Service Learning - Kahne and Westheimer

The Politcis of Service Learning


Throughout life, everyone experiences the oppuruntity to participate in service learning projects. Yet, each person takes away something different. Kahne and Wesheimer explain both of these instances in the different classrooms of Adams and Johnson.

Adam's Classroom

In the case of Ms. Adams middle school classroom, they researched to understand the issue at hand and how to fix it. Although they never stepped foot into the scene and experience the homeless first hand, they had the information and to address the problem,

Johnson's Classroom

The students of Ms. Johnsons class stepped into the scene and experienced serving others first hand. The assignment included choosing their own serving project, eventhough, there may not be a connection between these students are seeing the problems each in there own way.

Change vs. Charity

Yet when the arguement of Change vs. Charity comes into play, charity can be described as a short term additive expreince wheres change is a long term transformative experience. Both of which connect to the example classrooms of Johnson and Adams. Kahne and Wesheimer are not attempting to take away from each experience of discourage the students actions. Instead they are attempting to point out the strong differences of both projects. In the case of change, they are looking for a something/many things to be different for the better without necessary talking to each of the people being affected by it. Charity may give more of a personal experience without looking to change things.

Personal 

I have an internal debate when it comes to change and charity because some people may created change through charity while others may only be completing charity because it makes them feel good, or they need to meet a requirement. Whereas change can happen without speaking to the people who will be affected and the higher power will install these "fixes" which may in fact makes things even more difficult. Overall, change usually requires more background information without any necessary experience and charity requires no necessary background information.

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