Carinya School Service Learning
Key features
The Service Learning project at Carinya School involved a small number of students from Stage 4 (from the same class) in a project to develop their academic and interpersonal skills.
School context
Carinya School is a Priority School located in Sydney Region, catering for students with emotional disturbances/behaviour disorders with or without an intellectual disability. The students range in age from 8 years to 18 years of age. Carinya School was attracted to Service Learning because it provided an opportunity for students to participate in a learning experience that would be positive and meaningful for students. The school also wanted to create an ongoing, mutually beneficial relationship with St George School (a nearby school which caters for students with severe physical difficulties and disabilities) that was curriculum based, and in which core values were instilled.
What is Service Learning?
In Sydney Region, Service Learning is defined as “a method of teaching, learning and reflecting that combines academic school work with meaningful community service in real situations. Students learn by applying their skills and knowledge in projects that have significance in the real world.”
Teachers are trained by the region to deliver a Service Learning project. Teacher training covers: reflective thinking skills; liaising with community organisations; linking the Service Learning project to core curriculum outcomes; the NSW Quality teaching model; and Values education. Teachers then integrated this learning into projects designed by the students in their schools. Student self-direction and self-regulation are key features of the project.
Students are required to:
- reflect on an unmet need in their community
- develop a partnership with the community
- liaise with the community to deliver a voluntary service of some kind
- evaluate their effectiveness in meeting the identified need.
Unlike regular voluntary community service, Service Learning requires students to take a proactive role in the kind of service they deliver, and to reflect deeply on their own effectiveness in that role.
Overview of Carinya's Service Learning Project
The Service Learning project at Carinya School involved a small number of students from Stage 4 (from the same class) in a project to develop their academic and interpersonal skills.
The project also provided the opportunity to learn about and demonstrate generosity, kindness, empathy and understanding of the differences of others.
In planning the project, teachers mapped syllabus outcomes and learning tasks in English, Mathematics and PD/H/PE. For the students, the project began with an introduction to Service Learning and a group discussion. This was followed by a visit to St George School where participants met the staff and students, and had a tour of the school grounds. Students then discussed the:
- similarities and differences between the two schools
- impact of physical disabilities on student learning
- possible ways to create friendships in a positive, mutually beneficial way.
Teachers then presented links to Values Education (integrity, respect, responsibility, cooperation, participation, care) which were included in the big ideas on which the project was based. These included:
- supporting each other and working together as a group to achieve their goals
- focusing on each others strengths so that everyone can be a productive, contributing group member
- demonstrating empathy and concern for others and contributing positively to the community.
The students from Carinya School decided to provide a service for students from St George School with severe disabilities. This service involved feeding students who were unable to feed themselves, helping students with their school work, and fundraising. Students from Carinya School kept reflective journals and produced individual digital stories to represent their thoughts and feelings about the project as well as their understanding of the project.
Links to the elements of the NSW Quality teaching model were mapped by the teachers in the following way:
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Intellectual Quality Deep knowledge - Key concepts & big ideas were discussed during reflection time. Students also used information they gathered to plan and adjust their activities. Deep understanding - Demonstrated by the activities planned by students. |
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Quality Learning Environment Explicit Quality Criteria - Determined by syllabus outcomes and discussed with students. Engagement - Due to the “hands on” nature of tasks, all students were actively involved in the tasks. Student self-direction - The fundraising event and celebration offered students the opportunity to exercise greater initiative and autonomy. Student self-direction – The fundraising event and celebration offered students the opportunity to exercise greater initiative and autonomy. Student self-regulation – Students identified times when they experienced difficulties and acted appropriately at those times. |
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Significance Background knowledge – Some students had visited St George School before and this knowledge was drawn upon. This was elicited through discussions. Knowledge integration – The project demanded integration across a range of Key learning areas including English, Maths and PDHPE. Connectedness – The students used skills they had worked on in class and transferred these when in the new setting. Narrative – Students reflected on their experiences through journal writing, discussions and minute-taking. |
Evaluation
Students achieved syllabus outcomes in English, Mathematics and PDHPE.
In reflecting on their Service Learning project students were very positive about their personal achievements and the insights they gained through their participation.
Students reported that they had gained a greater perspective on their own lives, and on the difficulties faced by the students who had severe physical disabilities. The students also felt that they had been involved in a meaningful way in helping to make things better for others. All students produced the required academic outcomes for the project.
One student demonstrated extraordinary resilience when the student he had been assisting (and with whom he had bonded) died, and he was able to find positive ways to share and come to terms with his grief, including creating a memorial presentation.
