e-servicepaper.htm

INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE SERVICE LEARNING REPORT -- Worth 10 points -- SPRING 2006

The service learning component of PHL 115 N3 - ETHICAL PRACTICE - is worth 10 points of the grade for the service and 10 points of the grade for a MINIMUM TEN-PAGE REFLECTIVE PAPER. This, for two reasons: (a) you will need at least that length to do the assignment creditably and (b) you need to push on beyond your normal inclination to think you’re finished. Points will be deducted if the minimum 10 page length is not met! Thus, on a 9 page paper, the most you can get is 9 points and only if the paper is A level in quality! On an 8 page page, the most you can get is 8 points and that only if the paper is A level in quality! Well, you get the idea -- at minimum 10 pages, the length is very modest. Please don't shortchange yourself and me by not doing the minimum as far as lenght is concerned.

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Part I (Descriptive): Report on the Service Learning:

This section should be descriptive in nature. Some questions which might guide your description are the following:

What sort of service organization did you work with? How would you characterize its goals and its working philosophy of service? How was it
organized? How did it achieve its aim?

What did you do? With whom? What was the dynamic in the Elon volunteer group? Did their attitudes, words, action forward the stated aims of
the organization or work against it? Did you live up to our class Mission statement?

Who were the people whom you were serving? What were their difficulties? What were their gifts? How did you and others in the roles of serving interact
with those being served? How did those you helped respond to your efforts? What did all this look like from their perspective?

These are not the only questions worth asking. Add your own. Find creative and interesting ways of presenting both the descriptive and evaluative
sections of your work.

How would you evaluate your service learning in terms of the framework we have been learning in class: Class mission. Four Beginnings. Traffic Light Model of minimal ethics and ethics of aspiration, The Three Domains -- surface and depth -- i.e. planetary, institutional, and interpersonal, Manipulative Persuasion - Paternalism - Non-manipulative Persuasion. Heteronomy and Autonomy. Star of David. Kohlberg's stages and Gilligan’s approach.. Etc. (I don't expect you to connect your experience with everything mentioned above. Choose what is appropriate.) Did your service learning enhance your class learning? How? Did your class learning bring out any distinctions which were helpful in analyzing your service learning? How? Note: Pay attention to subtle insights; I assume that you were a good person before this class; I want to know how your ethical awareness and sensitivity has increased and is increasing.

What ethical issues did you see during your time doing the service learning -- with the service organization, with the client population, with yourself and your coworkers? Harm and constricted possibilities? New ways to speak and think and act? Policies and procedures not good for the whole and fair to each?

Pick one issue on the policy or organizational level and write a proposal for improvement, suggesting wiser and more effective policies and procedures. How could living more fully our class mission have aided these issues?

What experience stands out for you in your service work? What insights did you gain from the total experience? What suggestions would you give to the Elon Volunteers to better carry out their aims? What suggestions would you give to one who choose this type service in a class like this next semester? (Add your own questions.) THIS FORMAT JUST COVERS THE BASES; EXCELLENCE REQUIRES INSIGHT & CREATIVE EXPRESSION!

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