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Article Excerpt
Abstract
Students with emotional and behavioral disturbance require social skills instruction. One experiential learning method which encourages the development of social skills is service learning. Service learning projects can provide an opportunity for students to cooperatively work with others in a positive social arena, and through service, discover their own value and worth. In the course of the described service learning initiative, social and emotional learning in an authentic environment was encouraged for students with emotional and behavioral disturbance.
Background
As an experiential teaching and learning method, service learning (SL) has been used in pre-service teacher education programs (Mayhew, 2000; Wilson, 2005), in alternative educational settings (Meyers, 1999; Murry, 2001), among normal achieving students (Rasmussen, 2000; Scales, Blyth, Berkas, & Kielsmeier, 2000), among students with learning disabilities (Burns, Storey, & Certo, 1999; Jennings, 2001), and among students with emotional and behavioral disturbance (Adelman & Taylor, 2000; Frey, 2003; Muscott, 2000). SL involves "teaching and learning ... that integrates community service with academic study to enrich learning, teach civic responsibility, and strengthen communities" (National Commission on Service Learning, 2002, p.3). Such services noted in the research include students participating in cross-age reading experiences (Jennings, 2001), in environmental education (Rasmussen, 2000), participating with senior citizens in social and recreational events (Kleinert et al., 2004), and writing letters for hospitalized individuals (Emory & Richardson Turpin, 1996).
The conceptual framework of SL initiatives dates back to the ideas of Vygotsky (1962) and John Dewey (1938). These theorists suggest that all learning is socially based and that in order to learn, students must experience concepts in an authentic interactive environment. Engaging students experientially is particularly beneficial for students who may be disruptive to traditional classroom routines, unmotivated, easily distracted, lack self-confidence, and display poor interactions with peers (Gresham, Lane, Macmillan, & Bocian, 1999). Students with special needs have reported a sense of empowerment through their service to others and as a result, they view themselves as worthwhile and productive individuals (Karayan & Gathercoal, 2003). Billig (2000) indicated that by engaging in SL projects, students perceived themselves as socially competent and developed interpersonally.
Service Learning (SL) targets all age levels, but may have considerable effects for students with disabilities and/or those who are at risk. The Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) is devoted to enhancing children's social-emotional academic development from pre-school to high school. This organization, based at the University of Illinois at Chicago, defines social-emotional learning (SEL) as the process through which individuals learn to recognize and manage emotions, care about others, make good decisions, behave ethically and responsibly, develop positive relationships, and avoid negative behaviors (Elias et al., 1997). SEL competencies may include self awareness, social awareness, self-management, relationship skills, and responsible decision...
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