INTRODUCTION
Service learning is an integral part of
B.Ed curriculum. As per the curriculum, we have to devote three days (1st May,
2nd May and 10th May) for different community services. It was during our
teaching internship where our faculty members (Dr. Sushi Kumar and Mr. Dinesh)
had proposed to conduct service learning in N.D Victor Senior Secondary School,
Jalandhar cantt. Both of our faculty members guided, advised, supported and
helped us in every step of our social services. They had begun our community
service with an informal orientation after signing our arrival in the
attendances sheet. Informations regarding rules and procedures to be followed
during the three days were shared by them. Their ideology regarding community
service as an activity which has to be carried out with joy and dedication was
highly motivating. They also highlighted about realisation of objectives
proposed in the service learning.
Personally, I believe community service is working for others with full
dedication in unconditional way. So, community service should have prime theme
of ‘Others before self’ and conducted in best way we can.
We worked voluntarily by devoting our
time and service for the benefit of N.D. Victor Senior Secondary School,
Jaladhar Cantt. We had delivered our hands-on community oriented activities
with objectives of helping the school directly or indirectly in some capacity.
In those three days, we have provided following social services in the school
and around the community associated with the school:
Day 1(01/05/2014): Campus cleanliness
drive, Cutting and shaping hedge
Day 2(02/05/2014): Tree plantation and
campus beautification
Day 3(10/05/2014): Rally on
environmental awareness
For some students, it was their first
time of doing social service for a community. It was visible through their
contributions. On the first day, they say it was discomforting experience and
tiresome service. But, on the second day they were dedicated and put their full
effort in contributing whatever they can. Their contributions and devotion were
prime source of inspiration and motivation for many of our team members.
Working together cooperatively was great experience which drives one towards
development of team spirit, cooperation and social skills along with
development of working skills.
In those three days, we dedicated
ourselves with objectives of contributing whatever service in best ever way for
the benefit of the school. We were appreciated by the school principal and
other staffs members of the school. They admired and honoured us with tea and
samosa. While working, we were served glasses of cold water in the biting heat
of sun. Most of us had lots of moments to cheer among ourselves and with our
faculty members and staffs of the school. It was indeed a valuable and selfless
contribution for the school. Many of our team members had good experience of
working together as a united team.
OBJECTIVES
Incorporation of service learning in
B.Ed curriculum has importance over sharing resources, meeting community needs
and helping ourselves in becoming transformer or change agents for future.
Every program has its importance and significance for the learner. The service
learning was a real life practical oriented field learning in community. The
basic Idea of incorporating such program in B.Ed teaching internship is to
achieve various objectives and goals. The chief objectives can be listed
briefly as below:
- To enhance pupil teacher’s learning by enabling them to practice skills and relate their learning through services in the local community.
- To enable pupil teachers to provide necessary help to community.
- To learn to work under guidance of faculty as team in local community.
- To earn leadership qualities and grab opportunities to learn while serving communities.
- To prepare pupil teachers to engage in meaningful service.
- To expose pupil teachers in real life community experiences so as to learn various social skills.
- To provide pupil teachers rich employment and leadership experiences.
- Service Learning has been found to enhance the following qualities among students:
- Holistic development of pupil teacher (Self realisation, social, intellectual, physical, spiritual and moral growth).
- To develop social and interpersonal (leadership, communication, ability to work with others).
- To develop student’s cultural and racial understanding.
- To empower individual’s sense of civic responsibility, citizenship skills, and social development.
- To enhance student’s commitment to service in future voluntary activities.
- To build relationship between university and local community.
LEARNING OUTCOMES
After completion of service Learning, I
learnt to provide community service in systematic and effective manner. It was
hands on experience and memorable learning which tune me to work effectively
for the benefit of society by challenging the problems that come across. I felt
it was an effective in instilling volunteering sense and developing responsible
individual of society. It is difficult to chalk out every memorable thing I
learnt during the service learning program. I am happy to express few of
memorable experiences learnt during the community service. Some of memorable experiences are as follows:
Learnt to appreciate people from diverse
social backgrounds.
Being committed person who sticks to
social justice.
Learnt to become contributive and
volunteering member of community.
Learnt to contribute for development of
community.
Knew how to help the community.
Become aware of ways to promote
resources learnt in the university in community.
Learnt to serve community in most
effective way.
Learnt to build strong relationship
between university and members in the community.
Learnt to interact with different
persons of various interests, attitudes, characteristics, backgrounds, and
values.
Learnt worthy personal values, community
views and their expectations from future teachers.
Learnt to orient myself with social
demand and vocational goals.
In nutshell, I would say that learning
some valuable lessons from the service learning is very beneficial. It was to
team up, cooperate and following a common futuristic goal for betterment of
community without discrimination on any field of difference. Change can be made
without differentiating each others aspiration rather working as team to empower
each other so as to uplift local community. Development of a
nation can start only through an individual’s selfless effort for community
which will empower everyone to work for each other and for world at large. So,
It is my recommendation to have service learning as an integral part of teacher
training and other professionals for transforming a society for better future.
MATERIAL AND EQUIPMENT USED
We used different devices and equipments
during our three days of service learning. On the first day, we used different
types of brooms like one attached with bamboo stick and other without bamboo
stick. We used sacs for collecting wastes materials. Dust bin made by plastic
bucket and dust pane were also used for collecting wastes. Sticks were used for
waste collection and segregation.
For cutting hedge, we had to use big
hedge cutter along with bamboo stick. Branches of dried trees were used to
collect and gather the cut hedge and unnecessary plants. To cut the uneven
growth of grasses on the playground areas, we used simple and advanced grass
cutting machine attached with handle.
We used paint (White chuna, red iron
paint), buckets, jugs, paint brushes of different sizes, and other accessories
for painting some parts of school building, some concrete walls, trees and
benches.
For planting trees, our team used
gardening tools for digging and making pit into which trees need to be planted
were fitted with soil and poured water with the help of jug and bucket.
We used charts for making slogan using
sketch pens of different colours. We have to use wooden sticks for the slogan
to hold in hand. We prepared slogans on environment using coloured sketch pens.
We have to use cardboard as support and to provide proper shape for the
slogans.
DESCRIPTION OF THE SERVICE
At N.D. Victor Senior Secondary School,
Jalandhar Cantt. we served in the best
way we could. It was an experiential service learning where we worked
selflessly as to represent our lovely professional university (LPU). I observed
that every team members are cooperative and ready to contribute what they can
for the school which had been back bone of our friendship to work together for
betterment of the school. It took two full days to complete the planed social
service planed for the school.
We used to report before 8:30 am in the
morning and signed our attendance at that time. After that there will be brief
guidance session by the assigned faculty members about the services to be
carried out. We the team members at the school were divided into groups and
works were distributed. We used to work from morning till around 12 pm and had
lunch by sharing tiffin brought by team members together with our faculty team
and the school staffs. After lunch we used to continue with our work voluntary
and complete the services planed. Anyhow, service learning in the school was
memorable and experiential. Brief summary of the service we have provided to
the school are as follow in day wise:
Day 1(01/05/2014): Campus cleanliness
drive, Cutting and shaping hedge
We were divided into groups and worked
in groups. The day’s mission was to clean the school premises by sweeping the
whole campus and segregating wastes collected into degradable and
non-degradable wastes. It was our plan to prepare organic/green manure from the
biodegradable wastes collected for future use in the school gardens.
Unfortunately, with suggestions of the school principal we had to burn down the
organic wastes though it is harmful to environment. But, it was a strong
emphasis by our faculty team to refrain from burning of organic matters whether
it is leaves or twigs of tree, cut grass, and other plant wastes in future. The
staff members in the school were very happy and they appreciated us about our
contribution. They honoured us by serving tea and samosa at noon.
Some of our team cut uneven growth of
hedge in the school gardens. We also cut extra growing grasses in the school
park. These were few simple start of our service in the school. Anyhow, during
the first day we collected organic wastes of almost one and half truck. Other
wastes materials were separately stored in the school waste disposal site.
Day 2(02/05/2014): Tree plantation and
campus beautification
On the second day we again divided into
groups and worked in groups after guidance and instructions given by our
faculty team from our university. A group has painted some part of school
building which need to be painted with white wash and iron red paint. We
painted the school benches provided in the gardens and play ground, main office
buildings, concrete walls and the trees near the school garden.
Some of our team members had planted
around 35 trees in the school premises. Few have washed the school meal
utensils and plates of school kids properly. We were served lemon water while
working by two of our members in the scoarching sun. It was thrilling to work
together without giving up in noon sun. We did our best and completed our work
after having lunch brought by some of our team members and lunch bought from
hotel with the money contributed by us. It was good moment being in team while
working and having lunch together in the school staff room.
Day 3(10/05/2014): Rally on
environmental awareness
Like the first two days of our service
learning, on the third day we gathered at N.D. Victor Senior Secondary School,
Jalandhar Cantt at 8:30 am and instructions for the day’s events were given by
our faculty team. It was then time for checking and reselection of slogans
prepared by us. This was followed by brain storming of new slogans on
environment. We submitted our slogans to our faculty team and they help us in
preparing new slogans from their laptop which were then printed. Meanwhile, we
also prepared other slogans on the chart along with the university logo.
We also had brief rehearsal session
after arranging our slogans and other necessary requirements for the rally.
This was followed by going for rally from the school to Jalandhar cantt. market
areas. It took till 12:00 o’ clock to complete a full cycle of rally in the
market. During rally, we were appreciated by some of the shop keepers and
business persons. Few people gaze at us, read our slogans and were discussing
on the issues. It was a good experience to march around for the environmental
cause.
After completion of the rally, we had
our lunch. We had a session of lecture on environmental awareness from 1 to 2
o' clock by our faculty team. This was followed by a session for reflection by
some members of our team about the rally and its theme on environment. Individual views were shared by some of our
friends. This session allowed us to reflect on values and importance of taking
action to protect and conserve environment. During this session we discussed
about the climate change, ozone layer depletion, global warming and need of
immediate conservation from each individual’s side. It was amazing to listen of
some of our friends who shared their own observation and experience of the
climate change and its deteriorating effect on ecosystem.
CHALLENGES FACED DURING SERVICE
During our service learning, there were
no major problems except hot sunny condition for working. Instead of facing
problems, we challenged every minor problem innovatively. Sometimes, when many
team members start working together at a time we faced problem in shortage of
equipment. For that we used improvised equipments like branches of tree as tool
for sweeping, gathering and collecting leafs as well as for segregating wastes
materials.
Every moment of service learning was so
experiential and was joy to every member to our entire group. Whenever one
group was done with their work, the group used to accompany other group in
completing planed task. Within our own group, we helped each other even when
someone is not willing provide the service.
SUGGESTIONS FOR BETTERMENT
In future, it is good if the service
learning is organised during the autumn season. During autumn weather condition
is suitable for working. Tree plantation seems to be a good Idea to contribute
for the cause of every member of society. But, I personally felt that planted
tree will get dried fast as we will not be able to poured water for at least
three to four months which in a way will not be a successful service. So, tree
plantations should be replaced by other better social services like going to
old age home and helping the old age people to clean up their household
belongings. Visiting rehabilitation centre, orphanage, special education
institutes, etc could be some other areas to provide social services.
Though the rally was exciting and
effective part of service learning, door to door wise environmental awareness
or organising a short and effective lecture cum activity based orientation of
public on caring environment might be a valuable contribution. During rally in
the hot sun, people stared at us and they were not interacting with us. These
are some simple Ideas which come across during the service learning which may
lead to better changes than going for demonstration though the rally was a
successful event.
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