For my service learning project, I decided to conduct a mini-lesson on the importance of the printed word with the students. Since so many of them already have iPods, Blackberries, Nooks, and Kindles at this young age, I felt this would be the perfect opportunity to hear their opinions on technology and the digital age in which we live. I wanted to find out how many students love reading and value a physical copy of a book. There are several writers in the classroom, and I wanted to know if this had any effect on their opinion. For instance, I definitely feel that my love of the printed word has increased since I became a writer. Always a lover of books, something clicked in me when I started writing. More than ever, I began to value their importance and began creating my own library of both "classics" and contemporaries. I began by reading them The Librarian of Basra: A True Story from Iraq by Jeanette Winter. At the conclusion of the read-aloud, I could tell that the book had had an emotional impact on them. Still, there will always be those students who feel that computers and technology are the way to go. One look at the classroom and you can instantly tell who loves books and who, unfortunately, does not feel any need to preserve them.
It felt great to share my thoughts with the students regarding this important topic and to hear their own. I only hope that my commentary will get them thinking. I feel service learning is a useful strategy, especially if it is on a topic that is of interest to students. I agree with the text in that the best way to implement service learning within the classroom is to get students involved in a project they are interested in. With this being said, I would absolutely do this project with my students. As it is so relevant to our current society, I would certainly do it within my early years of teaching.
I found this to be a very beneficial service learning experience. I enjoyed having the option to do something within the classroom, as I was finding it incredibly difficult to contact places. I wish there were more hours in the day.
