Stylus Publishing (VA) The Student Companion to Community Engaged Learning: What You Need to Know for Transformative Learning and Real Social Change

This book is intended for students enrolled in a community-engaged course. As a service learning teacher, I have found it very useful. The authors express their ideas on a level that's appropriate for high school or undergraduate college students, especially those who may not already be fully bought into the value or methodology of such classes. I have been grateful for the framing the book offers, which has impacted how I talk about this work with students.The authors believe deeply in the value of community-engaged learning, and succeed in communicating their excitement in terms that are readily understandable. Their advice is useful regarding the kinds of "dispositions" that students should cultivate (such as curiosity, humility, and empathy) to get the most out of a placement, regardless of specific criteria for course credit. And they explain basic student responsibilities that I often take for granted (such as professional behavior and active communication), which are useful for some of my students to have spelled out. Their advice regarding critical reflection has impacted the prompts I use for a number of discussions and writing assignments.Finally, the book is full of QR Code links to various video resources. Many of these are videos of college students talking about the impact of community-engaged learning, which provide accessible insights and examples for fellow students launching into this work.Overall, I highly recommend this book as a "student companion", as the authors identify it in the title. Educators can benefit from the frameworks, resources, and reminders it provides as a guide for helping students buy in and get the most out of community-engaged experiences.

No frills solid book