How Rockland Community College provides From Classroom Theory to Preschool Practice: Transforming Language Lessons into Hands-On Service Learninghands on experiential learning for their Speech and Language Development class in their onsite daycare.
Talia Lipton
Overview
Providing Experiential Learning Opportunities to students is a high impact practice. By connecting students in courses to opportunities to practice their skills directly on campus, we can reduce barriers like access to transportation and costs. By integrating the experiential learning directly into a course all students in the program gain access to the experience and the faculty can scaffold and help bridge the gaps between theory and practice.
Case Study
This Service-Learning Project, offered in the Introduction to Speech and Language Development (CST 211) course, offers students a hands-on opportunity to apply the theoretical knowledge theyacquire in the classroom to real-life classroom settings. By planning and executing a language enrichment event for pre-school children at the Rockland Community College (RCC) onsite daycare center, Campus Fun and Learn Child Development Center, students gain real-world experience in key areas. These include lesson planning, developing measurable age-appropriate language enrichment goals, identifying methodologies for meeting these goals, and collaborating with other professionals in the field. This project not only helps students bridge the gap between theory and practice but also fosters teamwork, collaboration, and reflective learning. The CST 211 Service-Learning Project takes place directly on the Rockland Community College campus at the onsite daycare/preschool eliminating transportation barriers that could prevent participation at offsite locations.
Since most students enrolled in this course are from the Teacher Education program or are pursuing careers as Speech-Language Pathologists, the skills they develop will be directly applicable to their future career paths. In addition to academic learning, the service-learning component of this project enhances career readiness by offering students the opportunity to apply essential skills in real-world settings such as professional communication, time management, leadership, adaptability, and teamwork.
In this project, students collaborate in teams to design, plan, and execute interactive language enrichment lessons for pre-school age children in the Rockland Community College Day care center (Campus Fun and Learn Child Development Center). Teams are tasked with developing a theme for a 45-minute language enrichment event and then develop lesson plans with measurable goals for the language enrichment activities. One of the activities must involve choosing an age-appropriate book and engaging the children in dialogic reading. The other activities can include an art project, a movement activity (such as singing and dancing), or a snack activity where the snack is creatively incorporated into the theme. The project’s structure provides flexibility, enabling all students to engage fully without conflicting with other obligations.
Prior to the event, students collaborate with teachers and daycare professionals to ensure the activities are customized to meet the children’s developmental needs. The interviews conducted also serve to gather crucial information about the children, including allergies, support requirements, and permissions for photos and videos. This project provides students with the opportunity to develop crucial professional skills, including planning, communication, and adaptability. The planning and execution of the project are incorporated into assigned class times, making it easier for community college students to balance academic, work, and family responsibilities.
At the end of the project, students deliver a collaborative group presentation to showcase their learning, share key insights, and reflect on their journey from planning to execution. This presentation reinforces the value of professionalism and teamwork in their future careers.
Impacts
- Gain Practical Experience: Students design and implement lesson plans for language enrichment activities at the onsite daycare center, applying theory from their coursework to the classroom.
- Confidence Building: Successfully implementing language enrichment activities and seeing the positive impact on the children in the classroom, boosts students’ confidence in their abilities.
- Build Professional Skills: Develop group collaboration, time management, problem-solving, professional interviewing, and reflective practices essential for careers in Education, Speech Pathology, and related fields.
- Increased Adaptability: Through planning and executing dynamic activities for preschool children, students learn how to be flexible in their approaches. The need to adapt to the children’s developmental needs, engage them in varied activities, and troubleshoot challenges in real-time helps students develop a critical skill set for problem-solving in their future careers.
- Development of Reflective Practice: The reflective component of the project encourages students to evaluate their work and identify strengths and areas for improvement. Presenting their work at the end of the project offers students the opportunity to improve presentation and public speaking skills.
- Foster a Sense of Community:
- Group Collaboration: Work together to create impactful educational experiences.
- Time Management: Learn to manage project timelines effectively.
- Sense of Community: Strengthen connections within the Rockland Community College community by engaging directly with local community members, enhancing their civic responsibility.
Adaptibility
- Adaptable Framework:
- The Service-Learning Project can be customized to fit different educational settings, student demographics, and community contexts.
- It can be tailored for various academic disciplines (e.g., psychology, social work) by focusing on different aspects of child development or community engagement.
- Inclusive Practices for Additional Populations:
- The project can be adapted for students with disabilities or diverse linguistic backgrounds by incorporating inclusive educational methods. For example, offering flexible ways for students to demonstrate their understanding, such as through visual projects, verbal presentations, or hands-on activities, ensures accessibility for all.
- For bilingual students, activities could integrate multiple languages, fostering a multicultural learning environment that supports diverse linguistic needs.
- Adapting to Resource and Environmental Differences:
- The project can be scaled or modified to utilize local resources, such as nonprofit daycare centers or preschools serving children with delayed speech and language skills.
Regardless of how the project is adapted, the core elements remain consistent. These include lesson planning, goal setting, and reflective practice, which are central to the project’s success. By maintaining these foundational components, students continue to gain practical experience while developing critical thinking skills. This consistency ensures that, no matter the context or student population, the project provides valuable learning opportunities that foster both professional growth and thoughtful reflection.