Transforming the classroom into a learning lab

摘要

Throughout many of the classrooms in America, students are continually being hushed, and quieted. While both classmates and instructors fall prey to the tedious task of keeping students focused on the topic, the service-learning pedagogy goes againstthis mindset and encourages students to talk and share their insights. One of the foremost requirements of successful service-learning is the transformation of teachers to facilitators and students to learners and teachers. Although respect for peers isstill a necessity, the involvement level of each student is heightened and essential to the learning of all involved in the experience. The question of how to facilitate reflection is a common problem. Reflection is often overlooked because students hesitate or openly rebel when asked to think about and share what they learned in the service experience. Students are involved in each step, but fail to understand the need to reflect.