As teachers, we have an incredible opportunity to engage our students in real-world problem solving that will greatly benefit them as learners. By creating dynamic and engaging projects, we can show our students how to use the knowledge and skills they are learning inside the classroom in their lives outside of the classroom, and give them a chance to demonstrate what they can do as resourceful and creative residents of their respective communities. Then our students will see that their education is the key not only to improving their own lives, but also to improving the lives of those around them.
We are under so much pressure to cover every single learning target in the curriculum that we rarely get to discuss why students should know what we're teaching or how they can put it to use in their lives. And yes, it's important to connect the knowledge and skill set they're learning to potential careers. But not all students are in touch with their own career possibilities or can even think that far ahead. Therefore, whether you connect your students to the school community, a local business or nonprofit organization, or other entities within your area, reaching out beyond the four walls of the classroom may be what it takes to motivate students to participate in their own education and to help them imagine their own futures.
Combining standards-based instruction with a community outreach component is not easy, so start small. Try adding one new component to something you're already doing. Perhaps for this term's research paper, your students can write about the work of a local nonprofit organization. They could research what the organization does and the issues it addresses, and they could even volunteer to work with the organization. Then they could write a paper about what they learned and create multimedia presentations, which would teach them about the problems directly afflicting their community as well as specific ways in which they can lend a hand to address these challenges.
No matter the content area, or the size and scope of the unit, real-world connections can be built in to your lessons. Perhaps during an ecology unit, students can organize some native habitat restoration or invasive species removal. Maybe there's another unit where students could begin a neighborhood composting program, or organize a tree planting activity. Math students can try crunching and graphing budget information from the school district to better understand the financial restrictions facing their school. For advanced language students, there's no limit to the extent of project possibilities they could undertake with members of the community. And the list goes on.
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What kinds of projects do you do with your students to engagethem in the community? Share your tips on ASCD's blog, Inservice.
