicum
experiences do not qualify as high quality service
learning. However, I have altered the internship
experience by integrating service-learning into the
curriculum in two ways: (1) as a strategy that deepens
learning by linking academic content and student
experience within the context of the teacher education
program; and (2) as a strategy to be studied and
practiced in order to make it part of the repertoire
of teaching strategies possessed by beginning teachers
exiting our elementary teacher education program.
During the internship, I try to build a beginning
awareness of service-learning pedagogy to be
implemented as professional teachers. My students work
with their cooperating teachers to plan, develop, and
implement service learning experiences with their
students. The feedback I've received from cooperating
teachers was extremely positive. Many classroom
teachers valued the opportunity to have the roles of
student (preservice teacher) and teacher blurred in an
effort to continually grow as a practicing educator.
Many cooperating teachers commented on the knowledge
gained about a different approach to teaching. I felt
this process was very effective in providing my
students an opportunity to understand the pedagogy of
service learning, as well as a chance to see it in
action.

Steven Michael Hart
University of South Florida
Childhood Education
Tampa, Florida



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