Course Description:
This course is for students who have completed two or more years of Japanese or have reached an intermediate level of proficiency, and want to continue to build a higher level of proficiency. This course counts toward fulfilling CSUMB’s Japanese Major Learning Outcomes (MLO 1) and it also fulfills CSUMB’s upper division service learning requirement. Students will have opportunity to engage with community projects of import and relevance, while examining issues of justice, compassion, diversity and social responsibility. Students have opportunity to deepen their knowledge of Japanese language and culture through their community service and develop communication skills through discussions, reflection essays and presentations.
Reflective Narrative:
In this class we learned about learning, teaching, and the definition of service. Service is different from helping and fixing. The idea of helping implies that the helper is stronger and the helped is weaker. In a similar way, fixing implies that something is wrong. Service is a more global way of looking at things. Rather than presupposing a difference between people, service works from the standpoint that we are all the same. Thus, we are all working together toward the common good.
Half of this course took place in the classroom, where Japanese and American students worked together to read and interpret various articles and ideas about learning, teaching, and service.
The other half of this course took place at local elementary schools. My group went to Crumpton Elementary in Marina, where we taught about Japanese culture at their after-school program. At the beginning of the year, only a few children knew about Japan. Several thought Japan and China were the same place. Each week, my group would teach a small aspect of Japanese culture to the children. My fondest memory from this class was when we all went outside and played “Darumasan ga Koronda”, a Japanese children’s game, with the class. Even though it was all new to them, the children loved Japanese culture, and were always eager to learn more.
I was able to learn a lot about teaching elementary-age children from this class, something that I had no experience with previously. As I intend to become a teacher after I graduate, this experience was invaluable to me.
This course is for students who have completed two or more years of Japanese or have reached an intermediate level of proficiency, and want to continue to build a higher level of proficiency. This course counts toward fulfilling CSUMB’s Japanese Major Learning Outcomes (MLO 1) and it also fulfills CSUMB’s upper division service learning requirement. Students will have opportunity to engage with community projects of import and relevance, while examining issues of justice, compassion, diversity and social responsibility. Students have opportunity to deepen their knowledge of Japanese language and culture through their community service and develop communication skills through discussions, reflection essays and presentations.
Reflective Narrative:
In this class we learned about learning, teaching, and the definition of service. Service is different from helping and fixing. The idea of helping implies that the helper is stronger and the helped is weaker. In a similar way, fixing implies that something is wrong. Service is a more global way of looking at things. Rather than presupposing a difference between people, service works from the standpoint that we are all the same. Thus, we are all working together toward the common good.
Half of this course took place in the classroom, where Japanese and American students worked together to read and interpret various articles and ideas about learning, teaching, and service.
The other half of this course took place at local elementary schools. My group went to Crumpton Elementary in Marina, where we taught about Japanese culture at their after-school program. At the beginning of the year, only a few children knew about Japan. Several thought Japan and China were the same place. Each week, my group would teach a small aspect of Japanese culture to the children. My fondest memory from this class was when we all went outside and played “Darumasan ga Koronda”, a Japanese children’s game, with the class. Even though it was all new to them, the children loved Japanese culture, and were always eager to learn more.
I was able to learn a lot about teaching elementary-age children from this class, something that I had no experience with previously. As I intend to become a teacher after I graduate, this experience was invaluable to me.
Service Learning Final Essay | |
File Size: | 251 kb |
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Service Learning Final Presentation | |
File Size: | 750 kb |
File Type: |