Service Learning in Central Michigan University's Teacher Education Program
By Thomas P. Kromer, CMU Teacher Education & Professional Development

Service learning started in the teacher education program at CMU during the spring semester of 1993. The university had been awarded a small Michigan Campus Compact grant to start service learning. During the first semester eight student teachers were given instruction and attended a full day workshop on service learning provided by the teachers from Bloomfield Hills Schools. At the time one of the few school systems in the state that promoted service learning in their K-12 curriculum and had a service requirement for graduation.

During their 16-week student teaching experience six of these original eight student teachers actually produced a service-learning activity while they student taught. Because there were few materials available to help students or inservice teachers understand the concept of service learning, an eleven minute video tape was produced featuring four of these student teachers talking about their projects.

In addition, a booklet, A Step-by-Step Approach to Implementing Service Learning in the P-12 Classroom , and presentation materials, S.P.A.R.K.L.E.-Service Produces A Rich Knowledge-Based Learning Environment were produced to help students and inservice teachers understand what service learning is and how service learning might be implemented in a classroom.

Each semester since the fall of 1993 more than 100 CMU student teachers have received initial training in service learning during the first few weeks of their student teaching experience. All are encouraged to implement a service learning project during their student teaching experience. It is written into the student teaching seminar syllabus and graded based on a rubric, planning report, report form and reflection which is completed by each student teacher.

In addition, service learning concepts are taught in a variety of middle school courses, elementary methods courses, in the secondary general methods course and in a variety of graduate courses.

To date more than 800 different service-learning activities have been developed and implemented by CMU student teachers throughout the state of Michigan. Projects developed by CMU student teachers and implemented by their K-12 students have helped communities with elections, provided posters to publicize community events, assisted senior citizens, provided reading instruction for non-native speakers, provided entertainment at community events, provided materials for classrooms, developed nature trails, provided flowers to beautify communities and provided dozens of additional services which had direct ties to the curricula they were studying.

These service learning activities have taken place in large schools in urban areas, small rural schools, private schools and alternative schools. In many instances CMU student teachers were responsible for introducing service learning into their school’s curriculum.

CMU student teachers have helped with presentations at Association of Teacher Educator’s National conferences, National Middle School conferences and the National Service Learning conferences as well as more than a dozen local, state and regional conferences. In addition more than a dozen teacher education faculty have made service learning presentations at state, regional, national and international conferences.

During the period from the fall semester of 2000 until the summer session of 2003 thirty education program teachers were trained as Service Learning Fellows. The semester long professional development activity helped professors to understand the concepts of service learning and how to implement service learning activities in their courses.

The booklet and video produced at CMU have been used by school personnel from California to Pennsylvania and have been adapted for use at other colleges and universities.

During the 2005-2006 academic year a "Service Learning" learning community has been formed and funded by the university. Additional faculty will be invited to join this learning community in the near future. One of the immediate goals of this learning community is to update the service learning booklet and to produce a new service learning DVD.