REFLECTION ON A SERVICE LEARNING EVENT

I strongly agree that Service learning is a valuable pedagology to  include in a teacher education program because of the following two reasons:

-.It helps an educator to introduce learning in a form of games

·          - Service learning help educators to be creative and think of different ways of making a child understand what they are taught (come with different styles of learning)

(Peters 1991) Describes Data-process as a four-step reflection phases made up of description, analysis, theorizing and action

The planning of the event took many weeks of preparation. The groups started by coming up with games that will entertain the children and identified how the game is played and what the children will be learning and what developmental skills the children will gain after playing that particular game. Each group was required to come up with little things to give to the children as a token of appreciation for joining them and playing their game. After all the preparations the groups made a presentation to show whether they are ready or not for the event.

On 5 May 2016, 09:30 am -11:30 am. The first years of the Mpumalanga University hosted the school carnival day for the pupils of Mareleng Teaching School. The event was planned in such a way that students are grouped into 18 groups and each group come up with a game that the children will play during the carnival celebration. On the day of the service learning event children from Mareleng primary were amazed by the games they had to play and enjoy.

Pupils chose the groups that they want to be with and the games they want to play. But for some groups it was impossible to wait for the learners to come to them, they gaped the pupils by hands on their arrival. Some went with them and some denied because they do not know their faces. They wanted to be with their assigned teachers. What I experienced is that children are really good at enjoying the moment, they are energetic and love bright colors and loud things. In this experience I learned that children have easy attraction to sounds. They love noise and running around.

The event aimed at entertaining children and at have same time develop  their skills for example, gross and fine motor skills when they run around jumping and holding balls, communication skills such as oral(critical listening) and nonverbal communication like body language. The children loved the gifts they were awarded after playing each game. In my group we rewarded educational gifts. We gave all the learners that played our games crayons and pencils. These resources introduced a different skill to learners than any group did. With pencils learners’ started practicing handwriting and invented spelling. They were writing their names on their hands and on the stems of the trees. Crayons will help them to be able to differentiate colors and develop their drawing skills.

It was a euphoric event where children danced, played different games, sang and had an overdose of fun. Children had an opportunity to allow their true hearts to come out and have as much fun as possible. I have experienced that children are always hungry to learn and they need their educator’s demonstration in order to understand what they are told. I noticed that foundation phase learners need an educator that is energetic and focused. A teacher who is able to come with different games at all times so that children do not become bored playing one game over and over again. In our group we experienced children who would run to other groups because other groups were having fun and we were tired. I think most groups have experienced this issue.  Children need to stay entertained all the time.

  

Personally, I feel that I benefited the most from making sure that the children do not run away from our group. You have to treat a child with respect and make sure that they trust you. Always smile to the child and make sure that the child is free, safe and open around you. This helped me to be humble and patient all the time throughout the carnival celebration.