Susan Starks

Opportunities for service learning are growing and their value is recognized by students, faculty and community participants.

Students and community members both benefit from community service work.  It is important to get and give feedback to make sure the project is meeting their needs.  Evaluation of the project is key, and can be accomplished in a variety of ways, such as weekly emailed responses.  

Creating a variety of service opportunities is critical to student "buy in" and will promote both student and community satisfaction.

I teach in a practical nursing program.  The students come from a variety of backgrounds an each brings a unique set of ideas about community needs and potential projects.  In addition to classroom time, the students attend a clinical learning component at a local hospital.  The students are a rich resource for gaining knowledge of local community service projects.

Students with learning disabilities can be a challenge in the class but often with support and understanding do well.

Depending on the setting, I have taught many learners who either have English as their second language or have some limitations due to their previous learning experiences.  Key points presented here have helped me better present and assess material and content.

This was an excellent review of techniques to improve my classroom presence and delivery.  I especially appreciated the use of silence and pauses during lectures and teaching to assist the students to absorb or think about the content.

I have a better understanding of how to structure and instruct students in small group settings.  I prefer to randomly assign students to specific groups to avoid issues with selection.