What a treat to see this video review of The Order of the Trees come into my inbox yesterday! Litpick, a student review site for books, gave the the book 5 stars and a student created this video review. I love how the male student reviewer shared that the book features a strong female character in Cedar, and that it carries a message of the importance of protecting nature.
Thank you, student reviewers of Litpicks!
The spring edition of Current Issues in Middle Level Education is out! I am excited to have a piece in this academic journal, called Learning by Doing: service learning as a means of personal growth in the middle grades. Here’s the introduction:
“Does service learning impact the personal growth of middle grades students in grades 4-8? If so, in what ways? A review of the literature indicates that it does, in terms of the development of empathy, responsibility, civic engagement, and self-efficacy. In addition, findings include growth in students’ communication with parents and teachers. In this literature review the developmental match between service learning and early adolescence is analyzed, as well the research on personal growth and service learning among K-16 populations. In addition, the issues of reducing bias, possible pitfalls of service learning in relation to personal development, and a measurement tool for future studies are shared. Findings include the importance of reflection, project duration, and mutual understanding between those served and participants of service learning. With these components in place, service learning can lead to significant personal growth in students, especially middle level learners.”
You can read the full article here!
Things are moving fast on the new edition of Real and Relevant: a guide for service and project based learning. This is an update to Change the World with Service Learning: How to organize, lead and assess service learning projects, published in 2011. The new edition will be released on June 30th, 2017 and is now available for pre-order in both hardback and paperback (or even better, ask for it at your local bookstore).
What’s new in this edition?
Here’s what two professors had to say about the new edition:
“With an intimate portrayal of her service learning experience, elementary teacher and teacher educator Katy Farber provides a hands–on guide for other teachers to take the plunge into service/project based learning. Her extensive practice and research allows for an up-to-date understanding of service/project based learning, so that teachers can engage students from grades 3-12 at the classroom, school and community level. As a teacher educator, I find this guide invaluable for introducing service/project based learning to my pre-service and practicing teachers.”
–James Nagle, Associate Professor, Saint Michael’s College; Co-Director, Middle Grades Collaborative
“This book is a tremendous resource for the 21st century progressive teacher. Offering a powerful balance of practical guidance and research-based examples, this new edition provides a comprehensive toolkit for service learning in the 21st century. The addition of new chapters devoted to technology, Makerspaces, and Genius Hours provides a compelling and timely illustration of the authentic ways in which service learning can work in conjunction with other contemporary movements in education.”
–Jessica DeMink-Carthew, Assistant Professor, Department of Education, Middle Level & Elementary Teacher Education, University of Vermont)
And how about the new cover? I hope it reflects the kind of deep student engagement and heart centered work I would love to inspire with this book.
I’ll be posting about giveaway opportunities shortly for June 30th, so please stay tuned. And if you are a professor or blogger interested in reviewing a copy of this book please contact me or Rowman Littlefield Publishers.
