Community Based Learning 100: Introduction to CBL
Instructor: Kara McLuckie
Office: Bewkes 121-1
E-mail:
Phone: (716) 982-9612
About CBL 100: This course is designed to highlight the academic facet of your current and future service-learning work. With this in mind, we will explore critically some texts that have influenced the development of experiential learning in general (of which CBL is a subset), and some texts that are foundational for the particular stance St. Lawrence University’s Center for Civic Engagement takes on CBL.
Along the way, we will do activities that are meant to foster personal growth and collaborative communication. For example, we will experiment with techniques for mindfulness, emotional awareness, and self-understanding as means of deepening the relationships that are part and parcel to engagement with your community placement. Although this work will not feel academic per se, it is an important side of Community Based Learning and is sure to help you as you move through your scholarly career.
Finally, but in no way minor, you will participate in a Community Based Learning placement with a community agency. Arrangements for your placement should be made with Brenda Papineau at the Center for Civic Engagement in the Whitman Annex. Your service time will range between 20 and 40 hours: 20 hours for class enrollees only, and 40 hours for CBL Living Suite residents. Your community placement is where you will have the best opportunity to experience, apply, and evaluate what we talk about in class and it will also be your richest source for class discussion and journaling material. Regular attendance at your placement in accord with the two hour s(for class enrollees) and four hours (for CBL Suite residents) per week model is expected and is essential to your learning in this course.
The culminating project for CBL 100 will be a presentation at the Festival of CBL on April 29th. Over the course of the semester we will take some class time to study, discuss, and plan presentations for the festival. This is a chance for you to creatively express what you have gained from your CBL experience in front of an audience!
Required Texts:
Coles, Robert. The Call of Service: A Witness to Idealism.
Loeb, Paul. Soul of A Citizen: Living Life with Conviction.
These texts ARE NOT available through the bookstore. You may purchase or borrow them in any format you wish (electronic is OK) through whatever venue you prefer.
Other Texts:
We will be working with some additional texts that will be posted on my blog page: blogs.stlawu.edu/slpem/Posted readings are marked with and *.
Grading:
Festival of CBL (30%): April 29. This is a required part of the course.
Readings, Writings, Discussion and Activities Participation(20%): There will be a variety of assignments that will be given and completion of this work according to the course schedule is expected. There are no make up opportunities for late work; however, incomplete work will be graded on its own merit. So if you did not finish an assignment turn in what you have and it will be evaluated and assessed a .5 point penalty on a 0.0-4.0 grading scale.
Evaluation of discussion and activities participation will be based on a record of in class work. For example, some activities will ask you to fill out a work sheet. There are no make up opportunities for missed in class work.
I will also asking you to do some reflection writing, which will be subject to evaluation after each assignment. Details about reflection writing will be given as the work is assigned. You should be prepared to share your reflection with the class on the date that it is due, and please submit hard copy of the reflection on the due date.
Course Attendance (20%): Since this is mostly a discussion and activity based class that depends on you sharing your experiences and ideas your attendance is important. You will be allowed three absences, no questions asked. As you move past three absences your grade may be compromised.
CBL Hours Completion/Mid-Semester Evaluation (15%): You must complete you CBL placement hours (20 for class enrollees, and 40 for CBL Suite residents). There will be a 5% grade reduction for every hour you are below your hours.
In mid-March there will be a mid-semester evaluation process facilitated by the Center for Civic Engagement that will take place with your Community Mentor/CBL Director. If you do not participate in a mid-semester evaluation there will be a 7.5% reduction of your grade in this section.
Professionalism, Courtesy, and Cooperation (15%): It is common for e-mail communication to be sent from the CCE and your Community Mentor, and it is your responsibility to respond to those e-mails in a timely way to the best of your ability. Also, there is ongoing paperwork that is part of the CBL process. Staying current with things such as contracts, time logs, and project proposals is your responsibility and all important dates related to these items are listed in italics on the course schedule as a reminder to you.
The CCE and Community Mentors are in close communication with me about missing paperwork and any issues you may be having with your placement so grade reductions in this section will be based on the effort you make to resolve any situations brought to my attention. I consider a strong effort to resolve an issue a record of communication (i.e., be sure to cc me on your e-mail communications) with the CCE or Community Mentor or Community Partner, if necessary, about any particular issues you are having with your placement or paperwork. In addition, if a meeting is deemed necessary to fully resolve a situation, I expect that you will report to me either by e-mail or in person about the outcome of that meeting. Of course, if you feel that you would like my support resolving a situation I am happy to speak with you at anytime during the resolution process or attend a meeting with all concerned parties if it fits my schedule.
Ultimately, if you are able to stay current with your paperwork and address concerns if they arise at your placement in a timely way this should be an easy 15% of your grade.
Course Schedule:
Assignments and due dates may change at the discretion of the instructor.
Week 1
Introduction-What is expected of you in CBL 100.
Read for Week 2: “What Do we Mean When We Talk About Service and Rhizome Reading*
Write for Week 2: Set up a blog through the SLU IT page. Create an introductory post about why you have chosen to do CBL work this semester.
Week 2
Discussion: What are we doing? Defining CBL at SLU and differentiating civic engagement from service-learning and other modes of experiential learning.
Views of CBL-Field of Study vs. Academic Discipline
Read for Week 3: Butin Essay*
Write for Week 3: Describe organizational culture
Week 3
Discussion: Butin essay
Activity: Emotional Awareness-Listening to yourself and others
Read for Week 4: Loeb chapters 1-2
Blog Post for Week 4: TBA
Week 4
Discussion: Festival of CBL Projects-View some sample projects, what makes a strong presentation, good info to include in your presentation, and how I will evaluate the work.
Loeb chapter 1-2
Read for Week 5: Loeb chapters 3-5.
Blog Post for Week 5: Self-evaluation of CBL placement work and class work and annotated bibliography entry for one scholarly journal article about experiential learning, civic engagement or service-learning and one scholarly journal article regarding participatory action research.
Week 5
Festival of CBL conflict notification: You must report to me if you have a conflict with the April 29th time
Discussion: Loeb Ch 3-5
Read for Week 6: Loeb Ch 6-8
Week 6
Discussion: Loeb 6-8
Read for Week 7: Loeb 9-12
Blog Post for Week 7: Write a formal project proposal for Festival of CBL presentation
Week 7
DISCUSSION: Loeb 9-12
Read for Week 9: Coles 1-114
Blog Post for Week 9: TBA
Week 8 SPRING BREAK
Week 9
Discussion: Coles 1-114
Read for Week 10: Coles 115-175
Blog Post for Week 10: TBA
Week 10
Discussion: Coles
Read for Week 11: Finish Coles (including epilogue)
Blog Post for Week 11: How do you see CBL helping you beyond SLU?
Week 11
Discussion: Coles conclusion
Read for Week 12: Butin Essay*
Blog Post for Week 12: Critique Butin essay
Week 12
Watch Rango
Blog Post for Week 11: What CBL themes does Rangoreflect?
Week 13
TBA
Course Evaluations
Week 14
TBA
Week 15
TBA