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Teaching Resources, Including Suggestions for Faculty to Involve
Students in Civic Activities
Copied with explicit permission from the
RCTC Cambodia Travel Study Page Section on Service Learning:
http://www.cambodiarctc.project.mnscu.edu/
1.
Note the following interesting and enlightening interview
with Paul Loeb: SDSUniverse: “How can faculty
help get students involved?”
Loeb: “Our society
does not give people models for involvement. Teachers and
parents do not teach students how to take a stand, what it
means to make change. They are taught instead facts and figures,
like Gradgrind the teacher filling his “student vessels” with
the necessary facts in Dickens’
Hard
Times- When I ask students what they know about any of the movements
that have changed America for the better — abolitionist,
suffragist, civil rights, labor — they tell me they do
not really learn the process, they learn the conclusions.
They do not understand what it was like to be part of those
movements. They do not have a framework for involvement.
It is tremendously important for faculty to offer students
models of actual human conviction, which is not the same as
saying, ‘Agree with me and get a good grade.’ Rather, students
need stalwart examples of human beings who actually care about
what is going on in the world. It is wise to connect them
with some of the service learning programs. Moreover, encourage
them to speak about their convictions without having to provide
27 footnotes for each opinion. If you make your classroom
a place where people feel comfortable expressing opinions,
you are offering a very powerful lesson for students.”(Some
slight alteration by Mark Halverson-Wente)
2.
“Teaching for Engagement,” by Paul Loeb
http://www.paulloeb.org/articles/Teach.htm
3.
Paul Loeb’s “Recommended Web Links for Civic Engagement”
http://paulloeb.org/Web Links.htm
4.
Paul Loeb’s general website for Impossible:
(Includes Suggestions for Classroom Use, Reading
Group and Student Study Questions, Articles by Paul Loeb,
Assorted Web Links, etc.)
http://www.paulloeb.org/newimp/impindex.htm
5.
Bibliography for Civic Engagement
http://www.nku.edu/~nkuope/bibliography.pdf
6.
Civic Engagement Exercise based upon Loeb’s “The Real Rosa
Parks,” an essay from Soul of a Citizen, and referred to repeatedly
in Impossible:
http://www.usm.edu/ccce/CivicsSeminar/M7-LifelongActiveCitizenship.htm. This website also includes other modules
relating to Civic Engagement such as “Government,” “Political
Philosophies,” “Service Learning and Mentoring,” etc.
7.
“101 Ideas for Combining Service and Learning”
This website offers ideas for combining service and learning
from the standpoint of number of disciplines. The ideas presented
may be used within the context of or in conjunction with Loeb’s
Impossible.
http://www.fiu.edu/~time4chg/Library/ideas.html
8.
“Civic Engagement, Community Engagement, Democratic Education
and Service Learning: Some Sources”
Rebecca Moore Howard, Writing Program Syracuse University,
lists some good resources for service learning and democratic
citizenship. Primarily, though not exclusively, from a writing/composition
perspective.
http://wrt-howard.syr.edu/Bibs/CivicServiceDemocracyComm.htm
9.
“Preparing Students for Service Learning and Civic Efficacy
Projects”
This essay by Dr. Jerry J. Morris, a Learning to Give Teacher-Consultant,
University of Detroit Mercy. Informed by Loeb’s principles,
Morris’ article summarizes the basis for student service learning
and civic engagement:
http://www.learningtogive.org/materials/preparing_students.asp?print=yes.
10.
SCCLL web news page mentions Seattle’s adoption of Loeb’s
book, Impossible,
for its common book and lists the following questions as grist
for thought and group discussion:
--“What
stops us from acting on issues we care about? Have there
been issues where you have wanted to take a stand but didn’t?
Why do you think you didn’t?”
--“If
there were issues where you did take a stand, what got you
involved?”
--“Do
you feel like you can make a difference? Or do you hold back
from acting because you think that your efforts would be futile?”
--What
is it that keeps us working for change even when results seem
elusive or frustrating? How much of it is a sense of our
own dignity?”
--“How
do we balance the importance of achieving immediate results
for our endeavor, and yet maintain long-term persistence?
Are there times when you have to keep on striving even if
you see no fruits?”
http://www.aallnet.org/sis/sccll/pdfs/winter2006.pdf#search=""Paul
Loeb" "common book"").
11.
“Deliberate Differences: Progressive and Conservative Campus
Activism in the United States”
This research article examines both conservative and progressive
political and social movements on college campuses that deal
with many of the issues and themes alluded to in Loeb’s book,
Impossible.
Locate this article with this link.
12.
A wide variety of service-learning links and resources from
the University of Minnesota-Crookston:
13.
See the Minnesota Campus Compact, “The
Minnesota Campus Civic Engagement Study: Defining Engagement
in a New Century.”
This study defined and elaborated upon the notion of service-learning,
campus civic engagement, and the public purpose and civic
mission of higher education, concepts that figure directly
and indirectly in Loeb’s, Impossible.
14.
“Essays for Hope in Troubled Times,” Ohio Schools, September
2005
This article references Loeb and addresses some of the issues
and themes that are prominent in Impossible:
IMPOSSIBLE.
15.
The “Changing
Faces of Minnesota Project”
This project involved first-year students from St. Thomas
University who, along with six faculty members, attempted
to apply service learning ideals and strategies to the community—middle
and high schools that have a large percentage of ESL students.
Paul Loeb was a co-curricular speaker, and his notions of
civic responsibility and social activism motivated and guided
the project. Interesting rubrics were designed to determine
expectations prior to initiating the project as well as to
assess the success of the completed project (for
a html version, click here).
16.
“Staying the Course”
This is an essay by Mary-Wynne Ashford that touches upon many
of the themes and issues brought to the fore by Loeb’s book.
It is an interesting read this Link.
17.
Jeanne Curran, in her service-learning
course website for “Criminal Justice/Social Justice” at
California State University, uses Loeb as a resource.
She asks students, “The difficult I’ll do right now. The
impossible will take a little while.” Define what you believe
is a “difficulty.” Moreover, what do you consider “impossible?”
Explore these two different situations by referring to Loeb’s
book and website. Also, research how much (i.e. what percentage)
of our national governmental budget goes to children and such
related programs that benefit children? Compare that with
the percentage of our national budget appropriated to the
military. What does this say about our priorities as a nation
and as a community? Refer to Loeb’s website and Impossible.
18.
Website
of the Association of American Colleges and Universities:
Offers a variety of resources and strategies, including Loeb’s
book, on civic engagement, advocacy, assessment, and service
learning.
19.
“Essays
of Hope in Troubled Times,” Ohio Schools, September 2005
As members of a professional educational association, the
individuals involved face the problems, themes, hope, and
aspirations expressed in Loeb’s book. Note the argument expressed
in this essay.
20.
“Honors
Forum Lecture Series, 2001-2002,” entitled, “Citizenship:
the Individual in Community”
This lecture series, held at Maricopa Community College, focused
upon “Teaching for Engagement” and included a web-based discussion
in which Mr. Loeb responded to faculty questions and responses.
Unfortunately, the online discussion link is down. Please
contact the Maricopa administrator at www.mcli.dist.maricopa.edu, as this would undoubtedly be a good resource.
21.
An interesting dialogue on civic engagement - and
video!
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