SERVICE LEARNING IN BIOLOGY in a nutshell

SERVICE LEARNING AS A 21ST CENTURY SKILL

 

www.wcboe.org

Last year, I attempted to explore on service learning as applied in biological sciences. It was a serendipitous initiative because as I browse for references on SL, I discovered many documents that are research-based. With the on-going work on NGSS, particularly the science and engineering practices, SL is really having the spotlight as a promising area for developing and deepening 21st century skills. In the case of science, Biology in particular, the challenge is how to merge advocacies with the basic attributes of SL and striking a balance with an authentic integration of the 21st century skills. Several times in the past, (I know many would agree) that classroom and co-curricular activities were a "potpourri" of activities. Teachers and learners enjoy very much the experience per se but somewhere in the instruction, authenticity and sustainability are neglected. When we focus on the short-term effects, we defeat the long-term vision of the curriculum. Here is the abstract of the paper which  hope to post on the blog in the hope of gathering more advocates for Service Learning and 21st century skills in teaching Biology.

Many thanks to Dr. Bagarinao of UPOU who encouraged me to pursue the topic on SL, and for his constructive feedbacks, as well.