Schmidt Chapter Seven: Community in the Classroom

I love the idea that Schmidt relays on “Community in the Classroom.”  While reading chapter seven it explains ways to have community based learning in our classrooms. The author gives us eight ways in which community based learning has to offer our students. They are: Community-based projects put kids in the drivers seat, Community-based projects are academically and socially rigorous, Community-based learning requires different ways of knowing, Community-based learning is active, Teaching and learning are shared, Life and learning are fused, Student work has meaning in the world beyond, and Projects take on a life of their own. By having my students partake in community based learning they can take what they are learning in the classroom and infuse it into their everyday life. By having my students be part of the community it will create meaning in their learning that what they are doing is not only for the classroom but for what are outside the walls as well. This type of project also allows for students to be independent. “Our students will be co-teaching the curriculum as it evolves. With a bit of guidance, students organize themselves to work groups with a clear purpose, creating a pool of talent and drive.” (Schmidt, 142).

Being in Special Education, there are many opportunities for me to use Community-based learning. I am currently student teaching at Carl Sandburg high school in a multi-needs classroom. During my third hour I am teaching a class called “Daily Living Skills.” In this class we take the time to help our students to become citizens in the community and how we should act socially appropriate. Every Monday, the students and I decide on a recipe that we would like to make as a class. We also have a unit that we work on every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. The unit we are currently working on is “How to run a household.” My students are learning how to cook, clean, handle money and to learn to live independently. Every Tuesday we create a grocery list and walk over to Jewel to pick up our supplies. Each student (with guidance if needed) will go off independently in source for their specific items. They have learned to look at the aisle signs or who to ask when they are having trouble find a certain food or supply.

Also during my sixth hour, I am teaching a vocational class. In this class we learn how to be good employees. They will do work around the classroom and school in order to work for “Sandburg dollars” that they can use to buy things from me (candy, chips, homework pass, movie day, ECT). After they finish working they then have to fill out a time sheet and have me sign it. This type of class prepares my students for when they have to hold a job outside school. Many of our students are then chosen to work through Sandburg at places around Sandburg like a bakery down the street or even at Palos Hospital. This type of learning helps my students to use what they are learning in school to their real life. Without this class many of our students would struggle in how to handle a job in the correct way.