ASCD SmartBrief Special Report: Teaching Social Responsibility (Part II)
Educating students about some of the issues they are likely to face as adults -- such as injustice and environmental changes -- may build a stronger foundation of character and ethics. Educators who have attempted methods such as service learning and classroom projects say they help create better students and better citizens.

This two-part ASCD SmartBrief Special Report, "Teaching Social Responsibility," explores how educators can teach students to serve, work together and consider how their actions affect the larger community.

Part II of this special report considers teaching methods that aim to develop the whole child as well as other areas of social responsibility. A sampling of perspectives on the idea will be explored.

Part I of the report, published Tuesday, looked at ways to encourage student involvement in communities and politics. It also discussed methods that some educators use to encourage students to act when they see injustice, and how environmental education can nurture social responsibility.

If you don't receive ASCD SmartBrief on a daily basis and you find our report on teacher learning useful, we urge you to sign up for our timely e-newsletter. ASCD SmartBrief delivers the stories making news in your profession directly to your inbox -- for FREE.

At a Glance

Teach compassion, service to develop conscience
Developing students' hearts as well as their minds should be among educators' highest priorities, writes Charles C. Haynes, a senior scholar at the First Amendment Center in Washington, D.C. "Yes, reading and math are important. But what matters most is what kinds of human beings are reading the books and doing the math," he writes. Educational Leadership (5/2009)

Schools must teach more than academics
Education that focuses on interpersonal skills such as collaboration, leadership, ethics and multiculturalism is especially at risk when programs must be cut to save money, writes high-school English and leadership teacher Paul Sutton. But such character education can start small and spread through a school, he writes. Education Week (premium article access compliments of EdWeek.org) (2/26)

Educating the Whole Child

Report: Service learning could reduce dropout rate
Learning to serve others may help students stay motivated in school, according to a dropout-prevention report. Some 81% of dropouts say real-world learning may have kept them in school, according to the report, and 82% of current students say such service learning would improve their attitude toward school. Educational Leadership (5/2009)

Top Virginia principal focuses on whole child
Benita Stephens, principal at a middle school in Virginia, has made her school a community hub by integrating social services. In one instance, she held a clothing and gift drive within the school that allowed low-income students to bring home gifts for themselves and family. Stephens also helped boost test scores and arts involvement, and has been named Virginia's middle-school principal of the year. The Washington Post (6/7)

Student organized hunger drive to raise money for poor
Massachusetts high-school senior Mathura Ravishankar, 17, led about 100 classmates to fast for 30 hours in an effort that raised more than $5,000 for the hungry, an effort her adviser doubted would catch on. Ravishankar said her desire to help started when she was offered the opportunity to work with autistic students at her middle school. The Boston Globe (tiered subscription model) (6/7)

Utah districts embrace whole-child model
Some Utah districts that are attempting to narrow the achievement gap are educating parents as a way to focus on the whole child. Bilingual messages, on-site social services, health care and parent classes may get students who are low-income or English-language learners the help they need, some educators say. The Salt Lake Tribune (Utah) (5/24)

In the Classroom

Teacher: Service learning empowers students
Service learning teaches students to respect themselves and others, writes Deirdra Grode, a New Jersey charter-school teacher who was named ASCD's top young educator in 2008. Service learning is at the heart of her diverse school's curriculum, she writes, and teachers help students take ownership of their service projects. Educational Leadership (5/2009)

Teens grant microloans in project to help poor
Students at a two U.S. schools raised tens of thousands of dollars, which they're now microlending to small-business owners around the world. The project teaches students about global politics, economics and philanthropy, teachers say. Edutopia magazine (6/2009)

Group projects help students learn to work together
Students attending New Technology Foundation charter schools across the country are graded on their collaboration by their teacher and their peers, and can even be fired from a project. "If you provide them with the skills to communicate, ask one another questions and use their peers as resources, they learn much more," says Peter Newman, who teaches geography. Edutopia.org (4/29)

Other News

• Students work collaboratively to build "green" home
  The Washington Post (4/16)

• Teacher blogs about students canceling catalogs to help environment
  The Huffington Post (4/18)

Viewpoints/Strategies

Educator: Aim to change student behavior, not ideals
Service-learning and social-responsibility projects may draw criticism if they focus on values and ideals, writes Douglas B. Reeves, who founded the Leadership and Learning Center. To avoid such criticism, social responsibility should be taught by directing student behavior, not their beliefs, he writes. Educational Leadership (5/2009)

Should educators do more to empower students?
Too much of what students learn teaches them to be reactive rather than proactive, Oakland, Calif., teacher-leader Anthony Cody writes. Teachers' own passivity can worsen the situation, he writes, but an empowered teacher can improve student learning by teaching more creatively and passionately. Teacher Magazine (free registration) (5/27)

Parent: Longer school year offers time for innovation
Year-round classes give students time to work on nontraditional school projects and learn other valuable skills, writes parent and reporter Brigid Schulte. She praises the Obama administration's push to extend the school year, writing that the extra activities are valuable to students' future. The Washington Post (6/7)

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