Journal 11

Kids Galore Helping Kids in Darfur (November 2007, Learning and Leading with Technology, p32).

This article featured service-learning on-line work by third graders. In this project, students undertook the task of not only learning about genocide in the Darfur region of Sudan, they also committed to informing the world about the misfortunes. The website utilized many learning elements, including scavenger hunts to locate pertinent content; it also incorporated social justice through comparative studies, and included persuasive paragraphs for web-site visitors to donate to UNICEF and letters to Congress to address the problems in Sudan. Other skills were enhanced and including interviewing techniques, journalistic writing, keyboard typing, computer literacy, on-line research, effective Internet searching and the effective development of on-line media.

1. Is there merit in service learning? Yes! I firmly believe that all seniors should be required to complete a service component to graduate, and middle school students should be expected to fulfill a necessary role or task on campus or identify a “cause” to research, such as the Darfur issue studied above. Empathy is an important attribute that is further developed in service-learning environments; one that is crucial for a just society.

2. Can projects similar to this be implemented in my classroom? Yes! There are many issues in science and impact society. Unfortunately, exposure to current topics in sciences by the general population is limited, due to fear of sciences or limited understanding. It would be nice if topics could be addressed in layman’s terms and incorporate empathy to the group most affected.